Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/tennis/5531585/Bernard-Tomic-notches-maiden-US-Open-win
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Bernard Tomic notches maiden US Open win
Top ranked Australian Bernard Tomic has secured a place in the second round of the US Open after dismissing American qualifier Michael Yani 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Andy Murray ready to find his form of 2008 at US Open
ANDY MURRAY is determined to shake off his US Open disappointments.
Soderling withdraws from US Open due to illness
Sixth-seeded Robin Soderling withdrew from the U.S. Open because of illness.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44342957/ns/sports-tennis/
Rogers Cup: Andy Murray has no case for the defence as he crashes out
ANDY MURRAY'S Rogers Cup defence ended at the first hurdle last night as he slumped to a shock 6-3 6-1 defeat to Kevin Anderson in Montreal.
Boxing: Nathan Cleverly to face Tony Bellew in title clash
WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly will defend his title against Tony Bellew in October, with the winner facing a potential clash with American legend Bernard Hopkins.
Novak Djokovic named top seed for US Open
WORLD No.1 Novak Djokovic has been rewarded for his amazing 2011 form by being named top seed for the US Open, which starts on Monday.
Andy Murray plays Indian at US
Andy Murray will play India's Somdev Devvarman in the first round of the US Open, with Rafael Nadal again a potential semi-final opponent.
Andy Murray: Change of diet could pave way for success at US Open
ANDY MURRAY believes a change in eating habits can help him put the bite on his US Open rivals in the Big Apple.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Davis Cup: Non-ranked rival Laurent Bram excited ahead of clash with Andy Murray
ANDY MURRAY is second match on at Braehead against Luxembourg tonight but don't cancel any dinner reservation you may have made.
Horse racing: Libranno wins Supreme Stakes at Goodwood
RICHARD Hughes proved he is certainly no one-trick pony with a deft front-running ride aboard Libranno in the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood yesterday.
Good Evans goes close to causing an upset in big clash with Prosser
THRICE winner of the Molson Coors Merthyr West End Open Bowls Tournament and current holder, Mike Prosser of Ely Valley, survived a first round scare against Ystradfechan’s Ceri Evans on Monday morning to keep his dreams of winning a record fourth title very much alive.
Washington Kastles win Eastern Conference title
CHARLESTON, S.C. (July 22, 2011) -- The Washington Kastles moved one step closer to their second World TeamTennis title and the first undefeated season in WTT Pro League history with a 23-15 victory over the Boston Lobsters in the WTT Eastern Conference Championship final. The Kastles advance to Sunday's WTT Finals presented by GEICO to face the winner of Saturday's Western Conference Championship match.
Leander Paes, who was announced as the 2011 WTT Male MVP prior to the match, partnered with Rennae Stubbs to power past Boston's Eric Butorac and Mashona Washington, 5-2, in the opening set. That opening match set the tone for the rest of the first half as Stubbs and Arina Rodionova dominated Washington and her partner Irina Falconi in women's doubles 5-1. The Kastles cruised to a 15-5 halftime lead after Paes and Bobby Reynolds defeated Butorac and Jan-Michael Gambill in men's doubles, 5-2.
Falconi tried to turn the tide in women's singles as she faced off against WTT's Female Rookie of the Year Rodionova. Falconi jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Rodionova shifted gears and evened out the set at 4-4. Falconi hit a crosscourt forehand winner for the 5-4 victory and the first set win for the Lobsters.
Gambill won men's singles 5-3 to send the match into overtime. Reynolds closed out Washington's 15th consecutive victory by winning the first Overtime game to give the Kastles the 23-15 win. The win gives 2011 Coach of the Year Murphy Jensen and his squad a shot at making WTT history in Sunday's final. No team in WTT history has ever gone undefeated throughout the entire regular and post-season.
The St. Louis Aces and the Sacramento Capitals face off for the Western Conference title at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. The winner will play the Kastles at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, for the King Trophy in the WTT Finals. The Finals will be televised live on Tennis Channel and live streamed on http://video.wtt.com.
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
(Home teams in capital letters)
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Boston Lobsters 23-15 (OT)
Mixed Doubles - Leander Paes\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Irina Falconi\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-1
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Irina Falconi (Lobsters) def. Arina Rodionova (Kastles) 5-4
Men's Singles - Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-3
Overtime - Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 1-0
Leander Paes, who was announced as the 2011 WTT Male MVP prior to the match, partnered with Rennae Stubbs to power past Boston's Eric Butorac and Mashona Washington, 5-2, in the opening set. That opening match set the tone for the rest of the first half as Stubbs and Arina Rodionova dominated Washington and her partner Irina Falconi in women's doubles 5-1. The Kastles cruised to a 15-5 halftime lead after Paes and Bobby Reynolds defeated Butorac and Jan-Michael Gambill in men's doubles, 5-2.
Falconi tried to turn the tide in women's singles as she faced off against WTT's Female Rookie of the Year Rodionova. Falconi jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Rodionova shifted gears and evened out the set at 4-4. Falconi hit a crosscourt forehand winner for the 5-4 victory and the first set win for the Lobsters.
Gambill won men's singles 5-3 to send the match into overtime. Reynolds closed out Washington's 15th consecutive victory by winning the first Overtime game to give the Kastles the 23-15 win. The win gives 2011 Coach of the Year Murphy Jensen and his squad a shot at making WTT history in Sunday's final. No team in WTT history has ever gone undefeated throughout the entire regular and post-season.
The St. Louis Aces and the Sacramento Capitals face off for the Western Conference title at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. The winner will play the Kastles at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, for the King Trophy in the WTT Finals. The Finals will be televised live on Tennis Channel and live streamed on http://video.wtt.com.
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
(Home teams in capital letters)
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Boston Lobsters 23-15 (OT)
Mixed Doubles - Leander Paes\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Irina Falconi\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-1
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Irina Falconi (Lobsters) def. Arina Rodionova (Kastles) 5-4
Men's Singles - Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-3
Overtime - Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 1-0
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/QU7TyErBZp8/
Wozniacki takes 4th straight title in New Haven
No one has ever beaten Caroline Wozniacki in New Haven, and Hurricane Irene couldn't do it either.Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/6901677/caroline-wozniacki-wins-fourth-straight-title-new-haven
Gilles Simon holds nerve to seal victory in German Open
GILLES SIMON clinched the German Open with a three-set win over Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in Hamburg.
Athletics: Greene unfazed by van Commenee expectations
DAI GREENE kept his cool and composure as he cruised into the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles at the World Athletics Championships.
Maria Sharapova is world's highest paid sportswoman
Maria Sharapova remains the world's highest paid sportswoman despite failing to win a single Grand Slam since 2008.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Andy Murray can use energy from US Open crowd to inspire him to first Grand Slam, says John McEnroe
JOHN McENROE reckons hungry Andy Murray can feed off the energy of the crazy New York crowd at the US Open.
Djokovic not concerned about shoulder at Open
Novak Djokovic says that his sore shoulder is feeling better. The world No. 1 retired in the final of Cincinnati against Andy Murray, citing a shoulder problem.
"My shoulder is feeling fine," he said at the U.S. Open. "I had a little trouble in Cincinnati throughout the whole week, and I carried that up to the finals. It was unfortunate to finish this way the match against Murray. But I think it was right decision, because I needed not to risk any further major injuries. So I decided to take some time off and went to MRI and everything is fine. I have been serving in last couple of days, playing 100%, so I'm ready for the tournament."
"My shoulder is feeling fine," he said at the U.S. Open. "I had a little trouble in Cincinnati throughout the whole week, and I carried that up to the finals. It was unfortunate to finish this way the match against Murray. But I think it was right decision, because I needed not to risk any further major injuries. So I decided to take some time off and went to MRI and everything is fine. I have been serving in last couple of days, playing 100%, so I'm ready for the tournament."
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/9NSt1Pgn20M/
Novak Djokovic named top seed for US Open
WORLD No.1 Novak Djokovic has been rewarded for his amazing 2011 form by being named top seed for the US Open, which starts on Monday.
US teen Harrison out of Open
American teenager Ryan Harrison lost 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (6) to 27th-seeded Marin Cilic in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44316350/ns/sports-tennis/
Roddick cruises into quarters in final tune-up
Fit-again Andy Roddick kept his US Open preparations on a smooth track by crushing Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-1 6-3 in the third round of the Winston-Salem Open today.
Washington Kastles win Eastern Conference title
CHARLESTON, S.C. (July 22, 2011) -- The Washington Kastles moved one step closer to their second World TeamTennis title and the first undefeated season in WTT Pro League history with a 23-15 victory over the Boston Lobsters in the WTT Eastern Conference Championship final. The Kastles advance to Sunday's WTT Finals presented by GEICO to face the winner of Saturday's Western Conference Championship match.
Leander Paes, who was announced as the 2011 WTT Male MVP prior to the match, partnered with Rennae Stubbs to power past Boston's Eric Butorac and Mashona Washington, 5-2, in the opening set. That opening match set the tone for the rest of the first half as Stubbs and Arina Rodionova dominated Washington and her partner Irina Falconi in women's doubles 5-1. The Kastles cruised to a 15-5 halftime lead after Paes and Bobby Reynolds defeated Butorac and Jan-Michael Gambill in men's doubles, 5-2.
Falconi tried to turn the tide in women's singles as she faced off against WTT's Female Rookie of the Year Rodionova. Falconi jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Rodionova shifted gears and evened out the set at 4-4. Falconi hit a crosscourt forehand winner for the 5-4 victory and the first set win for the Lobsters.
Gambill won men's singles 5-3 to send the match into overtime. Reynolds closed out Washington's 15th consecutive victory by winning the first Overtime game to give the Kastles the 23-15 win. The win gives 2011 Coach of the Year Murphy Jensen and his squad a shot at making WTT history in Sunday's final. No team in WTT history has ever gone undefeated throughout the entire regular and post-season.
The St. Louis Aces and the Sacramento Capitals face off for the Western Conference title at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. The winner will play the Kastles at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, for the King Trophy in the WTT Finals. The Finals will be televised live on Tennis Channel and live streamed on http://video.wtt.com.
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
(Home teams in capital letters)
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Boston Lobsters 23-15 (OT)
Mixed Doubles - Leander Paes\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Irina Falconi\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-1
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Irina Falconi (Lobsters) def. Arina Rodionova (Kastles) 5-4
Men's Singles - Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-3
Overtime - Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 1-0
Leander Paes, who was announced as the 2011 WTT Male MVP prior to the match, partnered with Rennae Stubbs to power past Boston's Eric Butorac and Mashona Washington, 5-2, in the opening set. That opening match set the tone for the rest of the first half as Stubbs and Arina Rodionova dominated Washington and her partner Irina Falconi in women's doubles 5-1. The Kastles cruised to a 15-5 halftime lead after Paes and Bobby Reynolds defeated Butorac and Jan-Michael Gambill in men's doubles, 5-2.
Falconi tried to turn the tide in women's singles as she faced off against WTT's Female Rookie of the Year Rodionova. Falconi jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Rodionova shifted gears and evened out the set at 4-4. Falconi hit a crosscourt forehand winner for the 5-4 victory and the first set win for the Lobsters.
Gambill won men's singles 5-3 to send the match into overtime. Reynolds closed out Washington's 15th consecutive victory by winning the first Overtime game to give the Kastles the 23-15 win. The win gives 2011 Coach of the Year Murphy Jensen and his squad a shot at making WTT history in Sunday's final. No team in WTT history has ever gone undefeated throughout the entire regular and post-season.
The St. Louis Aces and the Sacramento Capitals face off for the Western Conference title at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. The winner will play the Kastles at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, for the King Trophy in the WTT Finals. The Finals will be televised live on Tennis Channel and live streamed on http://video.wtt.com.
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
(Home teams in capital letters)
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Boston Lobsters 23-15 (OT)
Mixed Doubles - Leander Paes\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Irina Falconi\Mashona Washington (Lobsters) 5-1
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Eric Butorac\Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Irina Falconi (Lobsters) def. Arina Rodionova (Kastles) 5-4
Men's Singles - Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) def. Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) 5-3
Overtime - Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 1-0
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/QU7TyErBZp8/
Andy Murray and Jamie Murray get comfortable win over Luxembourg
Andy and Jamie Murray withstood some early resistance in their first Davis Cup doubles match as a pair, but the brothers still recorded a comfortable straight-sets doubles win over Luxembourg.
Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic: I've found extra two per cent to beat Nadal & Federer.. Andy Murray can do the same
NOVAK DJOKOVIC last night challenged Andy Murray to prove he has the inner strength to join him at the summit of men's tennis.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ice Hockey: Devils star Voth primed for final push
BRAD Voth flew into the UK yesterday to complete the Cardiff Devils’ roster and promised: “I’m ready for one big final season.”
Andy Murray faces daunting final prospect
Britain's Andy Murray faces the daunting prospect of world number one Novak Djokovic in the final of the Cincinnati Open Sunday after both men advanced past the semis in contrasting style.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/tennis/5481258/Andy-Murray-faces-daunting-final-prospect
U.S. Open preps for approaching Hurricane Irene
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. Open tennis tournament is bracing for Hurricane Irene.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_tennis/~3/4s8TcN_-LtE/index.html
U.S. Open aiming for scheduled Monday start time
NEW YORK (AP)?The U.S. Tennis Association says the site of the U.S. Open has ?minimal damage? from Tropical Storm Irene and the aim is to begin the Grand Slam tournament on time.
In a posting on the tournament website Sunday, the USTA says workers are preparing the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for a scheduled 11 a.m. start Monday.
The USTA says it is in contact with New York City officials about mass transit, road conditions ?and the ability to start the event on Monday.?
Irene made landfall in New York as a tropical storm with 65 mph winds, not the 100-mph hurricane that had churned up the East Coast.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/qqYLV9_1ZgM/
Fish at center stage for US men at US Open
Back before Mardy Fish transformed himself into the player he is today, he compiled a record of 5-8 in his first eight visits to the U.S. Open, never making it past the second round from 2000 to 2007.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44294242/ns/sports-tennis/
Fish likes position as highest-ranked American
Mardy Fish says that coming into the U.S. Open as the highest seeded American for the first time is significantly different for him. The No. 7 seed will open play on Monday against German Tobias Kamke.
"This is probably one of the biggest events that I'll ever play, just being in this position right now and coming in playing extremely well," Fish told reporters. "Winning the U.S. Open Series and just coming in on a high and playing great the last two events [at Montreal and Cincinnati]. It's one of those where a lot of times you kinda want to work your way into the tournament. I want to play Monday. I want to get out there and start, because it's exciting for me?[There is a] slight bit more pressure. Certainly different pressure than I've ever felt. But a great feeling. It's just one of those experiences that not everybody can go through. I can understand just a little of what Andy [Roddick] has gone through and respect the job that he's done with it and how well he's handled the expectations with his play."
"This is probably one of the biggest events that I'll ever play, just being in this position right now and coming in playing extremely well," Fish told reporters. "Winning the U.S. Open Series and just coming in on a high and playing great the last two events [at Montreal and Cincinnati]. It's one of those where a lot of times you kinda want to work your way into the tournament. I want to play Monday. I want to get out there and start, because it's exciting for me?[There is a] slight bit more pressure. Certainly different pressure than I've ever felt. But a great feeling. It's just one of those experiences that not everybody can go through. I can understand just a little of what Andy [Roddick] has gone through and respect the job that he's done with it and how well he's handled the expectations with his play."
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/OGyYHMRmb8c/
Seeded 8th, Fish takes center stage for U.S. men
NEW YORK (AP) -- Back before Mardy Fish transformed himself into the player he is today, he compiled a record of 5-8 in his first eight visits to the U.S. Open, never making it past the second round from 2000 to 2007.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_tennis/~3/TGykD56DLR4/index.html
3-time champ Serena seeded 28th at Open
Serena Williams was seeded 28th for the U.S. Open, which stuck with its policy of following the rankings instead of taking into account players' past performances.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44243238/ns/sports-tennis/
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Maria Sharapova is world's highest paid sportswoman
Maria Sharapova remains the world's highest paid sportswoman despite failing to win a single Grand Slam since 2008.
Rowing: North Wales trio inGB Elite squad
A TRIO of North Wales rowers have flown to Slovenia as part of Great Britain’s elite squad for the 2011 World Championships.
Nadal, Fish attend BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis
NEW YORK (AP)?There was plenty of serving, but it all involved food as the U.S. Open held its ?Taste of Tennis? event in advance of Monday?s grand slam.
Reigning open champ Rafael Nadal, James Blake and Mardy Fish were on hand for the culinary event Thursday night, designed to raise funds for the New York Junior Tennis League.
Tommy Haas, Mikhail Youzhny and Marin Cilic were among the former and current tennis players who acted as food servers, handing people small plates of miniburgers, ceviche, steak and more.
Michelle Bernstein was among the top chefs who prepared food for the event and served up shrimp to the crowd.
Though she called herself an admirer of the game, she wasn?t staying to watch any of the Open. She planned to leave as soon as possible to head back to Miami to avoid Hurricane Irene, which was expected to hit New York on Sunday.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/dU8Z9vYSdQE/
Irene hits North Carolina as it moves up East Coast
MOREHEAD CITY, North Carolina (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene howled ashore in North Carolina on Saturday on a path that triggered evacuations in New York and threatened the densely populated East Coast with flooding and power outages. 
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/dzGYWljLhdU/us-storm-irene-idUSTRE77K01820110827
Evert: Serena at same level as Graf, Navratilova
Chris Evert calls Serena Williams the favorite to win the U.S. Open and also says the 13-time Grand Slam champion?s career can be placed alongside those of 22-time Grand Slam winner Steffi Graf and 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova.
"We saw her at Wimbledon, and I think even though she lost a close match to [Marion] Bartoli, Bartoli played out of her head," said Evert in an ESPN conference call. "I think that exceeded people's expectations, that Serena would do that well at Wimbledon after being out for a year and all her health issues. She committed herself. She practiced. She's won two tournaments. That's unbelievable. Not to undermine the rest of the field, but it just shows that she's head and shoulders above anybody else, again, when she's healthy.
"I'd put her right up there [as the greatest of all time] with Martina and Steffi. She's the best comeback player we've ever seen. If you look at the last 10 years, she's been out, she comes back. Even when she hasn't been in shape, she can still win a Grand Slam. She is an incredible athlete. She's got the power. She's got the speed. She's got the mental toughness. There isn't a chink in the armor there at all. Her health is her own worst enemy. Her health is her rival or competitor."
"We saw her at Wimbledon, and I think even though she lost a close match to [Marion] Bartoli, Bartoli played out of her head," said Evert in an ESPN conference call. "I think that exceeded people's expectations, that Serena would do that well at Wimbledon after being out for a year and all her health issues. She committed herself. She practiced. She's won two tournaments. That's unbelievable. Not to undermine the rest of the field, but it just shows that she's head and shoulders above anybody else, again, when she's healthy.
"I'd put her right up there [as the greatest of all time] with Martina and Steffi. She's the best comeback player we've ever seen. If you look at the last 10 years, she's been out, she comes back. Even when she hasn't been in shape, she can still win a Grand Slam. She is an incredible athlete. She's got the power. She's got the speed. She's got the mental toughness. There isn't a chink in the armor there at all. Her health is her own worst enemy. Her health is her rival or competitor."
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/d7IqGtNmF2Q/
Athletics: Tanni Grey-Thompson predicts best Paralympics
BARONESS Tanni Grey-Thompson predicts the London 2012 Games will set a new benchmark and raise Paralympic sport to new heights.
USTA cancels Arthur Ashe Kids' Day due to Irene
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. Tennis Association has canceled Saturday's Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the site of the U.S. Open because of worries about approaching Hurricane Irene.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_tennis/~3/_GkD-8V4KJs/index.html
Friday, August 26, 2011
Nadal, Fish attend BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis
NEW YORK (AP)?There was plenty of serving, but it all involved food as the U.S. Open held its ?Taste of Tennis? event in advance of Monday?s grand slam.
Reigning open champ Rafael Nadal, James Blake and Mardy Fish were on hand for the culinary event Thursday night, designed to raise funds for the New York Junior Tennis League.
Tommy Haas, Mikhail Youzhny and Marin Cilic were among the former and current tennis players who acted as food servers, handing people small plates of miniburgers, ceviche, steak and more.
Michelle Bernstein was among the top chefs who prepared food for the event and served up shrimp to the crowd.
Though she called herself an admirer of the game, she wasn?t staying to watch any of the Open. She planned to leave as soon as possible to head back to Miami to avoid Hurricane Irene, which was expected to hit New York on Sunday.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/dU8Z9vYSdQE/
Scots tennis ace Andy Murray admits he may have to miss crucial Davis Cup clash
ANDY MURRAY helped push Great Britain a step closer to a Davis Cup promotion play-off - but doesn't know if he'll play in the crucial tie in September.
Fish's best shot at Open title
Tennis.com: American in best shape of his career ahead of Slam.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44247373/ns/sports-tennis/
No. 5 Lisicki advances to Texas Open semifinals
Fifth-seeded Sabine Lisicki continued her roll through the Texas Open, going into the semifinals as the top seed remaining and having yet to lose a set.Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/6897352/sabine-lisicki-advances-texas-open-semifinals
Jim Courier Blog: Training for the Champions Series
It?s a little over six weeks until we get started on the 2011 Champions Series, which means it is time for some serious training for yours truly. I just took a two-week vacation where I didn?t touch a racquet, and now I?m starting from ground zero to build my body and game back up again for the tournaments.
So how will I get ready? It's a question I get a lot, so I thought I?d answer it here in the hope that I don?t have to answer it elsewhere! I train in a similar fashion to how I trained when I was playing full-time on the ATP tour. I need to train for my worst case scenario for any given day, which used to be five-setters but is now a little over two sets (we will play a one-set semi-final and an eight-game pro-set at each of the one-night Champions Series tournaments this fall). So I basically do a pro-rata version of what I used to do, i.e. about 40 percent as much time and repetition. My body is not capable of taking the same type of pounding that it once did, but it can still do pretty well for a good amount of time, and I find that my body likes it when I push it to the limit every now and then.
Here?s what a typical week of training will look like for the next five weeks or so. I will taper off the last week as I get ready to play, losing the track work and focusing more on speed and agility.
1. Play tennis four times a week for 90 minutes each time (mostly playing sets/baseline games). I don?t do two-a-days anymore?
2. Hit the weight room (two to three times a week for one hour) to keep toned, not to bulk up
3. Hit the track for some sprint work (50?s, 100?s, 200?s) (once a week for about 20 minutes of intervals)
4. Do on-court foot drills for agility (once a week for about 20 minutes)
5. Stretch (daily)
6. Get massage once a week
While doing the prep work I?ll also be doing my other jobs, like my full-time day job at InsideOut Sports as well as a little U.S. Open TV for CBS, and of course watching the Americans closely at the Open in my role as Davis Cup Captain. It?s going to be a full plate but let it be said that I will not be bored!
Feel free to send in any questions about my training (or anything else) to our twitter page at @cs_tennis or via the Champions Series website in the fanzone Q&A section and I?ll be sure to answer them.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/NKSeGA29m7Q/
Golf: rain-hit day for Rhys Pugh was great start for Welsh star
THE summer of 2003 seemed pretty much just like any other – cold and rainy with the odd spell of drizzle.
Athletics: Chris Tomlinson aims to jump to it
CHRIS Tomlinson believes he can increase his own British long jump record as he looks to claim a medal in the upcoming World Championships in Daegu.
Li Na to lead China in Hopman Cup debut
French Open champion Li Na will lead China's first foray into the mixed team Hopman Cup at the start of next season, organisers said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/tennis/5475269/Li-Na-to-lead-China-in-Hopman-Cup-debut
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Belgian players ask court to end doping probe
Belgian tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse have appealed to Switzerland's supreme court to end a two-year investigation into whether they broke anti-doping rules.
Hewitt among wild-card entries for U.S. Open
Former champ Lleyton Hewitt, Robby Ginepri, Ryan Harrison and Donald Young are among the seven players awarded wild cards into the men's draw at the U.S. Open.Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen11/story/_/id/6870910/2011-us-open-lleyton-hewitt-wild-card-entries
The Ultimate Women's Weekend Getaway
No husbands. No kids. No excuses. Gather your best gal pals and experience the best in tennis, spa, and dining.
Shadow Mountain Resort & Club
Michael McFarlane, Director of Tennis for over 15 years at Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, leads the Desert Tennis Academy, the place for your USTA team to get their pre-season tune up. The Academy specializes in singles and doubles strategy designed specifically for team players. The rofessional staff works with teams to create a strong line-up and get team members working together. During each session, time is spent on formations, shot selection and on how to win. The Academy?s goal is that players leave the resort with a better understanding of the game and how to contribute to a team?s overall success. The Fall season brings many tennis teams to Shadow Mountain fostering a competitive team environment. The resort offers various room options, making Shadow
Mountain Resort an ideal place for teams looking for affordable
accommodations and a great tennis vacation.
For more information, call 800.472.3713 or visit shadowmountainresort.com.
The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort
Experience the popular 3-Day/2-Night ?Where the Boys Aren?t? Girls Getaway at The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, FL ? named one of the ?Top 10 Girlfriends Getaways in the US? by AOL and The Complete Girl?s Getaway Guide. Enjoy the private beach and a specially prepared tote with flip flops and all the best magazines for beach reads, a wine tasting seminar, create your own cocktail session, fitness classes, in-suite coffee klatch, waterfront dining and a $100 resort credit, which can be used for tennis clinics, dining, shopping at our two designer boutiques, spa services or water sports rentals. Rates start at just $314 per person for the complete package.
Please call 800.4.COLONY or visit colonybeachresort.com/girls for reservations.
The Boar?s Head
Discover an unmatched setting for your next tennis getaway. The Boar?s Head is nestled in the Mid-Atlantic?s Virginia Piedmont countryside with scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ranked among ?America?s Top 50 Tennis Resorts? by Tennis Magazine, The Boar?s Head offers year-round comprehensive tennis programming with 26 USTA-regulation courts. Benefit from professional instruction with one of our six USPTR-certified teaching pros. Participate in adult clinics, junior camps and private lessons. Cross-train in our state-of-the-art fitness facility. Enjoy awardwinning accommodations, innovative cuisine, challenging golf on our Audubon certified course, over 22,000 sf of function space, an invigorating spa, and beautiful surroundings steeped in history. The Boar?s Head hosts some of the finest players on the USTA Women?s Pro Circuit every year and we are pleased to hold our 8th Boyd Tinsley $50,000 USTA Women?s Pro Tennis Championships in April 2010. The Boar?s Head?an exceptional destination.
For more information, call 800.476.1988 or visit boarsheadinn.com.
Saddlebrook Resort
The first thing one notices approaching Saddlebrook Resort is the Welcome Center and gate with a uniformed attendant who greets you and asks for your name and the reason for your visit. Once that information is noted, you enter 480 acres of manicured Florida grounds feeling secure knowing all who enter must be cleared at the gate. Add to that a total of 45 tennis courts in every Grand Slam surface, world-famous Hopman Tennis Program instructors, luxurious suites and rooms, a European-style Spa, award-winning restaurants and a half-million gallon Superpool, and you have the perfect resort for a women?s tennis getaway weekend. This has been the official resort of the WTA Tour and has hosted women tennis players of all levels for years and now it is your turn to come and play with the serenity and comfort only found at Saddlebrook Resort.
For more information, call 800.729.8383 or visit saddlebrook.com.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/Tenniscom-Travel/~3/EiHqE2du-o4/
Kendrick doping ban cut from year to 8 months
American tennis player Robert Kendrick had his doping ban reduced to eight months from one year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday.Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/6884864/robert-kendrick-doping-ban-cut-year-8-months
US Open 2011: Andy Murray eyes glory after Cincinnati win
ANDY MURRAY has set his sights on the US Open after claiming his seventh Masters crown in Cincinnati.
Novak Djokovic named top seed for US Open
WORLD No.1 Novak Djokovic has been rewarded for his amazing 2011 form by being named top seed for the US Open, which starts on Monday.
Davis Cup: Andy Murray sweeps aside Laurent Bram without losing a game
IT REALLY should have been a mismatch - one place having 63 times the population of the other - but this Davis Cup tie could end up embarrassing for Luxembourg.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Ultimate Women's Weekend Getaway
No husbands. No kids. No excuses. Gather your best gal pals and experience the best in tennis, spa, and dining.
Shadow Mountain Resort & Club
Michael McFarlane, Director of Tennis for over 15 years at Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, leads the Desert Tennis Academy, the place for your USTA team to get their pre-season tune up. The Academy specializes in singles and doubles strategy designed specifically for team players. The rofessional staff works with teams to create a strong line-up and get team members working together. During each session, time is spent on formations, shot selection and on how to win. The Academy?s goal is that players leave the resort with a better understanding of the game and how to contribute to a team?s overall success. The Fall season brings many tennis teams to Shadow Mountain fostering a competitive team environment. The resort offers various room options, making Shadow
Mountain Resort an ideal place for teams looking for affordable
accommodations and a great tennis vacation.
For more information, call 800.472.3713 or visit shadowmountainresort.com.
The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort
Experience the popular 3-Day/2-Night ?Where the Boys Aren?t? Girls Getaway at The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, FL ? named one of the ?Top 10 Girlfriends Getaways in the US? by AOL and The Complete Girl?s Getaway Guide. Enjoy the private beach and a specially prepared tote with flip flops and all the best magazines for beach reads, a wine tasting seminar, create your own cocktail session, fitness classes, in-suite coffee klatch, waterfront dining and a $100 resort credit, which can be used for tennis clinics, dining, shopping at our two designer boutiques, spa services or water sports rentals. Rates start at just $314 per person for the complete package.
Please call 800.4.COLONY or visit colonybeachresort.com/girls for reservations.
The Boar?s Head
Discover an unmatched setting for your next tennis getaway. The Boar?s Head is nestled in the Mid-Atlantic?s Virginia Piedmont countryside with scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ranked among ?America?s Top 50 Tennis Resorts? by Tennis Magazine, The Boar?s Head offers year-round comprehensive tennis programming with 26 USTA-regulation courts. Benefit from professional instruction with one of our six USPTR-certified teaching pros. Participate in adult clinics, junior camps and private lessons. Cross-train in our state-of-the-art fitness facility. Enjoy awardwinning accommodations, innovative cuisine, challenging golf on our Audubon certified course, over 22,000 sf of function space, an invigorating spa, and beautiful surroundings steeped in history. The Boar?s Head hosts some of the finest players on the USTA Women?s Pro Circuit every year and we are pleased to hold our 8th Boyd Tinsley $50,000 USTA Women?s Pro Tennis Championships in April 2010. The Boar?s Head?an exceptional destination.
For more information, call 800.476.1988 or visit boarsheadinn.com.
Saddlebrook Resort
The first thing one notices approaching Saddlebrook Resort is the Welcome Center and gate with a uniformed attendant who greets you and asks for your name and the reason for your visit. Once that information is noted, you enter 480 acres of manicured Florida grounds feeling secure knowing all who enter must be cleared at the gate. Add to that a total of 45 tennis courts in every Grand Slam surface, world-famous Hopman Tennis Program instructors, luxurious suites and rooms, a European-style Spa, award-winning restaurants and a half-million gallon Superpool, and you have the perfect resort for a women?s tennis getaway weekend. This has been the official resort of the WTA Tour and has hosted women tennis players of all levels for years and now it is your turn to come and play with the serenity and comfort only found at Saddlebrook Resort.
For more information, call 800.729.8383 or visit saddlebrook.com.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/Tenniscom-Travel/~3/EiHqE2du-o4/
Rhode to nowhere for British pair
BOTH British men’s qualifiers have crashed out of the grass court ATP event in Rhode Island.
Jon Wertheim: Serena, Roddick draw fans' ire
As the U.S. Open draws near, former champions Andy Roddick and Serena Williams continue to draw fans' ire. Jon Wertheim explains why in the last pre-tournament Mailbag.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/si_tennis/~3/Btwkz5jkySs/index.html
Viewpoint: Precautionary retirements hurting sport
If you've been following the ATP action over the past few weeks, you might be forgiven for thinking that we now have an entirely new category of result?the precautionary retirement. Not quite two weeks ago in Montreal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, complaining of a sore arm, abandoned his semifinal with Novak Djokovic while trailing 6-4, 3-0. He justified the decision on the grounds that that his arm had been aching for three days, the pain growing worse daily. "I don't have the pretension to try to beat Novak without my arm," he rather cavalierly concluded.
Subsequent tests turned up no sign of an injury, which doesn't mean that Tsonga's arm didn't hurt like hail and impair his performance. But it suggests that he could have finished the match and decided not to more or less as a matter of convenience. Just days later, he roared out of the blocks in Cincinnati, beating up on Marin Cilic?not bad for a guy with a bad arm.
Just two days ago, Djokovic abandoned his final with Andy Murray in the selfsame Cincinnati Masters, due to a combination of fatigue and a sore shoulder. He also said he could have played on, but decided against it. In fact, he justified quitting with words so close to those spoken by Tsonga a week earlier that he might have borrowed them: "I could have maybe played another couple of games, but what for? I cannot beat a player like Murray today with one stroke."
 |
| Tsonga walked away from his Montreal semifinal with Djokovic, then won his Cincinnati opener a few days later. (AP Photo) |
It's pretty obvious that Djokovic's decision to retire was a matter of calculation, or precaution. For some reason, he must have felt that playing another half-dozen games might somehow hurt his ability to perform at peak level in New York next week, or he decided that trying to halt the the Murray juggernaut just wasn't worth the effort?Masters status nonwithstanding. No matter how you cut it, though, his actions, and those of Tsonga, are disturbing.
Time was, a player retired during a match not because he didn't want to go on, but because he couldn't go on. Or, in trying to continue, he or she ran risk of incurring a serious, career-ending injury. There's a certain amount of gray area when it comes to determining just how grave or threatening an injury is, but there's little indication that fear of incurring serious damage played much of a role in the decisions by Tsonga and Djokovic. Tsonga would play?and win?just a few days later. Djokovic didn't seem to fret over the state of his shoulder.
The two men set a really unwise precedent with their actions. Invariably, some of you will jump up and say that the pro tennis player's first?and only?obligation is to himself, and that anything he chooses to do (within the rules) to advance his chances at a Grand Slam is not only fair game, but intelligent career management. In some ways, that's the sacred dogma in a sport driven by naked self-interest and played by fiercely mercenary privateers.
I don't buy that. By entering into what we'll call the ATP system and culture, a player assumes certain obligations and responsibilities, and reaps certain rewards. One of those obligations is to give a full and honest effort every time he or she sets foot on a court. The players have a contractual obligation to give the ticket-buying public its money's worth, in terms of effort expended if not necessarily time spent. And they also owe their opponents the right to get a win that ends with a numeral, not the abbreviation "RET."
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may not be at their best these days, but give them credit?they almost always show up and take their lickings right to the bitter end. On the rare occasions when Nadal has retired from a match, he promptly vanished from the game to take care of what must have been a serious injury.
It will be a terrible blow to the game if these precautionary retirements become a habit, if players begin to feel justified in pulling out when the going gets tough, in order to conserve their strength and/or fitness for the future. We all know that the Grand Slam events are preeminent, and that players try?rightly?to give themselves the best chance to win the majors.
But when doing so violates their covenant with the tour and the public, it begins to look like they're welshing on a contract.
Peter Bodo is a senior editor at TENNIS.com.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/velwB4akMso/
WTT Results: Monday, July 18
(Home teams in capital letters)
FINAL RESULTS - All matches complete:
St Louis Aces def. BOSTON LOBSTERS 24-11
Men's Singles - Mark Philippoussis (Aces) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-1
Mixed Doubles - Liezel Huber\Jean-Julien Rojer (Aces) def. Mashona Washington\Eric Butorac (Lobsters) 5-2
Men's Doubles - Jan-Michael Gambill\Eric Butorac (Lobsters) def. Mark Philippoussis\Jean-Julien Rojer (Aces) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Liezel Huber\Varvara Lepchenko (Aces) def. Mashona Washington\Irina Falconi (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Varvara Lepchenko (Aces) def. Irina Falconi (Lobsters) 5-1
NEW YORK SPORTIMES def. Kansas City Explorers 24-18
Men's Doubles - Bob Bryan\Mike Bryan (Explorers) def. Jesse Witten\Travis Parrott (Sportimes) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Katie O Brien\Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Kveta Peschke\Madison Brengle (Explorers) 5-1
Men's Singles - Jesse Witten (Sportimes) def. Ricardo Mello (Explorers) 5-4
Mixed Doubles - Martina Hingis\Travis Parrott (Sportimes) def. Bob Bryan\Kveta Peschke (Explorers) 5-4
Women's Singles - Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Jarmila Gajdosova (Explorers) 5-4
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS def. Newport Beach Breakers 25-16
Men's Singles - Brendan Evans (Freedoms) def. Lester Cook (Breakers) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Beatrice Capra\Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) def. Anne Keothavong\Marie-Eve Pelletier (Breakers) 5-3
Mixed Doubles - Nathan Healey\Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) def. Marie-Eve Pelletier\Travis Rettenmaier (Breakers) 5-4
Women's Singles - Beatrice Capra (Freedoms) def. Anne Keothavong (Breakers) 5-2
Men's Doubles - Brendan Evans\Nathan Healey (Freedoms) def. Lester Cook\Travis Rettenmaier (Breakers) 5-3
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Sacramento Capitals 25-14
Mixed Doubles - Rennae Stubbs\Leander Paes (Kastles) def. Vania King\Mark Knowles (Capitals) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Vania King\Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-3
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Mark Knowles\Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-3
Women's Singles - Arina Rodionova (Kastles) def. Vania King (Capitals) 5-0
Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-4
For up-to-date standings, click here.
Next Matches: 7/19/2011
Kansas City Explorers @ PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS, 7:00 PM (EDT)
Sacramento Capitals @ SPRINGFIELD LASERS, 7:05 PM (CDT)
Newport Beach Breakers @ ST. LOUIS ACES, 7:15 PM (CDT)
Washington Kastles @ NEW YORK SPORTIMES (in Albany), 7:30 PM (EDT)
For live scoring and complete player / match statistics, please visit www.WTT.com
Originally published on WTT.com
FINAL RESULTS - All matches complete:
St Louis Aces def. BOSTON LOBSTERS 24-11
Men's Singles - Mark Philippoussis (Aces) def. Jan-Michael Gambill (Lobsters) 5-1
Mixed Doubles - Liezel Huber\Jean-Julien Rojer (Aces) def. Mashona Washington\Eric Butorac (Lobsters) 5-2
Men's Doubles - Jan-Michael Gambill\Eric Butorac (Lobsters) def. Mark Philippoussis\Jean-Julien Rojer (Aces) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Liezel Huber\Varvara Lepchenko (Aces) def. Mashona Washington\Irina Falconi (Lobsters) 5-2
Women's Singles - Varvara Lepchenko (Aces) def. Irina Falconi (Lobsters) 5-1
NEW YORK SPORTIMES def. Kansas City Explorers 24-18
Men's Doubles - Bob Bryan\Mike Bryan (Explorers) def. Jesse Witten\Travis Parrott (Sportimes) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Katie O Brien\Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Kveta Peschke\Madison Brengle (Explorers) 5-1
Men's Singles - Jesse Witten (Sportimes) def. Ricardo Mello (Explorers) 5-4
Mixed Doubles - Martina Hingis\Travis Parrott (Sportimes) def. Bob Bryan\Kveta Peschke (Explorers) 5-4
Women's Singles - Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Jarmila Gajdosova (Explorers) 5-4
PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS def. Newport Beach Breakers 25-16
Men's Singles - Brendan Evans (Freedoms) def. Lester Cook (Breakers) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Beatrice Capra\Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) def. Anne Keothavong\Marie-Eve Pelletier (Breakers) 5-3
Mixed Doubles - Nathan Healey\Lisa Raymond (Freedoms) def. Marie-Eve Pelletier\Travis Rettenmaier (Breakers) 5-4
Women's Singles - Beatrice Capra (Freedoms) def. Anne Keothavong (Breakers) 5-2
Men's Doubles - Brendan Evans\Nathan Healey (Freedoms) def. Lester Cook\Travis Rettenmaier (Breakers) 5-3
WASHINGTON KASTLES def. Sacramento Capitals 25-14
Mixed Doubles - Rennae Stubbs\Leander Paes (Kastles) def. Vania King\Mark Knowles (Capitals) 5-4
Women's Doubles - Arina Rodionova\Rennae Stubbs (Kastles) def. Vania King\Yasmin Schnack (Capitals) 5-3
Men's Doubles - Leander Paes\Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Mark Knowles\Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-3
Women's Singles - Arina Rodionova (Kastles) def. Vania King (Capitals) 5-0
Men's Singles - Bobby Reynolds (Kastles) def. Dusan Vemic (Capitals) 5-4
For up-to-date standings, click here.
Next Matches: 7/19/2011
Kansas City Explorers @ PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS, 7:00 PM (EDT)
Sacramento Capitals @ SPRINGFIELD LASERS, 7:05 PM (CDT)
Newport Beach Breakers @ ST. LOUIS ACES, 7:15 PM (CDT)
Washington Kastles @ NEW YORK SPORTIMES (in Albany), 7:30 PM (EDT)
For live scoring and complete player / match statistics, please visit www.WTT.com
Photo: Travis Vandenberg
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/vdKH63LOQQ4/
Tsonga, Czech pair through in Cincinnati
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looked back to full fitness while Czechs Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek came through their first tests at the Cincinnati Open today.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/tennis/5461746/Tsonga-Czech-pair-through-in-Cincinnati
Davis Cup 2011: Andy Murray stoked up for clash with Bram
ANDY MURRAY closes the opening day of Great Britain's Davis Cup contest against Luxembourg facing unranked Laurent Bram.
Andy Murray suffers early exit in Montreal
ANDY MURRAY endured a woeful 6-3 6-1 defeat to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson as his hopes of defending his Rogers Cup title ended.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Horse racing: Abdullah 1-2 at Deauville
LEADING owner Khalid Abdullah enjoyed another notable big-race one-two as Announce just denied Timepiece in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.
Sharapova, Jankovic advance to Cincinnati final
MASON, Ohio (AP)?After a listless first set, Maria Sharapova got inspired by a pep talk from her coach and rolled to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Vera Zvonareva on Saturday, seizing a spot in the final of the Western & Southern Open.
She?ll play 13th-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who beat Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the later semifinal.
The fourth-seeded Sharapova was completely off her game in the first set, barely able to score points against the world?s second-ranked player. Coach Thomas Hogstedt gave Sharapova an animated courtside talk, and she took over the 2-hour, 2-minute all-Russian match.
?I didn?t do a lot of talking,? Sharapova said. ?He talked most of the time. I called him over because I felt I just needed a little energy. Something was missing in the first set.?
Sharapova will be trying for her second tournament title this season?she also won in Rome. Last year, she reached the finals in Cincinnati and lost to Kim Clijsters.
?I love playing on this court,? she said. ?There?s something about it.?
The form exhibited by Sharapova, and Jankovic, meant they must be considered as contenders for the upcoming U.S. Open, where the women?s draw will be reduced by injuries and shaky form among many top players.
Clijsters withdrew with strained abdominal muscles?she also dropped out of the U.S. Open, where she?s won the last two titles. Venus Williams had to skip this tournament because of a virus. Sister Serena Williams dropped out on Wednesday because of a sore toe. And third-seeded Victoria Azarenka dropped out with a hand injury.
With Clijsters out, Caroline Wozniacki became the top-ranked player and she lost her first match.
Sharapova?s game was out of kilter at the start. She repeatedly missed routine shots, got broken twice and fell behind 5-2 while winning only 11 points in those first seven games.
She tried to get some momentum, repeatedly pumping her fist when she made a few shots and broke Zvonareva?s serve to keep the set going. Not for long? Zvonareva broke back to finish it off.
After the pep talk, Sharapova was much more aggressive, breaking Zvonareva in the opening game of the second set. Soon, Zvonareva was on the defensive and making the mistakes?she double-faulted to lose her serve and the second set.
?In the second and third sets, I had my concentration level drop for moments a little bit,? Zvonareva said. ?I gave her a few chances. You give Maria chances like that, she?ll take them.?
Another double-fault allowed Sharapova to break through for a 3-1 lead in the final set. Then, Sharapova returned the favor, double-faulting twice in a row while Zvonareva cut the deficit to 4-3.
Sharapova recovered quickly, coming to the net for a smash and giving herself three break points in the next game. Her strong forehand down the line put her up 5-3. She got a new racket and served it out, ending the match with a solid forehand.
Jankovic will be trying for her first tournament title since Indians Wells last year. It?s only her second final of the season?she was a runner-up at Monterrey.
Petkovic came out with her right knee heavily wrapped after injuring it in the quarterfinals. The German kept up until the first-set tiebreaker, when she hit a few shots poorly, with one backhand flying into the stands.
Jankovic broke her to open the second set, then again to go up 3-0 and was untroubled from there.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/_Gdl2LKwARs/
Bashed-up Elena Baltacha set to quit after Olympics
ELENA BALTACHA bowed out of the Mercury Open then admitted she could retire from tennis next summer.
LLANDUDNO continued their drive for a sixth consecutive title when they brushed aside Denbigh by five wickets yesterday.
And now, they look forward to a showdown next week with long-time leaders Menai Bridge, who are desperately hoping to end the Seasiders domination of the competition.
Thirty-love for 'veteran' Federer
ROGER FEDERER served up a clinical 7-5 6-3 victory over Canadian Vasek Pospisil at the Montreal Masters last night.
Special report: In Libya, the cellphone as weapon
MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - When Muammar Gaddafi's government shut off the cellphone network in Misrata in the early days of Libya's uprising, it wanted to stop rebel forces communicating with each other. But the power of a modern phone goes beyond its network. 
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/PltfBgak2Cs/us-libya-misrata-idUSTRE77M38520110823
Tennis Talk: Q&A with Victoria Azarenka
A few weeks after reaching her first Grand Slam singles semifinal at Wimbledon, Victoria Azarenka is at Stanford this week for the Bank of the West Classic. She?s the top seed and defending champion in a packed field that includes Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and other big names. Another title here would give Azarenka a nice 22nd birthday gift come Sunday. Earlier today we talked to Azarenka, who spoke exceedingly quietly, about her birthday plans, that Wimbledon semifinal, players she?d pay to watch and a variety of other things.
You often listen to music before you get on court? What are you listening to right now?
Always. Right before I go on court I like to listen to a lot of techno music, just something upbeat to get my energy and adrenaline going. I like different kinds of music ? rock music, pop music sometimes, Russian music. A lot of new music this week actually. My friend is a DJ, and he gave me all of his songs, about 5,000 songs. It?s just a bunch of mixes, I don?t even know the names of the songs.
As you know Amy Winehouse died over the weekend. Were you a fan of her music?
Not really a big fan but I think she was very special and very talented in a different kind of way. And very artistic. It?s always very sad to hear somebody ending their life very early. Of course taking the lifestyle she had? it?s quite difficult to keep up, I guess.
Your 22nd birthday is Sunday. How are you planning to celebrate?
We?ll see. Hopefully I?ll be playing my last match in Stanford. [That would be the final.] But other than that I wanted to celebrate it with my friends.
The WTA?s ?Strong is Beautiful? campaign has gotten a lot of attention. Your thoughts on the campaign?
The concept was very smart, very marketable. It?s one sentence that stands out so much for women?s tennis. The videos with the different countries and the voices was a very intelligent move as well for people to see how many athletes are from different parts of the world and all that variation. I think it?s amazing.
You put up on an interesting new picture on Twitter yesterday. What?s the story behind that?
The picture is from a recent shoot in London with a friend of mine. Her name is Ana, and she?s one of the best photographers I ever worked with. We found the charisma, the look that is really me, not that someone wanted to create on me. It was funky, it was classic. I can?t wait for people to see it. It?s going to come out probably before the U.S. Open. It will be my portfolio that I?m going to share with my fans on my website. It?s going to be amazing.
You reached the Wimbledon semis. It felt like a big deal for us. Did it feel like that for you?
Yeah, of course. It was one of the biggest stages of my career so far now. I was really looking forward to play that semifinal. I think I did a pretty good job. Of course, I?m not completely satisfied. But it was another step, another learning experience. It was important to really play out there on those big stages. Maybe sometimes you can learn actually more with a loss than with a win.
Do you see Petra Kvitova as someone you?ll compete with and have a rivalry with, say, in five years?
Yeah, definitely. I think she?s a great player. I didn?t see her being very consistent on a regular basis, but it always can change. She?s been playing great this year. We?ll see how it?s going, but any day she can come out and play a hell of a match, as you can see.
Some say there?s a power vacuum at the top in WTA. Your thoughts on that? Does it feel like an opportunity, pressure, something else?
Honestly, as a player I think the tennis got way more competitive than it was before. You don?t see just three or four players dominating the tour all the time as you could see maybe 10 years ago. You could see top players winning 6-0, 6-1 prior to quarterfinals. I don?t think that?s really interesting to watch. Of course, all the biggest credit to them because they were so dominant and consistent. But now the game became so much more physical. Everybody?s working out way more than they were before. There?s the speed, the spins. And a lot of young players are coming, and they?re not very afraid of whoever is in front of them.
How are things working out with your coach, Sam Sumyk? What are some important things you?ve learned from him?
It?s going great. We always have some disagreements, but it?s normal. You cannot always just agree, and it?s just boring if you always agree on everything. What I learned about him is he never pushes me to make me do something. He explains to me why I have to do it, and I take my own decision to do it or not to do it. He says, ?Well I?m not going to take my racquet and play for you ? you gotta do it yourself. You really have to find that inner power to do things yourself and be responsible for your actions.?
Your WTA bio says you admire Federer?s professionalism on court and off. Can you give examples?
He has this look that he?s there on every single ball. He makes opponents work so hard to earn that point. And you can see so much Nadal doing the same and Djokovic too, now raising the level so high. It?s just amazing how much domination they have in their game.
Can you name a few specific players you?d pay to watch?
Of course Federer and Nadal and all those guys. And the girls, you know, Serena, Venus, Caroline, Maria and a lot of other girls. It?s just so much effort we put in. People don?t see all the hard work we do outside the matches. Sometimes I think they don?t really appreciate the amount of work we put in. I think everyone deserves [attention].
If you could ?steal? any shot/quality from another player, what would it be?
[The response is immediate.] Rafa?s forehand.
But you?re not a lefty?
Well I would be a lefty if I could have that forehand.
Caroline Wozniacki, a friend of yours, gets a lot of attention for not having won a Slam yet. Your thoughts on the stories and the attention.
The stories just became normal I guess. The same happened to Jankovic and Dinara when they were No. 1. They were given all this, I would say, crap. As many people there are in the world, as many opinions there are. You cannot say that everybody has to agree on something ? it would be boring. What would they all talk about?
Grunting is once again getting a lot of attention. Why do you think that is? You?ve said you?ve grunted since you were little. If you could do anything differently when you were little, would you?
No, I wouldn?t. I?ve been asked that about 1,000 times. I can put it another way. Are you married? [No, I?m not. Why? Know any good guys?] No, just an example. My dad and a lot of men, they snore, right? But they?re not conscious about it. And you ask them every time, ?Damn it, you were snoring the whole night.? And they?re like, ?Really?? And you say, ?Yeah.? And they can?t change it. A lot of people who ask this question? do they snore or not? Can they change it? I can ask the same question, you know. But I?m there busting my butt to win the point. That?s part of my game, that?s part of who I am, it?s part of my breathing, it?s part of my movement.
In the WTA you?ve earned the third most in prize money this year. More than Sharapova, Clijsters, Wozniacki. Did you know this?
No. Wow, it?s pretty good. My finances will be pretty happy. The money is always important, because I have a big team, I have a lot of expenses. You cannot lie ? that always makes you feel pretty special.
You often listen to music before you get on court? What are you listening to right now?
Always. Right before I go on court I like to listen to a lot of techno music, just something upbeat to get my energy and adrenaline going. I like different kinds of music ? rock music, pop music sometimes, Russian music. A lot of new music this week actually. My friend is a DJ, and he gave me all of his songs, about 5,000 songs. It?s just a bunch of mixes, I don?t even know the names of the songs.
As you know Amy Winehouse died over the weekend. Were you a fan of her music?
Not really a big fan but I think she was very special and very talented in a different kind of way. And very artistic. It?s always very sad to hear somebody ending their life very early. Of course taking the lifestyle she had? it?s quite difficult to keep up, I guess.
Your 22nd birthday is Sunday. How are you planning to celebrate?
We?ll see. Hopefully I?ll be playing my last match in Stanford. [That would be the final.] But other than that I wanted to celebrate it with my friends.
The WTA?s ?Strong is Beautiful? campaign has gotten a lot of attention. Your thoughts on the campaign?
The concept was very smart, very marketable. It?s one sentence that stands out so much for women?s tennis. The videos with the different countries and the voices was a very intelligent move as well for people to see how many athletes are from different parts of the world and all that variation. I think it?s amazing.
You put up on an interesting new picture on Twitter yesterday. What?s the story behind that?
The picture is from a recent shoot in London with a friend of mine. Her name is Ana, and she?s one of the best photographers I ever worked with. We found the charisma, the look that is really me, not that someone wanted to create on me. It was funky, it was classic. I can?t wait for people to see it. It?s going to come out probably before the U.S. Open. It will be my portfolio that I?m going to share with my fans on my website. It?s going to be amazing.
You reached the Wimbledon semis. It felt like a big deal for us. Did it feel like that for you?
Yeah, of course. It was one of the biggest stages of my career so far now. I was really looking forward to play that semifinal. I think I did a pretty good job. Of course, I?m not completely satisfied. But it was another step, another learning experience. It was important to really play out there on those big stages. Maybe sometimes you can learn actually more with a loss than with a win.
Do you see Petra Kvitova as someone you?ll compete with and have a rivalry with, say, in five years?
Yeah, definitely. I think she?s a great player. I didn?t see her being very consistent on a regular basis, but it always can change. She?s been playing great this year. We?ll see how it?s going, but any day she can come out and play a hell of a match, as you can see.
Some say there?s a power vacuum at the top in WTA. Your thoughts on that? Does it feel like an opportunity, pressure, something else?
Honestly, as a player I think the tennis got way more competitive than it was before. You don?t see just three or four players dominating the tour all the time as you could see maybe 10 years ago. You could see top players winning 6-0, 6-1 prior to quarterfinals. I don?t think that?s really interesting to watch. Of course, all the biggest credit to them because they were so dominant and consistent. But now the game became so much more physical. Everybody?s working out way more than they were before. There?s the speed, the spins. And a lot of young players are coming, and they?re not very afraid of whoever is in front of them.
How are things working out with your coach, Sam Sumyk? What are some important things you?ve learned from him?
It?s going great. We always have some disagreements, but it?s normal. You cannot always just agree, and it?s just boring if you always agree on everything. What I learned about him is he never pushes me to make me do something. He explains to me why I have to do it, and I take my own decision to do it or not to do it. He says, ?Well I?m not going to take my racquet and play for you ? you gotta do it yourself. You really have to find that inner power to do things yourself and be responsible for your actions.?
Your WTA bio says you admire Federer?s professionalism on court and off. Can you give examples?
He has this look that he?s there on every single ball. He makes opponents work so hard to earn that point. And you can see so much Nadal doing the same and Djokovic too, now raising the level so high. It?s just amazing how much domination they have in their game.
Can you name a few specific players you?d pay to watch?
Of course Federer and Nadal and all those guys. And the girls, you know, Serena, Venus, Caroline, Maria and a lot of other girls. It?s just so much effort we put in. People don?t see all the hard work we do outside the matches. Sometimes I think they don?t really appreciate the amount of work we put in. I think everyone deserves [attention].
If you could ?steal? any shot/quality from another player, what would it be?
[The response is immediate.] Rafa?s forehand.
But you?re not a lefty?
Well I would be a lefty if I could have that forehand.
Caroline Wozniacki, a friend of yours, gets a lot of attention for not having won a Slam yet. Your thoughts on the stories and the attention.
The stories just became normal I guess. The same happened to Jankovic and Dinara when they were No. 1. They were given all this, I would say, crap. As many people there are in the world, as many opinions there are. You cannot say that everybody has to agree on something ? it would be boring. What would they all talk about?
Grunting is once again getting a lot of attention. Why do you think that is? You?ve said you?ve grunted since you were little. If you could do anything differently when you were little, would you?
No, I wouldn?t. I?ve been asked that about 1,000 times. I can put it another way. Are you married? [No, I?m not. Why? Know any good guys?] No, just an example. My dad and a lot of men, they snore, right? But they?re not conscious about it. And you ask them every time, ?Damn it, you were snoring the whole night.? And they?re like, ?Really?? And you say, ?Yeah.? And they can?t change it. A lot of people who ask this question? do they snore or not? Can they change it? I can ask the same question, you know. But I?m there busting my butt to win the point. That?s part of my game, that?s part of who I am, it?s part of my breathing, it?s part of my movement.
In the WTA you?ve earned the third most in prize money this year. More than Sharapova, Clijsters, Wozniacki. Did you know this?
No. Wow, it?s pretty good. My finances will be pretty happy. The money is always important, because I have a big team, I have a lot of expenses. You cannot lie ? that always makes you feel pretty special.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/PLcaPGEiRGI/
Monday, August 22, 2011
Gilles Simon holds nerve to seal victory in German Open
GILLES SIMON clinched the German Open with a three-set win over Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in Hamburg.
Survival skill
Maria Sharapova overcame a first-set letdown, rallying to beat Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the Western & Southern Open final.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44222521/ns/sports-tennis/
Kendrick's doping ban cut to 8 months (AP)
American tennis player Robert Kendrick had his doping ban reduced to eight months from one year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday. Kendrick tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine at the French Open on May 22. He blamed it on a capsule he took to combat jet lag. The 31-year-old American had sought a three-month ban, which would have allowed him to compete at the U.S.
Wicked Wilma to be the toast in Blended Scotch Whisky Handicap
WICKED Wilma has enough about her to defy top weight in the race of the day Hamilton.
World stocks gains, Brent slips on Libya hopes
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose above recent 11-month lows and Brent crude oil fell on Monday as Libya's civil war appeared to be nearing an end. 
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/-XusCaL-oQE/us-markets-global-idUSTRE77L0AE20110822
Cincinnati Masters: Andy Murray races to title glory as he forces Novak Djokovic into early retirement
ANDY MURRAY clinched the Cincinnati Open after worn-out World No.1 Novak Djokovic could no longer serve due to a sore shoulder.
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