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Mondays with Bob Greene: Roger Federer Beats Rafael Nadal to win Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

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STARS

Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 3-6 6-1 to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, England

Richard Berankis beat Michal Przysiezny 6-1 2-0 retired to win the IPP Open in Helsinki, Finland

Misaki Doi beat Junri Namigata 7-5 6-2 to win the Dunlop World Challenge Tennis Tournament in Toyota, Japan

Diego Junqueira beat Juan Pablo Brzezicki 6-2 6-1 to win the Copa Topper in Buenos Aires, Argentina

SAYINGS

“I have no plans at all stopping, quitting, whatever you want to call it. (I) hope I can play for many more years to come. (I) enjoy it and take pleasure out of traveling the world, playing against the best, challenging myself in practice and so forth. It’s been an amazing career. The memories I take away from this are much greater than all the money I won.” – Roger Federer, after winning the season-ending tournament for the fifth time.

“I know I didn’t spoil his vacation after this because he’s had an amazing year. A year that any player dreams of.” – Roger Federer, after beating Rafael Nadal to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“I’m not going to say I lost the match because I was tired. What I’m going to say and what I feel is I lost the match because I played against a very good Roger Federer in one of his favorite surfaces. And when he’s playing like this, it’s very difficult to stop him, no?” – Rafael Nadal, after losing the season-ending tournament.

“I’ve had a good season. I had some tough losses, sure. You’re not going to win every tournament you play. Obviously I can’t play every season, make 16 out of 17 finals like I did back in 2005. It’s just not realistic.” – Roger Federer.

“Today is the reason why I play tennis. I think the match today is how I want to play all the time. So I want to try and I guess build on that for next year.  It was a great match to finish the year. But I need to improve because I’m competing with the two best players of all time. So if I want to win these tournaments, I want to win the Grand Slams, I need to get better.” – Andy Murray, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“I played a great match today. Whether it’s the best match I played and lost, I don’t know. But it was a great match.” – Andy Murray, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“To me, he’s maybe playing (his) best tennis in 2010. He’s really stepping in, hitting the backhands and forehands all over the court, winners. Every ball kind of listens to him. Comes in, just close to the line. It’s very hard. He doesn’t give you a lot of free points. It’s very hard to play him. He’s always on top of you, he’s very aggressive. That’s why he’s there (in the final).” – Novak Djokovic, after losing to Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“I think anytime you win a Grand Slam, it’s an amazing achievement. Those are the toughest tournaments to win on our tour. We won three in three years. I think when looking back, those three are the highlights, and then the year-end championships are a close second.” – Daniel Nestor, picking the highlights of his pairing with Nenad Zimonjic.

“For me, the biggest one probably, the biggest moment, was finishing number one in the world playing a match against the Bryans in Shanghai (at the ATP World Tour Finals in 2008). That was probably the nicest feeling because of all of them, they had this experience in the past to be number one. For me, that was the first time that it happened. Always when it’s first, it’s nice.” – Nenad Zimonjic, picking his favorite moment of his paring with Daniel Nestor.

“I am a tennis player, the sport is my passion and I am at my best on a tennis court, so I am very anxious to get back one and for all in full health.” – Aleksandra Wozniak, who will miss the start of the 2011 season because of an undisclosed health issue.

“Those four are on a different level. The others in the top 10 right now are good players, but they can’t compete consistently with the top group. The rest are playing catch-up.” – Boris Becker, talking about the domination of the men’s tour by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

SWISS GOLD

Roger Federer was close to being perfect, and that was way too much for Rafael Nadal in the final of the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals in London, England. Winning 92 percent of the points played on his first serve and losing only 13 points on serve in the entire match, Federer defeated his top-ranked Spanish foe 6-3 3-6 6-1. It was the first meeting in London between the world’s top two ranked players since their historic Wimbledon final in 2008, a match won by Nadal. This also was their first time they met on court since Nadal beat Federer in the US Open final in September. But this time it was Federer who won, Federer who joined Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl as five-time winners of the ATP season-ending tournament. “I was able to stay offensive. Rallies were never that long,” said Federer, who also has won season-ending tournaments in Houston, Shanghai and London. “That kind of maybe frustrated him.” While Nadal leads their career meeting 14-8 and is 5-2 against Federer in Grand Slam tournament finals, Federer has now beaten Nadal all three times they have played in the season-ending event. “You played unbelievable all during the week,” Nadal told Federer on court after the match. So well done for everything.”

SPLIT DESPITE SUCCESS

In their last match as a team, Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic won the doubles title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, beating India’s Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus 7-6 (6) 6-4. It was their second season-ending doubles crown, having captured the event in 2008, and they also teamed to win the French Open this past summer. They announced in October that they would part ways after the ATP World Tour Finals. Nestor will team with Mirnyi next season, while Zimonjic is expected to pair with Frenchman Michael Llodra.

Roger Federer

SERBIA-BOUND

French captain Guy Forget selected Gael Monfils, Michael Llodra, Arnaud Clement and Gilles Simon to the team that will face Serbia in the Davis Cup final. Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic has named Novak Djokovic, Viktor Troicki, Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic to his squad.

SIDELINED STILL

Her foot problems will keep Serena Williams from extending her Australian Open women’s singles title to three in a row as well as missing all of the Australian swing of the WTA tour to begin the year. Williams has won five Australian Open crowns, including the last two. She has played only one exhibition match since winning Wimbledon in July. She underwent surgery after cutting her foot on broken glass at a restaurant following her win at the All England Club. She returned to practice in September, but twice put off her comeback, missing the US Open, the season-ending WTA Championships, the Fed Cup and a handful of tour events. She said she had additional surgery last month and couldn’t risk returning to the tour before the injury had properly healed. “As I recently learned, pushing myself back into my intense training too early only caused me further injury and damage,” Williams said. “While I desperately want to be back on the court and competing in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, it is imperative for my health that I continue to work with my doctors to ensure my foot heals properly.”

SHARING AGAIN

Indian stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are getting together again and will play men’s doubles at the Australian Open. In making the announcement, Bhupathi noted the Australian Open is the only Grand Slam event that neither Indian star has won. It will be the first time the two have paired for Grand Slam tournament play in nine years, although they have continued to play together and represent India in Davis Cup matches and quadrennial games.

STOSUR FRONT-RUNNER

Samantha Stosur is the front-runner in the race for the inaugural John Newcombe Medal, which will be presented to Australia’s brightest star at the Australian Tennis Awards in Melbourne on December 3. Others in the running include Lleyton Hewitt, Anastasia Rodionova and Jamila Groth. Besides winning the title at Charleston, South Carolina, USA, in April, Stosur is the only player this year to beat both women who held the number one ranking: Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. She also beat Justine Henin, Serena and Jelena Jankovic on her way to the final of the French Open. The 26-year-old is currently ranked sixth in the world.

SITE FOR PARIS

A special commission made up of elected officials, architects and historians has agreed to increasing the size of the current Roland Garros site. By a vote of 13 -8, the commission gave the go-ahead to the French Tennis Federation (FFT) and the City of Paris to move ahead with plans that will attempt to expand the grounds across the street into the botanical gardens and keep the event in Paris’ 16th arrondisement. The FFT is hoping to build a new 5,000-seat court to replace the current Court One.

STARRING SOMDEV

Somdev Devverman became the first player from India to win a tennis singles gold medal in the Asian Game when he stopped top-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-1 6-2. It was Devverman’s second gold medal of the Guangzhou, China, Games, having teamed with Sanam Singh to win the men’s doubles event. Devverman also won the gold in the men’s singles event at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

Yang Tsung-hua and Chan Yug-jan gave Chinese Taipei the Asian Games mixed doubles title as they beat India’s Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan 4-6 6-1 10-2 (match tiebreak). The victory gave Chan her second gold medal of the day as she teamed with Chuang Chia-jung to capture the women’s doubles, beating compatriots Chang Kai-chen and Hsieh Su-win.

SLOWING DOWN?

Saying her body is beginning to feel the strain, Japan’s Kimiko Date Krumm says next year could be her last before she retires again. The 40-year-old returned to tennis in 2008 following a 12-year retirement. “I’m not a robot – I’m only human,” Date Krumm said after losing in the semifinals of the Asian Games women’s singles. “I’m not even sure I can play through next season, let alone the next Asian Games. I’ll be 44 years old then.” She won the Asian Games singles gold in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1994. “It’s been a good season, but I’m exhausted now,” she said. “I need to recharge before I can think of competing next year. I hope I can have some good results in Grand Slams.”

STAYING HOME

Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak will skip the Australian Open and two other tournaments because of injury. Wozniak did not disclose her latest injury, but she has been hampered this year by tendinitis in her forearm. “One thing is for sure, my 2010 season was a trying and challenging one right to the end,” Wozniak said. Wozniak had been ranked as high as 21st in the world, but poor play and injuries in 2010 has dropped her to 126th.

SUED

Mark Philippoussis has been served with a mortgage default notice on his home in Melbourne, Australia, according to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald. The 34-year-old Philippoussis was once ranked eighth in the world and was a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open. According to the newspaper, Philippoussis bought the home in February 2008, then sold it the following year for less than the amount he owed. Perpetual Trustee Company is now pursuing Philippoussis for the outstanding debt. Philippoussis currently lives in the United States and has played on the senior circuit.

SIGNED

Caroline Wozniacki reportedly has signed a two-year multi-million contract with the ProActiv skin care brand. The reigning world number one women’s player joins a long list of celebrities who have appeared in commercials for the skin cleanser, including fellow pro Serena Williams. Wozniacki also is reported to be looking at changing racquet companies when her current deal with Babolat comes to an end next month.

SPECIAL LAW AND ORDER

West Bengal police apparently feel the 11th All India Police Lawn Tennis Championships is special law and order duty. At least that’s what police said when they requisitioned more than 30 private vehicles that were then used to ferry visiting police officers and their spouses from 22 states in India to and from the five-day tennis tournament held in Bhowanipore, a suburb of Calcutta. When asked why private vehicles had been requisitioned for a police tennis tournament, the secretary of the tournament’s organizing committee, police inspector general Harman Prit Singh, said: “I thought you had called to know about the results of the tournament. We have organized this event and I am a tennis player. I am not bothered about what you are asking.” A senior bureaucrat who did not wish to be named said it would have been appropriate for Bengal police to rent rather than requisition vehicles for a tennis event. “Government departments routinely hire vehicles,” he said. “Requisition is generally done only for emergency duty. Owners can’t be forced to give away their vehicles on police’s whim.”

SEE YOU IN COURT

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has filed an USD $11.65 million suit against Olympus Corporation of the Americas, charging the camera company is trying to get out of their US Open sponsorship agreement for 2011. Olympus and the USTA have been partners since 2003. In 2007, they extended their partnership through 2013, including making Olympus the title sponsor of the US Open Series of hard court events leading up to America’s Grand Slam tournament. That contract allowed Olympus to opt out of the last two years of the deal, which it recently sought to do. But the USTA complaint, filed in New York, says Olympus is also trying to “prematurely” shed its commitments for 2011.

SAYONARA

Former French Open semifinalist Dominik Hrbaty has retired. The 32-year-old native of Slovakia, who reached a career-high No. 12 and won six singles titles, had considered retiring last year but continued to play. Now he says impending fatherhood finally has convinced him to call it quits. “I’m looking forward to a new chapter. I want to spend more time with my family. We’re expecting a baby in late December,” Hrbaty recently said.

SHARING SPACE

Lleyton Hewitt is back with coach Tony Roche again for 2011 under a sharing arrangement with Tennis Australia. Roche has been re-appointed Davis Cup coach under Patrick Rafter, but now has a side deal with Hewitt under the Tennis Australia umbrella. The 29-year-old Hewitt is ranked 54th in the world and is back in training after being sidelined by a hand injury. He and Roche will get together at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, beginning January 1. While Roche will be his main coach, Hewitt will also work with Josh Eagle, a Davis Cup squad coach. “We will be really taking a team approach into next year, with Rochey being at the major events and Josh being an integral part at other times,” Hewitt said.

SAD NEWS

Former pro Pam Richmond Champagne is dead at the age of 60. The three-time national champion competed at Arizona State University from 1969-72, where she also led the Sun Devils to their first national team title in 1971. That year she won the singles and doubles titles. The next year she repeated as national collegiate doubles champion as ASU won its second straight team championships. After graduating, Richmond Champagne went on to compete on the Virginia Slims women’s satellite tennis circuit. She later worked as a teaching professional and became a top sales manager. In 1977, she was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Women’s Hall of Fame. She lived the last 20 years in the Bellingham, Washington, USA, area, working as an award-winning insurance agent, and for the last 16 years owner of The Champagne Group, a successful personal and business coaching company.

SITTING ON TOP

Police Inspector General Islamabad Syed Kaleem Imam has been elected president of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF). In an election held at the Islamabad Club, Mumtaz Yousaf of Balochistan was elected secretary, while Arif Qureshi, the incumbent treasurer, was re-elected.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Buenos Aires: Carlos Berlocq and Brian Dabul beat Andres Molteni and Guido Pella 7-6 (4) 6-3

Helsinki: Dustin Brown and Martin Emmrich beat Henri Kontinen and Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 (17) 0-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

London: Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi 7-6 (6) 6-4

Toyota: Shuko Aoyama and Rika Fujiwara beat Irina-Carmelia Begu and Madalina Gojnea 1-6 6-3 11-9 (match tiebreak)

SITES TO SURF

Belgrade: www.daviscup.com/

London: www.aegonmasterstennis.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

DAVIS CUP

Serbia vs. France at Belgrade, Serbia, hard

SENIOR

AEGON Masters Tennis, London, United Kingdom, indoor

Mondays with Bob Greene: The First Week of the US Open 2010

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STARS

US OPEN

(First Week)

Kaia Kanepi beat fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-2 7-6 (1)

Stan Wawrinka beat fourth-seeded Andy Murray 6-7 (3) 7-6 (4) 6-3 6-3

Richard Gasquet beat sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-4 6-2

Michael Llodra beat seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych 7-6 (3) 6-4 6-4

Kateryna Bondarenko beat eighth-seed Li Na 2-6 6-4 6-2

Janko Tipsarevic beat ninth-seeded Andy Roddick 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 (4)

Peng Shuai beat ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 2-6 6-1 6-4

Gisela Dulko beat 10th-seeded Victoria Azarenka 5-1 retired

SAYINGS

“You’re making this a little way too dramatic for what it was. It’s like a Shakespeare poem.” – Maria Sharapova, responding to a detailed question regarding her service preparation

Maria Sharapova

“It was nice, I mean, except that 99.9 percent of the people were against me.” – Sergiy Stakhovsky, on playing and defeating 18-year-old American Ryan Harrison 6-3 5-7 3-6 6-3 7-6 (6).

“You know, I thought I hit the ball pretty well. I thought he played very high-risk and executed for four sets. I kept telling myself, ‘You know, this has to have an expiration date on it.’ Unfortunately, I needed another set for that.” – Andy Roddick, after losing to Janko Tipsarevic.

“Every match I win now, it’s like winning an entire tournament. Before, I was really lucky and blessed to be so good when I was so young. And it was just normal. I grew up winning since I was six years old. I was winning tournaments and it was always normal. But once that has been sort of taken away for years, you haven’t had that feeling, you know. Every match gives me such satisfaction. I really enjoy it so much. And just the fact that I have the ability to do it again, I’m really happy out there. My dream never died and never went away.” – Mirjana Lucic, after playing in her first US Open since 2003 and winning her first Open match since 1999

“I think that’s a positive problem to have, that I play many matches. That means that I’m winning.” – Caroline Wozniacki, when asked about playing tournaments in the final two weeks before the US Open. She won both.

“To win on this stage here and to take out a Top 20 player in the world is the biggest win of my career. I’ve always believed in myself. I have always had confidence in myself, so obviously I’m extremely excited and really pleased with what happened.” – Ryan Harrison, after upsetting 15th seeded Ivan Ljubicic in a first-round match.

“I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I fell while running a sprint. I fell forward and hit my arm and head. I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion.” – Victoria Azarenka, who collapsed on-court during her second-round match.

“It’s tough coming back, especially after the US Open I had last year, coming back and expecting to do that well again. And, yes, the expectations for me, I think, from the fans were extremely high. You could tell by the crowd. Even the second I walked out there, people expected me to win again like last year.” – Melanie Oudin, a quarterfinalist last year who lost to Alona Bondarenko in the second round this year.

“I think rankings obviously tell a lot about the player, but I think just the way you feel about your game at the time (is what’s important). I remember a couple years ago when I was here and I was saying, ‘Even though I’m number one, I don’t feel I’m playing as number one.’ Now I’m ranked (number 40) but I feel like I’m playing like a Top 10 player, and I have confidence that I can beat these players. That’s huge for me.” – Ana Ivanovic, after knocking off 21st-seeded Zheng Jie.

“People tell me that I only look 5-foot-5 and a half (1.64m). I’m going with 5-6 (1.68m). That’s what the doctor said.” – Melanie Oudin, when asked about her height.

“There are days when you’re not going to be feeling the ball, you’re not going to be moving your feet. In those days, you just really have to fight and really have to try your best and give your maximum and try to get through these kinds of matches. If you are able to do that, then it gives you a lot more confidence for the next round.” – Jelena Jankovic, who needed three sets to win her first-round match.

“It was very hard to play somebody you never played before, especially that she’s good. It’s not like [a] junior or somebody. It’s a player who [has] played before, and I didn’t realize that she plays very different game from everybody who I’ve played ever.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, after needing three sets to defeat Kimiko Date Krumm, who will turn 40 later this month.

“I really hope that wasn’t my last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. I definitely want to be back here next year. If it was, I competed my heart out. I did everything I could. But I think I got more in me and I think I’m going to be back here. Maybe more night matches, some more excitement for the crowds, some more good times.” – James Blake, after losing to Novak Djokovic.

“I think I could easily at this stage in my career just say, ‘I have won Grand Slams; I have been there and done that.’ But I never felt like I had enough. I always felt like I could be a better tennis player.” – Maria Sharapova, on her long return from shoulder surgery.

SPANISH SEMI

There will be a Spanish player in the men’s semifinals at the US Open. After the third round, all four spots in the top quarter of the draw feature Spanish players, led by top-seeded Rafael Nadal, who is seeking his first US Open crown and a career Grand Slam. Nadal’s fourth-round opponent will be fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. That winner will have a quarterfinal meeting with the winner of another all-Spanish pairing, 10th-seeded David Ferrer against eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco. Two other Spaniards – Albert Montanes and Tommy Robredo – also reached the fourth round. The six Spaniards in the fourth round is the most men from one nation since the United States had eight reach the round of 16 in 1995 and ties the record for a foreign country. Australia had six players in the fourth round in 1969.

SET FOR HALL

It’s Andre Agassi’s turn to go into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHoF). The two-time US Open winner and eight-time Grand Slam tournament champion headlines the ballot for the ITHoF’s Class of 2011. Others on the ballot in the Master Player Category are Thelma Coyne Long, who dominated Australian tennis in the 19302, 40s and 502, and Christine Truman Janes, a British star of the 1950s and 1960s. Nominated in the Contributor Category are tennis promoter and administrator Mike Davies and Fern Lee “Peachy” Kellmeyer, who played a vital role in the growth of women’s tennis. Voting will take place over the next several months and the Class of 2011 inductees will be announced early next year. Agassi’s wife – Stefanie Graf – is already in the ITHoF.

STOPPING SHORT

After pulling off one shocker at the US Open, 18-year-old American Ryan Harrison learned what Yogi Berra was talking about when he said, “It’s not over until it’s over.” In the opening round Harrison upset 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia. Playing his second–round match in the cozy confines of the Grandstand with the crowd overwhelmingly pulling for him, Harrison battled Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine evenly through the first four sets, the teen-ager winning the second and third sets. Down 1-3, love-40 in the fifth set, Harrison fought back, saving five break points. He then broke back for 3-3 in another long game. With the set tied 6-6, Harrison won five straight points to reach triple match point at 6-3. An overhead winner by Stakhovsky saved the first one. He then hit an unreturnable serve. Harrison netted a backhand before double-faulting, giving his opponent match point. Stakhovsky didn’t waste his opportunity, closing out the match with a forehand volley winner.

SAY, MON

Dustin Brown brought a little bit of Jamaica with him when he played at the US Open. Besides the green-black-and-gold clad cheering section, Brown wore long dreadlocks and neon-bright shoestrings: one lime-colored, the other orange. The big-serving right-hander won his opening round match, beating Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain, before falling in the second round to fourth-seeded Andy Murray. Brown also played at Wimbledon this summer, becoming the first man from Jamaica to play in a Grand Slam tournament since Richard Russell, who last played at the French Open in 1974. The only other Jamaican man to play in a Grand Slam event in the Open Era was Lancelot Lumsden.

STARTING AGAIN

Two veterans returned to the US Open this year for the first time in years. It was 14 years between Kimiko Date Krumm’s trips to New York’s Grand Slam tournament. Playing for the first time since 1996, Date Krumm drew a first-round match against former US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and lost 6-2 4-6 6-1. Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic won her first-round match, downing Australia’s Alicia Molik 7-6 (5) 6-1. Lucic was playing in her first US Open since 2002. “I feel fantastic. I’m so happy,” Lucic said. “I worked so hard to get here. This is my first US Open in, I don’t know, seven years or something. (It) feels incredible.” Lucic, who won the US Open junior girls title in 1996, lost to fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the second round.

SET TO BEGIN

John McEnroe has talked about reviving American tennis his way. He’ll get his chance the day after the US Open ends when the John McEnroe Tennis Academy officially welcomes its first class. The academy is in a revamped 20-court, USD $18-million tennis complex on Randall’s Island, a strip of land in the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. “Hopefully I can jolt things and get things going here again,” McEnroe said of his goal to revive tennis in New York and, by extension, in the United States. “Hopefully I can be a regular presence and hopefully Patrick (McEnroe, John’s younger brother and captain of the United States Davis Cup team) and the USTA will support what I’m doing.” Patrick McEnroe was hired by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) two years ago to run an elite player development program.

SENIOR BREAK

The tie-break is 40 years old. A nine-point tie-break made its debut in Grand Slam tournament competition on opening day of the 1970 US Open. The Australian Open followed suit, introducing the tie-break in 1971. The French Open followed suit in 1973 and Wimbledon in 1979. The US Open remains the only Grand Slam event to employ the tie-break in the deciding set – fifth set for men’s singles and third set for women’s singles and the doubles competitions. Since its advent, two women’s singles finals have been decided in a final-set tie-break, and Martina Navratilova was on the losing end each time. She lost to Tracy Austin in the 1981 final and to Hana Mandlikova for the 1985 title. The longest tie-break in US Open history was in 1993 when Goran Ivanisevic defeated Daniel Nestor 20-18 in the third set tie-break of their match. There has never been a five-set match with five tie-breaks, but there have been two women’s singles matches where all three sets went to a tie-break. Gigi Fernandez beat Leila Meskhi in the third round in 1991, and Steffi Graf beat Pam Shriver in the quarterfinals in 1985.

SPOKESMAN SAMPRAS

Hall of Famer Pete Sampras will serve as the first spokesman for “Tennis Night In America,” a joint promotional effort between the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and StarGames, Inc. “Tennis Night In America” is an annual celebration of the sport that includes youth registration events at facilities around the country. It concludes with the BNP Paribas Showdown at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28, 2011.

SECOND EDITION

Journalist/analyst Bud Collins has released the second edition of his famed tennis encyclopedia and record book, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis.” The 816-page volume is considered the most authoritative compilation of records, biographies and information on the sport of tennis. Collins dedicated the second edition to John Isner, Nicolas Mahut and chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani, the three principles from the record-breaking longest match of all-time, which was played this summer at Wimbledon. Isner hit a record 113 aces in winning 6-4 3-6 6-7 (7) 7-6 (3) 70-68 in 11 hours, five minutes. Collins was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHoF) in 1994.

SEEDED NUMBER ONE

Caroline Wozniacki is the ninth different player to be seeded number one at the US Open in the last decade. Only Justine Henin has been the top seed twice during that span, in 2004 and 2007. And only two of those seeds have gone on to win the Open – Henin in 2007 and Serena Williams in 2002. The others were Dinara Safina in 2009; Ana Ivanovic, 2008; Amelie Mauresmo, 2006; Maria Sharapova, 2005; Kim Clijsters, 2003; and Martina Hingis, 2001. During that span, there have been only two top-seeded men: Rafael Nadal in 2008 and 2010, and Roger Federer the rest of the time.

SO MANY PEOPLE

The US Open set a Day One attendance record this year when 59,931 people came through the turnstiles, breaking last year’s mark of 59,848. The Day Session attendance fell just shy of the 2009 mark of 36,085, while the Night Session attendance of 23,849 broke the previous record of 23,763, set in 2008.

SPECIAL, WOMEN

Stefanie Graf helped Longines, the Swiss watch company, honor three “Women Who Make a Difference” at the second annual awards dinner in New York City. Dr. Margaret Martin, Kristen Malfara and Valerie Sobel were honored for the extraordinary impact they have made on children’s lives through their foundations – The Harmony Project, The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project and the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation. The “Women Who Make a Difference” honorees were chosen from more than 100 entrants, each of whom is making an extraordinary impact in children’s lives within her community. Graf is a philanthropist in her own right and an ambassador for Longines.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced a three-year partnership between USTA Serves, the USTA’s philanthropic entity, and the New Look Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by R&B superstar Usher Raymond IV. The collaboration is designed to mentor youth to become global and community leaders. The partnership will help guide thousands of American youth in using their athletic and creative talents to become leaders in their local communities by expanding both tennis and service opportunities to youth across the country. “We have a common mission,” said Shawn H. Wilson, resident of New Look Foundation, “to enrich young people, and together both organizations can make this goal a reality.”

SAD NEWS

Paula Shmerler, the mother of television reporter Cindy Shmerler, is dead. The 81-year-old was the first woman graduate in interior design from the architecture school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Besides Cindy Shmerler, she is survived by two sons, Andrew and Bill.

SITES TO SURF

US Open: www.usopen.org

Biella: www.itfbiella.com/

Genova: www.atpgenova.com/

Szczecin: www.pekaoopen.pl/

Guangzhou: http://sports.21cn.com/09gzopen/

Quebec: www.challengebell.com

Sofia: www.bgtennis.bg/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

US Open, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)

$108,000 Genova Open, Genova, Italy, clay

WTA

US Open, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)

$100,000 ITF event, Biella, Italy, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$137,000 Pekao Szczecin Open, Szczecin, Poland, clay

WTA

$220,000 Landsky Lightning Guangzhou International Women’s Open, Guangzhou, Chia, hard

$220,000 Bell Challenge, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, hard

$100,000 Allianz Cup, Sofia, Bulgaria, clay

DAVIS CUP

World Group Semifinals

France vs. Argentina at Lyon, France, hard

Serbia vs. Czech Republic at Belgrade, Serbia, hard

World Group Playoffs

Israel vs. Austria at Tel Aviv, Israel

Colombia vs. United States at Bogota, Colombia

Germany vs. South Africa at Stuttgart, Germany

Sweden vs. Italy at Lidkopoing, Sweden

India vs. Brazil at Chennai, India

Australia vs. Belgium at North Cairns, Australia

Kazakhstan vs. Switzerland at Astana, Kazakhstan

Romania vs. Ecuador at Bucharest, Romania

Americas Zone Group I, Second Round Playoff – Canada vs. Dominican Republic at Toronto, Canada

Americas Zone Group II, Third Round – Mexico vs. Venezuela at Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico

Asia/Oceania Zone Group I, Second Round Playoff – Korea vs. Philippines at Changwon, Korea

Asia/Oceania Zone Group II, Third Round – New Zealand vs. Thailand at Nontheburi, New Zealand

Europe/Africa Zone Group I, Second Round Playoff – Belarus vs. Slovak Republic at Minsk, Belarus; Latvia vs. Poland at Riga, Latvia

Europe/Africa Zone Group II, Third Round – Slovenia vs. Lithuania at Vilnius, Slovenia, Lithuania; Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Portugal at Ouebrada, Bosnia and Herzegovina

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: THE SONY ERICSSON OPEN 2010 WINNERS

by

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.

Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick

“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 58th 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 18th 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 50th 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