Serbia

Five Nations To Watch In The Upcoming Davis Cup Finals In Madrid

September 24, 2019 by Admin

In just under two months time the newly formatted Davis Cup will get underway in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Still, with a host of nations fancying their chances of glory who should you keep an eye out for? Here we look at five who could go all the way.

5 –SERBIA

One-time winners Serbia might have had to overcome a banana skin in the form of a valiant Uzbekistan to reach this year’sfinals, but they’ll be aiming high come November.

They have been pooled with France, which is a tough encounter but the fact Novak Djokovic has been confirmed as a member of their side is a huge boost and even if they fail to overcome the French then the side completing group A is Japan and that will provide an opportunity to rank as one of the best runners up.

4 – USA

The States might be better known for their sporting prowess in other areas such as their famed American football odds and basketball, but they measure up well on a tennis court too. Last year, they made it to the semi-final but fell at the hands of eventual winners Croatia.

The Champions were made to fight all the way for their progress though with Sam Querrey winning his singles tie against Marin Cilic and doubles duo Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison also grabbed victory – butit wasn’t enough.

This time round, they US are strong favourites to finish aboveItaly and Canada in group F but they’ll need to bring their absolute best Tennis if they are to win their first Davis Cup since 2007.

3 – SPAIN

Host nation Spain currently head the bookies betting and they have the potential to put in an impressive display on home turf. Like the USA, Spain were beaten semi-finalists in 2018 and although holders Croatia will carry a threat in the group it’s impossible not to take a teamwith Rafael Nadalin it seriously, especially when they’ll have the home crowd cheering them on as well.

2 – CROATIA

Croatia didn’t face the rigmarole of qualification after their title win last time and they’ll be hoping to become the first team to successfully defend the Davis Cup since Jaroslav Navratil’s Czech Republic in 2013. The capacity crowd in Lille were treated to a Cilic masterclass in 2018s final as he won six sets on route to collecting two of the three wins required for his team – BornaCoric won the other – and he’ll again be the star name on Croatia’s sheet.

A group phase face off with Spain will whet the appetite somewhat but regardless of the outcome of that match both sides will expect to see off Russia, who are arguably the weakest side in the competition, in the other game and therefore it’s highly likely both will go marching on.

1 –FRANCE

The French team have great recent pedigree in the Davis Cup having reached back to back finals in the last two years; they lost to Croatia in 2018 but emerged victorious in 2017 with a final win over Belgium. They’re currently ranked number one in the world and have a phenomenal chance of going deep into the tournament again.

As with Serbia, group A’s winner will likely be decided by that match up,but it would take a brave man to bet against France reaching a hat-trick of finales.

There you have it, five countries who will be in the mix for World Cup honours come mid-November. Any of those mentioned could conquer but one thing is guaranteed – the new format and the big-name players will serve up a delightful and intriguing watch.

Novak Djokovic Leads Serbia into First Davis Cup Final this Weekend on Tennis Channel

December 1, 2010 by WTM

Tennis Channel will provide exclusive coverage of Serbia and France’s Davis Cup championship competition in Belgrade this weekend, with live and same-day “Instant Encore” replays Friday through Sunday. The battle between first-time Davis Cup finalists Serbia and nine-time Davis Cup champions France will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Dec. 3, at 8 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Dec. 4, at 9 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Dec. 5, at 7 a.m. ET. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points winning the Davis Cup title. Each evening at 7 p.m. ET Tennis Channel will offer an encore presentation of the day’s Davis Cup action.

Coverage from Belgrade Arena in Belgrade (all times ET)

Friday, Dec. 3

Serbian Davis Cup tennis player Novak Dj — Novak Djokovic

8 a.m. – Live Singles #1

11 a.m. – Live Singles #2

{2 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

{5 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

{8 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

{11 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

Saturday, Dec. 4

9 a.m. – Live Doubles

{12 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

{9:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

Sunday, Dec. 5

7 a.m. – Live Singles #1

10 a.m. – Live Singles #2

{1 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

{9:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}

Serbia and France have never faced each other in Davis Cup play. Serbia enters this weekend’s matchup with victories over the United States 3-2, Croatia 4-1 and the Czech Republic 3-2, andwill be bidding to win its first Davis Cup title. France reached its first final in eight years by defeating Argentina 5-0 in Lyon, France, and remains undefeated against Argentina. The French team has lifted the Davis Cup trophy nine times, most recently in 2001, when France defeated Australia 3-2 in Melbourne.

France is currently tied with Britain for third place on the all-time list of Davis Cup champions, trailing only the United States (with 32 titles) and Australia (28 titles). The French team has finished runner-up on six occasions, most recently losing 2-3 to the Russians in the 2002 Davis Cup finals. France is captained by Guy Forget and features Gael Monfils, Michael Llodra, Gilles Simon and Arnaud Clement.

Serbia has a relatively short Davis Cup history, competing as Serbia & Montenegro from 2004-2006 and Yugoslavia from 1995-2003. Serbia is captained by Bogdan Obradovic and features World No. 3 Novak Djokovic, Nenad Zimonjic, Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki.

TODD MARTIN’S CONFLICTING DAVIS CUP WEEKEND

March 2, 2010 by WTM

By Charles Bricker

Could this be one of those who-do-I-root-for Davis Cup weekends for Todd Martin, whose coaching client, Novak Djokovic, will be trying to beat up on Martin’s fellow Americans, John Isner and Sam Querrey, this weekend?

“You know, I don’t think it will feel too strange. I guess it’s going to be sort of like Northwestern vs. Michigan State,” said Martin, who grew up in Lansing, Mich. (MSU) but who played two years for Northwestern.”

Martin, whose 15-year ATP career ended in 2004 with eight titles, a couple of Grand Slam runners-up and one Slam semifinal finish, will be watching this first-round tie from his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and, he explained, “I’ll probably be watching a couple of singles matches more keenly than the others.”

ITF officials will pull the draw later this week in Belgrade to determine the order of play. Djokovic, as Serbia’s No. 1, will open against the No. 2 U.S. player Querrey, while he will play the U.S. No. 1, Isner, in Sunday’s opening reverse singles match. Martin will be taking copious notes.

Djokovic hired him last August to supplement his longtime coaching relationship with Marian Vajda and it wasn’t long after it was announced that Serbia would host the U.S. in the 2010 first round that Djokovic asked Todd, a little cheekily, “So, who are you with come March?”

Said Martin this morning from his home: “I tried to plead the fifth.”

With a wife and three young children, Martin stayed home last week while Djokovic was winning the ATP 500 title in Dubai for the second year in a row, but he watched the matches on television, seeing what everyone else saw — Djokovic struggling with the heat, struggling with his suddenly questionable serve but, ultimately, showing the resilience required to win four three-set matches, including a 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 win over Mikhail Youzhny in the final.

When Martin reconnects with Djokovic and Vajda in Indian Wells, Calif., next week, that serve is going to be high on the agenda of things that need to be cleaned up.

Three years ago, the Djokovic serve was technically sound and formidable. Somehow, he’s picked up some glitches, perhaps seeking more power or more spin, and it’s gone off so badly at times that he was half-pushing his second serve in as Youzhny rallied to win the second set last Sunday.

Aside from the obvious change in Djokovic’s service delivery, the numbers are even more telling. In winning Dubai in 2009, he had 32 aces and 10 double faults in five matches. This year, 17 aces and 33 doubles.

In 2009 at Dubai, Djokovic faced 27 break points in five matches and was busted nine times. This year, he faced 44 and was broken 16 times. In his final two matches, he had to defend 16 break points against Marcos Baghdatis and 12 more vs. Youzhny. To his credit, he saved 13 of those points in the semis, but Youzhny broke him six times.

Something is not right.

“The serve is different than a couple years ago,” said Martin. “Sometimes, things change without even trying. You fiddle with something. It can happen relatively by accident. The scary thing is that going back to the technically sound serve he once had might be uncomfortable for him right now.”

That final against Youzhny was interrupted by a long rain at 2-0 in the third set, and it probably helped Djokovic, who was looking pretty gassed near the end of the second. After one very long point, in which Djokovic gutted out a couple of Youzhny volleys to hit a winning forehand pass down the line, he was kneeling down, exhausted and trying to catch some breath. It wasn’t the first time in this match that he seemed seriously affected by the heat.

“His endurance is pretty strong,” said Martin. “You don’t see him struggling in standard conditions. But, for me, it’s a concern that he reacts to the intense heat the way he does. He is taking steps to improving that, but progress needs to be done there.”

If you’re a bottom-line guy, and Djokovic probably is, you don’t shrug off the sketchy play in Dubai, but you give much more weight to the final result. Yes, he didn’t play well. Yes, his serve needs work. But at the end of the week, he was holding the trophy.

“I know what are the holes in my game. The disadvantages, the elements in my game that weren’t working for me throughout the week. I’m well aware of my serve and everything,” said Djokovic. “It’s a very mental game. People don’t realize how much tension you have to go through throughout the match, ups and downs, highs and lows. And it’s all part of the game. It’s not easy.”

But, he added, “Even when I play bad, I know I have the abilities. If you want to call it reserve or secret weapons, you know — running all over the court, trying to fight and play the right shots, trying to look and wait patiently for the chances from my opponent that have been given to me and then use them. Today was another good example of how much I believe in myself and how much I fight till the end.”
Martin and Djokovic are still getting to know each other, in a tennis sense, but Djokovic has often spoken of how much respect he has for his American co-coach and how he thinks Martin can help him get to the net more.

“I look at him and see a guy who can defend and be neutral just as well,” said Martin, who wants to add a third factor — what some call aggressiveness but what Martin prefers to call “being more reactive. When your opponent doesn’t hit a shot well, to be able to react to it in an aggressive way.

“For Novak, it’s pretty simple. He’s got great options that are relatively unrisky. Add a third option that in some ways is more risky. If you come forward, the points are going to be shorter. But if you have three options, you can employ each one when appropriate and employ one or another depending on who you are playing.”

We’re likely to see a less risky Djokovic on clay vs. the U.S. this weekend, at least early in his first match, and no doubt he’ll bring that Dubai resilience to an indoor court with a loud home crowd. But in Isner and Querrey he’s facing a couple of big hitters who have a collective 5-15 record on clay. They’re going to come out smoking service returns if Djokovic’s deliveries don’t get better.

Who knows how Martin is going to react? Djokovic is his guy, but the U.S. is his country.

He never did say who he rooted for in those Big 10 matchups — Michigan State or Northwestern.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: STARS OF 2009

December 28, 2009 by WTM

STARS OF 2009

Australian Open

Men: Rafael Nadal; Women: Serena Williams

Roland Garros

Men: Roger Federer; Women: Svetlana Kuznetsova

Wimbledon

Men: Roger Federer; Women: Serena Williams

US Open

Men: Juan Martin del Potro; Women: Kim Clijsters

Sony Ericsson Championships

Serena Williams

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Nikolay Davydenko

Davis Cup

Spain

Fed Cup

Italy

SAYINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

SERENA ATHLETE OF YEAR

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

STELLAR CHAMPIONS

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTS EVENT MANAGEMENT AWARD

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

SINGLED OUT

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

STICKING AROUND

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

SENT INVITATION

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

SANTIAGO-BOUND

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

SWITCH IN OWNERS

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

SIGNED ON

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

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

STARRING AS KING

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

SELECTED

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

SELA, SHAHAR STAR

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

SHARED PERFORMANCES

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

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

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

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

London: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan

Doha: Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

SITES TO SURF

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/

Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz/

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

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

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

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

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

WTA

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

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

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: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.