nadia petrova

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: STARS FOR HAITI

January 18, 2010 by WTM

STARS

Elena Dementieva beat Serena Williams 6-3 6-2 to win the Medibank International women’s singles at Sydney, Australia

Marcos Baghdatis beat Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-6 (2) in Sydney, Australia, to win the Medibank International men’s singles

John Isner beat Arnaud Clement 6-3 5-7 7-6 (2) to win the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand

Alona Bondarenko beat Shahar Peer 6-2 6-4 to win the Moorilla Hobart International in Hobart, Australia

SAYINGS

“It doesn’t make me angry, just disappointed a little bit. I think I deserved my place in the draw as the 16th seed and not as a qualifier, but I knew it was going to be this way. I tried to make the best of it, stayed positive and strong mentally. I’m really happy the way I handled everything.” – Yanina Wickmayer, who had to qualify for the Australian Open even though she is ranked 16^th in the world.

“When I started in ’89 I remember my father said `OK, it’s good you’re professional, you play the big events and try to play for three, four, five years.’ This is my 22nd year, so never I thought I would be able to play that long at that level.” – Fabrice Santoro, who came out of retirement to play a Grand Slam tournament in a fourth decade.

“I have waited a couple of years for this title and I’m happy I won. I hope it’s not the last for this year.” – Alona Bondarenko, after winning the Moorilla Hobart International.

“This is completely unexpected … amazing. The biggest benefit will be the belief that I can play with these guys at this level. … Winning four matches at this level gives me a huge amount of confidence I can do it in singles as well.” – Marcus Daniell, after teaming with Horia Tecau to win the doubles title in Auckland, New Zealand.

“I was just happy to play in the tournament and have a chance.” – Horia Tecau, who with Marcus Daniell turned their wild-card entry into the Auckland tournament into a doubles title.

“I thought he retired? He asked me to play doubles with him in the US Open. Told me it was his last tournament. Now here he is, he’s unretired for the seventh time!” – John McEnroe, when told Fabrice Santoro was playing in the Australian Open.

“Anti-terrorism security is everywhere in the world, it’s not just in Mumbai because something happened there recently. It happens in Australia, New York, Madrid, London and Paris.” – Leander Paes, making a plea for Commonwealth countries to send teams to the upcoming Commonwealth Games in India.

“The last five, six years the dominance was obvious from (Roger) Federer, (Rafael) Nadal. They’ve been winning all the Grand Slams they’ve played. But now in last two years or so the things are changing a little bit. … You have (Juan Martin) del Potro, (Andy) Murray, (Andy) Roddick, (Nikolay) Davydenko. They’re all in great shape, great form.” – Novak Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion noting there are a number of contenders for this year’s men’s singles title.

“I have seen the pictures on the news and it is just horrific. I want to send my condolences to everyone affected by the earthquake.” –Marcos Baghdatis.

“I don’t think we can fully comprehend the devastation of the earthquake over in Haiti and we just to do our part in helping everyone who is suffering during this difficult time.” – Daniel Nestor.

“It was something I felt I could easily do and I plan on doing it in Australia as well. It makes you realize how lucky you are.” – John Isner, after donating USD $5,000 of his winnings to the Haitian earthquake relief fund.

STARS FOR HAITI

On the eve of the Australian Open, some of the world’s top tennis players put on a fundraiser for earthquake victims in Haiti. The event, called “Hit for Haiti,” raised more than USD $185,000, a figure that is expected to grow. And that doesn’t include the money donated by the players themselves. Roger Federer teamed with Serena Williams, Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur to play a team composed of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters. In the end, Federer’s Red Team beat the rival Blue Team 7-6 in their one-set match that featured mixed doubles with player substitution. The teams were named for the colors of Haiti’s flag. The fundraiser was Federer’s idea, and he also was master of ceremonies. “It was a fun afternoon for all of us,” the Swiss star told the crowd.” But most important is that we can help Haiti,”

Several players have reached into their pockets for contributions to the earthquake victims. Maria Sharapova, who won the Australian Open in 2008, gave USD $10,000, while American John Isner and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyrus each has donated USD $5,000.

SANTORO’S BACK

Fabrice Santoro made short work of his retirement. The Frenchman is playing in his 70^th Grand Slam tournament as he extended his career into a fourth decade. He was 16 when he played in his first major, the 1989 French Open. He retired last year at Roland Garros. But the 37-year-old Santoro said the lure was too strong for one more appearance at the Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals in 2006. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said Santoro has offered to donate his first-round prize money to charity.

SUPER QUALIFIER

After being forced to qualify, Yanina Wickmayer poses a problem for the top players at the Australian Open. Ranked 16^th in the world, Wickmayer should have been seeded in the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. But she was ineligible to enter the main draw due to suspension, a ban which has since been lifted by a Danish court and the International Tennis Federation. Wickmayer easily won a main draw spot, crushing Spain’s Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-0 6-0 in the final qualifying round. She could face her two Belgian compatriots in the tournament: Justine Henin in the fourth round and Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals. “Coming here and starting the qualifiers wasn’t easy for me,” Wickmayer said. “I just tried to take it the positive way.”

Xavier Malisse of Belgium was banned at the same time as Wickmayer, and he, too, had his suspension lifted. And like his female compatriot, Malisse came through qualifying to gain a main draw spot at the Australian Open.

The qualifiers for the women’s singles included 19-year-old Han Xinyun of China, who is making her Australian Open debut.

SEND TEAMS

Tennis star Leander Paes has appealed to New Zealand and other governments to send teams to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. Paes is one of a number of Indian athletes charged with promoting the games. He said every possible step will be taken to ensure the safety of athletes as he appealed to the Commonwealth governments to trust the organizer’s security efforts. “There is terrorism all around the world, it’s not just something that we have in India,” Paes said. “There will be high security measures taken at the Commonwealth Games because it’s like an Olympics or Asian Games. I am sure the security will be fantastic.” New Zealand and Australia have both indicated they are satisfied with security arrangements for the games but have said they were constantly monitoring the security situation. [Read more…] about MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: STARS FOR HAITI

BUD COLLINS NAMES HIS MATCHES OF THE DECADE

January 12, 2010 by WTM

The following is a look at the matches from 2000 to 2009 that Hall of Fame journalist Bud Collins, author of the book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, says were the best of the decade. You can read more about Bud on his official website www.BudCollinsTennis.com.

All right, so it’s time again to look backwards. This happens every 10 years as selections of the best matches (best- remembered anyway) of the decade crop up.

I’ve decided on a selection of men’s and women’s matches – only ones I’ve attended. Whatever the reasons, they splash about in my neural mush.

You, of course, may respond, “Hey, idiot — how come you left out X or Y?”

Fair enough.

First of all, the players of the decade? Easy, two dead heats: Venus and Serena in the female precinct, Federer and Nadal in the men’s. Where will they be in 2020? Still around? Roger has the best chance at 38. Ever light-footed smooth and motivated, he wants his kids to see him in a couple more Olympics. Why not? Or maybe one of the twins will hold him up in the mixed doubles, a category recently added to the Olympian run for tennis medals.

Here they are, the Decade’s Dandies, chronologically:

Women

2001 – Venus hung very tough to deprive Jennifer Capriati of the Key Biscayne title, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Jennifer had 9 match points on serve, but Venus wouldn’t budge.

2002 – Capriati d. Martina Hingis, Australian F, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2. In Hadean conditions, temperature way over 100, they fought nonetheless gamely. Jennifer saved 4 match points, a record for a major women’s F.

2003 – Justine Henin d. Capriati, U.S. SF, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4). During a thriller that ran past midnight, Henin survived cramps, dodged Capriati’s bright chances (2 points from victory 10 times), needed IV treatment but came back later in the day to beat Kim Clijsters for the title.

2005 – Clijsters d. Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, U.S. SF. Kim hangs on through a slugfest, then beats Mary Pierce for the title.

2005 – Venus d. Lindsay Davenport, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 9-7, Wimbledon F. A shotmaking fiesta of two champs turned on Venus’s backhand winner that rescued a match point.

2006 – Hingis struggled a long time to overcome Venus’s power, and win their SF in the Italian Open, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3. And Hingis won the title.

2007 – Serena was out of shape but not out of heart as she squirmed out of numerous holes, close to defeat, winding up with a tour de force in the Australian F, crushing Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2.

2009 – Serena d. Elena Dementieva, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 8-6, Wimbledon SF. Stonewalling match points, a Serena specialty, came in handy as she charged for a volley at 4-5, 30-40, 2^nd set to stay alive en-route to the title.

2009 – Clijsters in a rare double knocked off both Sisters – Venus, 6-0, 0-6, 6-4, 4^th round; Serena in the SF (exploding at the end), 6-4, 7-5.

2009 – Kid Oudin completed her U.S. Open war against Russia, and in the usual way, restoring herself from way behind to beat Nadia Petrova, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, and crash the SF. “Melanie Madness” turned the Open upside down as the teeny beat two other more highly regarded Russians, Elena Dementieva and ex-champ Maria Sharapova, in comebacks. It reminded me of 16-year-old Chrissie Evert’s march to the semis of 1971.

Men

2001 – It was serve-and-volley all the way, and the 5 sets of championship tension made for a marvelous, uproarious atmosphere on Peasants Monday as longest-shot wild card Goran Ivanisevic barely nicked Pat Rafter, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 Because of a Sunday rain postponement, tickets were first-come-first-served and young Croats and Aussies yelled their heads off for their guys – a vocal battle equal to the match.

2003 – A long-distance Australian QF wowser, Andy Roddick d. Younis El Aynaoui, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4, 21-19. This screamer went on, and on, brilliantly, absorbingly. Finally Roddick, who had saved a match point, closed it out past midnight. However, an injury kept him from moving on.

2003 – The “Leaning Tower of Zagreb”, 6-10 Ivo Karlovic, a qualifier ranked No. 203, hardly knew the location of Wimbledon’s Centre Court. But he did the previously undone there, eliminating No. 1 and 1^st seeded defending champ Lleyton Hewitt, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4. That was an all-time 1^st round first.

2005 – Marat Safin, super-sensational through 5 sets, dethroned Roger Federer in the Australian SF, 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 9-7. He had to duck a match point to do it, then proceeded to sadden the home folks by beating Hewitt for the title.

2005 – Andre Agassi somehow pulled out a gripping 5^th set tie-breaker over James Blake, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), a U.S. QF. The midnight crowd stood in tribute. Andre went to the F, pushing Federer.

2006 – Marcos Baghdatis captivated Melbourne with a string of upsets as a spectating Greek chorus of fans cheered and chanted their man’s every move at the Australian. Rising from a 2-set deficit, he outgunned David Nalbandian in the SF, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, but Federer silenced the loud well-wishers for the title.

2008 – At nightfall Rafa Nadal halted Federer’s title feast of 5 straight at Wimbledon, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7, in the F. How could anything be greater?

2009 – Rafa continued his mischief-making at Federer’s expense, driving Roger to tears in the Australian F, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2. Another rip-roarer as Rafa joined the exclusive men’s club of major champs on all 3 surfaces. Other members: Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander, Agassi, soon Federer.

2009 – Upset of the decade (if not longer), No. 23 Robin Soderling deposed 4-time champ No. 1 Nadal, 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 4^th round, French. This enabled Federer to join that surface club, at last adding clay. It had seemed impossible for Nadal to get hurt on dirt. But the Swede was on his way to a Top Ten finish – and maybe this was the beginning of a Rafa decline.

2009 – But to get into the club Federer had to hit the shot of the year to bring down Tommy Haas, 4^th round of the French, 6-7 (4-7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. At 3-4, break point in the 3^rd set, Haas was one point from serving for the match – except that Roger dance-stepped to his left and socked an inside-out forehand that touched the far sideline. Saved!

2009 – In a mammoth Wimbledon F, Roddick came oh-so-close to flattening Federer. Roger escaped, serving 50 aces, in the Big W’s longest F, ending with a suspenseful 30 game 5^th set, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14. But if Andy had put away a short set point volley to end the 2^nd set, would a 2-set deficit have been too much for Roger?

Of course, you yip, “What about Juan Martin Del Potro’s stunning of Federer in the 2009 U.S. final!” OK – 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. Historic.

I said Top Ten, and it comes out 12. Guess I can’t count either.

Also deserving 2007 Huzzahs! go to Capt Patrick McEnroe and his U.S. Davis Cup team – Roddick, Blake and the Bryan twins. They splashed champagne on the longest American drought that began in 1996. In the final they easily disposed of faint opposition from Russia. But the main thing was they clung together through numerous setbacks.

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: STARS OF 2009

December 28, 2009 by WTM

STARS OF 2009

Australian Open

Men: Rafael Nadal; Women: Serena Williams

Roland Garros

Men: Roger Federer; Women: Svetlana Kuznetsova

Wimbledon

Men: Roger Federer; Women: Serena Williams

US Open

Men: Juan Martin del Potro; Women: Kim Clijsters

Sony Ericsson Championships

Serena Williams

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Nikolay Davydenko

Davis Cup

Spain

Fed Cup

Italy

SAYINGS

“We can attribute the strength and the growth of women’s tennis a great deal to her. She is a superstar.” – Stacey Allaster, WTA Tour chairman and CEO, talking about Serena Williams.

“My goal is to have a better year than ’09 – and to stay healthy, and I think if I can do that, I’ll be fine.” – Serena Williams, looking towards 2010.

“To win my first Roland Garros title, break the all-time Grand Slam record and regain the number one ranking is amazing. It means a lot to me to finish the year again at the top.” – Roger Federer.

“I know I’m going back into the tennis life, where we’re spoiled with limousines and hotel suites, but I know now there are other more important matters. You have to build on the human adventures, not the trophies, not the titles, not the money.” – Justine Henin, saying her time away from tennis allowed her to discover herself.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I love the game of tennis. I play it regularly, watch it frequently, and now look forward to being in Indian Wells every March to host the greatest players in the world.” – Larry Ellison, new owner of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA.

“Being captain of the Davis Cup team is difficult but it also makes you proud, and given that there are a lot of people who could do this job, I am thankful for the renewal of this confidence in me.” – Albert Costa, whose contract to captain Spain’s victorious Davis Cup team was extended for another year.

SERENA ATHLETE OF YEAR

Serena Williams was named the 2009 Female Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press. The world’s top-ranked player received 66 of 158 votes cast by editors at AP member newspaper in the United States. No other candidate got more than 18 votes. Williams won the Australian Open and Wimbledon singles titles, giving her 11 Grand Slam tournament victories for her career, and she teamed with her older sister Venus to win the women’s doubles titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. At the two majors she didn’t win in 2009, Williams lost to the eventual champions, Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros and Kim Clijsters at the US Open. Serena also won the AP Female Athlete of the Year award in 2002. “I’m just happy and blessed to even be playing seven years later,” she said. “All this is a bonus, really. In 2002, I just was really dominant, and I think in 2009 I just brought that back. I kind of became that player again.”

STELLAR CHAMPIONS

For the fifth time, Roger Federer has been named the International Tennis Federation (ITF) men’s champion. Serena Williams was named the top woman for the second time in her career. Federer regained the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal as he won his first French Open title and his 15^th Grand Slam tournament crown by capturing his sixth Wimbledon title. The Swiss star also reached the final of the other two Grand Slam tournaments, losing to Nadal at the Australian Open and to Juan Martin del Potro at the US Open. “It is an honor for me to be named ITF World Champion for a fifth time. It was an incredible year for me both on and off the court,” said the 28-year-old Federer, who also was married and became the father of twin daughters in 2009.

Serena Williams was also impressive in 2009. She won the Australian Open for the fourth time and her third Wimbledon title, and then finished the year by capturing the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar. She broke the single-season women’s money record by winning more than USD $6.5 million as she posted a 50-12 match record in singles. Serena led the WTA Tour with 381 aces and also led in percentages of first-service points won and service games won.

Serena also teamed with her sister Venus Williams to be named the women’s doubles World Champions. They won the doubles titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2009, running their career total to 10 Grand Slam tournament titles. Serena joins Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis as the only players to become singles and doubles world champions in the same year. When Martina Navratilova was dominating both singles and doubles in the 1980s, the ITF did not honor doubles champions.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named the men’s doubles World Champions for the sixth time in seven years.

The award is based on performances at Grand Slam tournaments, tour events, Davis Cup and Fed Cup. The ITF World Champions will receive their awards at the annual ITF World Champions Dinner on June 1 in Paris, France, during the French Open.

SPORTS EVENT MANAGEMENT AWARD

The All England Club received a Gold Award for Sports Event Innovation at the SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards 2009. The award recognizes the innovation and skills of the people and organizations that make sports events happen. Nigel Rushman, co-chair of the judging panel, said the judges “were extremely impressed” by the All England Club’s entry. “They have earned the right to be considered the best in the world in their area in 2008-9.” Wimbledon unveiled a retractable roof over Centre Court in 2009, allowing play to continue even in inclement weather.

SINGLED OUT

Wild cards entries into the Australian Open have been handed out to Australians Alicia Molik and Bernard Tomic. Olivia Rogowska, a teenager from Melbourne, Australia, was also given a wild card into the women’s singles by tournament organizers. Besides Tomic, who won the Australian Open and US Open junior boys titles in 2009, others given wild cards into the men’s singles were two other Australians, under-18 champion Jason Kubler and Davis Cupper Carsten Ball. Earlier, organizers granted former world number one Justine Henin of Belgium a wild-card entry into the women’s draw.

STICKING AROUND

Albert Costa will be back as captain of Spain’s victorious Davis Cup team. The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) extended Costa’s contract for another year. Costa led his team to victory over the Czech Republic in the 2009 final as Spain became the first team in 11 years to successfully defend its title. Costa, who played Davis Cup for Spain and won the French Open as a player, had been appointed in December 2008 for one year. Spanish federation president Jose Luis Escanuela praised Costa’s “fine work behind the scenes” in winning Spain’s fourth Davis Cup.

SENT INVITATION

Great Britain’s Prince William has been invited to attend the Australian Open. Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard sent an official invitation to Prince William, urging the second in line to the British throne to be guest of honor at Melbourne Park. The prince will be on a three-day tour of Australia, including a visit to areas devastated by bush fires. “We are very hopeful Prince William will come,” said Australian Open chief Steve Wood. “We have heard he is a bit of a tennis fan and we think he would absolutely love seeing the world’s best players on Rod Laver Arena at Australian Open 2010.”

SANTIAGO-BOUND

Defending champion Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, German Tommy Haas, Argentina’s Juan Monaco and Richard Gasquet of France headline the roster at the 2010 Movistar Open, which begins January 31 in Santiago, Chile. This year’s Movistar Open will be held during the 200^th anniversary of Chilean independence and will feature players from Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Poland, Uruguay and the United States, as well as Chile. Both Haas and Gasquet will be making their first visit to Chile. Monaco was runner-up in 2008 when the tournament was held in Vina del Mar.

SWITCH IN OWNERS

The BNP Paribas Open and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden have a new owner. Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, has purchased the tournament and stadium from the previous ownership group, which included several former tennis champions, including Charlie Pasarell, Raymond Moore, Pete Sampras, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King. The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, is reportedly the best attended tennis tournament in the world after the four Grand Slam events. Pasarell and Moore, who formed PM Sports Management in 1985, will continue to manage the event and the stadium for Ellison’s company, Tennis Ventures LLC. Steve Simon will continue as tournament director and chief operating officer of the facility. Former owner George Mackin has the new title of Director of Sponsorship Marketing.

SIGNED ON

Ana Ivanovic will begin her bid to regain the world number one ranking with a new fitness trainer. The 2008 Roland Garros champion has already begun working with Australian Damian Prasad on a trial basis. Prasad formerly worked with many other players, including Nadia Petrova, Eleni Danilidou, Nicolas Kiefer, Wayne Arthurs and Raemon Sluiter.

Ivanovic also has recently purchased an apartment in an exclusive building being built in New
Belgrade. Her apartment reportedly has an impressive view of New and Old Belgrade and the rivers. Construction is in the final phase and Ana’s parents, Dragana and Miroslav, have already started working on the interior design for their daughter.

STARRING AS KING

Novak Djokovic has stepped up from being the best tennis player in Serbia to becoming king of Yugoslavia. Djokovic will play the king in a new television series about the life of Aleksandar Karadjordjevic (1888-1934), who was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The 10-episode series will begin filming in March. Novak’s youngest brother, Djordje, will play the young Aleksandar Karadjordjevic.

SELECTED

The best Czech tennis player of 2009 is – drum roll, please – the Czech Republic Davis Cup team. Czech President Vaclav Klaus presented the award to the Davis Cup team, which advanced to the final for the first time in 29 years. It is the first time in the poll’s 17-year history that the award went to a team and not an individual player. Radek Stepanek was named the best male player of the year, while Lucie Safarova received the best female tennis player of the year honor.

SELA, SHAHAR STAR

There was tennis over the Christmas holiday. One tournament was the Israeli championships in Ra’anana, which was won by Dudi Sela and Shahar Peer. Sela won his second Israeli men’s crown and first since 2006, beating Amir Weintraub in the final, while Peer had no problems crushing Julia Glushko in the women’s title match. Peer already has won six national championships, including the last four. “I was looking at the record books and saw that Tova Epstein won eight straight titles, so I’m hoping to break her record in the future,” Peer said.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Australian Open: Men: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan; Women: Serena Williams and Venus Williams; Mixed: Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi

Roland Garros: Men: Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes; Women: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual

Wimbledon: Men: Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic; Women: Serena Williams and Venus Williams; Mixed: Mark Knowles and Anna-Lena Groenefeld

US Open: Men: Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy; Women: Serena Williams and Venus Williams; Mixed: Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott

London: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan

Doha: Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

SITES TO SURF

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/

Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz/

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$1,110,250 Qatar Exxon Mobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard

$484,750 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$450,000 Aircel Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard

$125,000 ATP Challenger Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, hard

WTA

$220,000 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$220,000 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, 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

MEADOWS OF BLUE PAVEMENT WERE STAGES FOR NEW CHAMPS, AND ENOUGH U.S. OPEN DRAMA TO THRILL THE FANS

September 21, 2009 by WTM

Rushing from Flushing, 15 days at the Billie were quite enough. But there were plenty of indelible memories of a very good Open…

Amazing how the USTA stretches a tournament that used to take 10 days in a time before floodlights and tie-breakers. Obviously more days mean more money, but slimmer second week programs. Yet Wimbledon gets it all done in 13 days, without lights and with the middle Sunday off. Moreover the men are properly given a day off between semifinal and final – as at the other three majors. Will the U.S. ever get that right?

*****

OH, SISTER, THAT NAUGHTY LEFT FOOT

Too bad that Serena was too bad. I was saddened to see such a great player disgrace herself. It was definitely a foot fault – her left foot touching the baseline — regardless of the critical situation. The same rules apply in the last game as anywhere else in a match. Good officials in any sport pay no attention to the score. Imagine how that poor line judge, a tiny Japanese lady, Shino Tsurubuchi, felt after making a routine call, only to be threatened verbally (profanely) and menacingly with upraised racket by enflamed Serena? She must have gulped, “Why did I ever get assigned to this match?” [She was because of her international stature as a match official.]

Even the greatest do dumb things. Had Serena forgotten the warning received when she fractured her racket after losing the first set to Mighty Mama, Kim Clijsters? The second infraction, drawing a point penalty, happened to be match point. Th-th-th-that’s all, folks.

Had she not tiraded, Serena might have retained her title. Protesting the foot fault was silly. How would she know? You don’t look at your feet when you serve. Then the semi got ugly, and a bewildered Clijsters didn’t have to take another swing. She may have thought it was Christmas. Nobody in the women’s game has earned a defeat so flagrantly.

Still, I wonder if the tirade had occurred earlier and the penalty point not costly, would the umpire and referee have had the nerve to rule Serena off with a default? We’ll never know.

The $ 10,500 fine is a pittance to a millionaire. A meaningful suspension is more in order, and may yet be given. I was surprised that Serena was permitted to play the doubles final (won by her and Venus) the following day. In 1995 Jeff Tarango’s acting up at Wimbledon resulted in his being barred the following year from the Big W. Might that happen to Serena in 2010 at Flushing? Unlikely that the USTA would value sportsmanship that highly – and, of course, Tarango was expendable with no marquee value.

Now here’s the kicker: Serena’s just-out memoir is called ”On the Line.”

*******

DELPO – NEW PARAGON OF THE PAMPAS

Anyway the fallen (at least for a day) nonpareil, Roger Federer, also didn’t keep his lip buttoned. Hardly noticed was his $ 1500 fine for rotten language during the loss of his championship to the new Paragon of the Pampas, Juan Martin Del Potro.

*******

THE OLD PARAGON VILAS CELEBRATES

The old Paragon, Guillermo Vilas, 57, was on hand to celebrate, recalling his 1977 upset of defender Jimmy Connors, the last championship match in the Forest Hills Stadium before the move to the Meadow. It was wild. Jubilant Latinos invaded the court to carry Guillermo about the arena like a triumphant matador while Jimmy sulked, running into the night and avoiding the presentation ceremony.

Even though Juan Martin was woozily nervous in the first set – it took him 11 minutes to blow the second game, 4 deuces, of the match, clunking 10 first serves – he overcame the jitters and remembered Paris. There he nearly beat Federer in the semis (6-4 in the 5^th), and the memory warmed him, blocking out his 0-6 record against Roger. Although the substantial number of Latinos in the full-house of 24,821 didn’t rush the court as in Vilas’s day, their singing of soccer fight songs, and loud urging encouraged him. He fed off them, and by the 4^th set the big Argentine with a big, big forehand was feeling bigger than his 6-feet-7 inches while the champ was feeling the heat, and wilting. The outcome: 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in 4:06.

Federer entered in his championship black outfit, which made him seem Death-on-the-hoof to the last roundup victims of 2004-05-06-07-08. However, so did Del Potro, the first of them to look down on favored Roger.

“Delpo,” as his amigos call him, is the third of his land to conquer the U.S. We must not – how could we? – forget the Divine Argentine, Gabriela Sabatini, who lifted the title from Steffi Graf in 1990.

*****

FOR BUENO A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

From neighboring Brazil, slim, effortless Maria Bueno, the Sao Paulo Swallow, was saluted on the 50^th anniversary of her U.S. championship. You don’t see her like in this era of baseline-bang-bang-bangers. Maria seemed to float across the court, but delivered winning serve-and-volley punch.

*******

BIG BILL TILDEN’S GHOST GLOATS

Was Big Bill Tilden smiling in his Philadelphia grave or wherever his ghost hangs out? Maybe the ghost muttered, “Muy bien jugado, gracias!” in Del Potro’s direction. Delpo had protected Tilden’s 84-year-old record: 6 straight U.S. championships (1920 – 25) as well as 42 consecutive match wins up to a quarter-final loss in 1926 to Frenchman Henri Cochet. Roger came close to catching up, folding by a set, settling for 5 straight, which seems almost ghostly in itself. Like Tilden, Roger has all the shots – and the shorts, surely more comfortable than Big Bill’s white flannel trousers of that day.

*****************

HIGH FIVES FOR DENT IN TERRIFIC WIN

Probably the most entertaining match of the tournament was qualifier Taylor Dent’s second round victory by a whisker over Spaniard Ivan Navarro, 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (1-7), 7-5, 7-6 (11-9). Lucky were the folks in the Grandstand who witnessed a shotmaking smorgasbord. How sweet it was for Californian Dent, who hadn’t played the Open for 5 years. Beset by injuries, 2 back surgeries, he was told he was through. Nevertheless, he was back with his daring serve-and-volley style. Since Navarro had the same ideas, they were constantly at each other’s jugular’s, ever attacking, a singular gambling style seldom seen that worked for both.

Taylor, ducking a couple of match points in the hairy concluding tie-breaker, finished it with a brilliant winner, a backhand return down the line. He was so excited that he grabbed the umpire’s microphone to thank the onlookers, then made 2 victory laps, high-fiving just about everybody. Hadn’t seen anything that feel-good since Vilas’s 1977 coronation.

CAN I PICK ‘EM OR WHAT?

So much for prognostication. My picks, Andy Murray and Elena Dementieva, were gone not long after they arrived. Andy was a bust, seemingly wandering in a trance, so bad that he even startled foe Marin Cilic. Maybe last year’s finalist succumbed after all to the pressure of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. But he has time.

************

ELENA: FALLS IN OUDIN’S RUSSIAN WAR

Elena was a victim of the war on Russia waged by Melanie the Menacing Maid of Marietta (Georgia). She was the first week’s pheenom heroine, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin. A mere teeny of 5-feet-5 and ranked No. 70, she brought down four higher-ranked Russians – Nos. 26-4-29-13 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova – wowing the fans by rebounding from a set behind in the last three. There she was in the quarters, which lacked an American man for the first time in tourney history, and pushing Sharapova to a female tournament record. It was one you wouldn’t want: 21 double faults.

Eventually the aged (19) Caroline Wozniacki sent Oudin back to Georgia, and became a tough final round adversary for Mighty Mom, 7-5, 6-3, who trailed 2-4 and 5-4 in the first set, but broke to 5-5, held through 2 break points to 6-5, and broke again to keep a lead never relinquished.

What’s going on? Kim, away from the game for over 2 years, producing an heir, plays a couple of tournaments – then beats both Sisters and claims a second title four years after her first, on the loss of 2 sets! How do you figure that? Sneaking in the back door as a wild card, unranked, the lone unseeded

woman to wear the U.S. crown, she was only sensational. Is she a miracle worker or has the female opposition declined?

I go for the former. It was as though Kim had never left the office. Her Meadows winning streak is 14. A wrist injury prevented her from defending in 2006, whereupon love and marriage took over. Thus charming little Jada’s old lady, 26, became the 7^th mother to win a major singles after childbirth.

Most recent had been Aussie Evonne Goolagong, Wimbledon, 1980. The list: Englishwoman Dolly Chambers, 7 time Wimbledon champ between 1903 and 1914; American Hazel Wightman, U.S., 1919; American Sarah Palfrey Cooke, U.S., 1945; American Margaret duPont, U.S., 1950; Aussie Margaret Court, U.S., 1973.

Nice to have Mighty Mom back.

Wozniacki has become a genuine contender, the only Dane to go so far in the U.S. since Jan Leschly lost a men’s semi to Clark Graener in 1967. (Incidentally, Graebner, losing a 1966 quarter-final, saved American men from being shut out of the last 8 for the first time, a fate avoided until this year’s embarrassing Zero).

Does any gal hit balls harder than the other Belgian in the semis, 19-year-old 6-footer Yanina Wickmayer? She was another surprise, ranked No. 50. A bit of a screamer, too, but it’s soft and amusing, coming out “Whoopee!”

******************

A ROOF, A ROOF, MY KINGDOM…

Naturally there was much talk about a roof after the second Friday’s rainout, and a wet 8 ½ hour delay on Saturday. Unfortunately the USTA bigshots apparently slept through their visit to Melbourne in 1988, the year the Australian Open grew up, debuting a principal stadium with retractable roof and 15,000 seats, ideal for viewing. Instead of copying the plans, the USTA-ers built that monstrosity, Ashe Stadium. It is too big to add an affordable roof.

What to do? Do as the Romans did when they built the Colosseum a few centuries ago. They beat the rain with a canvas lid that opened and closed with a system of ropes and pulleys. (Slaves, perhaps difficult to find these days, pulled the ropes.)

Forget Wimbledon and Australia. Look to Rome for an inexpensive solution, and here’s hoping that the 2010 Open will be as eventful as this one.

Mondays With Bob Greene: I Fought For My Country

September 21, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Shahar Peer won the GDD-Guangzhou International Women’s Open, beating Alberta Brianti 6-3 6-4 in Guangzhou, China

Melinda Czink beat Lucie Safarova 4-6 6-3 7-5 to win the Bell Challenge in Quebec City, Canada

Evgeny Korolev beat Florent Serra 6-4 6-3 to win the Pekao Szczecin Open in Szczecin, Poland

DAVIS CUP

World Group Semifinals

Czech Republic beat Croatia 4-1 in Porec, Croatia

Spain beat Israel 4-1 in Murcia, Spain

World Group Playoffs

Switzerland beat Italy 3-2, France beat Netherlands 4-1, Sweden beat Romania 3-21, Serbia beat Uzbekistan 5-0, India beat South Africa 4-1, Belgium beat Ukraine 3-2, Ecuador beat Brazil 3-2, and Chile played Austria

Americas Zone

Group I Playoff: Peru vs. Uruguay beat Peru 4-1; Group II Final: Dominican Republic beat Venezuela 3-2

Asia-Oceania Zone

Group I Playoff: China beat Thailand 4-1. Group II 3^rd Round: Philippines beat New Zealand 4-1

Europe/Africa Zone

Group I Playoffs: Slovak Republic beat FYR Macedonia 5-1; Poland beat Great Britain 3-2; Group II 3^rd Round: Latvia beat Slovenia 3-2; Finland beat Cyprus 3-2

SAYING

“I feel like I was in a 10-round boxing match. Everything hurts.” – Ivo Karlovic, who served a record 78 aces, yet lost his Davis Cup match against Radek Stepanek.

“I fought for my country. It was an amazing game.” – Radek Stepanek, who survived Ivo Karlovic’s record 78 aces to win 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) 6-7 (2) 16-14.

“I have to go on holiday badly. I have a problem with my leg. I have a problem with my arm – everything is hurting. And I’ve got to do some babysitting.” – Roger Federer, after helping Switzerland beat Italy and remain in the World Group in 2010.

“I tried everything, but he was particularly good today.” – Potito Starace, who lost to Roger Federer to give Switzerland an insurmountable lead in its Davis Cup playoff against Italy.

“It’s not the way to act – win or lose, good call or bad call, in any sport, in any manner.” – Serena Williams, apologizing for her verbal assault towards a line judge during the US Open women’s final.

“I was very tired after the first two sets, lost the third and the fourth. But then, when I went to the locker room when the fourth set finished, I told my brother I wasn’t going to lose the match. This is the beauty of Davis Cup, the energy of a team and the energy of a country.” – Nicolas Lapentti, whose 6-4 6-4 1-6 2-6 8-6 victory over Marcos Daniel clinched Ecuador’s World Group Playoff tie over Brazil.

“It’s like David against Goliath – and we know who won that one!” – Andy Ram, before Israel played Spain in a Davis Cup semifinal. This time Goliath won.

“I hope it’s the start of something.” – Eyal Ran, Israel’s Davis Cup captain, on his team’s surprising run to the World Group semifinals.

“I hope to come back next year and do better. Unless you win, you can always do better.” – Lucie Safarova, who lost to Melinda Czink in the final of the Bell Challenge.

“I thought they (India) were trying different tactics. I couldn’t understand why he (Mahesh Bhupathi) was serving and staying back.” – Jeff Coetzee, who with his partner Wesley Moodie earned South Africa’s lone point in their Davis Cup tie against India when the Indian doubles team was forced to retire after Bhupathi suffered a groin injury.

“At last we are where we deserve to be.” – Andy Murray, on Great Britain being relegated to Group II in the Euro/Africa Zone after losing its Davis Cup tie to Poland.

SMOKIN’

Ivo Karlovic slammed a record 78 aces yet lost his Davis Cup match against Radek Stepanek in a marathon that lasted one minute short of six hours. Stepanek’s 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) 6-7 (2) 16-14 victory gave the Czech Republic a 2-0 first-day lead over Croatia. The Czechs captured the tie 4-1 and advanced to the final against Spain. The 82 games equaled the Davis Cup record since tiebreakers were introduced in 1989, but the elapsed time was well short of two matches played by John McEnroe, against Mats Wilander in 1982 and against Boris Becker in 1987, both of which lasted around 6½ hours. Karlovic wasted four match points in the final set, and there were only five break-point chances in the match. Karlovic obliterated both the men’s record and Davis Cup record for aces, marks he held. He had 55 aces in a loss to Lleyton Hewitt at the French Open in May, and his previous Davis Cup mark was 47, which he shared with Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten and Switzerland’s Marc Rosset.

SMALL CHANGE?

Apparently apparel company Fila has deep pockets. According to reports, Kim Clijsters was given a significant bonus by her shoe and clothing sponsor for her surprising US Open singles championship. And where companies usually insure these bonuses, CNBC says Fila did not. The bonus is reported to be in the range of USD $300,000, which could buy a lot of shoes for Clijsters’ young daughter. Darren Rovell of SportsBiz says that while it’s standard practice for companies to insure their big incentive bonuses to minimize the risk, Fila didn’t do it with Clijsters since she had played just two tournaments following a two-year retirement. The odds on Clijsters winning were as high as 40-to-1.

STAYING UP

You can excuse Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych if they want to take an extra nap or two. Between them, the Czech duo played for nearly 10 hours on the first day of the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup semifinal against Croatia. But the two then joined forces on the second day to play – and win – their doubles, clinching a spot for the Czech Republic in the final against Spain. On the first day, Stepanek needed one minute less than 6 hours to outlast Ivo Karlovic, and then Berdych was on court for 3 hours 48 minutes to down Marin Cilic in five sets. Together, Stepanek and Berdych needed only 2 hours, 16 minutes to defeat Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek. Stepanek and Berdych are unbeaten together in Davis Cup doubles, improving their record to 5-0, including 3-0 this season.

SINKING BRITS

Even with Andy Murray playing all three days, Great Britain was relegated to Group Two of the Euro/African zonal play when Poland won their Davis Cup tie 3-2. Murray won both of his singles matches, but Michal Przysiezny beat Dan Evans in the decisive singles to give Poland the victory. It is the first time in 13 years that Great Britain has been dropped to the third tier of the world-wide competition. Evans also lost his first-day singles match to Jerzy Janowicz, But Poland’s Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski beat Murray and Ross Hutchins in the doubles.

SURPRISING BELGIUM

When talking about Belgium tennis, most are thinking about the women. The country has produced former number ones Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, the latter winning the US Open earlier this month on her return to the sport following a two-year retirement. But Belgium’s men have also proved their mettle, keeping the country in the World Group for 2010 by besting Ukraine 3-2. And that came despite Belgium losing it’s number one player with an injury just hours before the Davis Cup Playoff began. Olivier Rochus withdrew with a leg injury, but his brother Christophe Rochus joined with Steve Darcis to help Belgium beat Ukraine.

SETTLED SUIT

Zina Garrison has settled the racial discrimination suit she brought against the United States Tennis Association (USTA). A deal was signed on August 27, although its terms were not disclosed. A former Fed Cup captain, Garrison filed her lawsuit in February, saying she was unfairly treated, paid a lower salary than Davis Cup coach Patrick McEnroe while being held to higher standards. As a player, Garrison was the 1990 Wimbledon runner-up, at the time becoming the first black woman since Althea Gibson to play in a Grand Slam tournament singles final. She became the first black captain of the US Fed Cup team when she replaced Billie Jean King in 2004. Spokesman Chris Widmaier said the USTA is happy the case was resolved and looks forward to working with Garrison in the future.

STOP RIGHT NOW

Martina Hingis should stick to tennis and stay away from dancing, at least according to the British public. Hingis became the first celebrity to be ousted from the new BBBC reality talent show, “Strictly Come Dancing.” It’s England’s answer to the American TV show “Dancing With The Stars.” Hingis and her partner Matthew Cutler were in the bottom two when phone votes were added to the judges’ score. They then lost a dance-off against policeman-turned-crime-presenter Rav Wilding and his partner Aliona Vilani. Two years ago, Cutler teamed with Alesha Dixon to win the competition. This year, Dixon, a singer, is a judge on the show.

SERENA SPEAKS

Admitting she lost her cool, Serena Williams has issued an apology for her outburst towards a line judge in her women’s singles final at the US Open. “I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately,” Williams said. “I want to sincerely apologize first to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the US Tennis Association and tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst.” The line judge had called a foot fault on Williams on her second serve, giving Clijsters match point. William, who already had been handed a code violation for racquet abuse, unleashed a tirade towards the line judge, briefly walked away, and then returned for another blast at the official. When chair umpire Louise Engzell asked the line judge what had been said, she called for the tournament referee Brian Earley and eventually ordered a point penalty, the next level of punishment under the code. That gave the match to Clijsters. Williams was fined USD $10,000 for the infraction, and was further penalized USD $500 for the racquet abuse.

SPEAK YE NOT

Saying the “magic” word cost Roger Federer a USD $1,500 fine at the US Open. The Swiss superstar was fined for using a profanity while arguing with the chair umpire during the US Open final. Television microphones picked up the naughty word during the live broadcast of the match. Tournament spokesman said Federer was fined the same amount as two other players – Vera Zvonareva and Daniel Koellerer – for audible obscenities. Daniel Nestor was fined USD $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct toward a fan, but the big loser at this year’s final Grand Slam tournament was Serena Williams, who was docked USD $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct. She also was fined USD $500 for racket abuse.

SUCCESS

Melinda Czink is finally a winner on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The left-hander from Hungary beat Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic to capture the Bell Challenge in Quebec City, Canada. Playing in her second career final, it was Czink’s first title. “It feels great. I haven’t really processed it year, but I will,” she said. Czink’s first final was somewhat historic. She lost to Ana Ivanovic in the final round of qualifying in Canberra, Australia, in 2005, gained entry into the main draw as a “lucky loser,” then met and lost to Ivanovic in the final, the only known time that has happened.

SAYS YOU, SAYS ME

India has two of the world’s best doubles players. Both are now sidelined with injuries. Leander Paes pulled out of India’s Davis Cup World Group Playoff tie against South Africa because of an injury he sustained during the US Open, where he won the doubles title with Lucas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic and reached the mixed doubles final with Cara Black of Zimbabwe. Mahesh Bhupathi, who lost the men’s doubles with his partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, suffered a groin injury during the Davis Cup doubles. The injury forced the Indian doubles team to retire, giving South Africa its lone point in the tie.

SOME KIND OF PROBLEM

Albert Costa has a problem every Davis Cup captain would love to have. Costa has been Spain’s Davis Cup captain for just nine months, but already he faces several decisions that could make him unpopular with several players and their supporters. Costa’s team just swept past Israel 4-1 to return to the final to defend their Davis Cup title. This time they will take on the Czech Republic, which beat Croatia. Costa’s problem. His top two players missed the Israeli tie because of injuries. Does he now name the players who took Spain to the final or go with the two missing players – second ranked Rafael Nadal and ninth-ranked Fernando Verdasco. Of course, there may be no problem. Although injured, both Nadal and Verdasco sat through all three live rubbers on Friday and Saturday, cheering on their compatriots.

SEATS ARE FREE

Admittance to next week’s Vogue Athens Open will be free. The organizers Liberis Publications and Hellenic Tennis Federation decided to open the doors to the public for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event that will be played on the same courts where five years ago the Athens Olympic Games were held. The decision was also made because of the large capacity at the Olympic Tennis Center. All seats are available to anyone, beginning with the qualifying all the way through the final, which will be played on October 4.

STAYING HOME

Juan Martin del Potro’s five-set upset of five-time defending champion Roger Federer had the fans at home turning on their television sets. The men’s final, which was postponed because of rain to Monday, drew a 2.3 rating and 5 share on CBS. That’s up 35 percent from the 2008 final, which was also played on Monday because of rain delays. That was when Federer beat Andy Murray in straight sets. Ratings represent the percentage of all households with televisions, and shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Things at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are normal. The US Open set an attendance record this year, just as it has done every year. This year’s attendance was 721,059, slightly more than the previous record of 720,227 set last year. The tournament also set a Week One attendance record of 423,427, including a single-day high of 61,554 for the combined day and night sessions on the first Friday.

SPONSOR

Remember Melanie Oudin, the 17-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, who reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. Well, she has signed on to be a pitch woman for AirTran Airways Inc., an Orlando, Florida-based company. Oudin became the youngest woman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams did it in 1999. Oudin had victories over fourth-ranked Elena Dementieva, 13^th-seeded Nadia Petrova and former US Open champion Maria Sharapova. The youngster is currently ranked 44^th in the world and is the third-highest ranked American woman, behind sisters Serena and Venus Williams. AirTran, a low-cost airline, recently took over as the official airline of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Guangzhou: Olga Govortsova and Tatiana Poutchek beat Kimiko Date Krumm and Sun Tiantian 3-6 6-2 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Quebec City: Vania King and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat Sofia Arvidsson and Severine Bremond Beltrame 6-1 6-3

Szczecin: Tomasz Bednarek and Mateusz Kowalczyk beat Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. and Artem Smirnov 6-3 6-4

SITES TO SURF

Bucharest: www.bcropenromania.ro/

Metz: www.openmoselle.com

Hansol: www.hansolopen.com

Tashkent: www.tashkentopen.uz

Saint Malo: www.opengdfsuez-bretagne.com

Bangkok: www.thailandopen.org

Kuala Lumpur: www.malasianopentennis.com/

Athens: www.vogueathensopen.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$650,000 BCR Open Romania, Bucharest, Romana, clay

$650,000 Open de Moselle, Metz, France, hard

WTA

$220,000 Hansol Korea Open, Seoul, Korea, hard

$220,000 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

$100,000 Open GDF Suez de Bretagne, Saint Malo, France, clay

SENIORS

Trophee Jean-Luc Lagardere, Paris, France, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$947,750 Proton Malaysia Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hard

$608,500 Thailand Open, Bangkok, Thailand, hard

WTA

$2,000,000 Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$100,000 Vogue Athens Open, Athens, Greece, 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.