Tennis

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  Peter Bodo's TennisWorld

• The Given Day

  Peter Bodo

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:48 am

  by Pete BodoMornin', folks. A few notes before we get to the Fed Cup theme. Hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl last night. While my "Go canonized equines!" may have been obtuse, it wasn't intentionally so, nor an endorsement of the Colts. I was indeed a fence-sitter, although it didn't take the Saints long to pull me off the pickets. How could you not love a team that goes into its first-ever Super Bowl with such "feel-good story" potential and then does not collapse into a gutless, dithering, excuse-making, sympathy-seeking collection of losers? Let's face…

• TW Super Bowl Countdown

  Peter Bodo

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

  All right, hats off to Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (she of the old-school socks, above) of the U.S. for slashing through their singles matches on Saturday. The Americans finished the job today, on this, the ultimate sports day in the U.S., Super Bowl Sunday. I went to the supermarket last night and had to smile at the devastation wrought in the snacks aisle - the only potato chips left appeared to be the organic, baked, low-fat, low-sodium ones in that slick, predominantly green Garden of Eden propoganda bag. And was that "flavor" really Bean Curd and Heart…

• The Deuce Club, 2.5

  Peter Bodo

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  By Jackie Roe, TW Social DirectorWelcome, TWibe! I'm in a bit of a post-Australian Open funk, and I imagine many of you feel the same way. Fortunately, the tennis world has already moved on - to Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago, to be exact. And of course, Fed Cup fun is right around the corner. That should help get our tennis juices flowing again, right? One thing's for sure, though - I'm happy to finally be sleeping again. Being a zombie is the one part of the AO experience I could do without!But before we completely close the book on the first Slam of the year, we still have…

• Falla the Leader

  Peter Bodo

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  by Pete Bodo Howdy, everyone. It's odds and ends day here at TW, so let's poke around to see what there is to talk about: Fernando Gonzalez is in the quarterfinals of the Movistar Open in Santiago, Chile for the eighth consecutive year, and he's gunning for his fifth title. Who knew Gonzo could be so consistent?  The four-time champion clearly loves playing before his home-town crowd, which makes it a pity that he's from Santiago, not London, Paris, or New York. One-trick ponies in the ATP and WTA are interesting cases. Some players just blossom with confidence at events…

• Who Dat?

  Peter Bodo

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:48 am

  by Pete Bodo A fella feels a little bit like Don Quixote, but without even the good company of a sidekick like Fernando Gonzalez, writing about Fed Cup. It's an exercise comparable to shouting into the void. Hoping to get noticed and hit upon in a deli by George Clooney or Jessica Simpson. Being a Dinara Safina fan. No way, no how. Is there any event with less tennis street cred than Fed Cup? Well, maybe the ATP World Team Championship in Dusseldorf. I was going to troll that tournament's website (officially, it's the ARAG World Team Cup) just to pull down some numbers to…

• 
  ESPN Feed: tennis

• Oudin reaches second round at Open GDF Suez

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:01 am

  Melanie Oudin of the United States has beaten Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-0 to reach the Open GDF Suez's second round.

• Ford: Olympics again provide stage to gauge war on doping

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am

  The Vancouver Games mark the first time on-site testing facilities have been located within a sporting venue, a tangible reminder of how closely athletes are being monitored.

• Roddick's wife Decker makes SI swimsuit cover

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:10 am

  Model Brooklyn Decker, the wife of tennis star Andy Roddick, landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year.

• The five best rotations in baseball

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:04 am

  From the mailbag: Q: I'm curious which team you think has the best rotation heading into 2010. What would be your Top 5 rotations? As spring training...

• New State Top 20 Boys BB Rankings

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:46 pm

  ...Top 20. Most teams, meanwhile, are starting to position themselves for the section playoffs.  By Mark Tennis & Ronnie Flores Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend, Steve Brand (After games of Saturday, Feb. 6) (Previous...

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  SI.com - Tennis

• Soderling, Robredo advance to round 2 at Amro

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:44 pm

  ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Robin Soderling won his first-round match against Florent Serra 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 at the ABN Amro tennis tournament Monday.

• Jon Wertheim: Oudin rebounds, Cilic takes Zagreb, more

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:14 am

  As Melanie Oudin and Jelena Jankovic rebound from their respective down periods, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic's struggles continue, writes SI.com's Jon Wertheim in his weekend wrap.

• Bellucci tips Monaco in 3 sets, wins Movistar title

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:21 pm

  SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Thomaz Bellucci won the Movistar Open with a 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 win over Juan Monaco.

• Oudin wins, gives United States spot in Fed Cup semis

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:16 pm

  The U.S. stamped a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals by continuing its mastery of the French. Melanie Oudin beat Julie Coin 7-6 (3), 6-4 to give the Americans an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

• Lopez takes SA Open for third career ATP crown

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:04 am

  JOHANNESBURG (AP) -Third-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain won his second career ATP Tour title Sunday by beating Stephane Robert of France 7-5, 6-1 in the SA Open final.

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  NBCSports.com: Tennis

• Roddick’s wife on cover of SI swimsuit issue

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:47 am

  Model Brooklyn Decker landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year. The 22-year-old wife of tennis star Andy Roddick said being chosen for the front is “the news of a lifetime.”

• McEnroe says Federer is best men's player ever

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:57 am

  John McEnroe thinks Roger Federer is the best men's tennis player of all time.

• Soderling, Robredo advance at Rotterdam

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm

  Robin Soderling has won his first match of the year, beating Florent Serra 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the ABN Amro indoor tournament.

• Sampras loses exhibition to Verdasco

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:35 pm

  Pete Sampras showed off that old brilliant serve. The rest of the retired star's game is lacking a bit these days.

• Oudin advances to 2nd round in Paris

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am

  PARIS (AP) -Melanie Oudin of the United States has beaten Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-0 to reach the Open GDF Suez's second round.

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  FOXSports.com News for TENNIS

• Tennis wives and girlfriends gallery

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

• Benneteau, Chiudinelli win in Rotterdam

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:50 am

• Oudin, Schnyder win at Open GDF Suez

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:48 am

• Roddick's wife on SI swimsuit cover

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:43 am

  Model Brooklyn Decker landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year.

• Berdych tops Odesnik at SAP Open

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

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  BBC Sport | Tennis | UK Edition

• GB reveal six-man Davis Cup squad

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

  James Ward is among three players competing for the two singles spots for Great Britain's Davis Cup match in Lithuania on 5-7 March.

• Russia edge out Serbia in Fed Cup

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:22 am

  Four-time champions Russia win a dramatic tie against Serbia in Belgrade to reach the semi-finals of the Fed Cup.

• Serbia & Russia level in Fed Cup

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm

  Jelena Jankovic fights back to beat Alisa Kleybanova and draw Serbia level at 1-1 with Russia after day one of their Fed Cup World Group tie.

• GB end Fed Cup campaign with loss

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

  Great Britain finish their Fed Cup campaign in Portugal with a defeat by the Netherlands.

• Injured Serena out of Paris Open

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:21 am

  World number one Serena Williams pulls out of next week's Paris Indoor Open because of a leg injury.

• Photostream from Daylife
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  Yahoo! Sports - Tennis News

• McEnroe: Federer best men's player ever (AP)

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

  John McEnroe thinks Roger Federer is the best men's tennis player of all time. McEnroe, also considered one of the game's greats, said Tuesday he ranks the Swiss star ahead of Rod Laver, the only man to win all four Grand Slam events in one year, and seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras.

• Oudin advances to 2nd round in Paris (AP)

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:31 am

  Melanie Oudin of the United States beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-0 on Tuesday to reach the Open GDF Suez's second round. Oudin, a U.S. Open quarterfinalist last year, next plays Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat seventh-seeded Virginie Razzano of France 6-3, 7-6(3) at Stade Pierre de Coubertin.

• Benneteau, Chiudinelli win in Rotterdam (AP)

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am

  Julien Benneteau of France and Switzerland's Marco Chiudinelli have advanced to the second round of the ABN Amro indoor tennis tournament. Benneteau ousted seventh-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday in Rotterdam, Netherlands, while Chiudinelli knocked out 2008 champion Michael Llodra of France 6-1, 6-7(5), 7-6(6).

• Sampras loses exhibition to Verdasco (AP)

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:49 pm

  Former No. 1 Pete Sampras showed glimpses of his dominating best against a top player 12 years his junior in the second set of his 6-3, 7-6 (2) exhibition loss to Spain's Fernando Verdasco on Monday at the SAP Open. "It was a pretty rough night," Sampras said. "I never really felt I could get into his service games.

• Montanes advances to 2nd round in Brazil (AP)

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Second-seeded Albert Montanes of Spain has opened his clay-court season with a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over German Simon Greul on the first day of the Brazil Open. Fellow Spaniard Daniel Jimeno-Traver also reached the second round Monday, beating Spanish countryman Santiago Ventura 7-6 (7), 6-1. In the day's other match, wild card Ricardo Mello of Brazil beat Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 7-5.

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  Global Village Tennis News

• ATP World Tour - San Jose - Monday Results, Tuesday Order of Play

  Global Village Tennis News

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:22 pm

    SAP OpenATP WORLD TOUR 250  $531,000 ($600,000 Total Financial Commitment)San Jose, U.S.A.  (-8 hours GMT) 8 - 14 February, 2010     Surface: Indoor Hardwww.ATPWorldTour.com  RESULTS - MONDAY, 8 FEBRUARY, 2010Singles - First Round[5] T Berdych (CZE) d W Odesnik (USA) 61 67(5) 75L Mayer (ARG) d E Gulbis (LAT) 75 64J Nieminen (FIN) d [WC] L Poerschke (GER) 36 63 62T Dent (USA) d [Q] A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) 64 76(2)D Sela (ISR) d S Giraldo (COL) 76(2) 76(4)D Istomin (UZB) d [WC] R Harrison (USA) 62 75Doubles - First RoundT Haas (GER) / R Stepanek (CZE) d…

• News and Notes From the 2010 SAP Open for February 8, 2010

  Global Village Tennis News

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:16 pm

  From the SAP Open: NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE 2010 SAP OPEN – Monday, February 8, 2010ATTENDANCE: Today’s Attendance:  2,278 Tonight’s Attendance: 5,948   Total Tournament Attendance to Date: 8,226     SAP OPEN PLAYER “FAST FACTS”   ·        FOURTEEN (14) COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN SINGLES FIELD – USA, GERMANY, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, SPAIN, ISRAEL, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, FINLAND, LATVIA, BELGIUM, CHINESE TAIPEI, UZBEKISTAN & RUSSIA ·        SAP OPEN WILL BE THE FIRST ATP WORLD…

• ATP World Tour - Brasil Open - Monday Results, Tuesday Order of Play

  Global Village Tennis News

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:13 pm

    Brasil OpenATP WORLD TOUR 250  $442,500 ($500,000 Total Financial CommitmentCosta do Sauipe, Brazil  (-3 hours GMT) 8 - 14 February, 2010     Surface: Claywww.ATPWorldTour.com  RESULTS - MONDAY, 8 FEBRUARY, 2010Singles - First Round[2] A Montanes (ESP) d S Greul (GER) 62 76(2)D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) d S Ventura (ESP) 76(7) 61[WC] R Mello (BRA) d P Lorenzi (ITA) 62 75Doubles - First Round[2] P Cuevas (URU) / M Granollers (ESP) d V Hanescu (ROU) / S Prieto (ARG) 63 64F Fognini (ITA) / F Gil (POR) d I Andreev (RUS) / D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 46 64 10-4ORDER…

• ATP World Tour - Rotterdam- Monday Results, Tuesday Order of Play

  Global Village Tennis News

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm

   ABN AMRO World Tennis TournamentATP WORLD TOUR 500 €1,150,000 (€1,445,000 Total Financial CommitmentRotterdam, The Netherlands  (+1 hours GMT) 8 - 14 February, 2010     Surface: Indoor Hardwww.ATPWorldTour.com  RESULTS - MONDAY, 8 FEBRUARY, 2010Singles - First Round[3] [WC] R Soderling (SWE) d F Serra (FRA) 46 64 61[5] T Robredo (ESP) d [WC] R Haase (NED) 76(4) 64F Mayer (GER) d J Tipsarevic (SRB) 63 67(6) 76(6)[Q] I Sijsling (NED) d M Zverev (GER) 67(2) 63 75A Seppi (ITA) d [Q] S Bohli (SUI) 61 75Doubles - First Round[3] M…

• Sony Ericsson WTA Tour - Paris Indoors - Monday Results, Tuesday Order of Play

  Global Village Tennis News

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pm

  OPEN GDF SUEZ Paris-FRA February 8-14, 2010 $700,000/Premier Hard/Indoors Results - Monday, February 8, 2010 Singles - First Round (8) Elena Vesnina (RUS) d. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 61 64 Agnes Szavay (HUN) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 63 10 ret. (viral illness) Doubles - First Round Jurak/Marosi (CRO/HUN) d. (4) Borwell/Kops-Jones (GBR/USA) 76(7) 26 103 (Match TB) Bacsinszky/Sfar (SUI/TUN) d. Kondratieva/Lefèvre (RUS/FRA) 64 57 1210 (Match TB) Dekmeijere/Grandin (LAT/RSA) d. Klemenschits/Klepac (AUT/SLO) 61 63 Singles Qualifying - Final Round Vesna Manasieva (RUS) d. (2) Barbora Zahlavova…

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  TennisEarth.com

• Commentary: Vesna Manasieva Vs Francesca Schiavone @ Open GDF SUEZ, Women's Singles R32(Finished)

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am

  Vesna Manasieva Vs Francesca Schiavone 0-6,0-6. Schiavone cruises through....! In exactly under an hour of dominant tennis, the Italian star double bagled Vesna Manasieva to move to the next round. Schiavone totally outplayed her opponent in all aspects of the game and moved ahead without much ado.

• Berdych struggles in San Jose Opener

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:48 am

  On the opening day at the 2010 SAP Open, favourites made it into the next round by producing swashbuckling tennis.

• Vesnina shines on opening day at Open GDF Suez

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:49 pm

  The Open GDF Suez kicked off with two main draw matches featuring Elena Vesnina and Agnes Szavay with both women registering contrasting wins to move ahead.

• Montanes struggles past Greul in Costa Do Sauipe

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:34 pm

  The opening day at the 2010 Brasil Open witnessed local star Ricardo Mello shine in full beam as the Brazilian took out a much higher ranked opponent.

• Soderling makes a solid start in Rotterdam

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:15 pm

  The opening day at the 2010 ABN Amro World Tennis tournament produced exciting tennis as both the seeds in action prevailed in contrasting styles.

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  AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• You must remember this...

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:04 pm

  Breathtaking tennis, compelling storylines, fairytale comebacks - here are 10 of the best moments from Australian Open 2010.

• The wait continues

  31 Jan 2010 | 6:25 pm

  Andy Murray fell short in his quest to end more than seven decades of British disappointment, but could hold his head high after a breakthrough tournament in Melbourne

• Women's game moves up a gear

  31 Jan 2010 | 10:44 am

  With the return of Clijsters and Henin, and the continued supremacy of Serena Williams, women's tennis has moved into another gear.

• The morning after: Federer reflects

  31 Jan 2010 | 9:36 am

  Roger Federer says his performance in the 2010 Australian Open men’s singles final against Andy Murray was one of the finest of his career.

• Wheel turns for Roger

  31 Jan 2010 | 8:43 am

  A year on from one of his rare low points in the last five years, Roger Federer showed his class on Sunday - but isn't obsessed by chasing a calendar year Grand Slam

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  ESPN.com - Tennis

• John McEnroe says Roger Federer is best men's player ever

  Associated Press

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:23 am

  John McEnroe thinks Roger Federer is the best men's tennis player of all-time.

• Melanie Oudin beats Sorana Cirstea, advances at Open GDF Suez in Paris

  Associated Press

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:48 am

  Melanie Oudin of the United States has beaten Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-0 to reach the Open GDF Suez's second round.

• Brooklyn Decker, wife of Andy Roddick, on Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover

  Associated Press

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:10 am

  Model Brooklyn Decker, the wife of tennis star Andy Roddick, landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year.

• Pete Sampras shows fight before falling in exhibition

  Associated Press

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:43 pm

  Pete Sampras hung tough against a top player 12 years his junior in the second set of his 6-3, 7-6 (2) loss to Spain's Fernando Verdasco in a 56-minute exhibition match Monday night at the SAP Open.

• Albert Montanes opens on clay with win at Brazil Open

  Associated Press

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm

  Second-seeded Albert Montanes of Spain has opened his clay-court season with a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over German Simon Greul on the first day of the Brazil Open.

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  Serena Williams Diary

• "Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport" event (pics)

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:46 pm

• Serena: Helping hand for Haiti

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

  Serena took part in the BET SOS Saving Ourselves: Help For Haiti Benefit / Telethon at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL.

• Williams Sisters @ "Tide and Venus" Event

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

  Williams Sisters on hand for "Tide and Venus Williams Launch New Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport" event in Miami Beach, Fl.

• Serena: More VIBE photos

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:52 am

• Serena on Bonnie Hunt Show (Feb. 4th) - Video

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:19 am

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  Women's Tennis Blog

• Ana Ivanovic launches redesigned official website + signs lifetime contract with adidas

  Marija

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:38 am

  Ana Ivanovic's game may be in ruins, but her already amazing official website is only getting better. AnaIvanovic.com has always been by far the best among those of female tennis players and her team is working hard to keep it that way by refreshing the design and adding new features. The website offers the latest photos, videos, news, Ana's diary, tennis results, career and match highlights, interviews, downloads, Ana's magazine covers, you can meet Ana's team, there is a forum, "Did You Know?" and "Ask Ana" sections and pretty much everything you can…

• Dinara Safina withdraws from Dubai

  Marija

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:45 pm

  World No.2 Dinara Safina still hasn't recovered from the back injury which has been bothering her for months, and the 23-year-old Russian will skip the $2,000,000 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships which starts next week. Because of the same injury, Safina withdrew from last year's Sony Ericsson Championships and this season's Australian Open. Safina is hoping to return to competition in March, to play the $4.5-million BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. (source: Dinara Safina's official website, photo by chascow) Share This

• Venus and Serena Williams skip Fed Cup for football

  Marija

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:07 am

  While their countrywomen were sweating on the tennis court in USA's Fed Cup meeting with France this weekend, top two American players Venus and Serena Williams joined the football world. Being part-owners of the Dolphins NFL franchise, the sisters attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Moreover, Venus hosted the launch of a new Tide product: Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport. Just to mention, even without the Williams sisters team USA defeated France 4-1 and reached Fed Cup semifinals where they will face Russia. (source: Tennis Served Fresh) Share This

• Russia beats Serbia in Fed Cup after decisive doubles

  Marija

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:14 pm

  The first day of the Fed Cup meeting between Russia and Serbia ended with both teams winning one match. Somewhat surprisingly, especially after the talks about her injury, Jelena Jankovic upset Svetlana Kuznetsova on Day 2, which gave Serbia a 2-1 lead on home soil. Congratulations to Jankovic for winning both her singles matches! So, Jankovic defeated Kuznetsova 6-3 4-6 6-3, but her countrywoman Ana Ivanovic couldn’t finish off the tie and lost to Alisa Kleybanova 6-2 6-3 in the following match. Ivanovic’s free fall ended a long time ago, but the sad thing is that she is still lying…

• Serena Williams withdraws from Open GDF SUEZ

  Marija

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:43 am

  World No.1 Serena Williams has pulled out of next week’s Open GDF SUEZ in Paris, citing a leg injury she sustained on the way to winning her fifth Australian Open title last month. The 28-year-old American has won the Paris tournament twice, in 1999 and 2003, both times beating France’s Amelie Mauresmo in the final. By the way, retired Mauresmo will be honored Wednesday night in a ceremony at the Open GDF SUEZ which she won last year. With Williams withdrawing Russia's Elena Dementieva has become the highest-ranked player in the tournament. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Share…

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  Craig Hickman's Tennis Blog

• Withdrawal

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:40 am

  ReutersMariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland on the catwalk during a fashion show during day two of the ABN AMBRO World Tennis Tournament on February 9, 2010 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.::I'm not supposed to have envy, but my niece, who's not even a fan of tennis, got box seats from a friend to attend the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. She'll be there tomorrow, while I'll be back in the States trying to enjoy the first tournament of the year in North America at the SAP Open in San Jose. Brazil hosts the second week of regular tennis below the equator, while the…

• Champions On Three Continents

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:02 am

  Feliciano Lopez defeated first-time finalist Stephen Robert of France 7-5, 6-1 to take the South Africa Open title. It's the Spaniard's first title in five-and-a-half years.Thomaz Bellucci outlasted Juan Monaco 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 to win the Movistar Open, the first Brazilian in 10 years to do so.Marin Cilic gutted out a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory over Michael Berrer to defend the PBZ Zagreb Indoors in his homeland.

• Fed Cup Open Thread

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am

  APFrom left, United States tennis players Christina McHale, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Melanie Oudin before their Fed Cup World Group first round tennis match in Lievin, northern France, Saturday Feb. 6, 2010.::FRANCE v USAVenue: Stade Couvert Regional Lievin, Lievin, FRA (clay – indoors)FranceAlize CornetJulie CoinPauline ParmentierStephanie Cohen-AloroCaptain: Nicolas EscudeUSAMelanie OudinShenay PerryBethanie Mattek-SandsLiezel HuberCaptain: Mary Joe FernandezUKRAINE v ITALYVenue: Palace of Sports "Lokomotiv", Kharkiv, UKR (hard – indoors)UkraineAlona BondarenkoKateryna…

• Quote For The Day

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:31 am

  "I planned to return to Beijing quietly and I booked a very early flight. So I was a surprised when I saw the cameras at the airport and doubted they had come to see me at the beginning. It felt different but I won't change. I'm still myself."--Li Na

• Serena Williams On Jimmy Kimmel Live

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:57 pm

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  Pro Tennis Fan

• Verdasco Defeats Sampras in San Jose

  Mike

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:10 am

  A 38 year old Pete Sampras fell to Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6(2) during an exhibition match on opening night at the SAP Open in San Jose on Monday night. Feeling his age, the fourteen time Grand Slam champion admitted it was tough to keep up with the 26 year old Verdasco."I felt a little old," Sampras said. "I tried. At times it wasn't all that competitive."For a full report, check out the following article by Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.

• Andy Roddick and Drew Brees - Childhood Tennis Competitors

  Mike

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:46 am

  Here's an article from 2006 detailing the friendship and tennis rivalry between Andy Roddick and newly crowned Super Bowl Champion Drew Brees. From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Top U.S. player glad Drew chose footballThey were two Texas tykes on an Austin tennis court. The little shaver with the sound strokes, even at the age of 8 or 9, was Andy Roddick. The other kid did not have Roddick's grounding in tennis fundamentals, but how he would compete!His name was Drew Brees. “I remember the most annoying thing was that Drew played about twice a week,” Roddick said. “I was…

• Around The Corner

  Mike

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:17 pm

  By Mike McIntyreNow that they've had some time to recover from a fantastic Grand Slam in Australia that saw Roger Federer confirm his dominance in the men's game, many big-name players will make their return to the court. Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko are all back in action. Here's a closer look at the three tournaments we have around the corner this week.SAP Open - San Jose, CaliforniaOf the three tournaments this week, the SAP Open has by far the biggest drawing card on day one by showcasing an exhibition match between Fernando Verdasco and fourteen-time…

• Quick Hits

  Mike

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm

  By Mike McIntyreJust a quick post to bring you up to speed on a few developments since the end of the Australian Open. The ATP and WTA Tours will now proceed with some smaller level tournaments on both hard and clay courts. March will showcase the two Masters Series hard-court tournaments in the United States before the official clay-court season is upon us and with it the road to the French Open in May. Until then, check back regularly for any exciting developments on the men's and women's game that you will not want to miss. Lleyton Hewitt Injured:Just when Lleyton Hewitt was…

• Comments Welcome

  Mike

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:29 pm

  By Mike McIntyre2010 has been a good year for tennis so far and it has also been a good year for ProTennisFan. I have thankfully found more time to dedicate to the sport that I love and that has translated to a renewed focus on our website. One of the recent changes is that readers no longer have to log-in to post comments or feedback to any of our articles. Hopefully that will result in some increased discussion amongst our readers and encourage more debate between us. There will be other changes as the year unfolds and your suggestions are always welcome. I can be reached at…

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  The Dysfunctional Tennis Blog

• Roddick’s Wife Brooklyn Decker Graces Cover of SI Swimsuit Issue

  Staff

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am

  Andy Roddick's wife Brooklyn Decker has been named the cover girl for the upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

• Sampras Taken Down by Verdasco in San Jose

  Tom Gainey

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pm

  Former Grand Slam great Pete Sampras was beaten by Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6(2) in a singles exhibition.

• Poll: Who Will be the Next American to Win Their First Grand Slam?

  Tom Gainey

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:18 pm

  I’m asking who among the next generation of American players will take home a Grand Slam title.

• Fed Cup Semis Set: U.S. v Russia, Italy v Czechs

  Staff

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:21 pm

  In the semifinals the U.S. will host Russia in April after the Russians defeated Serbia 3-2. In the deciding doubles match Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alisa Kleybanova defeated Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 to advance.

• Lopez, Cilic, Bellucci Win ATP Titles

  Staff

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:45 pm

  "I did not have much time to adjust after the Australian Open; it was not easy to meet people's expectations. I am proud about what I've done," Cilic said. "I have played lot of matches this year, but it was also mentally tough. Now I can relax."

• 
  tennis served fresh

• sam stosur’s patriotic glasses

  Erwin

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:42 pm

  We’re all about Samantha Stosur’s patriotic Oakley glasses, which show off Australia’s national sporting colors. Sam helped her country defeat Spain 3-2 in the 2010 Fed Cup World Group II first round by winning both her singles rubbers and the doubles with partner Renae Stubbs. Further reading: Read the Fed Cup write-up about the tie here. Lacoste: This dress is part of the same spring collection that includes the orange separates Alize Cornet wore during the 2010 Australian Open last month. (image via Getty Images)

• ivanovic gets tenure, loses fed cup rubbers

  Erwin

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:07 pm

  I know it’s turning out to be a heavy flow day from adidas, but we have one more bit… Silver lining: In the wake of her dismal Fed Cup performance against Russia (which saw her lose both singles rubbers and the doubles rubber), Ana Ivanovic can take a breather after an announcement today that she’ll extended her partnership with adidas to last for her whole career — and she’ll even become a brand ambassador once she retires. “I feel thrilled to be a member of the adidas family and I am very much looking forward to working with adidas on many projects in the…

• jurgen melzer: we believed it when we saw it

  Erwin

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:44 pm

  We had a hunch that the current adidas Spring Edge line for men didn’t look quite right in the white/green colorway, but looks pretty darn good in black/green. And to prove our point, here’s Jurgen Melzer on his way to a semifinal exit at last week’s PBZ Zagreb Indoors. He lost to eventual champ Marin Cilic. (image via Getty Images)

• for flavia, a logo finally emerges

  Erwin

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:18 pm

  Flavia Pennetta and the rest of the Italian girls swept past Fed Cup Team Ukraine at this weekend’s tie in Kharkiv. (The only point to the Ukranians came during Alona Bondarenko’s win over Francesca Schiavone.) After a logo-less January, which saw Flavia wearing purple and white at the Australian Open, she emerged for the Fed Cup tie in adidas‘ adilibria line, which is the one headlined by Ana Ivanovic. Pennetta, who was previously with Sergio Tacchini, has a partnership with adidas through 2012. More: See two more pics — the back of Flavia’s shirt and her warmup…

• lefties and lanks rule the roost

  Erwin

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am

  The women took a week off to fight for the flags, but the men were vying for titles this past week. Marin Cilic defended his title at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over Michael Berrer. After the match, Marin explained that second-set hiccup that went Berrer’s way. “I was surprised with the level of [Berrer's] game. It’s not that I underestimated him; it’s just that I did not expect this level of tennis in his first major final. There were no ups and downs in his game; I had to earn every point.” Marin currently has a 15-1 record for 2010. He won…

• 
  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

• Tennis is funny sometimes

  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:34 pm

  Five-and-a-half years? I could do that standing on my head: Try 20 and we'll talk!Feliciano Lopez won his first title in more than five years at the South African Open, beating Stephane Robert in the finals in straights. His game has some holes in it (mainly that topspin backhand), but he does have a lot of versatility that should've resulted in more than two tournament wins to this point. But I can't be too hard on the guy, because in a way, I really relate.See, I follow the careers of players like him and Francesca Schiavone pretty closely: For all their solid results over the years,…

• The Greatest

  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:34 pm

  Last year, after Roger Federer won the French Open, I didn't post for days because I was thrown into a tailspin about whether to believe he became the greatest of all time at that point. The same thing happened this time after the Australian, but my head's a little clearer now and I'm ready to say this:Roger Federer is the greatest male singles player of all time.You see, to me, it comes down to him and Pete Sampras because A) They've won the most Slams and B) because they played on every surface under the sun during their careers. I had trouble determining who got the nod because of one…

• A new way of seeing things

  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  28 Jan 2010 | 6:34 pm

  What is this, year before last or something? We have our dream women's final set in less than a hour's time: Serena Williams vs. Justine Henin. These two are, in my opinion, the two best players of the past seven or eight years, so it should be a good one.I just thought of something, though, and it may not be a new argument, but I believe it's a new way of thinking for me. So you have Henin, who took a little more than a year off and appears now to be fresher than ever. And then you have Williams, who gets called out by many (and probably up until this posting, me too) for all of her outside…

• I guess Andy Murray has the answer!

  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  28 Jan 2010 | 6:30 pm

  Looks like my question in my previous post was answered.(Photo: Getty Images)

• How does Marin Cilic ever lose?

  Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  26 Jan 2010 | 7:56 pm

  It's almost a day later, matches have come and gone, but I'm still impressed by Marin Cilic's run so far at the Aussie. Even though he knocked off a TTA? fave in Andy Roddick, which I figured was going to happen, he still gets props!I've been looking for him to make a big run at a Major the past few Slams and it looks like it's really happening here. Actually, every time I see him in a draw for the past year or so, I think "Why can't he win?"Which takes me to the point of the headline of this post: How does he ever lose? I don't know, maybe it's beyond the comprehension of this 4.0 player,…

• 
  ZooTennis

• Tomic Wins Burnie Title, McHale Makes Fed Cup Debut; DeMars to Retire From South Carolina; Other Pro News

  Colette Lewis

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:58 pm

  Seventeen-year-old Bernard Tomic won his second professional title Sunday in the $50,000 Challenger in Tasmania, defeating fellow Aussie Greg Jones 6-4, 6-2 in the final. The win boosted his ATP ranking to a career-high of 209, and with an injured Lleyton Hewitt unavailable for Davis Cup in March, Tomic has a good chance of being named to the team, according to this story in the Sydney Morning Herald. Carsten Ball, another Australian Davis Cup possibility, lost to Ryan Sweeting in the $50,000 Dallas challenger final. Sweeting was the defending champion.Once the U.S. Fed Cup team clinched the…

• Some Thoughts on the ITF Junior Regulation Changes for 2010

  Colette Lewis

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:05 pm

  The ITF makes changes to their junior regulations every year, and there are plenty of noteworthy ones for 2010. The complete regulations can be found on the ITF junior site, and you don't need to be a tournament director or an ITF official to learn something from reading them. Here are a few of the changes this year that I thought might be of interest, in no particular order, with my comments in italics:∆ Competition is open to all tennis players based on merit and without discrimination subject only to the conditions herein set forth. I assume this was prompted from the Shahar Peer…

• Virginia Men, Georgia Women Upset; Interview with Georgia's Manny Diaz

  Colette Lewis

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:55 pm

  There were a couple of surprises today in the collegiate ranks, with the 14th-ranked Kentucky men defeating No. 2 Virginia 4-3 in Lexington, and the 15th-ranked Clemson women taking a 4-3 decision from Georgia in Athens.For the second week in a row, it was junior Alberto Gonzalez who delivered the fourth point for the Wildcats. In the Kick-off weekend final against Wake Forest, Gonzalez clinched the Team Indoor berth at No. 5 singles; today against Virgina, he did it at the No. 6 spot. The most shocking result to me was in the doubles, where Kentucky posted three wins by the scores of 8-5,…

• January Aces; Cecil, Tomic Reach Semis; Kudla vs. Querrey; McHale Replaces Perry

  Colette Lewis

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:48 pm

  Because I wanted to get the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina article up on the Tennis Recruiting Network as soon as possible, the January aces are a day late. Because I need to limit the number to one I can manage, some excellent results often get left off. I hope your read about those who did not make the cut last month--two-time ITF Grade A and Grade 1 finalist Monica Puig and Les Petits As finalist Noah Rubin spring to mind--when I was posting about their successes during those tournaments. I didn't have any file photos of the Les Petits As champions this year, nor of Australian Open girls…

• North Carolina vs. Notre Dame Match Report; Draws Out for Team Indoor Championship

  Colette Lewis

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:59 pm

  As I promised, here is my Tennis Recruiting Network account of the North Carolina women's 5-2 win over Notre Dame Sunday in South Bend. I had never been to a tennis match at Notre Dame, and it was a very positive experience. The viewing is very good, and thanks to some strategic glass blocks and a sunny day, it wasn't bad for photography either. An electronic scoreboard is the only improvement I would suggest. Because neither team has any international players, I knew quite a few of the women on both teams from the juniors, and it was great to see them competing on the next level.The draws…

• 
  Tennis With Attitude

• Australia 2010: Man up! or Post-Script

  Naf

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:48 pm

  Come on. Does anyone else think the Roger Federer/Andy Murray scenario after the final today was a script? Last year, Fed's crying like a little girl after losing to Rafa Nadal. Now this year, Murray's fighting tears after Federer beats him? It's full circle for Federer. After a rough start to last year, he came back to make history, snagging the next two slams. But then he lost a tough one to Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S. Open. Back at the stage of probably the most heartbreaking loss of his career, he comes up roses. I mean, really, when you making jokes about your opponent's nation not…

• Australia 2010: 0 and 1?!? Really??

  Naf

  22 Jan 2010 | 8:45 pm

  Not quite sure what was more shocking -- the scoreline of the Nadia Petrova-Kim Clijsters match or the fact that Petrova wasn't wearing something that made her look like a cross-dresser.Holy crap! What happened to her? Petrova, I mean, here's someone who basically has underperformed for her entire career, mostly as a result of injury and a little bit because she gets a little jumpy in big matches. Then she shows up at the Aussie Open with a dress that hangs properly on her and beats a tournament favorite in less than an hour? I mean, what got into her?And will it last? And who made that…

• Australia 2010: Who's hot?

  Naf

  19 Jan 2010 | 6:57 pm

  To play tennis or write about it? That is the question.The answer: I'm sitting here resting my sore feet (I figure it's gotta be the shoes), a couple days late, but not a penny short for my Aussie Open overview, shall we say. Instead of the regular rundown, then, we're going to play "Hot and Cold". Here's how it'll work. I name a player and discuss how likely it is they'll win the first major of the year. Cold means "cold day in hell". It can only get better from there. MEN1. Roger Federer: WARM-ISH -- It's hard to bet against the Fed, but I gotta say: I was not convinced by his first round…

• The Aussie countdown!

  Naf

  14 Jan 2010 | 6:15 am

  So I turn on my TV this morning and Serena Williams is going three with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. I mean, who else could it be -- wearing black and gaudy gold? Guess again, Naf. Seriously, Aravene Rezai turned some heads a couple years ago with nice results, but probably wilted under the pressure. Who knows? A little wisdom and foraging through Bethanie's closet might be just what her game needs ...The seeds are out for the first major. Not too many surprises -- Serena and Roger Federer are the top seeds and for some reason Justine Henin is looming in the draw. Good luck, ladies. But here's a…

• It's not "Goodbye 2009." It's "Hello, 2010!"

  Naf

  31 Dec 2009 | 9:31 am

  So, I'm watching a replay of Andy Roddick lose the best match he's ever played at Wimbledon this year and it made me realize that 2009 was indeed full of ups and downs. An example: I was talking tennis with a friend at work who is a Roger Federer fan and he was trash-talking against Rafa Nadal. "C'mon, Federer owns Nadal now!" he says. "Really?" I said. "Really, Garrett? Remember the Australian Open? Remember Federer crying like a little (you know) after getting his (you know) handed to him by Nadal? Really? Really?" (I get a little worked up talking about tennis sometimes.) As it turned out,…

• 
  Down the Line: raw + uncut

• MEDIA MASHUP: Is it 'Ana' or is it 'Anna'?

  RiCH

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:44 am

  The cover of the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has been unveiled and tennis WAG Brooklyn Decker has grabbed the highly-coveted spot this year! The 22-year old and wife to Andy Roddick is appearing in the big issue for the fifth time but first time on the cover.Her tennis ballin' hubby tweeted this after finding out the news: "so happy/proud of my wife... the new cover for sports illustrated swimsuit issue!!!! unreal... so excited!!!!!!!!!!"Click here for more images and video of Brooklyn's photoshoot.A swimsuit-clad Ana Ivanovic is also making an appearance in this year's issue in a…

• (UPDATED) Apparently NaturAna's club name is K-Stew

  RiCH

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:18 am

  Kristen Stewart, eh, Ana Ivanovic unveiled the redesign of her website which now looks like some kind of disco wonderland. There's even a new section called "Club Ana" where you can send in questions for the Serb to answer, get downloads and participate in the forum. No beats at 140 bpm as of yet, though.So, I guess if you can't have the world at your fingertip (read: going 0-3 in FED CUP this past weekend) then a disco ball might do, right K-Stew?Shealso announced a new lifetime deal with sponsor adidas that includes wearing their products for the rest of her career and becoming an…

• (UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Sveta *smile* spam

  RiCH

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am

  "OK, who cut it?"Svetlana Kuznetsova was cuttin' it up big time during a presser in Belgrade for this weekend's FED CUP tie versus Serbia. Doesn't it kinda make you wish you were there? I'm cracking up just looking at her crack up.Anyway, it's good to see Sveta so relaxed, and her laugh and smile are infectious even through these pics. Now if she could only be this relaxed on court..."It was you.""Y'all think it was me?""BUSTED - I cut it! BWAHAHAHA!!"[Photo(s): Reuters]UPDATE: After some JJ-style drama the Serb has decided to play this tie over the weekend. Thanks vw!

• VIDEO VAULT: Serena hits the talk shows, Nole + NaturAna climb the Avala TV Tower

  RiCH

  3 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

  Serena Williams hopped onto the post-Aussie Open media tour making stops at Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the win, the fine and the Prince......and the Ellen Degeneres Show where she smashed plates. I'm more impressed with Ellen's power moves - nice.Novak Djokovic + Ana Ivanovic visited the restored Avala TV Tower in Belgrade where they left behind hand prints. The pair also played an exo here 5 years ago won by NaturAna.I have no idea what they're saying but these two are giving full-on hawtness.(Edit: So reader Sara wondered whether NaturAna's man hands are bigger than Nole's. Any guesses? I know…

• PHOTO OP: Vika the tease

  RiCH

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:16 am

  Victoria Azarenka tweeted this pic taken while shopping for mangoes in Oz.I'd like to say I feel the same way about my mangoes but I'd be lying.*blushes*

• 
  Women Who Serve

• Miscellany

  Diane

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:56 pm

  Jelena Jankovic is reported to have parted ways with coach Ricardo Sanchez. She apparently intends to play without a coach, at least for now. Of course, we've heard, "I'm firing Sanchez" before....Alize Cornet said she was "petrified by the stress" of playing in Fed Cup. The Frenchwoman, who has never won a Fed Cup match, also said "The more I play, the more I lose."Note to Agence France-Presse: Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands are not "Williams sisters stand-ins." For future reference, we call them "USA Fed Cup team members."Ana Ivanovic, serving in her capacity as a UNICEF National…

• France and Spain out of Fed Cup--USA and Belgium move to semifinals

  Diane

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

  In one of the weekend's most dramatic ties, Australia defeated Spain 3-2 to advance to the 2010 Fed Cup semifinals. Sam Stosur won both of her singles matches, but Anabel Medina Garrigues and Carla Suarez Navarro each had a singles victory. The 2-2 tie set up a potentially thrilling doubles rubber featuring Stosur and Rennae Stubbs against Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. The Australians won in straight sets, giving the Spaniards their second significant loss in a row (they lost in straight sets in the third round of the Australian Open).Team USA won three singles…

• Dechy honored in France

  Diane

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

  Nathalie Dechy, who retired from professional tennis last year, was honored today in Lievin, France by the French Federation of Tennis. The ceremony was part of this weekend's Fed Cup competition between France and the USA.Dechy played in eighteen Fed Cup ties during a ten-year period. "Fed Cup gave me my best emotions, biggest moments of my career," the former world number 11 told the crowd in Lievin.

• Top qualifying seed out in Paris

  Diane

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

  Top qualifying seed Ekaterina Makarova was eliminated today in the second Open GDF SUEZ qualifying round. She was defeated 6-3, 6-1 by Zuzana Kucova.

• Fed Cup miscellany

  Diane

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:29 pm

  Sandra Harwitt is blogging from France this weekend, and there are other writers who are contributing to the Fed Cup blog, which is worth reading. For example, we learn from the Fed Cup blog that Craig Willis, the master of ceremonies in Adelaide, remarked that Rennae Stubbs has been playing in Fed Cup for so long that--when she started--the Dead Sea was merely sick. Ba dum chhh...We also learn from the blog that former French player Sophie Amiach, vice president of Fed Cup France, is selling the second edition of the softcover book, Les Joueuses Francaises De Fed Cup, at the matches this…

• 
  GOTOTENNIS

• VIDEO: BROOKLYN DECKER LANDS THE COVER OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION

  freakyfrites

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

  Cover photo via Us Magazine Yes, yes, I know that Brooklyn Decker isn’t a tennis player – she’s just married to one – but GTT is an inclusive place. Plus, I need to give a bone (pun intended after the fact) to the small segment of GTT’s male readership that isn’t entranced by Roger Federer’s hair. Brooklyn... Click title to read more..

• PETE SAMPRAS AT THE SAP OPEN: IT’S ALL GOOD WITH AGASSI – FOR NOW

  freakyfrites

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:58 am

  Pete Sampras took to the court at the SAP Open in San Jose last night to play an exhibition match vs. Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco beat Pete 6-3, 7-6 (2), and the 38-year-old admitting afterwards that he felt “a little old” compared to the strapping 26-year-old Spaniard. (Via Guardian) Perhaps next time Nando should play in [...] Click title to read more..

• SPOTTED! ROGER FEDERER IN ST. MORITZ

  freakyfrites

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am

  Photo via suedostschweiz.ch Ahhhh, St. Moritz! It sounds so crisp, cool and luxurious, doesn’t it? Like Roger Federer’s forehand. According to suedostschweiz.ch, Roger tried to keep a low profile in the sunny and snowy Swiss resort town while attending the famed “White Turf” horse races as a VIP guest of his sponsor Credit... Click title to read more..

• TENNIS LIVE STREAMING: ATP ROTTERDAM, BRASIL OPEN, WTA PARIS

  freakyfrites

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:07 pm

  This week’s tennis live streaming options include the premium subscription service TennisTV.com, which is covering the ATP Rotterdam and WTA Paris tournaments. The usual fly-by-night bootlegged streams are also available. Here are the details: TENNISTV: Premium Paid Live Streaming for ATP Rotterdam and WTA Paris. Starts February 11th. Cost... Click title to read more..

• TENNIS TV SCHEDULE: ATP ROTTERDAM, ATP SAP OPEN, WTA PARIS OPEN

  freakyfrites

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

  Tennis Channel subscribers in the States can catch both the ATP Rotterdam (ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament) and the WTA Paris (Open GDF SUEZ) tournaments this weekend. The SAP Open will be shown in selected markets. Fanatics will have to plan carefully to avoid hearing results – not everything will be shown live. 2010 TENNIS TV SCHEDULE:... Click title to read more..

• 
  NICK BOLLETTIERI: GRAND SLAM PICKS

• Now back to work Andy – your time will come

  Nick's Picks

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:22 am

  This article, written by Nick Bollettieri, appeared in The Independent Newspaper in London today. The talented young Briton must carry on working to improve his future prospects and not dwell on a defeat in which he forced Federer to produce his brilliant best When push came to shove, Andy Murray was up against the greatest of all time when he faced Roger Federer yesterday, and his defeat was not unexpected. But let’s get a few things straight from the start. First, there’s no shame in losing to Federer in a Slam final. Some of the greatest players the game has known have also…

• 2010 Australian Open – Nick’s Picks – Men’s Singles Finals

  Nick's Picks

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:28 am

  Stay tuned to Nick’s Pick throughout the 2010 Australian Open for in-depth coverage of the tournament! Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) Murray is 6-4 against Federer, but FedEx has won the last two times they played in 2009. I’ve watched countless hours of Australian Open coverage and this final will be as interesting and thrilling as it gets. I will give you an in-depth analysis of each player’s game, breaking down every part of it and I will end with my pick. Roger Federer Andy Murray Forehand XX X Backhand XX XXX Serve XXX XX Volley XXX XX Return of Serve XX XXX Movement XX…

• 2010 Australian Open – Nick’s Picks – Women’s Singles Finals

  Nick's Picks

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:40 am

  Stay tuned to Nick’s Pick throughout the 2010 Australian Open for in-depth coverage of the tournament! Serena Williams (USA) vs. Justine Henin (BEL) It took Serena just over two hours to beat Na Li in the semis, taking her down in two tiebreak sets. On the other side, Henin was able to eliminate Jie Zheng in just under an hour and only lost one game! Since the draw came out, this is the match that everyone has been looking forward to. From the outset, the odds-makers favored these two women to reach the finals and here we are. When these two women are playing their best, they are clearly…

• 2010 Australian Open – Nick’s Picks Results

  Nick's Picks

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:30 am

  WTA Tour RD Player 1 Player 2 Nick’s Pick Result Correct WTA 1 Sabine Lisicki Petra Martic Lisicki in 3 sets Lisicki Yes WTA 1 Serena Williams Urszula Radwanska S. Williams in 2 sets S. Williams Yes WTA 1 Maria Sharapova Maria Kirilenko Sharapova in 3 sets Kirilenko No WTA 1 Justine Henin Kirsten Flipkens Henin in 2 sets Henin Yes WTA 2 Jelena Jankovic Katie O’Brien Jankovic in 2 sets Jankovic Yes WTA 2 Elena Dementieva Justine Henin Dementieva in 3 sets Henin No WTA 2 Venus Williams Sybile Bammer V. Williams in 2 sets V. Williams Yes WTA 2 Vera Zvonareva Iveta Benesova Zvonareva…

• Na Li impressive in defeat

  Nick's Picks

  28 Jan 2010 | 6:38 am

  Na Li Despite falling to Serena Williams in two tiebreak sets, I was thoroughly impressed by Na Li. She is one heck of a tennis player and he groundstrokes are excellent from both sides. Why? She has a very compact swing pattern from both sides with instant backswing preparation. She has a very low base and uses her strong legs for balance and power. She stands very close to the baseline because of the previously mentioned items and this allows her to make early contact and puts her opponents on the defense. She covers all of the court as well as anyone. She is in tip-top shape. She hits with…

• 
  Tennisinfoblog.com

• Fernando Verdasco modelling for Calvin Klein

  Nina

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:25 pm

  Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco was one of four men chosen to represent Calvin Klein X — a new range of underwear briefs that will be marketed globally in the same campaign, encouraging their customers to “mark your spot.” The photos were shot by fashion photographer Mikael Jansson in New York. As an additional bonus, here is the video from the photo shoot. Another one after the cut… (more…)

• Maria Sharapova spotted with new boyfriend

  Nina

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:54 pm

  Charlie Ebersol is old news. So who is Maria Sharapova’s new boyfriend? Maria has been spotted recently with her rumored boyfriend Sasha Vujacic–a Slovenian basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted him in 2004, and in 2008 he signed another three year deal worth fifteen million dollars. You can follow Vujacic’s on Twitter. Here are some photos of the lovely couple. More photos after the cut… (more…)

• Roger Federer’s Australian Open Interview - Final

  Nina

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:57 pm

  Q. Would you say maybe your ability to retrieve is just as important as shot?making, the balls you ran down? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think footwork is something of the most important things in tennis, especially at the level that we’re playing at. At the moment, I think it’s become extremely physical, you know, the game of tennis, especially at the baseline. It’s not as much back and forth. It’s more side to side. I feel like, you know, my movement’s back. I think that’s a great thing. I definitely had to play some of my best tennis…

• Andy Murray’s Australian Open Interview - Final

  Nina

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:50 am

  Q. You had those chances in that third set. ANDY MURRAY: I had chances in the first set as well. You know, I had a chance to go up a break. Maybe three chances to go up a break at 2?All. You know, he started to play a lot better after that second set. Second set he deserved to win for sure. I thought third set I had more of the chances. I thought I deserved to take it into a fourth, but it didn’t happen. Q. You’ve played him 11 times. Did he show you anything different? ANDY MURRAY: No. I mean, I think his level is a lot more consistent, you know, in the slams. You know, I…

• Justine Henin Australian Open Final Interview

  Nina

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:27 am

  Q. Disappointed but proud? JUSTINE HENIN: Of course disappointed, I mean, when you lose in the final of a Grand Slam, especially in three sets, and I got a few opportunities that I haven’t been able to take. But this feeling of disappointment cannot take, you know, uhm, advantage on all the things I’ve done in the last few weeks. And it’s just more than what I could expect for. I just have to remember that. Even if it’s quite soon after the match now, I’m sure there will be a lot of positive things I can think about in a few days. Uhm, it’s been almost…

• 
  HOW TO PLAY BETTER TENNIS

• Roger Federer – Andy Murray Australian Open 2010 Final Analysis

  Tomaz

  31 Jan 2010 | 8:58 am

  Roger Federer and Andy Murray started the final of the Australian Open 2010 in a very controlled manner. There was of course a lot on stake for both players. Andy Murray was looking for his first Grand Slam title while Roger was looking to extend his record of Grand Slams to 16 and slowly but surely [...]

• Interview Insights – Kim Clijsters at Australian Open 2010

  Tomaz

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:48 pm

  Kim Clijsters has had a good run at the Australian Open 2010 until her third match with Nadya Petrova when she unexpectedly lost 6:0, 6:1. Many players can start to doubt their abilities and lose confidence and don’t know how to approach such a match with the correct mindset. But that’s the wrong way of thinking [...]

• Analyzing Your Effort In Tennis Matches

  Tomaz

  3 Jan 2010 | 11:59 pm

  One of the main reasons why you lose games and eventually matches is because you don’t give 100% of effort all the time. You may feel down, frustrated or disappointed (you’re in a low activation state) or you may feel angry, upset or nervous (you’re in a high activation state). In either case, you’re not giving [...]

• Review of Andre Agassi’s Open: An Autobiography

  Tomaz

  4 Dec 2009 | 9:19 am

  I’ve recently had the chance to read Andre Agassi’s autobiography, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Open is definitely the right title since Andre really opens up about every aspect of his life. He openly shares his thoughts about tennis, his relationship with his father, his relationships with his girlfriends, media, and other tennis players. So [...]

• Nikolay Davydenko – Juan Martin Del Potro ATP Final Match Analysis

  Tomaz

  29 Nov 2009 | 9:05 am

  Nikolay Davydenko won his first ATP Finals Championship by beating Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 6-4. Davydenko was clearly the more aggressive player and possibly even fresher than Del Potro. I’ve analyzed the match with my usual modified aggressive margin system and the system clearly shows what was going on during the match. Juan Martin Del Potro Nikolay [...]

• 
  Grand Slam Tennis Tours Blog

• Tuesday Links

  Jeremy

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am

  This is kind of a random month for tennis…lots going on, and nothing going on all at the same time. There are a few ATP and WTA events pretty much every week, but none of them are really of much interest, and unless you have the Tennis Channel, nothing is covered. So with that in mind, I’ll keep it to mostly links today. However before I get to those, let’s hear it for the USA Fed Cup team! An incredibly inexperienced USA team consisting of teen sensation Melanie Oudin and the ever underachieving Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated France (in France) 4-1. The France team was…

• Australian Open Wrap Up

  Jeremy

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

  Well, after all that, two weeks of amazing tennis, upsets, heartbreak, 5 set thrillers, and more…the favorites won across the board.  Not only did Federer and S. Williams win the singles, but the Williams sisters and Bryan brothers won the doubles.  While it might sound a bit anti-climactic, the final results should not take away from what was otherwise one of the more memorable Australian Open in years.  Here are some of my highlights and some other links: - Great line from Murray post final (a final in which he played like a 15 year old), “I can cry like…

• Australian Open Finals Preview

  Jeremy

  29 Jan 2010 | 11:54 am

  So, we are down to the finals for Men and Women, and three of the four competitors are not surprising in any way. No one is batting an eye at Federer, Murray, or Williams. Justine Henin, on the other hand, is a bit of a surprise; and although Henin has claimed to be shocked at making the finals, many avid tennis fans are not nearly as overwhelmed by her run down under. A couple weeks ago, I wondered aloud whether or not Henin making the finals of a warm up event spoke highly of her, or poorly of women’s tennis. Well now that she has made the finals of the first slam of the year,…

• Midweek Links

  Jeremy

  27 Jan 2010 | 2:21 pm

  Down to the final 4 for the first Grand Slam down under…it’s hard to imagine Henin and Serena not facing each other in the finals.  As for the men, Murray vs. Federer is certainly more likely, but would anyone honestly be surprised if it was Cilic vs. Tsonga?  Didn’t think so. Don’t forget, Tsonga has been a finalist here before, and Cilic beat Murray at the US Open in an easy straight set match. Tom Perotta’s Semi-Final preview. US Fed Cup team taking after Davis Cup team and going with the youth. Williams sisters choose Super Bowl, instead of representing…

• Midway Australian Open Report

  Jeremy

  22 Jan 2010 | 8:15 am

  So I’ll admit, I haven’t been able to watch that much tennis this week, as it is the first week of a new semester and the time difference is quit annoying.  As a result, I missed out on what have probably been the two best matches of the tournament so far (Gasquet-Youhzny, Blake-del Potro), and simply don’t have a solid grasp on the flavor of the tournament so far.  But alas, I’ll write about what I know: - Seems like the Men’s side is having fewer upsets than in years past.  Being the first Slam of the year, with only a couple of weeks of warmups leading up…

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  AndyRoddick.com

• Congratulations Brooklyn: 2010 SI Swimsuit Cover!

  andyroddick.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:11 pm

  After much anticipation, it was announced Monday night on the Late Show with David Letterman that in her fifth appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, Brooklyn Decker is featured on the coveted cover. Only moments after the cover reveal Andy tweeted, “so happy/proud of my wife… the new cover for sports illustrated swimsuit issue!!!! unreal… so excited!!!!!!!!!!” An industry secret guarded until late Monday was announced accompanied by a several story banner of the cover that will surely stop traffic in New York City. Congratulations to Mrs. Roddick, the 2010 Sports…

• 2010 SAP Open Preview

  andyroddick.com

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:13 pm

  After Superbowl XLIV (44) comes to an end and Andy’s eye is back on the tennis ball, the SAP Open is ready for their number one seed to hit the courts and take some names. With play beginning on Monday, February 8th and ending with the finals on Sunday, February 14, San Jose’s HP Pavilion will be the home of the 122nd SAP Open, the second oldest tennis tournament in the United States. The Indoor Premium hard court will be the center stage for a 32-singles draw and 16-doubles one, boasting many Americas players, along with top seeds Verdasco, defending champ Radek Stepanek, Haas, and…

• SAP Open Draw Release

  andyroddick.com

  6 Feb 2010 | 5:38 pm

  Andy is set to play at 7pm on Wednesday, February 10th, for his first round match against a qualifier, according to the SAP Open draw that was recently released. As the number one American, ATP’s current “lucky” number seven, and three time champion under the HP Pavilion roof, Andy was given the number one seed in San Jose. Sharing his half of the draw with the other top four odd-seeded players, the Texan could clash with Tomas Berdych(5) in the quarterfinals and either compatriot Sam Querrey(7) or two-time defending champ Radek Stepanek(5)in the semis. In the lower half of the…

• Andy Joins Tampa Tennis Classic Benefiting Courier’s Kids

  Andy Roddick

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:14 pm

  A celebrity packed tennis lineup, featuring Andy Roddick, James Blake, Jim Courier and Vera Zvonareva come together for fifth time in the Tampa Tennis Classic benefiting Raymond James Courier’s Kids, an inner-city youth tennis program founded by Jim Courier that supports First Serve tennis programs. The Tampa Tennis Classic will feature America’s biggest names in tennis, and will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum, Monday, March 22, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. On the men’s side, with 60 singles career titles between them, these three are sure to wow the crowds in Tampa in a battle of the stars.

• bi-me.com: Roddick looks for ’shot at the best players’ to reclaim trophy in Dubai

  Andy Roddick

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pm

  UAE. Andy Roddick is ready and determined to win back the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships trophy he claimed two years ago by beating Feliciano Lopez of Spain. The All-American, who played one of the most memorable Grand Slam matches of all time when he stretched Roger Federer to the limit in the 2009 Wimbledon final, was unable to defend his title here last year. But his early season form in 2010 has sent out a warning to Federer, defending champion Novak Djokovic and everyone else that he can reclaim his crown at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The 27-year-old won the title in Memphis last…

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  ATP Backspin by Todd Spiker

• ATP January Awards: He is Risen... again.

  Todd Spiker

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:57 pm

  As 2010 began, everyone gathered Down Under and wondered if a member of the ATP's talented corps of young would-be champions, in the wake of Juan Martin del Potro's U.S. Open victory last September, was ready to rise up and claim a second straight slam, thereby officially ushering the tour into a period where every major title was up for grabs for the first time in nearly a decade.The environment seemed right for the movement to begin.Not only did del Potro become a rare major "interloper" in the Roger/Rafa Era in New York, but as the Australian open began Nikolay Davydenko had also done his…

• Australian Open Final: What a Difference a Year Makes

  Todd Spiker

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:56 pm

  One year ago, Roger Federer was standing in a puddle of tears on Rod Laver Arena after have been bested once again by Rafael Nadal. With his throne of power having been chiseled away over time by the Spaniard, it was easy to write King Roger's epitaph -- at least in pencil -- as the lead actor in the ATP tour's drama. What a difference a year makes. Now, Roger Federer is willing to take on the entire world... again.After that January '09 night in Melbourne, all Federer did was reach the finals at all three of the season's remaining slams, win his first Roland Garros title, reclaim the…

• Australian Open Preview: Once More, with Feeling?

  Todd Spiker

  16 Jan 2010 | 9:55 pm

  The men's side of the Australian Open competition finds itself in a somewhat unfamiliar position this year -- it's most decidedly the "undercard" of the first slam of 2010, with the women's field being the must-see main event.With the return of the likes of Henin and Sharapova, Clijsters seeking to follow-up her U.S. Open win and Serena's defense of her '09 Oz title secondary in the minds of many in comparison to how she'll do in her first slam since her little "tiff" in New York, the women's action has more stories than there are delicious flavors of Tim Tams (which are FINALLY being sold in…

• Dead Canary in a Cage?: 2010 ATP Top 10 Predictions

  Todd Spiker

  26 Dec 2009 | 12:43 pm

  Was the 2009 season the men's tennis version of the canary in the coal mine?While this past year saw some semblence of a "return to order," as Roger Federer reclaimed the #1 ranking and a bit of his old aura during the European summer, it also was loaded with the sort of signposts that point to major change on the horizon. After a slow start, then strong middle, Federer's (once again) leading role on the tour was pretty much left vacant by the Swiss Mister/New Pop & Hubby, as he pointed to exhaustion being the culprit in his criminally-absent lack of a strong finish. Meanwhile, though Rafael…

• U.S. Open Final: Six-foot-Six ≠ 6

  Todd Spiker

  15 Sep 2009 | 11:28 am

  We used to be able to take some things for granted when it came to Roger Federer. But this U.S. Open had one final dramatic event left to imprint on the tennis world's collective memory... and it starred Juan Martin del Potro.In the past, when the all-time slam champ grabbed the opening set against a nervous slam final novice and was but two points away from taking a two-set lead, as was the case against the Argentine del Potro on Monday, the proceedings were all but over. Even if he flinched for a moment, Federer would right himself quickly and go on to make an example of an opponent who'd…

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  The Tennis Times

• Australian Open 2010 Mens Singles Final Roger Federer Andy Murray

  Michael

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:22 pm

  http://tennisassist.com Peter Tramacchi and Michael Maidens discuss Pete’s take on the Australian Open 2010 Mens Final Between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Pete was court side and talks about the atmosphere, the missed opportunity of Andy Murray and the tactics and strategies unfolding by both Andy Murray and Roger Federer. Roger Federer Australian Open 2010 Mens Singles Winner Random Articles Sony Ericsson Open third round results – April 1, 2009 Zagreb Open CHallenger Roundup – May 18, 2009 David Nalbandian Might Need Surgery on His Right Hip – April 27, 2009…

• The Difference Between Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters

  The Insider

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:09 am

  After the Australian Open, I cannot help but notice patchy opinions and comparisons of the great players, that in my attempt to analyze the differences. Kim Clijsters: Ranking when retired: 4 Retired / Comeback: May 2007 / Mid 2009 1st tournament: QF defeated by Safina 2nd tournament: 3rd round by Jankovic 3rd tournament: Champion Playing style: Baseline basher / deep ground strokes Pressure: no expectations Justine Henin: Ranking when retired: 1 Retired / Comeback: Mid 2008 / Jan 2010 1st tournament: Final defeated by Clijsters 2nd tournament: Final defeated by Williams 3rd tournament: ?

• Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin Turn Down Fed Cup

  Marie-Paule Graham

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:52 am

  Kim and Justine As the news broke that Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin would not be competing for Belgium in the February 6-7 Fed Cup tie against Poland many fans on the forums questioned Kim and Justines’ tenacity. Clijsters, who fell to Nadia Petrova in the 3rd round of the Australian Open 0-6 1-6 had let it be known that she “needs a fresh period to build up training” to “make it impossible to compete in the Fed Cup.” said the Belgian federation. Henin, the Australian Open finalist had already stated that it is too early in her comeback to play a best of five…

• Open Call for Tennis Writers / Please Help!

  The Insider

  30 Jan 2010 | 2:33 pm

  It has been quite a while since I posted here on The Tennis Times. I have wanted to keep this site up to date, but finding the time at the moment is near impossible. Im on the look out for anyone and everyone help me to keep the site up to date. I love tennis and really want to give something back to the sport. If you are interested in writting on The Tennis Times and having your say then please get in touch! p.s. Good luck to Roger Federer and Andy Murray tomorrow in the Australian Open Mens Singles final for 2010. Related Articles US Open 2009 Is Off and Running and Read The Tennis Times…

• Samantha Stosur Wins Her First WTA Tour Title at Japan Open

  The Insider

  20 Oct 2009 | 1:10 am

  The Tennis Times would like to send out a big congratulations to Samantha Stosur who won her first career WTA tour title at the 2009 Japan Open. Sam is from the same place as me back home in Australia and we played all the same tournaments when I was a junior, so its great to see a fellow Aussie doing so well. The final match in Japan Sam defeated No. 24 ranked Francesca Schiavone 7-5 6-1 to take home the title. Stosur was quoted at Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, “I’m very, very pleased to win my first title after losing five previous finals. It has been a personal goal for a while, so I’m…

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  On the Baseline Tennis News

• 2010 Open GDF SUEZ Main Draw

  On the Baseline

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  Open GDF SUEZ February 8-14, 2010 Paris, France Tournament Designation: Premier Prize Money: $700,000 Surface: Hard/Indoors Seeded Players 1. Elena Dementieva 2. Flavia Pennetta 3. Yanina Wickmayer 4. Francesca Schiavone 5. Aravane Rezai 6. Shahar Peer 7. Virginie Razzano 8. Elena Vesnina Open GDF SUEZ Links Official Website Main Draw Order of Play Live Scoring Results Watch Live Online For breaking news updates about the Open GDF SUEZ, visit OnTheBaseline.com or follow us on Twitter at @OnTheBaseline.

• 2010 PTT Pattaya Open Main Draw

  On the Baseline

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  PTT Pattaya Open February 8-14, 2010 Pattaya City, Thailand Tournament Designation: International Prize Money: $220,000 Surface: Hard/Outdoors Seeded Players 1. Vera Zvonareva 2. Sabine Lisicki 3. Vera Dushevina 4. Yaroslava Shvedova 5. Sybille Bammer 6. Sania Mirza 7. Kimiko Date Krumm 8. Julia Georges PTT Pattaya Open Links Official Website Main Draw Order of Play Live Scoring Results For breaking news updates about the PTT Pattaya Open, visit OnTheBaseline.com or follow us on Twitter at @OnTheBaseline.

• Ana Ivanovic Relaunches Website, Signs Career-long adidas Contract

  Aaress Lawless

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:37 am

  Life has been busy both on and off-court recently for former Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic. The twenty-two year old has just relaunched her personal website, competed in Fed Cup for Serbia and signed a long-term contract with adidas. AnaIvanovic.com, which has been voted Best Official Player Website by On the Baseline’s readers for two years in a row, has been updated with a brand new look, feel and plenty of additional content. According to web traffic monitor www.alexa.com, it is the most-visited official website of any sportswoman. Per Ivanovic’s new deal with adidas, she…

• Beyond the Baseline with Melanie Oudin

  Paula Vergara

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  Last summer, 18-year-old Melanie Oudin made a big splash onto the tennis scene, ousting three seeded Russian players at the U.S. Open, and making it to the quarterfinals. Since then, Melanie has struggled with her game, and is still learning how to manage life on the Tour. Currently ranked at No. 53, Melanie Oudin is working hard to get back into winning form. This weekend, Melanie will be making her third appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup squad, and is looking to have a positive impact when she and her teammates take on France in the first round tie. She will be joined by fellow Americans,…

• Kim Clijsters and Daughter Jada Get One-Of-A-Kind Barbie Dolls

  Aaress Lawless

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:54 pm

  A one-of-a-kind Barbie doll modeled after reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters was unveiled on Wednesday during the opening day of the world’s largest toy fair in Nuremburg, Germany. The doll has been sculpted in the likeness of Kim Clijsters with her golden blonde hair, accented with light blonde highlights, pulled back in a low ponytail, while wavy curls frame her face. “When I was a young girl I played with my Barbie dolls all the time and took them with me everywhere I went. I am therefore deeply honoured and humbled as I today join the ranks of iconic women who represent…

• 
  Crazy World of Tennis

• Andy Murray cried during AO speech [photos]

  hectopascal

  31 Jan 2010 | 3:52 am

  Awwwwwwwwwww :`( I just wanna give him a big hug :(Is it now a tradition for the runner up of the mens AO final to cry? This time Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.Quote:Sorry I couldn't do it for you tonight ... I can cry like Roger; it's just a shame I can't play like him.More photos of poor Murray in tears after read more :( Andy didn't play well at all, apart from some patches of form. The choke after lead 5-2 in the third set was frustrating. He probably let the occasion get the better of him, and we could all see how much it meant to him during that tearful speech. Recover and come back…

• Caption! Serena cools down her vajayjay

  hectopascal

  12 Jan 2010 | 9:18 pm

• Best ad ever :hysterical:

  hectopascal

  12 Jan 2010 | 8:15 pm

  What does this have to do with tennis?.... Ummm.... Aami is the main sponsor of the Kooyong tournament so it's somewhat related. (and the ad is being shown every second possible during 7's tennis coverage).UPDATE! Sam Kekovic as the lambassador of Australia:

• Wow.... just wow....

  hectopascal

  12 Jan 2010 | 4:37 am

  Too speechless to make a caption.When did Justine become so hot?Seriously, she always looks better in her training clothes than the match clothes.

• Enjoy :P (Andy Murray is shirtless)

  hectopascal

  9 Jan 2010 | 4:09 am

  Andy Murray changed shirts during his Hopman Cup final against Robredo when he was losing. Unfortunately, his luck didn't change.There hasn't been any shirtless posts in a while, but I'm sure there'll be plenty in the Australian heat. Looking forward to more of Andy :)Pics of Andy and Laura Robson from the Hopman Cup below.

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  Great Tennis Photos

• New tennis complex in Belgrade by Djokovic Family

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am

  The ATP tournament in the organization of the Djokovic family, which was first held in Belgrade last year on the ground SC "Milan Gale Muškatirović will move to a new location. "Family Sports" plan to build a modern complex of the 37,398 square meters that will beside the outdoor and indoor tennis courts, include accompanying facilities - hotel, restaurants, shopping area...The tournament is suposed to be stronger from year to year and it is necessary to have modern infrastructure, and "Arena Djokovic," it will certainly be.The middle ground will have a debate, which will receive about…

• Australian Open 2010: Justine Henin's 26. January Interview

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:30 am

  J. HENIN/N. Petrova7-6 7-5Q. How would you grade 'Justine Henin' in that match?JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it wasn't my best, of course. But it was difficult to play night match again two days ago and be first at 11:00. It's been kind of strange as I had to get used to another rhythm. Today was my first match in the sun actually since I was in Australia. We were playing under the roof in Brisbane. Here I've played almost every match in night session. And it was quite cloudy the other day when I played in the day. It was really difficult to find the good rhythm.I felt energy in a few games, and then…

• Australian Open: 26. January Results - Updated

  26 Jan 2010 | 3:38 am

  Tuesday, 26 January 2010ATP Singles - Quarter-finals[5] A Murray (GBR) d [2] R Nadal (ESP) 6-3 7-6(2) 3-0 Ret.[14] M Cilic (CRO) d [7] A Roddick (USA) 76(4) 63 36 26 63ATP Doubles - Quarter-finals[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs E Butorac (USA) / R Ram (USA)M Kohlmann (GER) / J Nieminen (FIN) d F Gonzalez (CHI) / I Ljubicic (CRO) 46 61 20 ret. (Ljubicic - right thigh)ATP Doubles - Third RoundI Karlovic (CRO) / D Vemic (SRB) d [5] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) 26 76(11) 76(4)WTA Singles - Quarterfinals(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 76(3) 75Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Maria…

• Australian Open 2010: Rafael Nadal's 24. January Interview

  24 Jan 2010 | 7:48 am

  R. NADAL/I. Karlovic6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4Q. Are you playing as well as you would like to at this stage, with a view to playing the final? Is your form to your liking?RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure. I started the season well. You know, today the match is probably one of the most difficult matches to play well because is without rhythm all the time.So the victory is the only thing in this kind of match, no? I did. I think I returned aggressive. When I had a chance to touch the ball, I did well. So I happy for that.Q. How difficult is it to imagine where the serve is coming? You study the serve of an…

• Australian Open: 25. January Schedule

  24 Jan 2010 | 7:23 am

  Schedule for Day 8: Monday, 25 January 2010Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time1. Women's Singles - 4th RoundFrancesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6]2. Men's Singles - 4th RoundFernando Verdasco (ESP)[9] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6]3. Women's Singles - 4th RoundSerena Williams (USA)[1] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[13]Rod Laver Arena 19:30 Start Time1. Men's Singles - 4th RoundRoger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[22]2. Women's Singles - 4th RoundVera Zvonareva (RUS)[9] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]Hisense Arena 11:00 Start Time1. Mixed Doubles - 2nd RoundFlavia Pennetta…

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  ATP Men's Tennis

• Andy Roddick´s Wife, Brooklyn Decker, on SI swimsuit cover

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

  Andy Roddick´s Wife, Brooklyn Decker, on SI swimsuit cover Brooklyn Decker, Andy roddick´s wife, made it to the coveted of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.Decker said being chosen for the front is “the news of a lifetime.”The cover photo of Decker smiling in a yellow bikini is a departure from the more sultry look that SI had gone for the past few years, she said. She compared it to covers from the 1980s or ’90s, when Elle Macpherson won her covers with a friendly, sun-loving look.SI keeps the cover photo a secret until less than 24 hours before it's revealed. Decker said now the…

• Berdych overcomes Odesnik to advance at SAP Open

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:25 am

  Berdych overcomes Odesnik to advance at SAP Open Tomas Berdychscored a 6-1 6-7 7-5 win over Wayne Odesnik to advance to the second round of the SAP Open.Berdych dropped just one game in the opening set, before Odesnik fought back. The Czech held a break point chance to make it 5-3 in the third set, but Odesnik held.Odesnik fended off two more break points in the 12th game of the third set before Berdych converted on his third match point opportunity to win in two hours and 27 minutes.“I got some break point chances in the last game and finally converted,” said Berdych. “He was playing…

• Fernando Verdasco beats Pete Sampras in SAP Open Tennis Exhibition

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:53 am

  Fernando Verdasco beats Pete Sampras in SAP Open Tennis ExhibitionPete Sampras lost 63 76 to Fernando Verdasco in a tennis exhibition during the SAP open.Sampras showed glimpses of his dominating tennis game against a top player 12 years his junior but it was not enought.“It was a pretty rough night,” Sampras said. “I never really felt I could get into his service games. Playing defense is harder for me today. That’s something I used to do a pretty good job at. It’s harder to move.”Sampras said he’s no longer his sure, sharp self—and it’s tougher to cover the court. His left…

• Watch Tennis Online ATP San Jose SAP Open Live Free Video Streaming

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am

  Watch Tennis Online ATP San Jose SAP Open Live Free Video StreamingTuesday February 9th 2010 ATP San Jose SAP Open12:30 ET to 20:30 ETLink 1 Link 2 21:00 ET to 01:00 ETLink 1More links at Channel SurfingATDHE.net LiveScoreHunter

• Watch Tennis Online Brasil Open Costa do Sauipe Live Free Video Streaming

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am

  Watch Tennis Online Brasil Open Costa do Sauipe Live Free Video StreamingTuesday February 9th 2010Brasil Open Costa do Sauipe 13:00 ET to 20:00 ETLink 1 Link 2 More links at Channel SurfingATDHE.net LiveScoreHunter

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  WTA Women's Tennis

• Photos: Ana Ivanovic SI Swimsuit 2010 Photo Shoot

  WTA Womens Tennis

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:33 am

  Photos: Ana Ivanovic SI Swimsuit 2010 Photo Shoot A few moments ago we shoed you some great photos of Ana Ivanovic´s behind the scenes photo shoot for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue… Now we have the photo Shoot itself… I bet all of you will enjoy it because Ana Ivanovic looks just beuatiful, very natural as always [...]

• Ana Ivanovic SI Swimsuit 2010 Behind the scenes Photo Shoot

  WTA Womens Tennis

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:14 am

  Ana Ivanovic SI Swimsuit 2010 Behind the scences Photo Shoot Ana Ivanovic was part of a great photo shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2010 Edition…. Check out some photo of Ana Ivanovic during the behind the scenes of the photo shot… Photos from [...]

• PTT PATTAYA OPEN Order of Play Wednesday February 10th 2010

  WTA Womens Tennis

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am

  PTT PATTAYA OPEN Order of Play Wednesday February 10th 2010 PTT PATTAYA OPEN Pattaya City-THA February 8-14, 2010 $220,000/International Hard/Outdoors Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Court 1 (from 15.00hrs) 1. Galina Voskoboeva vs. Vera Dushevina 2. Tatjana Malek vs. Sania Mirza 3. Tamarine Tanasugarn vs. Sabine Lisicki 4. Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Chanelle Scheepers 5. Rodionova/Rodionova vs. Karatantcheva/Rogowska Court 2 (from 15.00hrs) 1. Marina Erakovic vs. Sybille Bammer 2. Kimiko Date Krumm [...]

• PARIS OPEN GDF SUEZ Results Tuesday February 9th 2010

  WTA Womens Tennis

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:21 am

  PARIS OPEN GDF SUEZ Results Tuesday February 9th 2010 OPEN GDF SUEZ Paris-FRA February 8-14, 2010 $700,000/Premier Hard/Indoors Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Singles – First Round (4) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. (Q) Vesna Manasieva (RUS) 60 60 Patty Schnyder (SUI) d. (7) Virginie Razzano (FRA) 63 76(3) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 61 60 Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. Tamira Paszek (AUT) 60 63 Andrea Petkovic [...]

• PTT PATTAYA OPEN Results Tuesday february 9th 2010

  WTA Womens Tennis

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

  PTT PATTAYA OPEN Results Tuesday february 9th 2010 PTT PATTAYA OPEN Pattaya City-THA February 8-14, 2010 $220,000/International Hard/Outdoors Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Singles – First Round (1) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Ksenia Pervak (RUS) 63 62 (4) Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 62 64 (8) Julia Goerges (GER) d. (Q) Anna Gerasimou (GRE) 64 64 Alberta Brianti (ITA) d. (Q) Sacha Jones (NZL) 64 [...]

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  Tennis Fixation

• Taking "Steps" To Improve Your Tennis

  Kim

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Here's a statistic I came across somewhere (since I can't remember where, it must be true): * A tennis pro averages about 10 to 12 steps between each ball they hit. * A 4.0 club player averages about 6 to 8 steps between hits. * A 3.5 player takes about 4 to 6 steps between shots. * A 3.0 player averages about 2 to 4 steps between shots. You know footwork is important.  But did you realize it was THAT important? The reality is when you move more between your shots, you hit better shots. Why? You achieve better court position. Taking many small steps allows you to make adjustments to your…

• Australian Open Wrap-Up: Did Anyone Notice Serena Williams?

  Kim

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Well, the Australian Open has been over for several days and I've seen plenty of news stories about Roger Federer winning his 16th Grand Slam title, beating Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. But what I haven't seen a whole lot of is anyone commenting on the fact that Serena Williams won both the women's singles AND doubles titles. Again. Just as she did last year.  Am I the only person who thinks this is a remarkable feat?  I'm sure if Roger Federer had won the men's singles AND doubles titles, we would hear no end to what a miraculous accomplishment that was. Anyway, congratulations to…

• Don't Throw In The Towel!

  Kim

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Have you been in this position lately? You lost the first set 1-6. You're now down 1-5 in the second set and only two points away from the whole thing being over. AND it just started to drizzle and you want this match to end already. The court is getting a little wet and slippy but you don't want to make up those last two points at a later date, so you turn to your partner and say, "Let's just get this over with. The court is just barely damp and I don't want to forfeit these last two points." So you sit back, mentally, relax and play out the end of the set. And, what do you know? You somehow…

• Tennis Thoughts: Buddha on Tennis

  Kim

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

  “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~ Buddha Is it me or does it seem like you're either winning everything or losing constantly? I seem to be in the middle of a tennis slump right now and its hard to know when that will end. I'm tired of losing. But I try to remember, with each match, what the Buddha said: "Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." I'm pretty sure this applies to tennis just as much as it applies to life. So, I'm not letting this slump get me down. I'm approaching every match with a good attitude and…

• Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2010-Sharapova Already Out!

  Kim

  18 Jan 2010 | 6:10 am

  Look quick! Because Maria Sharapova is already out in the first round of the Australian Open. Here are a few pics of what she wore. Obviously, it was not a lucky outfit for her. But it is different and interesting and cutting edge for tennis as Sharapova's tennis gear always is. Sharapova looks a little dejected in these photos - probably taken towards the end of the match. I'm sorry to see her go but I'm happy to have the Australian Open underway! © Kim Selzman 2010 All Rights Reserved

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  Tennis Brain

• Australian Open Day 6 Blog

  Krystle Lee

  23 Jan 2010 | 5:07 pm

  It’s the first day of the weekend at Melbourne Park, and it shows in the crowd attendance. It’s hard to walk around anywhere, and it seems like there are big crowds wherever you go, too many people standing around doing other things than watching tennis matches because the stadiums are too full. The first couple of days of the tournament seemed fine with a greater spread of matches, but the last few days have been more problematic.Today I decided to join the battle of trying to occupy good seats, although it was initially not my decision to do so. I had prepared to watch Mikhail Youzhny…

• Australian Open Day 5 Blog

  Krystle Lee

  22 Jan 2010 | 2:25 pm

  This time last year, Jelena Jankovic was ranked world number 1, but this year she’s seeded 8 and flying under the radar. She was scheduled against Alona Bondarenko on Hisense Arena, in what promised to be a good test for where Jankovic’s form is at.The match has barely started and Jankovic has already hit plenty of shots close to the lines. She seems to particularly like the crosscourt corners and her backhand down the line. It’s almost like she’s constantly picking these very small areas in the court and has her mind set on targeting them. On first glance, her groundstrokes look very…

• Australian Open Day 4 Blog

  Krystle Lee

  21 Jan 2010 | 1:39 pm

  I don’t know whether I am more of a follower this year than last, but it feels like the stands are more packed than they were back then. I get a little tired of watching matches in Hisense Arena sometimes, because it’s lacking in involvement. Isn’t that the reason why we turn up to tennis matches to experience it in a way that the relationship between the TV and your sofa seat cannot offer you?But as much as I wandered around the grounds, I always found myself going back to Hisense Arena today because of the limited options available. Though I had always planned to watch the match…

• Australian Open Day 3 Blog

  Krystle Lee

  20 Jan 2010 | 2:02 pm

  It's early in the morning, and I'm not really bothered about whether I watch Tomas Berdych, Fernando Gonzalez or Andy Roddick. I have to admit that when blogging, I like to take into consideration, that I might actually want to write about someone that I haven’t already written about… only if I’m stumped as to what I would like to choose.I chose Andy Roddick and he’s facing Thomaz Bellucci, a potentially promising young player with competent looking groundstrokes. I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say that they are stylish, but it is getting there. He has the type of…

• Australian Open Day 2 Blog

  Krystle Lee

  19 Jan 2010 | 2:57 pm

  Tomas Berdych has been in good form recently, or at least in patches. He's commonly known for his smooth ballstriking, and I’ve recently come to appreciate that more after some high quality performances in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. When he’s on, it looks like he has more feel for the ball than the majority of players with the way he’ll casually just put every ball into the corner, because why not when it’s this easy?Berdych was pitted up against Robin Haase and he picked up right where he left off in Brisbane. Although he really didn’t, because in between, he had a strange…

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  TennisExpress.com

• BABOLAT Propulse 2 Titanium is the Shoe of the Week

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:40 pm

  Today, we'd like to feature the new 2010 BABOLAT Propulse 2 Titanium tennis shoe.From Babolat comes the revamped 2010 BABOLAT Propulse 2 Titanium tennis shoe, featuring the Michelin OCS shoe technology. The Propulse 2 offers a concentrated dose of high-tech power for players looking for unmatched performance. From our website:These tennis shoes also feature the tailor-made foot support, the Babolat Foot Belt, which helps with instep and ankle support. The Babolat Propulse 2 Men's tennis shoe is signed by none other than Andy Roddick, who can be seen sporting these shoes on tour! The shoes are…

• Verdaso Becomes a Calvin Klein Model

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:35 pm

  Here's a first look at Fernando Verdasco's new ad campaign for Calvin Klein. The ad campaign promotes the new X Underwear collection. He's joined in the spots by Twilight's Kellan Lutz, True Blood's Mechad Brooks and Japanese footballer Hidetoshi Nakata.You can watch the behind the scenes video footage of Verdaso's photo shoot here.

• Serena and Ellen Shoot Tennis Balls at Plates

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pm

  Serena Williams is making the rounds on the talk show circuit following her win at the Australian Open. On Wednesday Serena appeared on Ellen and took target practice on some plates with the affable talk-show host.She also appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show earlier this week. We post this link because were are fans of Ellen. Enjoy!

• Clijsters Immortalized as a Barbie doll

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:52 am

  The U.S. Open champion, Kim Clijsters was immortalized today as a Barbie doll, and her daughter Jada is also now available in a mini-version of the doll as well. The doll was revealed today on the opening day of the world's largest toy fair in Nuremburg, Germany. She is the first female athlete to be immortalized by the world's leading doll brand.Clijsters said in a statement: "When I was a young girl I played with my Barbie dolls ... My family means everything to me, so I was really excited when I found out that Jada would also receive her very own 'Jada Barbie' doll."How many of you want to…

• Become a Racquet Reviewer for Tennis Express

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:37 pm

  Want to get your hands on the latest racquets? Interested in sharing your knowledge and expertise with other Tennis Express fans? Become a racquet reviewer for Tennis Express and help other tennis players find the perfect racquet.If you are interested in writing reviews on other products, that’s fine too. We are seeking tennis fans that love to write and are willing to share their knowledge with the tennis community. So, if you are a coach. an avid tennis player or overall tennis geek email info@tennisexpress.com with your contact information,so that you can get started.