open women

Nadal in First US Open Final

September 12, 2010 by Bob Greene

NEW YORK – Kim Clijsters was in a New York state of mind. Again.

For the second straight year the Belgian proved that she could do it here in the Big Apple, crushing Vera Zvonareva in exactly one hour to win her third US Open women’s singles title.

In her basketball-playing husband’s vernacular, it was a slam dunk. Clijsters won 6-2 6-1, and it was more one-sided than the score indicates.

“I’m glad to be standing here as the winner now,” Clijsters told the crowd as she accepted checks totaling USD $2.2 million — $1.7 million as the champion’s purse, plus another $500,000 for finishing second in the US Open Series. “New York is an amazing place for me.”

On Saturday night, it was Clijsters who was the amazing one. She overpowered Zvonareva, keeping the Russian pinned deep behind the baseline running side to side, chasing shots from the eventual champion. It was Clijsters dominating play, almost always the aggressor, firing heavy ground strokes deep into the corners. At one point she ripped off seven straight games, going from 2-2 in the first set to 3-0 in the second.

Clijsters became the first woman to successfully defend her title in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament since Venus Williams in 2000-01. In Friday’s semifinals, she beat Williams, who was also seeking her third US Open crown.

The Belgian right-hander ran her US Open match winning streak to 21. She has won the title the last three times she has played. After capturing the crown in 2005, she missed the next year with an injury, then took off the next two years to get married and have a baby.

While Clijsters seemed to find the court with every shot she hit, Zvonareva, who also was the losing finalist at Wimbledon in July, was forced to go for too much and made mistakes. Her shots sailed just wide or just long, her drop shots sat up just long enough for Clijsters to get there and hit winners.

After driving a backhand into the net to fall behind 40-love in the opening game of the second set, Zvonareva slammed her racquet to the ground twice, breaking it and drawing a warning from the umpire for racquet abuse.

It didn’t help, and try as she might, she could only watch winners hit by Clijsters go whizzing by.

Zvonareva won the fewest games – three — in a women’s singles title match since Evonne Goolagong lost 6-3 6-0 to Chris Evert in 1976.

Clijsters won 58 points in the match to just 31 for Zvonareva. She finished with 17 winners against 15 unforced errors. The Russian had only six winners and 24 unforced errors.

After the match, Zvonareva sat on her seat, tears flowing down her face, while Clijsters climbed into the stands to kiss her husband and others in her box.

When the on-court awards ceremony began, Zvonareva was asked how she felt.

“A little bit better now than 10 minutes ago when I was losing everything,” she replied, then added: “Kim just played tremendously well today. Even though I’m disappointed at the moment, I still love New York.”

That elicited a roar of approval from the crown in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a roar that doubled in intensity when Clijsters name was announced.

“I think I was in six or seven finals before I got one,” Clijsters told Zvonareva. “You’re a great player. Keep it going. It will happen.”

In his eighth trip to the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Rafael Nadal finally reached the US Open men’s singles final Saturday when he easily ousted Mikhail Youzhny 6-2 6-3 6-4. That makes the top-seeded Nadal only the sixth man – and at age 24 the second youngest – in the Open era to reach the title match of all four Grand Slam tournaments – the championships of Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States.

On Sunday he will take on third-seeded Novak Djokovic, who upset second-seeded Roger Federer 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5.

“You feel like you left something out there if you lose a match having had match point,” said Federer, who let two match points get away. “It wasn’t a final, so I’m not as disappointed if it would have been a final.”

Nadal is seeking a career Grand Slam by becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same calendar year.

Clijsters Wins Embarrassing US Open Women’s Final

September 11, 2010 by WTM

Kim Clijsters captured her third U.S. Open singles title Saturday night, defeating Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 in Saturday night’s prime-time final in New York.

The match took only 59 minutes officially to play, disappointing fans who paid $100 per ticket for upper bowl nose-bleed seats. The Clijsters-Zvonareva match was the only match scheduled for the Saturday night session by the U.S. Tennis Association.

Kim Clijsters from Belgium with her trop — Kim Clijsters

The final marked the 15th straight year the women’s final at the US Open was a straight-set match. The last time the final was extended to three sets was in 1995 when Steffi Graf defeated Monica Seles 7-6 (6), 0-6, 6-3.

Clijsters had no trouble with Zvonareva, the 2010 Wimbledon finalist, connecting on numerous passing shots from the baseline and showing the poise of a future member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

With her infant daughter Jada watching from the stands, Clijsters raced to the win losing only three games, making it the most one-sided final in New York since Chris Evert defeated Evonne Goolagong 6-3, 6-0 in 1976.

Clijsters, the US Open champion in 2005 and again last year when she returned to the game after taking time off to start a family, became the first woman to successfully defend her U.S. Open crown since Venus Williams in 2001.

The 59-minute final was not the fastest final in U.S. Open history. According to THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, the 1916 final between Molla Bjurstedt of Norway and Louise Hammond Raymond of the United States lasted only 22 minutes – Bjurstedt winning 6-0, 6-1 – but there were no sit-downs on changeovers in those days as play was continuous.

The US Open Draw Is Out

August 26, 2010 by WTM

The men’s and women’s singles draws for the 2010 US Open is out!

For the men’s draw you can go here: http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/draws/ms/index.html?promo=topnav

And for the women’s draw you can go here: http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/draws/ws/index.html?promo=topnav

Some interesting analyses from the US Open twitter:

Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt could meet in the third round as could Mardy Fish and Marcos Baghdatis.

Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova in the top half of the US Open women’s draw, and could face-off in the fourth round. Melanie Oudin gets a qualifier in the 1st Rd.

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick could meet in the US Open men’s semifinals.

Andy Murray was drawn in Rafael Nadal’s half of the draw.

Mary Joe Fernandez likes the chances of No. 3 seed Venus Williams and No. 14 seed Maria Sharapova in the women’s draw.

And a special behind the scenes video can be found on Facebook.

KUZNETSOVA SURVIVES, WILLIAMS CRUISES

May 26, 2010 by WTM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blair Henley contributed to this report

Ana Ivanovic Speaks

May 23, 2010 by WTM

Ana Ivanovic is two years removed from winning the French Open women’s singles title. This, however, the former world No. 1 is unseeded at Roland Garros. The siren from Serbia may make a run over the red clay of Paris, drawing inspiration from her boyfriend, PGA Tour golfer Adam Scott, who emerged from a slump to win the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio last weekend.

Television personality Harry Cicma spoke with Ana Ivanovic about Roland Garros and other topics in tennis in this interview that appears on the TV show “World Tennis with Harry Cicma” which airs this summer on the New England Sports Network (NESN).

KUZNETSOVA FIGHTS THROUGH SHAKY START IN ROLAND GARROS OPENER

May 23, 2010 by WTM

By Randy Walker

Svetlana Kuznetsova opened up the defense of her women’s singles title at the 2010 French Open, shaking off a slow start to beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-1.

Kuznetsova trailed 0-3 in the first set, but reeled off nine straight games en route to the victory. The momentum of the match seemed to turn when Cirstea was unable to convert at 3-1, 40-0.

“It was extremely rocky start,” said Martina Navratilova on Tennis Channel of Kuznetsova. “She was able to turn it around and she never looked back. After the first three games, she played the kind of tennis that we are used to seeing her play.”

Cirstea was about as tough a first-round opponent for Kuznetsova, being ranked No. 34 – just missing out on being one of the 32 seeded players in the event – and being a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros the year before.

In 2009, Kuznetsova won her second career major singles title at Roland Garros, defeating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 in the final. He first major singles title came at the 2004 U.S. Open, where she beat fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3, 7-5. The year after her US Open triumph, Kuznetsova was unable to deal with the pressure of being the defending champion and was defeated in the first round the following year, losing to No. 97-ranked Ekaterina Bychkova 6-3, 6-2 to become the only defending US Open women’s champion to lose in the first round.

Kuznetsova’s win over Cirstea prevented her from becoming the second defending women’s singles champion to lose in the opening round the following year. The only defending Roland Garros women’s singles champion to not survive the opening round the following year was Anastasia Myskina of Russia, who was defeated in the first round of the 2005 French Open, losing to Maria Sanchez Lorenzo of Spain 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. That match was played exactly five years to the day of Kuznetsova’s win over Cirstea.

If Kuznetsova, seeded No. 6, doesn’t reach the semifinals this year at Roland Garros, she will drop out of the top 10 of the WTA Tour rankings.

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: NADAL – FEDERER RIVALRY ENDS IN VICTORY FOR NADAL

May 17, 2010 by WTM

STARS

Aravane Rezai beat Venus Williams 6-2 7-5 to win the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open women’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4 7-6 (5) to win the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open men’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Richard Gasquet beat Michael Llodra 4-6 6-1 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France

Davis Cup Europe Zone III at Athens, Greece: Greece and Luxembourg promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 20011

SAYINGS

“I just cannot believe this.” – Aravane Rezai, after beating Venus Williams to win the Mutual Madrilena Madrid Open women’s singles.

“Sometimes you run into a player who’s red hot, they hit every shot, they don’t miss – and credit to them.” – Venus Williams, after losing to Aravane Rezai in the Madrid Open final.

“The most important thing is winning at home; winning in Madrid is a dream. After that, I think about the ranking.” – Rafael Nadal, after defeating Roger Federer to win the Mutual Madrilena Madrid Open men’s singles and regain the world number two ranking.

“I wasn’t able to defend my title here today but I thought Rafa played an incredible clay-court season. I’m looking forward to Paris now. I’m happy with my clay-court game.” – Roger Federer.

“I’ve got my intensity back. My mind’s where it needs to be on the court and there’s no reason why I can’t do well there.” – Andy Murray, on his chances at Roland Garros.

“The way I was playing at the start was the way I had to play. I’ll have to keep working and maybe sooner or later I can manage to beat Rafa.” – Nicolas Almagro, who won the first set before losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals at Madrid.

“We just try to be the best and have fun, whether number one comes with that or not. Our goal right now is to do well at the French – we didn’t do well there last year.” – Serena Williams, after she teamed with her sister Venus to win the doubles title in Madrid.

“It was such an emotional game and that’s just the way I am.” – Andrea Petkovic, explaining why she broke down in tears after losing to Aravane Rezai.

“I like doing my job, my career, my life, my dog. I’m healthy and I’ve learned a lot.” – Venus Williams, explaining her run to the number two ranking behind her sister, Serena.

SWEET SPANISH SOIL

Reversing last year’s result, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer for the Madrid Open crown and a record 18^th Masters title. It was the first meeting of the pair since the 2009 Madrid Open. With the victory, Nadal moves back into the number two ranking, just behind Federer. The Spaniard is 15-0 on clay this year, having also won in Monte Carlo and Rome, and has dropped just two sets during the run. “I’m very happy with everything so far this year. I think I’ve returned to my top form and that’s the most important thing for me,” Nadal said. “Am I favorite to win at Roland Garros? I was last year and I lost.” On match point, Nadal returned Federer’s serve, then watched as the world’s top-ranked player whiffed a forehand, missing the ball completely and sending Nadal face down onto the court in triumph. This was Nadal’s second Madrid win, and it moved him one ahead of Andre Agassi in number of Masters won. He has won two more than Federer. “It’s nice that we have had a chance to play each other again and live up to the expectations with a good match, and it was a nice performance from both of us,” Federer said. “He comes up with incredible stuff. He’s Rafa Nadal after all.”

SUNNINGLY SPECTACULAR

Aravane Rezai’s spectacular week ended the only way it should. She won the final four games to pull off yet another upset in winning the Madrid Open women’s singles title, besting Venus Williams 6-2 7-5. It was the third major upset of the week for the Frenchwoman, who earlier knocked off Justine Henin in the first round and Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals. Against Williams, Rezai was masterful, pounding her way past her 29-year-old opponent. Williams led 4-1 and 5-3 in the second set before Rezai pounded her way to victory. She saved a set point in the eighth game and five more a game later before leveling the second set at 5-all. She then broke the frustrated American for a 6-5 lead before serving out the biggest victory of her career. “She played very well and I’ve always respected her as a player and a champion,” Rezai said. “I just tried my best today and it worked well for me.” Rezai’s previous two WTA titles were in Strasbourg, France, and Bali, Indonesia.

SISTERS ON THE TOP

Serena and Venus Williams have taken over the top two spots in the WTA rankings for the first time in seven years. Despite losing in the final of the Madrid Open, Venus Williams moved up to number two, just behind younger sister Serena. It is the 46^th week overall that the siblings have held the two top spots in the rankings, but the first time since May 2003. The rankings mean the sisters will be seeded one and two at the French Open and could meet only in the final. The sisters were one and two in the rankings for the first time in June 2002, when Venus was number one and Serena number two.

The Williams sisters teamed up to win the Madrid Open doubles, besting Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in the final, 6-2, 7-5. With the victory, they moved a step closer to the number one ranking in doubles, which is co-held by American Liezel Huber and Cara Black of Zimbabwe. Venus and Serena share the number two ranking. The Williams sisters have won 18 doubles titles as a team: 11 Grand Slam tournament crowns, two Olympic gold medals and five Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles. Because they play doubles so rarely, this is the first time they have been ranked number two in the world.

SUSPENDED

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has suspended Kristian Antoniychuk for 14 months for doping. The ITF said the 19-year-old Ukrainian tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide at the Mexican Open on Feb. 22. Antoniychuk said the drug got into her system through a prescription. The ITF accepted her explanation, but ruled she lacked a therapeutic exemption and that players are responsible to ensure “no prohibited substance enters his or her body.” The ban will end on April 21, 2011. Her results since the date of the positive test will be disqualified.

SPENDING TIME

Serena Williams won – just barely — the longest match of her career. The world’s number one player saved a match point before outlasting Vera Dushevina 6-7 (2) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (5) in a third-round match at the Madrid Open. “I definitely feel really proud because I definitely wasn’t playing my best tennis and I was far off playing well,” Williams said after the squeaker. “Also, at that point I wasn’t going to lose. After three hours I’d better win.” Serena faced a match point on her serve when trailing 6-5 in the second set. She broke serve to go up 5-2 in the third set before her Russian opponent rallied. Serena trailed 4-0 in the final tiebreaker before winning the match in 3 hours, 26 minutes, according to the WTA Tour the longest match Serena has ever played.

SIMPLY ROYAL

Queen Elizabeth reportedly will attend Wimbledon this summer for the first time in more than 30 years. Her last appearance at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was in 1977 when she presented Virginia Wade with the women’s singles trophy – the last time a British player has won a Wimbledon singles championships. Royal aides say the Queen is interested in tennis and will attend this year on June 24. The Queen is a patron of the club, while the Duke of Kent is the president. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a regular at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

SIDELINED

US Open champions Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro are just two of the big names who will miss this year’s French Open. Clijsters withdrew from Roland Garros with a left foot injury. She tore a muscle in her foot last month while playing Fed Cup. Other withdrawals include Nikola Davydenko, James Blake, Tommy Haas, Igor Andreev, Urzula Radwanska, Sania Mirza, Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Sabine Lisicki. The year’s second Grand Slam tournament begins its two-week run on May 23.

SICK

Illness kicked Andy Roddick out of the Madrid Masters. The fifth-seeded America withdrew from the clay court tournament just before his opening match. He had a first-round bye and had been scheduled to play Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Roddick said he had been vomiting for two days and felt too weak to play after warming up for the match. Oscar Hernandez replaced Roddick in the draw as the lucky loser and immediately lost to his fellow Spaniard 6-1 6-2.

SHARING SIBLING

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan tied Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde by winning their Open Era record 61^st doubles title. The Bryans equaled the mark by besting Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-4 to capture the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. The victory also moved the twins back into the number one spot on the ATP Doubles Ranking. It was the second time the two top teams have clashed this season, with the Bryans also winning in the Australian Open. All 13 of their meetings have been in finals. Prior to the Australian Open, Nestor and Zimonjic had won five straight.

SLIDE, BABY, SLIDE

In a bid to develop American players’ chances to win on clay, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has installed four clay courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, site of the US Open. “Every player who comes through the USTA system will have a very strong grounding in clay-court tennis,” said Gordon Smith, USTA executive director. Of the 103 men who have reached the top 10 since the ATP rankings were created, 91 grew up on clay. The US Open was played on clay from 1975 to 1977 at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York. In 1978, the Open moved to its current site and a hard court surface. The last American to win the French Open – the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay – was Serena Williams in 2002. The last American man to win at Roland Garros was Andre Agassi in 1999.

SWITCH

Spectators at one match at the Madrid Open must have been wondering if they were at the wrong court. Instead of the scheduled match between Tomas Berdych and David Nalbandian, the players on court were two American lucky losers, Mardy Fish and Michael Russell. Just hours before they were to meet, Berdych and Nalbandian withdrew almost simultaneously from the tournament because of injuries. Berdych suffered a hip problem, while Nalbandian apparently aggravated his hamstring. Fish beat Russell 6-2 7-6 (1), then fell to unseeded Jurgen Melzer in the next round. Ironically, Russell had retired with an injury from the final round of qualifying, only to later gain a spot in the main draw because of another player’s injury.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

The United States will have to win on clay if it is to return to the Davis Cup World Group next year. The Americans were drawn to travel to Colombia in the World Group playoffs in September, with the loser dropping into the American Zonal group. In other playoff matches – with the winners advancing to the World Group in 2011 – Switzerland will travel to Kazakhstan, Israel will meet Austria, Germany will take on South Africa, Sweden will face Italy, India will battle Brazil, Australia takes on Belgium and Romania will play Ecuador.

SERENA ROLE MODEL

When rap star Common prepared to play an athlete in his latest movie role, he turned to his girlfriend, Serena Williams. In the movie Just Wright, Common plays a top basketball player. “One thing I got to say is that athletes, they play through the pain,” Common said. “I’ve seen the pain that not only Serena or Venus would go through, but other athletes that I know. I gained a lot of respect for athletes doing this role because it’s a superhuman ability to go out there and be in that pain and because of the level of skill that they possess.” Another thing Common has learned. He still can’t beat Serena at tennis. “I hit with her a couple times, but it’s kind of tough,” he said, “me, having an athletic mind-state and not being able to defeat your companion.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bordeaux: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Karol Beck and Leos Friedl 5-7 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Madrid (men): Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-4

Madrid (women): Venus Williams and Serena Williams beat Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta 6-2 7-5

SITES TO SURF

Dusseldorf: www.arag-world-team-cup.com/

Nice: www.opennicecotedazur.com/

Warsaw: www.pwo.polsat.pl/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com/index.html

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

ARAG ATP World Team Championships, Dusseldorf, Germany, clay

$500,000 Open de Nice Cote d’Azur, Nice, France, clay

WTA

$600,000 Polsat Warsaw Open, Warsaw, Poland, clay

$220,000 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP and WTA

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

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: THE SONY ERICSSON OPEN 2010 WINNERS

April 5, 2010 by WTM

STARS

Sony Ericsson Open

Men’s singles: Andy Roddick beat Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-4

Women’s singles: Kim Clijsters beat Venus Williams 6-2 6-1

SAYINGS

“The last month has been real good for me. I’ve played well on the big moments. I’ve been able to have a game plan and execute it, regardless of what kind of shots it takes. So it’s all good. It’s all encouraging.” – Andy Roddick, who beat Tomas Berdych to win the Sony Ericsson Open.

“Venus is a great competitor, a great athlete, and one of the best women’s tennis has ever had. I knew I had to come out here and play well.” – Kim Clijsters, who beat Venus Williams to win the Sony Ericsson Open women’s singles.

“I think sometimes you have to be careful with practice, not to practice too long. I may have made a mistake with that a little bit. I know better, but ‘Eager V’ kind of burst through.” – Venus Williams, after losing to Kim Clijsters in the Sony Ericsson Open women’s final.

“Look, it’s no secret I’ve struggled the last, what is it, five matches I’ve played here in the states. It’s disappointing, I think, my performance overall, if I’ve got to analyze right now after the match but I fought as much as I could with my game having issues at the moment.” – Roger Federer, after losing to Tomas Berdych.

“To beat the number one player in the world, the best player so far is a great feeling. But still, it was not a final. There is another match waiting next day, another really tough opponent.” – Tomas Berdych, after beating Roger Federer.

“I think when we were younger we were quite close. I have a lot of good memories with Kim. And then when you arrive at the top, you want to win. But we never miss the respect to each other. Never, ever, ever. Even if people can talk about it, we never had any problems, Kim and I. Now the relationship is very good. We can feel the respect. We can feel that we’re more mature than in the past.” – Justine Henin, about her relationship with fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters.

“I was feeling like I had glue on my sneakers. I couldn’t jump, honestly. That’s why my serve was going into the net.” – Marion Bartoli, after losing to Venus Williams.

“She looked really amazing. I said to her, ‘It’s not fair you’re dressing up so nicely. I’m going to watch more what you’re wearing than the ball.’ … She had a red dress and some really, really, really high-heel shoes, maybe something like 14 inches.” – Marion Bartoli, talking about Serena Williams.

“Today was just a horrible day. I’ll delete it from my head.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, after losing to Marion Bartoli.

“My country will never forget this.” – Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, talking about a four-man exhibition doubles match to raise money for his earthquake-strickened homeland.

SONY ERICSSON KING

Looking like the Andy Roddick of old, the American stopped the incredible run of Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-4 to win the Sony Ericsson Open for the second time. In his run to the final, Berdych upset three top-10 players: Roger Federer, Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling. Roddick, who knocked off Rafael Nadal on his way to the hard court title, said he was most pleased with how smart he played during the event. “I won in different ways. I changed it up against Rafa and today I was smart with chipping and mixing paces, which kept him guessing,” Roddick said. It was Roddick’s first Sony Ericsson Open title since 2004 and his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown since Cincinnati in 2006. It was Roddick’s second straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments final, having reached the title match two weeks ago in Indian Wells, California, USA. “Obviously it’s a big title for me,” Roddick said. “I felt a little bit of pressure to win this one because I had a pretty good opportunity in Indian Wells and didn’t come through there.”

SINGLE PARENT

Among the spectators watching Andy Roddick beat Rafael Nadal was Tiger Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, and their son Charlie. She sat under an awning in club seats near the players’ lounge at the Key Biscayne, Florida, facility, while Charlie stood on his mom’s lap. Nordegren was not wearing a wedding ring. Woods has been at the tournament in the past to root for his friend, Roger Federer. Nordegren and her son dined with Federer, his wife Mirka and their twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. A witness said Nordegren entered the Key Biscayne tennis center with two bodyguards and that she had also watched a women’s match between Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.

SCORCHING HOT

If she reaches the final, Kim Clijsters is taking home the big trophy. Since returning to tennis last summer, the 26-year-old Belgian is 3-0 in finals, winning the US Open last year, the Brisbane International in January and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, USA, on Sunday. Her latest win was a 6-2 6-1 trouncing of Venus Williams. Clijsters is now tied with Monica Seles for fourth-most hard-court women’s singles titles in the Open Era with 28, trailing only Steffi Graf (37), Lindsay Davenport (34) and Chris Evert (32). Williams had her 15-match winning streak snapped, having won her last two tournaments, at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Acapulco, Mexico. “I knew I had to come out here and play well,” Clijsters said. “My semifinal against Justine (Henin) was such an exciting match, I just tried to keep going from there and not lose a beat, especially playing against someone like Venus, a great competitor and a great athlete. She’s one of the best players women’s tennis has ever had.”

SHOULDER WOES

A right shoulder strain added to top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova’s woes as she lost to Marion Bartoli at the Sony Ericsson Open. The Russian was leading 3-2 in the opening set before her French opponent ripped through the next 10 games to win the match 6-3 6-0. “When I was serving at 3-5 I felt a pull in my shoulder,” Kuznetsova said. “I still kept serving but it was so painful I almost had stars in my eyes. I probably should’ve pulled out earlier, but it was my choice to play. I’m not going to pull out at 4-0 in the second set. It would look ugly.”

STAYING HOME

Ana Ivanovic will miss Serbia’s Fed Cup World Group playoff tie against Slovakia because of poor form. Ranked number one in the world after she won the French Open in 2008, Ivanovic has plummeted to 58^th in the rankings. “I spoke with captain Dejan Vranjes and the president of the (Serbian tennis) federation Slobodan Zivojinovic and together we decided that under these circumstances it’s not the right time for me to be part of the team,” Ivanovic wrote on her official website (www.anaivanovic.com). Despite my non-presence I believe we have a good team led by Jelena (Jankovic) and this is a great opportunity for one of the young upcoming players to play on the biggest stage.” Ivanovic has not won a tournament for 16 months.

SERENA OUT

Will she or won’t she? That is the question about Serena Williams and the Italian Open. The world’s top-ranked woman has not entered the Italian Open, although she reportedly has asked that a wild-card spot be kept open for her. Sidelined with a knee injury since winning the Australian Open in January, Williams in 2002 won Rome, a key clay-court warm-up for the French Open. That year – 2002 – was the only year Serena won Roland Garros. All of the other top 10 players, including sister Venus Williams, are entered in the Italian Open, according to tournament director Sergio Palmieri.

STEPANEK RESTING

Fatigue syndrome has benched Radek Stepanek for about two months. Karel Tejkal, a spokesman for the Czech Republic Davis Cup team, said the 31-year-old Stepanek could miss the French Open, which begins on May 23, and could even be in doubt for the Davis Cup quarterfinals in July in Chile. Since reaching the final of the Brisbane International in January, Stepanek has failed to get beyond the second round in any tournament this year. He currently is ranked 18^th in the world.

SUPPORT FOR CHILE

Andy Roddick helped raise money for Chilean earthquake victims by playing two sets of celebrity doubles with Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and veteran Grand Slam tournament champions Jim Courier and Gustavo Kuerten. But leave it to Roddick to come up with the shot of the match. With his back to the net, Roddick flicked the ball through his legs and between his opponents for a winner. The charity event raised USD $125,000.

STADIUM IN WAITING

When the world’s top players show up for this year’s Italian Open, they will have a new 10,500-seat stadium to play in. The Italian Olympic Committee built the USD $38.4 million facility in Rome on the same site as the former stadium at the Foro Italico. The men will begin play in the Rome Masters on April 25, while the women will begin their one-week stay the following week. Tournament director Sergio Palmieri described it as “the premier tennis stadium in the world in terms of visibility for fans.”

SANIA TO WED

Sania Mirza of India reportedly is marrying Pakistani cricket player Shoaib Malik. In a two-page statement released to the media, Malik said Mirza would continue to play for India and he will represent Pakistan. The two will marry in Hyderabad, India, on April 15. “Definitely all my family members will be here for the wedding since both Sania and I have the blessings of everyone concerned,” said Malik, who refused to discuss his alleged earlier marriage with another Hyderabad woman, Ayesha Siddiqui. In Madurai, India, police arrest 20 protestors when they attempted to deface a portrait of Mirza. The protestors were carrying placards stating “Sania is an anti-national” for becoming engaged to the Pakistani athlete.

SINKING LOW

With the image of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) at an all-time low, politicians have entered the picture. The All-Party Parliamentary Tennis Group spent three weeks gathering evidence and sent a three-page report to Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. “Given the remarkable level of expenditure, in excess of 60 million pounds (USD $90 million) annually, it should be possible to deliver better outcomes than at present,” the report stated. The report questioned whether money was being spent in the right areas, namely grassroots tennis. Britain currently has one man and one woman in the top 100 in the world. No Brit has won the Wimbledon men’s singles since 1936 when Fred Perry captured his third consecutive title. Virginia Wade in 1977 was the last Brit to win the women’s singles at Wimbledon. The LTA is still reeling from Britain’s humiliating Davis Cup defeat by Lithuania.

SOCIAL MEDIA SITE

Fans can access the tweets by Maria Sharapova, the Williams sisters and other women tennis players. The WTA Tour and Sony Ericsson announced the launch of WTASuperFans.com, a social media site that provides an Internet hub for tour players. The site gathers content generated by players on Twitter and Facebook, including videos and photos. The tour says Sharapova is the most-followed female athlete in the world.

STEPPING UP

Since 1994 there have been 27 girls who have been number one in the world in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings. Only three have reached the number one spot in the pros – Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic and Amelie Mauresmo. According to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, three has won Grand Slam tournament singles titles (Hingis, Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova), while both Cara Black and Anna Kournikova went on to be ranked number one in the world in doubles. Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska were the only sisters to both achieve junior world number one rankings since records have been kept. Neither Serena nor Venus Williams – both of whom have been ranked number one in the world – played junior tennis.

STRUGGLING

Cliff Richey, who led the United States to the Davis Cup title in 1970, says he has struggled with depression. In a new book, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match,” Richey describes his struggle with depression, which was not diagnosed until just before his 50^th birthday. He has since become an advocate for mental health, speaking at events across the country. Richey wrote the book with his daughter Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, a college professor. He was ranked number one in the United States in 1970, the year he won eight tournaments, including the US Clay Courts.

SPONSOR

Longines, the official timekeeper and partner of the French Open, will offer junior players an opportunity to play at Roland Garros during the French Open. In conjunction with the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) Eastern Region and Tennis Magazine, Longines will host a tournament this month in New York in which players will be selected on not only their on-court performance but also on their commitment to give back to their community. Each registered athlete had to submit a 300-word essay on philanthropy. The winner of the US girls event will receive an all-expense paid trip to Paris to compete against champions from Poland, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Germany, Singapore and Taiwan. Qualified junior male players will represent the United States, Australia, China, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico. They will be paired by a draw and play mixed doubles matches at Roland Garros.

SAD NEWS

The photographer behind Tennis Girl, one of the world’s biggest-selling posters, is dead. Martin Elliott was 63. Elliot took the picture in 1976 of his then girlfriend, Fiona Butler, dressed in tennis gear, hitching her skirt to reveal a bare bottom. The poster has sold more than two million copies worldwide. Elliott died at his home in Truro, Cornwall, England, following a 10-year battle with cancer.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Sony Ericsson Open

Men: Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi 6-2 7-5

Women: Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta beat Nadia Petrova and Samantha Stosur 6-3 4-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

SITE TO SURF

Casablanca: www.frmt.ma/

Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/

Marbella: www.andaluciatennis.com/

Ponte Vedra Beach: www.mpsgroupchamps.net/

Johannesburg: www.satennis.co.za

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

$532,000 Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco, clay

$442,500 US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Houston, Texas, USA, clay

$125,000 ATP Challenger, Bogota, Colombia, clay

WTA

$220,000 Andalucia Tennis Experience, Marbella, Spain, clay

$220,000 MPS Group Championships, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$3,000,000 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay

$100,000 Johannesburg ATP Challenger, Johannesburg, South Africa, hard

WTA

$700,000 Family Circle Cup, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay

$220,000 Barcelona Ladies Open, Barcelona, Spain, clay

$100,000 Soweto Open, Johannesburg, South Africa, hard

DAVIS CUP

Asia/Oceania Zone Group IV at Amman, Jordan, hard (round robin): Bahrain, Brunei, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Qatar, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

HISTORY TO BE MADE IN HENIN-WILLIAMS AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL

January 28, 2010 by WTM

The blockbuster Australian Open women’s singles final is upon us – Justine Henin vs. Serena Williams.

A renewal of one of the best rivalries in women’s tennis over the last 10 years is now in the cards as Henin and Williams each beat their Chinese opponents Thursday in the semifinals at Rod Laver Arena. Williams hung on to beat Li Na 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) while Henin convincingly beat Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-0.

History will be made in Saturday’s championship match as Williams will be seeking her 12^th career major singles title, which would draw her even with her former Olympic coach Billie Jean King in sixth place all-time in women’s tennis. She will also seek her fifth Australian title, which would be tops in the Open Era (since 1968), moving her past Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court. Court won an incredible 11 Australian singles titles, but seven of them were in the “amateur” era prior to 1968.

Henin will be seeking her eighth major singles title and will look to join Evonne Goolagong as an unranked player to win the Australian title. Goolagong won the 1977 Australian title without a ranking, coming back to tennis after giving birth to her first child. Henin is competing in only her second tournament after a 20-month retirement and is not officially ranked on the WTA computer. A player must have three tournament results to qualify for a ranking so Henin will not have a WTA Tour ranking even after this event. Henin’s fellow Belgian, Kim Clijsters, won the US Open last September in her third tournament of her comeback, also as an un-ranked wild-card entry.

Henin won six and lost seven matches against Serena during their rivalry and the two future Hall of Famers have combined for 18 major singles titles. This will be the first time the two have met in a Grand Slam tournament final. Williams lost only two games in their last encounter at Miami in 2008 (winning 6-2, 6-0), shortly before Henin announced her shock retirement from tennis while holding the No. 1 ranking.

“I’m so happy to play against her, because if I want to win another Grand Slam, I’ll have to beat the best player in the world,” Henin said of playing Serena. “And that’s just the biggest challenge I could get. I didn’t really expect that. It’s more than a dream.”

Henin’s last Australian Open final was in 2006 against France’s Amelie Mauresmo where the Belgian, infamously, retired with stomach pains in the second set. Her first final was in 2004 when she won the title over compatriot Kim Clijsters.

Henin and Williams’ most famous – and contentious – match came on June 5, 2003, as documented and excerpted below in the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com)

2003 – Serena Williams is defeated by Belgium’s Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in front of a raucously pro-Henin Hardenne crowd in the semifinals of the French Open, ending Williams’ 33-match major tournament winning streak. The match is highlighted by an incident in the third-set that proves to be contentious and acrimonious between the two rivals for years to come. With Williams serving at 4-2, 30-0 in the final set, Henin-Hardenne raises her hand indicating she is not ready to return serve. Williams serves in the net, then protests, to no avail, to the chair umpire and tournament referee that she should be given a first serve, while Henin-Hardenne says nothing of her gesture. Williams then loses the next four points to lose her service-break advantage and eventually the match. Says Henin-Hardenne, “I wasn’t ready to play the point. The chair umpire is there to deal with these kind of situations. I just tried to stay focused on myself and tried to forget all the other things…It’s her point of view but that’s mine now and I feel comfortable with it….I didn’t have any discussion with the chair umpire. He didn’t ask me anything. I was just trying to focus on playing the returns. She saw me and she served. It was her decision to serve. I just tried to stay focused on the second serve. One point in the match doesn’t change the outcome.”

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE:MALISSE AND WICKMAYER NO LONGER SUSPENDED

December 21, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Regina Kulikova beat Sandra Zahlavova 7-6 (6) 6-3 to win the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SAYING

“The ITF has removed both Mr. Malisse and Ms. Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect.” – The International Tennis Federation (ITF), in a statement.

”It’s the best Christmas present I could imagine.” – Yanina Wickmayer, after having her one-year suspension lifted by the ITF.

“In my heart I was expecting this outcome because I’m innocent. So justice has been done,” – Richard Gasquet, after being cleared of doping charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I suspect there could be slight cuts in prize money.” – Sean Ennis, professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, on the consequences of money problems in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“I lost faith in the tennis I was playing. I wanted to live a life that is more fruitful, so I turned to other things, such as acting and a full-time job in marketing. I want to do things that will make me happy.” – Vojislava Lukic, who is contemplating an acting career.

SET TO PLAY

Two Belgian players are able to play tennis again after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) lifted their one-year suspensions. US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer immediately accepted a wild-card entry to a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, and is hoping to get one for the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Xavier Malisse, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2002, also had his one-year suspension lifted. Neither player failed a drug test, and Wickmayer claims she was not properly informed on the online reporting requirements for drug-testing that led to her ban. Wickmayer was banned in November for breaking World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations by failing to report her whereabouts for drug testing three times. WADA’s “whereabouts” rule requires elite athletes to make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year. Under the rules, athletes must give three months’ notice of where and when they can be located for testing. Many athletes have spoken out against the system since it was imposed at the beginning of the year. WADA director general David Howman has said the rule will be reviewed at the end of the year.

STRANGE BUT TRUE

She is ranked 16^th in the world and reached the US Open semifinals in her last Grand Slam tournament, but Yanina Wickmayer will probably have to battle her way through qualifying if she wants to play in the Australian Open in January. The Belgian had her one-year suspension lifted by the International Tennis Federation, but long after entries to the year’s first Grand Slam event had closed. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said it “would be highly unlikely Yanina would get a main draw wild-card” since five of the eight for the women’s draw have already been allocated. “We will have three discretionary wild cards left which we intend to give to Australians,” Tiley said. If that happens, Wickmayer could receive a wild card into the qualifying.

STILL BELIEVED

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) believed Richard Gasquet’s excuse and cleared the Frenchman of a doping charge. The 23-year-old Gasquet said his positive test for cocaine came after he kissed a woman in a Miami nightclub. He was provisionally suspended in May before serving a 2½-month retroactive ban. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wanted Gasquet to serve a two-year ban, but Gasquet appealed to the CAS. Sport’s top court ruled that Gasquet was inadvertently contaminated with a minute trace of the drug as a result of the kiss. “I’m very, very happy this is behind me,” said Gasquet, who has been ranked as high as seventh in the world. “It’s been very tough. I was positive in my head from the beginning because I knew that things would be OK. I’ve always told the truth.”

SCRUTINIZED

Will the money problems suffered by Dubai impact on the big-money tennis events held in the country? That’s the question everyone wants to know. Neighboring Abu Dhabi injected USD $10 billion into Dubai’s battered economy, assuring the emirate would not default. But Sean Ennis, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, said: “There might be strings attached and Abu Dhabi might insist Dubai cuts spending in certain areas, including sports.”

SCREEN PLAY?

Vojislava Lukic has decided not to follow in the footsteps of her Serbian compatriots Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. Although she was ranked number one in Europe in the under-14 girls, Lukic now is considering a career in acting. “I’ve done a course in acting back home in Serbia recently and I have been lucky to speak with Miami Vice lead actor Don Johnson, who has promised to ensure I fulfill my dream of acting in Hollywood,” Lukic told Gulf News in Dubai, where she played doubles with Bojana Jovanovski and reached the quarterfinals in her first tournament action since 2008. Lukic played Fed Cup for Serbia in 2007, the same year she played in her only Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, where she lost in the opening round of qualifying. “I was always the number one player in Serbia. However, unfortunately for me, Ana and Jelena have moved on, but I somehow got stuck behind,” Lukic said.

SITE REVISTED

Professional tennis is back in Atlanta after a nine-year hiatus. The ATP said Atlanta will now stage the tournament that has been played in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Atlanta Tennis Championships will be held July 17-25 as the opening event of the Olympus US Open Series. The six-week hard court season leads into the US Open and includes six men’s tournaments and four women’s events. Bill Oakes will serve as the new event’s tournament director. Atlanta had staged the AT&T Challenge and Verizon Tennis Challenge from 1986 to 2001. Former winners include Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

SHE’S BACK

Kimiko Date Krumm is back on Japan’s Fed Cup team for the first time in 14 years. The 39-year-old Date Krumm returned to the women’s tour following a 12-year retirement and currently is the highest-ranked Japanese on the WTA Tour at number 70. Once ranked as high as number four in the world, Date Krumm will play when Japan competes in the Asia/Oceania Group I play in Kuala Lumpur in February.

STEFFI THE SHOOTER

Steffi Graf is looking at a camera from the other side these days. She has turned her focus from tennis to the viewfinder and published her first photo-reportage recently. Now 40 years old and the mother of two, Graf photographs of children living in slums in the capital of Eritrea, one of the poorest countries in Africa, accompanied an article in the German-language edition of National Geographic Magazine. The article was titled “The Children of Asmara.” In a statement released by her publisher, Graf said that as a teenager she seriously considered becoming a photographer rather than pursuing a career in tennis.

SAFELY IN

Casey Dellacqua has earned a berth in the Australian Open women’s singles main draw. Playing in her first tournament in 10 months following an injury, Dellacqua beat Olivia Rogowska in the playoff final for the berth in the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. The score was 1-6 7-6 (9) 6-3. Dellacqua saved three match points in the second-set tiebreak before beating her 18-year-old opponent.

Another player returning after a layoff, 28-year-old Alicia Molik, failed to earn a wild-card entry into the Australian Open main draw when she lost in the quarterfinals of the wild-card tournament for Australian players. She will now have to rely on a discretionary wild card from Tennis Australia to get into either the main draw or the qualifying.

SPEAKING UP

Former British tennis ace Tim Henman joined in the annual Carols by Candlelight event to raise money for the Pelican Cancer Foundation charity. The son-in-law of Pelican Cancer Foundation Professor Bill Heald, Henman read Advent 1955, a poem by Sir John Betjeman that rails against the commercialization of Christmas. More than 300 people were at St. Michael’s Church in Basing-stoke for the annual event. The Friends of St Michael’s Hospice Committee, who run the event every two years, decided to link up with Pelican Cancer Foundation this year because of their shared work against cancer.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Dubai: Julia Goerges and Oksana Kalashnikova beat Vladimira Uhlirova and Renata Voracova 4-6 6-2 10-8 (match tiebreak)

SITES TO SURF

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/

Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz/

TOURNAMENTS BEGINNING JANUARY 4, 2010

(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

1983: MARTINA NEEDS 78 MINUTES TO WIN AUSSIE OPEN

December 10, 2009 by WTM

It is a full six weeks before the start of the 2010 Grand Slam tennis season with the start of the Australian Open in mid-January. Many may have forgotten that the Australian Open used to be played in December, sometimes over the Christmas holidays that keep away many of the world’s best players. This week, WorldTennisMagazine.com will provide excerpts from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com) that detail Australian Open events that happened this week.

ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – December 10

1983 – Martina Navratilova defeats Kathy Jordan 6-2, 7-6 (5) in 78 minutes to win the Australian Open women’s singles title in Melbourne, Australia. Navratilova concludes her year losing only one match in 86 matches – that to Kathy Horvath in the round of 16 in the French Open. Navratilova wins $75,000 with the title, raising her 1983 tournament winnings to $1,443,030.

1985: EDBERG UPSETS LENDL

December 8, 2009 by WTM

ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – December 8

1984 – Chris Evert Lloyd defeats Helena Sukova 6-7, 6-1, 6-3 to win the Australian Open women’s singles title. Evert Lloyd’s title is her 16th major singles title, her second Australian title and continues her streak of winning at least one major title every year since 1973. Says Evert Lloyd, “I felt I was struggling throughout the first set. But as soon as I got a break up in the second set, I felt more comfortable.” Says the 19-year-old Sukova, playing in her first major singles final, ”Chrissie just started to pass me so much better. She just hit so many passing shots down the line or just a couple of inches away from the line.’

1985 – Stefan Edberg upsets No. 1 seed Ivan Lendl 6-7, 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 9-7 in the semifinals of the Australian Open in Melbourne, advancing the 19-year-old Swede into a major final for the first time in his career. Following the loss, Lendl rips the Australian Open for its lack-luster status, continuing the trend of tournament criticism all week due mainly to the rough conditions of the grass courts at the Kooyong Tennis Club. “I don’t call this a major championship,” says Lendl. “I put it in the second class.” The match is resumed after rain interrupts play the previous day with Edberg leading 2-1.