NESTOR AWARDED ORDER OF CANADA

He's already Canada's most decorated tennis player with six Grand Slam doubles titles and an Olympic gold medal among his accomplishments.

But at age 38, Daniel Nestor shows no signs of slowing down.

"I feel like I keep doing certain things better, understanding things more and finding out more things about myself," the Toronto left-hander said this week as he prepares for his first tournament of the season. "For sure I'm a late bloomer."

Nestor's impressive career earned him another accolade this week when he was appointed to the Order of Canada, joining many other top Canadian athletes.

MONO HIT FED, RODDICK, STEPANEK

World No. 8 Andy Roddick says he feels at full strength for the first time in more than six months after overcoming the strength-sapping illness mononucleosis.

Roddick said he fought the illness for most of this past year, when he failed to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the French and U.S. Opens.

He said Wednesday he had worked hard to regain his fitness during the recent offseason and is looking toward next week’s Brisbane Invitational as a springboard into a better 2011.

“For me it’s just a matter of getting right, getting healthy,” Roddick said. “I battled sickness for a big part of last year and from there I just felt like I was playing catch-up.

“You train hard and you get hurt in training coming back. You don’t train, you rest and you try and come back and your body is not right and it shows.

A former No. 1, Roddick’s ranking dropped as low as 13 in August before climbing back into the top 10. He says he feels ready to again crack the world’s top five.

The Czech player has dropped to No. 62 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings after suffering a bout of mononucleosis in the middle part of 2010, but posted encouraging results in the final six weeks of the season and said on Friday that he is feeling fit again ahead of the new year.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/12/29/2741131/tennis-roddick-on-the-mend-after.html#ixzz19bs5TX4G

2011 ATP CALENDAR

1.2 January

1.3 February

1.4 March

1.5 April

1.6 May

1.7 June

1.8 July

1.9 August

1.10 September

1.11 October

1.12 November

SAMPRAS TROPIES STOLEN

Tennis star Pete Sampras says most of his trophies and other memorabilia were stolen from a West Los Angeles public storage facility.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Sampras still has 13 of his 14 grand slam trophies.

But thieves took most of the hardware from his 64 tour title wins, two Davis Cups, an Olympic ring and six trophies for finishing world No. 1 in the year-end rankings from 1993 to 1998.

The theft happened three weeks ago. Sampras says he’s getting the word out in hopes somebody offers a lead.

Sampras retired in 2003 and said the loss is most upsetting because he would have liked to have shown the trophies to his children.

He says the loss “is like having the history of my tennis life taken away.”

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

DELPO RETURNS

U.S. Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina will make his comeback from a 12-month injury layoff at the Sydney International in January after being handed a wild card into the tournament.

Del Potro has been out of action since last year's Australian Open with a wrist injury, dropping from 4 to 259 on the men's world rankings. The wild card will allow him to join a field for the Jan. 9-15 tournament which includes Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and American Sam Querrey.

Organizers confirmed Wednesday that seven of the world's top 10 women will take part in the Australian Open warm-up event at Sydney Olympic Park.

AP

VENI, VOLI, VICI

[ I came, I volleyed, I won]

Fed beats Nadal in London

 

World No. 2 Roger Federer won his fifth title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday when he defeated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in a gripping finale at The O2 in London.

As the undefeated champion of the world’s biggest indoor tennis tournament, Federer received 1,500 South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking points and the maximum amount of $1,630,000 in prize money.  It is the fourth time that he has been crowned the undefeated champion at the season finale, having dropped only one set this week.

ATP

NESTOR WINS LONDON

Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic ended their three-year partnership on a high note Sunday as they were crowned champions of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the second time. In a close final they defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi 7-6(6), 6-4 at The O2 in London.

Next year Nestor will team up with Mirnyi, while Zimonjic will join forces with France’s Michael Llodra. In the on-court trophy presentation Nestor joked: “We’ve had three amazing years. People wonder why we are splitting up. The truth is we play great tennis, but we really don’t like each other!”

ATP

LONDON - FORMAT AND MONEY

MOYA RETIRES

Former World No. 1 Carlos Moya has announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 34. The Spaniard has been troubled with a persistent right foot injury and informed media at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the injury has forced him to call time on his illustrious 15-year career.

Moya played his last match on the ATP World Tour at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open in May, when he suffered a heavy defeat to German Benjamin Becker. It was at that moment, he acknowledged, that the time had come retire after doctors had been unable to settle on an effective course of treatment for his foot.

“I wanted to play the big tournaments and say goodbye but I got to the Madrid tournament and I still wasn't 100 per cent. I am still young for life but for sport, I am already knocking on a bit," said Moya. "I realised with that match that the moment had arrived. It's not how I dreamed of ending my career."

ATP

LONDON SKED

 

 

LONDON - 21st NOVEMBER

PARIS QUARTERS MATCH-UPS

 

Subtract 5 hours to translate the given local time to our DST.

14:00 local time is 8 am Friday morn, here.

TAYLOR DENT - ENDANGERED SPECIES

Taylor Dent announced his retirement from tennis Monday.

It's not a total shock. Dent is 29, and that he was playing for the last 18 months or so was a sweet bonus for a man who spent nearly two years fighting debilitating back injuries, underwent three back surgeries in 2006 and 2007 and wondered sometimes whether he would walk unaided and without pain.

But it is a loss for tennis.

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For Dent is taking with him into retirement the kind of game we don't see anymore.

Dent is an unabashed serve-and-volley player, always at the net. In fact, he has always been unwilling to stay at the baseline and pound ground strokes. It wasn't how he was taught, by his father and former pro player Phil Dent, and it wasn't how he wanted to play.

"It wasn't my nature," Dent said. "I love to serve and volley."

After his 12 years on the pro tour, where he was ranked as high as No. 21 in the world, and as he has watched the ascendance of big hitters of ground strokes such as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Dent sounds almost wistful that this style of play is disappearing.

"In the past, tennis has been cyclical," Dent said. "You'd have a wave of guys who stayed back, then a wave of guys who served and volleyed, then a wave of guys who stayed back.

"But lately the technology of tennis is taking the game in one direction. The balls are heavier, the courts are slower, the strings and rackets are enabling players to hit so much harder and with so much spin, it all works against the serve-and-volleyer.

"You might see somebody like a Pat Rafter or a Pete Sampras who have serves so good and so accurate they could negate the technology, but I don't think you'll see many."

Dent, who has a 9-month-old son, said he and his wife, Jenny, sat down last week and talked about what's next.

"It's the deal we have had since my comeback," Dent said, "that at the end of the year we sit down and have a scheduled talk about whether to go forward or retire. I've been playing for 12 years now and I met a lot of my goals, almost all my goals after coming back from the surgeries and the time seemed perfect.

"I've got a son and a strong desire to be a family man. Pro tennis is a grueling schedule and it gets pretty tough after a while. My body was able to hang in there, a testament to my surgeon, but at the end of the day it's just a lot of little things."

Dent, who grew up in Newport Beach and who has been based in Bradenton, Fla., for the last couple of years, said he would probably settle down in Kansas City, where his wife is from. He said he's interested in exploring careers in coaching and in tennis commentating.

"We'll see where the chips fall," he said.

As for what he'll remember most fondly about his career, Dent has a list.

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"Any time I've won titles [four], those are big deals to me," he said. "Not very many players win at the ATP level. I've had some big wins in my day, over James Blake and Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero. And if I look back on the broader picture, clawing my way back from surgery, it gave me a lot of pride because it wasn't something easily done and it wasn't only me but my whole supporting cast.

"There are things I'll regret that didn't turn out as I wished, the top prizes — being ranked No. 1 or winning a Grand Slam," he said. "Those would have been incredibly special. But as I look back I think I always gave myself a chance to do my best. So I'm proud of that."

diane.pucin@latimes.com

BALLS TO FOOTBALL MATCH

Outraged FC Basel and FC Luzern fans were so angry at a change to the kick-off time for their match at the weekend that they staged a protest by throwing thousands of tennis balls on to the pitch.

A Swiss TV company had engineered the early kick-off to allow them to broadcast both the Swiss Super League match in Emmenbruecke and Roger Federer's final against Novak Djokovic at the ATP Basel tennis tournament, with the football match moved to 12.45pm to ensure that it would be finished in time for the tennis to begin at 3pm.

That prompted the fans of the two clubs - who occupy the top two spots in the Swiss top flight - to protest their treatment with a flurry of tennis balls.

And, with the pitch almost covered in them, the referee had no choice but to send the players back to the dressing rooms.

But as soon as they were cleared by stewards and security staff, the crafty fans began to rain a second wave of balls on to the pitch - forcing a further delay at the Sportanlage Gersag stadium.

When the game was finally played Basel fans were left celebrating an injury-time equaliser that saw them rescue a point to remain top of the league - while in the tennis, Federer beat Djokovic in three sets to win the title in front of his hometown crowd for the fourth time in five years.

YAHOO

TSN (2) PARIS SKED

HOMEYS WIN

FERRER WINS VALENCIA

FEDERER TAKES BASEL

BRYAN'S CLINCH TOP RANK

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan celebrated clinching the year-end No.1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking by defeating Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 to win their 11th tour-level title of the season at the Swiss Indoors Basel Sunday.

The Americans, who will finish the year as the No. 1 team for a record sixth time in eight years, extended their perfect record in tour-level finals this season to 11-0, including two majors at the Australian Open and the US Open. It is the second time in their career they have won 11 titles in a season (also 2007) and they will look to set a new career-high tally in their final two tournaments of the season at the BNP Paribas Masters and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

ATP

NESTOR TAKES HIS 70TH

Top seeded Daniel Nestor of Toronto and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic won the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy on Sunday for their sixth doubles title of the season.

Nestor and Zimonjic, ranked second in the world, defeated No. 3 seeds Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 7-5, 3-6, 10-5 in the final for their first victory since the French Open.

“It’s great to be back in the winners’ circle,” said Nestor. “We played really well, beat one of the hottest teams on tour, so it’s a good feeling.”

The win was also the 70th doubles title of Nestor’s career, making the 38-year-old just the fifth player to reach the mark.

“It’s amazing. I’m fortunate to have had great partners,” said Nestor. “I’m playing well still, even at this age, and hopefully I can get a couple more years in there (and win a few more titles).”

Nestor and Zimonjic announced earlier in the month that their three-year partnership will end following the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Nestor is slated to join Max Mirnyi of Belarus, while Zimonjic will team up with Michael Llodra of France.

Both Nestor and Zimonjic had previously won in Vienna. Nestor triumphed with former longtime partner Mark Knowles in 2005; Zimonjic with Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 2000.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Nestor+wins+70th+career+doubles+title/3755375/story.html#ixzz13znH4Uue

NESTOR - ZIMONJIC

Top seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic made an emphatic start to their Bank Austria TennisTrophy campaign on Wednesday, crushing Italians Andreas Seppi and Simone Vagnozzi 6-0, 6-0 in just 33 minutes.

Nestor and Zimonjic have endured a barren run in recent months and are bidding to win their first tour-level title since Roland Garros (d. Dlouhy-Paes) in early June. Courtesy of winning five trophies in the first six months of the season, the Canadian-Serbian duo are assured of their place in the elite eight-team field at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be played at The O2 in London 21-28 November.

TWEENER

GONZALEZ - HIP SURGERY

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez is bracing for an extended layoff after announcing that he will have hip and possibly knee surgery next month. The former Australian Open finalist and World No. 5 will have right hip surgery on 4 October in New York.

A statement on Gonzalez's official web site said that he could be sidelined for eight to nine months, which puts his return date at midway through or late in next year's European clay court season.

Gonzalez will have the surgery with Doctor Brian Kelly, who is a noted orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip and knee.

ATP

BRAIN-BODY FITNESS

But it’s the neurological impact of sustained aerobic fitness in young people that is especially compelling. A memorable years-long Swedish study published last year found that, among more than a million 18-year-old boys who joined the army, better fitness was correlated with higher I.Q.’s, even among identical twins. The fitter the twin, the higher his I.Q. The fittest of them were also more likely to go on to lucrative careers than the least fit, rendering them less likely, you would hope, to live in their parents’ basements. No correlation was found between muscular strength and I.Q. scores. There’s no evidence that exercise leads to a higher I.Q., but the researchers suspect that aerobic exercise, not strength training, produces specific growth factors and proteins that stimulate the brain, said Georg Kuhn, a professor at the University of Gothenburg and the senior author of the study.

nytimes

BALLS

In 1480, Louis XI of France forbade the filling of tennis balls with chalk, sand, sawdust, or earth, and stated that they were to be made of good leather, well-stuffed with wool.^[1] Other early tennis balls were made by Scottish craftsmen from a wool-wrapped stomach of a sheep or goat and tied with rope. Those recovered from the hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall during a period of recent restoration were found to have been manufactured from a combination of putty and human hair, and were dated to the reign of Henry VIII. Other versions, using materials such as animal fur, rope made from animal intestines and muscles, and pine wood, were found in Scottish castles dating back to the 16th century. In the 18th century, ¾" strips of wool were wound tightly around a nucleus made by rolling a number of strips into a little ball. String was then tied in many directions around the ball and a white cloth covering sewn around the ball. This explains why modern rubber tennis balls still have a cloth covering (in the early days of lawn tennis, it proved quite difficult to get the cloth to adhere very well to the rubber). This type of cloth ball, with a cork core, is still used for the original game of tennis, today called real tennis. With the introduction of lawn tennis in the 1870s, vulcanized rubber was first used to manufacture balls, often in tubes of four with a package, but not with the name of the brand.

Wikipedia

JERSEY GIRL

Kim Clijsters made short work of Ana Ivanovic on Sunday for her 18th straight victory spanning five years at the U.S. Open, the tournament at which she happens to have won her only two Grand Slam titles. There has not been such home-court advantage at

the National Tennis Center since John McEnroe.

Venus Williams is the last American in the women's draw, but Clijsters is the only player left with a commutable home in the New York area.

There are weeks during the North American hardcourt summer when Clijsters retreats to the house she owns in Wall, N.J., with her husband, Brian Lynch. Wall is one town inland from Belmar, where Lynch grew up a huge Knicks fan, the third of four sons of Richard Lynch, a retired Belmar police chief.

"My parents are still in Belmar and my brothers all live and work in the area," Lynch said. "I was the only one who ventured off."

They are not quite the cast of "Jersey Shore," but Lynch said that Clijsters seemed to enjoy being part of his big, noisy Irish family in the quiet beach community.

"The reputation has become tainted because of the show, but Kim really feels comfortable here, really at home," Lynch said after his wife, the defending Open champion, breezed into the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-1 dismantling of the unseeded

Ivanovic. "When Kim is comfortable, she is pretty tough to beat, so I guess, yeah, you could call her part Jersey girl."

She played the first match of the day in Arthur Ashe Stadium, when the crowd is sparse, typically sleepy. Two years ago, when Ivanovic looked like the next big thing in women's tennis, this might have been a premier slugfest instead of a third-round yawner. Then again, two years ago, Clijsters was at her primary home in Belgium, thinking she was finished with tennis, content with her 2005 Open title.

This is their story. Lynch played basketball at Villanova, where he was a teammate of NBA players Tim Thomas and Malik Allen. He graduated in 2000 and took his 6-foot-6 frame and small-forward game to Europe. He moved around - Germany, Israel, Greece, Poland, Italy, France, not in that order - before landing in Belgium in 2004.

The club team happened to be in Bree, Clijsters' hometown. Lynch knew little about tennis, less about Clijsters, but found himself in the VIP room after a game one night, talking to a woman who turned out to be Clijsters' mother.

The subject was bulldogs; they each owned one. When Lynch learned that the famous tennis star was the pretty woman across the room, he figured he had an opening: the canine conversation. He introduced himself. They went on a date and brought their bulldogs. The emotions culminating in marriage were unceremoniously unleashed.

When their daughter, Jada, was born in February 2008, the plan was for Clijsters to stay home while Lynch continued his basketball career, then for a team in Antwerp one hour away. Then there was bad news: Clijsters' father, Leo, had cancer.

"Whatever plan we had became irrelevant once we found out," Lynch said. "It was all about Kim and the baby spending time with her father." Leo Clijsters, 52, died in 2009. Looking for a distraction from her sadness, Kim agreed to play a few exhibitions. She took to the practice court and found that the ball-striking made her move her feet, move forward with life.

"I could see it develop over a month or so," Lynch said. "She would come home and say: 'Last week I couldn't move the way I used to. Today, I could."' She wanted to play tennis again. He knew it was coming and already had a new plan percolating.

"I'd already been playing nine years abroad," he said. "I was almost 31." He told Clijsters he would retire and travel with her on the tour. He would begin building bridges into the coaching career he fancies once Clijsters has gotten tennis out of her system.

When might that be? Lynch said he doubted she was back for the long haul. In her news conference Sunday, Clijsters said, "If I say in six months, 'OK, this has been fun,' and it's been good, you know, and I have achieved what I've wanted to achieve,then I'm the one who decides."

It is a nice place to be, she said, playing not because she has to or because she cannot think of anything better to do. These days, in a Grand Slam event, everything is at stake, or nothing, depending on how she wants to look at it.

"The pressure is a privilege," Clijsters said.

Like all tennis stars, she is a citizen of the world, belonging to whoever chooses to adopt her. She is not an American, but since she is the defending Open champion and part Jersey girl, Arthur Ashe Stadium is her house until someone takes it from her.

PROGRESS INDEX .com

$43 MILLION DOLLAR MAN (per year)

A few headliners will be on the sidelines when US Open play begins today including defending men’s champ Juan Martin del Potro as well as Serena Williams and Justine Henin who have won a combined 22 Grand Slam singles titles. The men’s tourney still features the sport’s two heavyweights Roger Federer and Roger Nadal who have won 20 of the past 22 Grand Slams. The favorite on the women’s side is Kim Clijsters who captured last year’s title after a two year retirement where she gave birth to a daughter.

Men and women typically play for vastly different sums of money in sports. Michelle Wie earned $337,500 for her second career LPGA victory this weekend, while Matt Kuchar’s paycheck was $1.35 million for claiming The Barclays men’s golf event on Sunday. The best paid players in the WNBA make $100,000 per season on the court, while men’s salaries can reach $23 million. Tennis is different though. The men’s and women’s Open champion will each earn $1.7 million for the title. The US Open has paid equal prize money the past 38 years, but credit Venus Williams who fought for equal pay at Wimbledon which finally acquiesced in 2007 as did the French Open.

Our look at the highest-paid tennis players exemplifies this kind of equality in the game. Half the top ten are men and half are women, although Roger Federer is light years ahead of anyone else thanks to his longtime dominance and 10 lucrative sponsorship deals. Several of these athletes showed up on our lists of the highest-paid athletes and female athletes this summer. In all cases for incomes we include: prize money, endorsements, exhibitions and appearance fees over the past 12-months without taxes or agent’s fees deducted.

The list below also includes a few big sponsors for each players. The shoe and apparel deal is almost always the largest endorsement for top players in tennis. The value of these deals can rise dramatically based on bonuses for tournaments won and year-end rankings. As in most sports Nike is the king in tennis when it comes to comes to signing the best (and most expensive) talent. It has deals with our four highest-paid athletes who have combined for 40 Grand Slam singles titles.

Player/earnings/sponsors

1. Roger Federer: $43 million (Nike, Credit Suisse, Gillette)

2. Maria Sharapova: $24.5 million (Nike, Prince, Tiffany)

3. Rafael Nadal: $21 million (Nike, Kia Motors, Babolat)

4. Serena Williams: $20 million (Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Kraft)

5. Venus Williams: $15 million (Wilson, American Express, Kraft)

6. Andy Roddick: $14 million (Lacoste, SAP, Lagardere)

7. (tie) Novak Djokovic: $10 million (Sergio Tacchini, Head, FitLine)

7. (tie) Andy Murray: $10 million (Adidas, Head, RBS)

9. Ana Ivanovic: $7 million (Adidas, Yonex, Rolex)

10. Jelena Jankovic: $5 million (Anta, Orbit)

FORBES

FIGHT NIGHT AT US OPEN

Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner stopped playing to watch the fisticuffs in the upper deck at Arthur Ashe Stadium (and, boy, would Ashe have hated this). Djokovic, who hails from Serbia, won, by the way, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

The off-court action started after a woman appeared to take exception to the continual swearing of a male fan.

"It was far away from the court; we couldn't really see what was going on," Djokovic said. "I hope it was no Serbian up there."

THE NATURAL

 

"I've never seen a guy do this," U.S. tennis great Stan Smith, 63, winner of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, was saying early Tuesday evening. "He's one of a kind."

But Smith wasn't talking about Bopanna or Qureshi. He was staring at the other end of the court. There, for a moment anyway, stood a 31-year old American about to serve named Brian Battistone. He held his racket in his left hand, tossed the ball some 15 feet into the air with his right, then switched the racket into his right and leapt high before smacking the ball over the net like Karch Kiraly spiking. Battistone's father used to own the Utah Jazz, and he's a former ballboy with a 36-inch vertical leap; his serve was clocked last year at 139 m.p.h. The ball cracked down at an unholy angle as Battistone landed. You have never seen anything like him.

And that's only the half of it. The racket in Battistone's hand was fire-engine red. It had two handles, splayed on the end like a divining rod, and goes by the name, "The Natural."

"He does two things that are very, very odd," Smith said. "The two-handled racket, plus the serve is, uh, pretty amazing."

Still, Smith was less shocked than most onlookers, whose comments ranged from "What the hell is that?" to "That jump makes no sense on the second serve" to "What was his coach smoking?" Tennis has a long tradition of geeks obsessed with string hybrids and the latest experimental gear; 43 years ago, Smith himself was knocked out of the 1977 U.S. Open by a no-name wielding soon-outlawed spaghetti strings. Battistone's two-handled racket is legal, though at first he traveled with a certificate for disbelieving referees, opponents and tournament directors.

"When my brother and I first came out on tour 2½ years ago, it was the worst," Battistone said after. "Nobody had even seen it before, and people would laugh constantly, make jokes. But after we were able to win a few matches, and in the first year we made the top 200. I don't think it's quite normal yet, but a lot of players are used to it and have fun with it now. They'll try it out. People see it as somewhat legitimate."

Somewhat. Battistone, who started playing with the racket -- developed by Southern California inventor Lionel Burt -- in 2007, teamed for this Open with Ryler DeHeart, who refuses to even pick up the racket -- much less swing it -- for fear that it will mangle his stroke. In the locker room before Tuesday's match, Battistone showed "The Natural" to Rafael Nadal, said it would be a natural for him, and Nadal took a few swings. Whether that had anything to do with his surprising difficulty that night with unranked first-round opponent Teymuraz Gabashvili isn't clear, but Nadal said after that such a racket was, well, crazy.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/sl_price/09/03/bopanna.qureshi/index.html?eref=si_tennis&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_tennis+%28SI.com+-+Tennis%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#ixzz0yTydJG7t

BETWEEN THE LEGS

SERENA FOOTFAULTED - - AGAIN??

NYTIMES 

Article on Serena's injured foot.

Jesse Witten Wins 1st Qualie Round

Next round for Jesse is tomorrow, Friday.

A SHOKING LOSS - NOT!!!

 

Both Serena and Venus were subjected to psychological abuse at the mouth of their father, and probably physical abuse at his hands. Their Mom had been admitted to hospital twice with broken ribs.

Champions they are, but only if they feel unthreatened. Leading a match, they will run roughshod over their opponents.

But if their opposition can stay close, their internal temperature rises and an implosion is not far off. Today, was a stellar example.

Tsvetana Pironkova - WHO? - of Bulgaria, stayed close and Venus shattered like glass on rock. Double faults, missed put-aways - it was ugly [more than most women's matches].

Serena could have gone the same way, but struggled past Na Li [7-6, 6-3].

Women's tennis is mediocre, but most matches devolve into psychodramas.

Martina Navratilova was the same - in tears and the match not yet finished.

It's difficult to name any balanced woman player - Kim Clijsters only comes to mind.

Tom Tebbutt in today's Globe touted Serena's mental toughness.

Quite the opposite, Tom, she has an Achilles' head!

WIMBLEDON KEY DATES

June 7, 2010: Wild card announcements start, LTA wild card play-off begins.

June 14, 2010: Qualifying begins.

June 16, 2010: (12 noon) Seedings announced.

June 17, 2010: Qualifying ends.

June 18, 2010: (10 am): Official draw.

July 3, 2010: (from 2pm, weather permitting): Ladies' singles final, men's doubles final, ladies' doubles final.

July 4, 2010: (from 2pm, weather permitting): Men's singles final, mixed doubles final.

DOH!

JESSE WITTEN QUALIFIES

Former University of Kentucky men's tennis star Jesse Witten will compete in first-round action of the French Open against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, Monday at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France at 11 a.m. CET (5 a.m. EST). The lone tennis Grand Slam event played on a clay surface began Saturday.

Witten, listed No. 184 according to ATP rankings, earned his way into the prestigious tournament last week when he won three qualifying matches. The Naples, Fla., native won a three-hour-47-minute marathon against Marcos Daniel of Brazil 7-6, (7-2), 4-6, 17-15 on Tuesday to start his run. Daniel was ranked 107th in the world. A day later, Witten posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia's John Millman. Witten punched his qualifying ticket Friday when he registered a 7-5, 6-2 win over Pavol Cervenak of Slovakia.

Witten will be making his first appearance at the French Open. He has participated twice in the singles tournament at the US Open (2006 and 2009) with a third-round finish in 2009. He also took part in the US Open doubles tournament in 2006.

Witten's first-round opponent Monday in Paris, Baghdatis, holds a No. 29 singles ranking and has played in five previous French Opens, including a fourth-round finish in 2007.

Witten grew into an iconic tennis figure at Kentucky during his college days (2002-2005), becoming only the 11th four-time men's singles All-American in NCAA history. The native of Naples, Fla., was named the 2005 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and advanced to the championship match of the 2005 NCAA Singles Championship. As a newcomer in 2002, Witten was named SEC Freshman of the Year, helping the Wildcats to a 23-10 mark and eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

FRENCH OPEN ON TSN

MADRID ON TSN AND TSN1

NEWCOMBE - SKIN CANCER

Australian tennis great John Newcombe expects to attend Wimbledon next month after recovering from an operation for skin cancer.

The 65-year-old Newcombe had a growth removed from the right side of his nose after his doctor discovered the cancer had spread under the skin.

"It's just a small little white thing you can hardly see it," Newcombe told Australia's Channel 10 television network.

"It's a cancerous growth so he [the doctor] had to cut ... and I finished up having to have 64 stitches."

Newcombe won seven Grand Slam singles titles and reached the world's No. 1 ranking.

AP

WRIST SURGERY FOR DEL PO

World No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro, who has been sidelined from the ATP World Tour since the Australian Open in January, will undergo surgery on his right wrist on Tuesday in the United States. In a statement, the Argentine divulged that the operation will be carried out by Dr. Richard Berger, director of hand surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the city of Rochester, Minnesota.

APOLLO LAUNCH - TURN ON SOUND

Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch (HD) Camera E-8 from Mark Gray on Vimeo.

ITALIAN OPEN ON TSN AND TSN1

NESTOR TAKES BARCELONA

Top seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic became the first repeat winners at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell in 27 years Sunday as they defeated Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Knowles 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 in the final of the ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tennis tournament.

The Canadian-Serbian duo, currently No. 1 in the 2010 ATP Doubles Team Rankings, adds a further 500 ATP World Tour Ranking points to its tally and shares €89,660 in prize money. The top eight teams at the end of the season will qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 21-28 November.

Nestor and Zimonjic clinched their 20th tour-level title together, following on from their title defence at last week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Bhupathi-Mirnyi). They also lifted trophies in Sydney (d. Hutchins-Kerr) and Rotterdam (d. Aspelin-Hanley) and finished runners-up at the Australian Open (l. to Bryan-Bryan) and the BNP Paribas Open (l. to Lopez-Nadal) earlier in the season.

Last year, Nestor and Zimonjic went on from Barcelona to triumph at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where they will play next week. They completed the sweep of 2009 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournaments in Madrid.

ATP

MARK KNOWLES MILESTONE

Bahamian Mark Knowles has become just the fifth player in ATP World Tour history to record 700 doubles match wins.

The 38-year-old Knowles partnered former World No. 1 singles player Lleyton Hewitt to a 6-4, 7-6(0) victory over sixth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach on Thursday for a place in the Barcelona Open BancSabadell quarter-finals. Knowles and Hewitt won 71 per cent of service points and saved four of six break points for victory in 89 minutes.

“It’s a great milestone,” said Knowles, who has a 700-338 overall doubles record. “It reflects a pretty good career and I’ve had some great partners along the way to get me to that milestone. It’s exciting [and] it’s been a very challenging year. Every win is special these days based on the year I've had with injuries.”

Knowles joins Todd Woodbridge (782 wins), his long-time former partner Daniel Nestor (745), Sherwood Stewart (723) and Jonas Bjorkman (709) in the exclusive 700 Match Wins Club.

"I've got to know Lleyton pretty well recently,” said Knowles. “I asked him to play here and he was excited to play. Obviously it’s an honour. It’s extra special that he got me to 700 today.”

Over the course of a 19-season pro career, Knowles has won 52 career doubles titles. He has won at least one title for 16 of 17 years (except 1999) from 1993-2009. He won his three Grand Slam doubles titles with Nestor at the 2002 Australian Open, the 2004 US Open and at 2007 Roland Garros.

When asked how much longer he intends to play, No. 8-ranked Knowles said, “You never know. I've got a great partner lined up in Mardy Fish this year. So far our biggest obstacle has been to try and stay healthy between the two of us.

“I still enjoy being out there and competing. A lot depends on health, family and other issues, but I feel like I'm still playing at a good enough level to stay out here and compete.”

ATP

WIMBLEDON PRIZE HISTORY

Following is an evolution of the prize money awarded to singles champions at Wimbledon since tennis turned professional in 1968 (all figures in pounds sterling).

            Men              Women

1968 2,000          750

1970 3,000         1,500

1975 10,000      7,000

1980 20,000     18,000

1985 130,000   117,000

1990 230,000  207,000

1995 365,000  328,000

2000 477,500 430,000

2005 630,000 600,000

2007 700,000 700,000

REUTERS

WIMBLEDON PRIZE MONEY

Wimbledon organizers have increased prize money for the men's and women's champions to £1 million ($1.53 million).

The All England Club has sanctioned the £150,000 rise to offset the effects of the falling value of the British pound against the US dollar and euro.

The total prize money for the event will be £13.725 million, an increase of £1.175 million on 2009.

The All England Club agreed to pay women the same prize money as men for the first time in 2007. The £1 million prize for the 2010 ladies singles' champion is more than double that of eight years ago.

CNN

NADAL KNEES REST

Spanish tennis star
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Conde de Godo tournament in
Barcelona because of further problems in his knees.

The
former world number one had just returned to winning ways after
triumphing in Monte Carlo, but tendonitis in his knees forced him out
of the Barcelona competition.

"My body has asked me to rest," he explained in Barcelona based spots paper El Mundo Deportivo.

Nadal
was plagued with knee problems last year and was unable to play at
Queens, Wimbledon or take part in the final of the Davis Cup, which
Spain won in Barcelona.

"I
have said on several occasions that the calendar is badly structured at
this time of the season," commented Nadal, in reference to the fact
that the competitions in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and the Rome Masters
(which begins next week) represent three consecutive weeks of
competition with no rest in between.

"I
am really sorry I can't play in Barcelona, more than in any other
competition. I feel it is the competition that is played in my club and
at my home," he explained.

Nadal
will now focus on recovering in time to play the Rome Masters, before
competing in the Madrid Masters in early 9-16 May and then the French
Open (May 23-June 6).

MONTE CARLO ON TSN

CHEECH SMOKES RAFA

 

 

Ivan Ljubicic posted a surprise semifinal victory on Saturday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open.

The 20th-seeded Croat downed favored third-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) to gain a berth in Sunday's final.

Nadal -- who won here in 2007 and 2009 -- breezed through the first set in a half hour, but Ljubicic roared back with four straight points in the second to win the set. The 31-year-old then toughed out a final set which took nearly an hour to complete to earn the victory.

It will be Ljubicic's first appearance in an ATP Masters Series final since bowing to Roger Federer in Miami four years ago. His opponent will be either seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick .

TSN

INDIAN WELLS AND KEY BICAYNE ON TSN

Things Get Ugly Between Two Legends At Charity Event "Agassi/Sampras"

Agassi, in his book, "Open", asks a car valet how much Pete tipped him. The valet reluctantly says, "One dollar."
This revelation has lead to some hard feelings between Pete and Andre.

ANCIC AND MONO

Another former Top 10 player, Croatian Mario Ancic, won his first ATP World Tour match in more than year as he rallied from down a set and break to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American qualifier Bobby Reynolds.

Returning to Indian Wells held extra significance for the 25 year old, who had retired against countryman Ivan Lubicic after six games in his 2009 opener. “This week is so special for me because last year this was the last match, and then I haven’t played for almost a year,” said Ancic.

The Croat had reached a career-high No. 7 in 2006, but suffered a series of setbacks over the past couple years – largely caused by recurrences of mononucleosis. After receiving a clean bill of health in November, he tested out his match fitness at ATP Challengers and Futures events this season, and reached the final last week at a Futures tournament in Texas.

“The more matches I play, the better I will feel on the court definitely,” said Ancic.

NADAL'S RANKING

There will be a lot at stake for Rafael Nadal at the BNP Paribas Open from the Indian Wells Tennis Center at Indian Wells, California.  Nadal is the defending champion from 2009 and as a result he has 1000 points to defend, points that are scheduled to drop from his total on March 22nd, 2010.

Currently Nadal is ranked 3rd on the ATP tour with 7520 points and he could quite easily drop below 7000 points after Indian Wells.  Depending on how Andy Murray does at Indian Wells (he was a finalist last year) we might see Nadal slip back down to 4th on tour.

While nothing major will happen to Nadal's ranking in March, April and May of 2010 could be a different story.

Those two months will see a lot of tour ranking points at risk for Nadal.  On April 19th 1000 points are scheduled to drop from Nadal's total from his win at Monte Carlo in 2009.  On April 26th 500 points from his Barcelona title are scheduled to drop off as well.  On May 3rd his 1000 points from winning Rome last year are scheduled to drop and finally on May 17th 600 more points from his finals appearance at Madrid last year will be at risk.

There's also 180 points from his quarterfinals appearance in Miami last year that will be at risk soon but Nadal could defend those.

However a large chunk of the other 4100 points for the five other tournaments (Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, and Barcelona) are in serious jeopardy of going undefended as Nadal's form is not the same now as it was at this time last year due to his nagging injuries.

CRUNCH SPORTS

INDIAN WELLS -TSN AND TSN2

HIP REPLACEMENT PROBLEMS

Some of the nation’s leading orthopedic surgeons have reduced or stopped use of a popular category of artificial hips amid concerns that the devices are causing severe tissue and bone damage in some patients, often requiring replacement surgery within a year or two.

In recent years, such devices, known as “metal on metal” implants, have been used in about one-third of the approximately 250,000 hip replacements performed annually in this country. They are used in conventional hip replacements and in a popular alternative procedure known as resurfacing.

The devices, whose ball-and-socket joints are made from metals like cobalt and chromium, became widely used in the belief that they would be more durable than previous types of implants.

The cause and the scope of the problem are not clear. But studies in recent years indicate that in some cases the devices can quickly begin to wear, generating high volumes of metallic debris that is absorbed into a patient’s body. That situation can touch off inflammatory reactions that cause pain in the groin, death of tissue in the hip joint and loss of surrounding bone.

WHOLE ARTICLE FROM NYTIMES

HOLOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURAL IMAGING

Holographic Architectural Imaging by Zebra from Core77 on Vimeo.

NESTOR IN NETHERLANDS

Toronto's Daniel Nestor and his Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic won their second straight ABN Amro doubles title Sunday.

The pair defeated Australian Paul Hanley and Simon Aspelin of Sweden 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-7 match tiebreak).

"Nenad and I played well," said Nestor, 37, who will head back across the Atlantic for a brief break before returning to play in the Dubai tournament starting Feb. 22.

"We're showing what we can do so far this season, I hope we can keep up this good form. It was a difference of just a few points today."

Nestor also won the ABN Amro title in 2002 when he was paired with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas.

Sunday's victory gave Nestor and Zimonjic their second trophy from three events so far in 2010 and they had won 10 of their 11 finals going into Rotterdam. The pair have now claimed 16 titles since 2008.

Nestor booked the 65th trophy of his career, including the last two honours at Wimbledon with Zimonjic.

They're ranked No. 1 in the world but American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan are hot on their heels.

They lost to the Bryan brothers two weeks ago at the Australian Open final.

TSN

CATS DO BARK - NADAL #4!!!!

SWEET SIXTEEN

Roger Federer experienced quite a range of emotions these past two Australian Opens.

A year ago, he sobbed on court after losing a thrilling final in five sets.

Federer was all smiles Sunday after rather easily beating Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) for a fourth championship in Melbourne and 16th Grand Slam title overall.

While Murray missed a chance to end a drought for British men at Grand Slam tournaments that stretches all the way to 1936, Federer became the first Dad to win a major singles title since 2003. He also now can aim at a true, calendar-year Grand Slam, something no man has accomplished since 1969.

"I'm over the moon winning this again," the 28-year-old Swiss star said. "I played some of my best tennis in my life these last two weeks. It's also very special -- the first Grand Slam as a father."

Federer had only recently discovered he was to become the father of twins when he lost the Australian Open final in five wrenching sets against rival Rafael Nadal last year, then broke down during the presentation.

This time, Federer was in control of the action pretty much throughout against Murray, and afterward, it was the 22-year-old from Scotland whose voice was breaking and who was choking back tears.

"I can cry like Roger," Murray said. "It's just a shame I can't play like him."

OZ ON TSN

NADAL'S KNEE

Rafael Nadal will miss up to four weeks of competition with a knee injury that forced him to quit in the third set of his Australian Open quarterfinal against Andy Murray.

The second-ranked Nadal had his right knee assessed in Spain and was advised to get rest and treatment for four weeks before returning to tournament play.

Nadal said it was not the recurrence of the tendinitis that sidelined the six-time Grand Slam singles champion for periods of 2009.

He was unable to defend his Wimbledon title last year because of the tendinitis and has not reached another Grand Slam final since his five-set win over Roger Federer at last year's Australian Open.

MRI and ultrasound tests showed a small tear at the back part of Nadal's right knee, which can be treated with physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory treatment, Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said in the statement.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

DEEP-SIX

On Wednesday, Roger Federer  fired a warning shot at his potential challengers in the Australian Open final four after a ruthless deconstruction of sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko in their quarter-final on Wednesday.

Despite a poor start that saw Federer lose the first set and face a double break in the second, the world No. 1 surged back into the match and finished off the Russian 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5 in two hours and 36 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.

Davydenko stands near the baseline and as soon as Federer began to hit with greater depth, Davydenko lost some power, placement, and spin - all as a result of hitting the ball slightly late.

SLEEP-DEPRIVED - FRI 3:30 AM

MURRAY GRINDS DOWN CILIC

Marathon man Marin Cilic bowed out of his first Australian Open semi-final on Thursday disappointed and exhausted but will take away a top 10 ranking and more confidence to beat the game's best players.

The towering Croat, who upset quarter-final opponent Andy Roddick in his third five-set match of the tournament, appeared to have a chance of securing another shock with a win over a sluggish Andy Murray after taking the first set.

The match turned on one shot, however, when the fifth-seeded Briton broke Cilic, the number 14 seed, at 2-2 in the second set with a spectacular passing shot, then powered home to win 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena.

Eventho' , Cilic was running on fumes, Murray had to play superb tennis to win. In that sense, Cilic was beaten in the previous rounds.

REUTERS

CHINESE BREAK THRU

On Tuesday, Zheng Jie became the first Chinese woman to ever make the semifinals at the Australian Open. Twenty-four hours later, countrywoman Li Na became the second. Though the eyes of the tennis world are looking ahead to a potential Serena Williams-Justine Henin final in Melbourne, we'll today celebrate the historic achievements of China's two emerging tennis stars.

Love -- Though the Aussie Open schedule lists them as Jie Zheng and Na Li, their names are Zheng Jie and Li Na, respectively. The Chinese naming system puts the family name first (which is why Yao Ming has "YAO" written on the back of his jersey instead of "MING").

15 -- China's state-sponsored sports program used to keep Zheng Jie and Li Na from having much, if any, control over their careers. The players couldn't play many international tournaments and were assigned coaches, doctors, nutrionists and psychologists. But a post-Olympics reform gave the players more freedom and the results have been striking. New coaches, schedules and regimens have played an integral role in the emergence of the two women. Also key: Instead of forking over 60 percent of earnings to the Chinese government, the women now have to give just 12 percent.

30 -- In China the pair are nicknamed "The Golden Flowers."

40 -- Despite being linked by the court, the pair couldn't be more different off of it. Li Na is the rebel with the tattooed chest and fiery attitude who often clashes with the oppressive Chinese government. Conversely, Zheng Jie has been called "the darling of the Chinese media" and is fiercely loyal to the Communist party.

Game -- Regardless of what happens Thursday in Melbourne, Li Na will become the first Chiense woman ever to enter the top 10. 

On Tuesday, Zheng Jie became the first Chinese woman to ever make the semifinals at the Australian Open. Twenty-four hours later, countrywoman Li Na became the second. Though the eyes of the tennis world are looking ahead to a potential Serena Williams-Justine Henin final in Melbourne, we'll today celebrate the historic achievements of China's two emerging tennis stars.

Love -- Though the Aussie Open schedule lists them as Jie Zheng and Na Li, their names are Zheng Jie and Li Na, respectively. The Chinese naming system puts the family name first (which is why Yao Ming has "YAO" written on the back of his jersey instead of "MING").

15 -- China's state-sponsored sports program used to keep Zheng Jie and Li Na from having much, if any, control over their careers. The players couldn't play many international tournaments and were assigned coaches, doctors, nutrionists and psychologists. But a post-Olympics reform gave the players more freedom and the results have been striking. New coaches, schedules and regimens have played an integral role in the emergence of the two women. Also key: Instead of forking over 60 percent of earnings to the Chinese government, the women now have to give just 12 percent.

30 -- In China the pair are nicknamed "The Golden Flowers."

40 -- Despite being linked by the court, the pair couldn't be more different off of it. Li Na is the rebel with the tattooed chest and fiery attitude who often clashes with the oppressive Chinese government. Conversely, Zheng Jie has been called "the darling of the Chinese media" and is fiercely loyal to the Communist party.

Game -- Regardless of what happens Thursday in Melbourne, Li Na will become the first Chiense woman ever to enter the top 10. 

On Tuesday, Zheng Jie became the first Chinese woman to ever make the semifinals at the Australian Open. Twenty-four hours later, countrywoman Li Na became the second. Though the eyes of the tennis world are looking ahead to a potential Serena Williams-Justine Henin final in Melbourne, we'll today celebrate the historic achievements of China's two emerging tennis stars.

Love -- Though the Aussie Open schedule lists them as Jie Zheng and Na Li, their names are Zheng Jie and Li Na, respectively. The Chinese naming system puts the family name first (which is why Yao Ming has "YAO" written on the back of his jersey instead of "MING").

15 -- China's state-sponsored sports program used to keep Zheng Jie and Li Na from having much, if any, control over their careers. The players couldn't play many international tournaments and were assigned coaches, doctors, nutrionists and psychologists. But a post-Olympics reform gave the players more freedom and the results have been striking. New coaches, schedules and regimens have played an integral role in the emergence of the two women. Also key: Instead of forking over 60 percent of earnings to the Chinese government, the women now have to give just 12 percent.

30 -- In China the pair are nicknamed "The Golden Flowers."

40 -- Despite being linked by the court, the pair couldn't be more different off of it. Li Na is the rebel with the tattooed chest and fiery attitude who often clashes with the oppressive Chinese government. Conversely, Zheng Jie has been called "the darling of the Chinese media" and is fiercely loyal to the Communist party.

Game -- Regardless of what happens Thursday in Melbourne, Li Na will become the first Chiense woman ever to enter the top 10. 

THE GUARDIAN

FED AND TSONGA MEET IN SEMI

 

World number one Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start before advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals with a 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5 victory over in-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko Wednesday.

Tsonga beat Djokovic 7-6 (8), 6-7 (5), 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 in a near four-hour match and will play Federer in a semifinal Friday. Djokovic appeared to be affected by breathing difficulties and stomach problems during part of the match and took a medical timeout trailing 2-0 in the fourth set.

REUTERS - AP

WEDNSDAY MATCHES

CILIC AND MURRAY WIN

 

Fifth seed Andy Murray booked his place in the semi-finals of the Australian Open when Rafa Nadal, the Spanish second seed and defending champion, retired with an injured knee when trailing 6-3 7-6 3-0 on Tuesday.

A downcast Andy Roddick blamed a shoulder injury for robbing him of the "full deal" during his five-set quarter-final loss to Croatia's Marin Cilic on Tuesday.

The seventh-seeded American struggled with the injury from the first set and took medical treatment in the second, but after battling back to square the match, he went down 7-6 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena.

REUTERS

FOURTH ROUND RESULTS

FOURTH ROUND

BEST MATCH-UPS TONIGHT

But we'll probably have to watch the sisters.