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Today's News Last updated at Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:54:28 GMT   Pete Sampras keeps his racket in the game - San Jose Mercury News   The Given Day - Peter Bodo, TennisWorld   Being There - Steve Tignor, Tennis.com It’s that time of year again: February. For a tennis fan, the word rolls off the tongue and lands with a thud. It’s the sound of winter returning after all that Aussie sun. What seems like a soothing lull in the action at first begins to get a little worrying by month’s end. Where does the sport go, you might find yourself asking. To South America, to Holland, to Dubai, to Zagreb and Johannesburg and Marseilles; tennis is everywhere and nowhere at once.   No end in sight for Dustin Brown fiasco - Sports Jamaica "Tennis Jamaica only knows me when the Davis Cup comes around, all the other times during the years they don't care how I manage to train and play tournaments. I could have attained a higher ATP ranking much earlier with proper support," Brown told the Gleaner. Brown last represented the country in 2003 when, along with Ryan Russell who was at the time another promising junior, the team secured first place and promotion from Group 3 to Group 2 with a win over Puerto Rico. However, controversy sparked the following year when Brown, after another year of battling to fend for himself on the tour, declined the invitation to appear for the country as they pushed for a spot in Group I. ..."To be able to continue my career, my parents bought me a camper in April 2004 in order to travel through Europe and play as many games as possible." "I would eat and sleep in my camper and I was travelling all over Europe, up and down for seven years to make it in professional tennis, holding the Jamaican flag high week by week, while my parents struggled to pay for the camper. "I made a name for myself in Europe with my camper, my only chance to make it in tennis. Finally in 2009, I reached 144th in the ATP world ranking as a Jamaican player. I made it."   Net Post: Andy Murray hs a month to remember in Melbourne - Neil Harman, The Times Francesco Ricci Bitti, the president of the ITF for the past ten years - and that's a lot of air miles - said last week that the whole [World Cup] idea was stupid. Oh really! These paens were extracted from Mr Ricci Bitti by a Melbourne newspaper which was uber-critical of the World Cup, probably on the basis that they missed a big story under their noses. >> (Does it follow that a London newspaper might be uber-positive about it because it was planted under their nose? ;) We send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mark Hodgkinson, the Telegraph's tennis correspondent, who was knocked down as he crossed the street in Melbourne on Monday morning as he made his way home from the men's final. Fortunately, Kevin Garside, his colleague and a couple of other British tennis writers were handily placed to come to his aid. According to Charlie Wyett of The Sun, he was 'very very lucky' to be alive, having been tossed into the air by the impact. Mark says he has little recollection of the incident but that, on returning home, he is just 'very tired.' Police are said still to be hunting the driver. >> Ouch. Feel better...   Fed Cup gets ignored ... unfortunately - Tom Tebbutt, The Globe and Mail blog Easily the most fascinating match-up was Russia visiting Serbia in Belgrade. After Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated the wayward Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 in the opening match, the home team looked to be toast when Alisa Kleybanova, the powerful 20 year old who reached the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto last summer, led Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 4-1. Jankovic claimed to have a bad back when she lost in the third round of the recent Australian Open, and looked sketchy early on but made a startling comeback, winning 11 games in a row with uncharacteristically aggressive play, to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. And Kleybanova did not play that badly or ever throw in the towel.   Fed Cup Winners: US, Russia, Italy, Czechs; Ivanovic Goes 0-3 - tennisreporters.net Melanie Oudin’s slump is over. The American teen closed out the US shutout of France by besting Julie Coin 7-6, 6-4, giving the visiting team a slight upset on clay. French captain Nicolas Escude decided not to play a nervous Alize Cornet after her implosion in her loss to Bethanie Mattek on Saturday, but Coin fa[r]ed no better against the ambitious Oudin. “I was a bit nervous and she was serving great, but as the match advanced I got more and more confident and I'm obviously thrilled that I was able to allow the US to go to the semis," Oudin said... The US will face Russia, who overcame another poor performance by Ana Ivanovic, who went 0-3 at home. Former No. 1 Ivanovic failed to win a set during the weekend, falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova on day one, and then after Jelena Jankovic came through over Kuznetsova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, Ivanovic went down to Alisa Kleybanova 6-2, 6-3, and then in the doubles, teamed with her rival Jankovic against Kleybanova/ Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4.   Working hard to keep SAP Open lively - San Jose Mercury News But Rapp's challenge is to keep foreign players coming back after they've hit it big. Rapp acknowledges that appearance fees are a huge part of pro tennis, and it's his job to determine which players are likely to offset those fees by putting fans in the seats. Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were definitely worth the extra cash. But del Potro, who is from Argentina, obviously hasn't reached that level. "Del Potro loved playing here," Rapp said. "But it was a situation where he wanted more money than Agassi wanted in his day. Great player, but also, too, we have to be fiscally responsible." And Murray? "Murray's sponsor, the World Bank of Scotland, wants him to play in Europe. But we'll get him back here, though," Rapp said. ...Rapp continues to push creative buttons to sell the sport. Four years ago, he lured John McEnroe out of retirement to play in the doubles competition. McEnroe ended up winning the title, drawing big crowds in the process. This year, Rapp has again signed Sampras to play in a Monday night charity exhibition match. Sampras will face Verdasco this time. "Some of my peers are like, 'What are you doing?' " Rapp said. "I'm here to get people watching professional tennis. (Sampras) is a past player, but he still can play with these guys, and he enjoys it. Monday night used to be you, me and our cousins. Now you've got 6,000-8,000 people coming."   Top tennis player? No contest… - Observer Life and Style Compare and contrast Roger Federer (29 years old and not quite human, but in a good way) with John Terry (29 years old and all-too-human, in a horrible way). Until this past week, I never knew it was possible to feel quite so anti-English and pro-Swiss – and this despite being genetically quite Scottish and therefore theoretically more pro-Andy Murray than pro-Federer. But when faced with Federer on his current form, is there really much point being pro-Murray in any way other than theoretically? I mean, have you noticed that Federer actually glows?   Lopez, Robert make SA Open final - South Africa Independent There is little doubt that the charismatic, outgoing Monfils' injury affected his prospects, despite battling valiantly to 6-6 in the final set. But, at the same time, it should not be overlooked that Lopez's awesome lefthanded serving and sweetly-time ground strokes had enabled him to break and lead 2-0 in the second set before the Frenchman broke down in pain and at one stage appeared to be considering retiring. Monfils was quite awesome in the opening set and he said afterwards that his physical trainer had forgotten to strap up his suspect knee. "I knew in the second set that something was f...cked," he revealed afterwards, "so I said to myself just go out here and try to enjoy yourself."   New world No 10 sets sights on WTA finals - China Daily Having reached a career-high ranking of 10 in the world, she is eyeing even greater progress this year and wants to compete in the WTA tour finals at the end of the season, an event which features the world's top eight players. "I planned to return to Beijing quietly and I booked a very early flight. So I was a surprised when I saw the cameras at the airport and doubted they had come to see me at the beginning. It felt different but I won't change. I'm still myself," Li said. ...That success has been largely attributed to the "fly away" policy launched by the Chinese Tennis Association at the end of 2008, when Li, along with Zheng, Peng Shuai and former Australian Open doubles champion Yan Zi, left the state-run sports system and started managing their own back-up teams and schedules. However, Li said the four had not "flown away" and insisted they were still national team players first and foremost. "We are not flying away from the national sports system. We have just chosen different ways to develop," Li said during a celebration party held by the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in Beijing on Wednesday. ...That clarification eased rumors that Li, who is considered to have a strong personality, was at loggerheads with China's sports officials and the local system. "I don't care much about how others look at me; only my friends," said Li. "I won't worry about clarifying any misunderstandings others may have about me."   Chinese battler finds out size not a problem - China Daily Being thrashed by former world No 1 Justine Henin 6-1, 6-0 in the Australian Open semifinals in Melbourne showed China's Zheng Jie not only the gap between herself and the world's elite but also that smaller women can dominate the game too. "I have given up on the idea of growing taller but playing against Henin, I realized that a player of moderate height can also play good tennis," said the 1.64m Zheng on the sidelines of the celebration party held by the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour on Wednesday. ...To achieve even better results, Zheng changed her serve during winter training sessions last year with renowned American coach Nick Bollettieri and the efforts have paid off. "For anyone who has played tennis for 20 years, any change of technique is a big challenge but I think it was worth it for me to do that," Zheng told China Daily. "The coach not only helped me in serving but also gave me confidence.   As of now, tennis is king - Hindustan Times “There's a lot of goodwill for sportsmen and many people approach us to be part of projects which, at times, are bizarre. As far as movies are concerned, who doesn't want to be a star? Over the last 14 years I have had several film offers. But right now, tennis is the priority and I have no concrete offer with a script that's enticing enough,” Paes told HT when quizzed about his supposed involvement in a movie. “I have not shot for anything as of now though cinema does interest me greatly.”   Jelena's blog - Jelena Jankovic, Jankovic website No, I haven't come to Belgrade yet, and I'm still in Florida, where I'm fighting with back injury received in Melbourne. I didn't want to speak in public about the problems that struck me in Australia, about the cold and the back injury that occurred during a practice while trying to change the way I served, because many would describe it to as a justification for the lost match. Furthermore, I didn't want to make a fuss about the injury, which I thought would go away after all those therapies I had in Australia and here in the States. ... I played for the national team with injuries, under severe pain caused by various injuries, injections, and there were a lot of tough, but also nice moments. I remember Kosice, and the match with Cibulkova, the two of us fought for three and a half hours, when I reached the winning point standing on one leg. Now I'm in dilemma whether to do the same, to compete with an injury against the rival, because it may cost me in the coming months and competitions. The pain and desire are fighting inside of me, since I want to wear Serbian jersey once again in the crowded Arena, and be there for my country, fighting without mercy to the last breath, as I always did before.   Tommy Haas's American Dream comes true - Haas website In Tampa, along with about 300 other immigrants from over 70 different countries, I raised my right hand to swear the oath of allegiance. I desperately wanted to do this because the United States have really become my home over the past years and that's why I considered it a logical step to apply for naturalization. The funny thing about it, by the way, is that my good friend Alex Bose, of whom you can see some photos in the gallery, was sworn in at the same time as I was. We have been following the same path for the past 20 years: Alex also joined the Nick Bollettieri school in 1991 and received his green card in 2004, the same as me. So it's somehow logical that we simultaneously became American citizens, don't you think? Of course I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't had the option to keep my German passport. But as this point was guaranteed, I now have the privilege of dual nationality and I can continue playing for the German Davis Cup Team.   Murray's Aussie defeat emphasizes his weaknesses - Tom Tebbutt, Globe and Mail blog Apparently many years ago, Ian Botham, the famous English cricket player and later coach of the national side, arrived at customs in Sydney. Botham was asked by officials if he had a criminal record. He paused for a moment and then replied, “Do you still need one of those to get in here?”   Fed Cup Preview: US in With Shot; Russia, Italy Czechs Other Favorites - tennisreporters.net Who would have thought that the under-womaned US Fed Cup team would travel to France to play at the Stade Couvert Regional de Lievin on clay and actually appear to have a better team without the Williams sisters? But that will be the case when the two squads face off this coming weekend, as US captain Mary-Jo Fernandez has two singles players – Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands – who are just as good if not better than Alize Cornet and Pauline Parmentier , and has a doubles player, Liezel Huber, who is by far the class of the competitors. ...It’s nice to see the Ukraine hosting a notable tie, but the Bondarenko sisters will have a real tussle against defending champs Italy, which is once again led by Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone. Alona Bondarenko, who had a terrific Aussie Open, will take on Francesca Schiavone and then Kateryna Bondarenko will go up against Pennetta. However, according to Nick Lester on Fedcup.com, inclement weather meant that the flight carrying all but two of Italian team to Kharkiv was forced to divert and land in Kiev, and then they were forced to take an eight-hour bus trip. Due to lost luggage, Schiavone had to put up with three days of practice without her own rackets and shoes.   Ready or not, Oudin to anchor U.S. team - Sandra Harwitt, ESPN he Georgia native will anchor the American squad traveling to Liévin, France, as the highest-ranked singles player on the team. She will be backed by either No. 102 Shenay Perry or No. 140 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and will benefit from Liezel Huber's sisterly guidance and stature as the world's No. 1 doubles player. Oudin is willing to take the pole position for the team, which she indicated when shouldering the responsibility for a 4-0 U.S. defeat against Italy in last year's Fed Cup final. The good news for the U.S. is that, with the recent retirement of Fed Cup stalwarts Amelie Mauresmo and Nathalie Dechy, France is fielding a less formidable team than usual. All of French captain Nicolas Escude's recruits rank outside the top 50 in singles: No. 65 Alize Cornet, No. 76 Julie Coin, No. 104 Pauline Parmentier and No. 137 Stephanie Cohen-Aloro.   Who Dat? - Peter Bodo, TennisWorld Is there any event with less tennis street cred than Fed Cup? Well, maybe the ATP World Team Championship in Dusseldorf. ...Russia at Serbia (indoor hard court; Russia leads, 3-0, but let's remember that's when this tie would have been called USSR vs. Yugoslavia. Fed Cup: it's sports and history, all rolled into one!): Svetlana Kuznetsova gets the (wo)man-up award for this round for bailing out sneaky old Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev. Sveta agreed to play at the eleventh hour, although she'll be going into the Belgrade lionesses' den, along with Tarp the Shark and teammates Alisa Kleybanova and Vera Dushevina. But you know what? Nationalist fervor only increases the pressure on players who have lost their way, and the Serbian glamor girls, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, are both in difficult straits, career-wise. They turn back the Reds and they'll atone for much of the disappointment their native fans have experienced in the past year or so. I think Sveta will come up big, but Serbia pulls it out in the doubles.   The Rest of Oz - Steve tignor, Tennis.com The Line Judge Who Called the Famous Foot Fault on Serena at the Open Did you catch her, back on the baseline for the men’s final in Melbourne? Players should be happy to see her there: There’s no way they’re going to be called for crossing the line now. B+   A Fluffy, Green Tonsillectomy (and Other Revelations) - Richard Osborn, Inside Tennis   Roy Emerson shares his tennis tales - Desert Sun   Tomic, Ball fight for berth - The Australian The two men best-positioned to fight for the second spot Carsten Ball and Bernard Tomic, are competing in $56,000 challenger tournaments in Dallas, Texas, and Burnie, Tasmania. Ball, the second seed in Dallas, progressed to the second round when defeating Ecuador's Giovanni Lapentti 6-3 6-4 yesterday. Tomic, despite being the defending champion in Burnie, was forced to play through qualifying and faces Nick Lindahl today. It is not an easy task for the 17-year-old given Lindahl defeated him in the final of the Australian Open wild-card play-off last December.   Australian continues comeback with pro tennis tournament in Dallas - Fort Worth Star-Telegram The last time you were here, you were playing in the Champions Series event. At that time, you were trying to work your way back onto the Tour. Is that still the plan? Well, that would be the ultimate plan. I’m a long way away from that happening, but that’s what I’m working toward. You’ve been competing in Masters [seniors] events, and reports are that you’ve dropped some weight. Where do you think your game is at this point? Yes, I have been having a lot of fun in the Masters events. Training has been great and intense, and yes, I am a lot lighter now than when I used to play. I’m weighing 206 pounds compared to 214 pounds back in 2003, when I had one of my best years on the tour. How are the knees holding up? How many knee surgeries has it been — five? Well, I’ve actually had six knee surgeries — three on each knee. They are feeling great. I have come a long way and my strength is building every day. ...Of course, since your reality series a few years ago, people are always interested in your love life. Anything to report on that front?Yes, I am very happily engaged to an amazing woman, Jennifer Esposito [an actress whose credits include roles on Rescue Me and Samantha Who?] Do you have any other projects, outside of tennis, in the works? I do actually have one. I’m keeping it a secret for now but will let you know when it’s time.   Monfils kicks off at Soccer City - South Africa Independent A self-confessed soccer fanatic, Monfils described the newly-constructed 90 000-seater stadium as amazing. He hoped his visit was a forerunner for French soccer players like Thierry Henry and Nicholas Anelka scoring goals at the ground during the World Cup. Monfils also visited the former home of former president Nelson Mandela and, according to a press statement, described the day's proceedings as an "altogether memorable experience... I will never forget".   Roger Federer content with view from the top - Neil Harman, The Times Roger Federer slipped back into Melbourne Park, once more round the block for the four-time champion of the Australian Open before settling back into a lounge chair... "But after that I had to catch up with so much, the other guys were playing tough and the margins are small at the top of the game. It was definitely interesting to go through it, because a career is not meant to be easy. You always have to go through ups and downs. And I think I was well prepared for it. That’s why even when it was tough I was still able to enjoy it and stay calm, because I always question myself, even in the best of times. "I have had to work really hard. Now, my backhand is where I want it to be, my forehand is back because I think that also left me a little bit when my footwork wasn’t at my best because I knew I didn’t want to play defence and pressed too much with my forehand. I don’t do that too much   The smugness and skill of ‘super’ Swiss stands out - The Times So Switzerland’s six-month wait for a grand-slam title is finally over. Another trophy in the Roger Federer cabinet, and another reason to want to slap him. Gosh, that sounds churlish, doesn’t it? Typical sour grapes, poor loser, whingeing Pom. Actually, I think Roger Federer is a wonderful athlete, a sublime racket-wielder who turns mere sport into a thing of beauty. For sheer pleasure, give me Federer at his best every day. But does he have to look so smug? None of us can help our appearance, of course. Ringo Starr was once asked if he felt as sad as he looked. “No, it’s just me face,” he said. But Federer’s smugness is more than just his face. He sounds smug, too. “There’s no secret behind it. I’m definitely a very talented player,” he said yesterday. “I always knew I had something special.” This is typical modesty. He is fond of telling the press how brilliant his performances have been.   Andy Murray's emotions spill over as grand slm eludes Scot - Mark Hodgkinson, The Telegraph Before Murray cried, he had warned Federer to expect tears. The Swiss said: “I thought he was actually doing fine until he told me, 'I think there will be some tears’. I said, 'don’t worry, it will be OK’. And he actually cried. You know, in a way it was hard to watch, but at the same time I like seeing players who care for the game.”   Tearful Andy Murray earns the respect of champion Roger Federer - The Guardian For the second year running, the loser of the Australian Open let his tears do the talking, but Andy Murray's lachrymose reflection on his straight-sets defeat by Roger Federer was at least eased by the winner's prediction that it is only a matter of time before he wins a grand slam title.   TV ratings: Andy Murray Australian Open defeat peaks above 6m viewers - The Guardian   Federer marvels in his second coming - The Independent The great champions, men like Muhammad Ali and Jack Nicklaus, have always shared an ability to reach down and find again qualities that the world believed lost forever. But it is not often they do what Roger Federer did in Melbourne. They do not re-make themselves quite so remarkably. They tend to fall short of re-incarnation. Federer did not.   Pretender put in his place by supreme Federer - Paul Newman, The Independent As if Roger Federer had not done enough to intimidate Andy Murray with his talk of Britain waiting "150,000 years" to produce a Grand Slam champion, the on-court announcer did his best to complete the job. Having listed the world No 1's six Wimbledon titles, to applause from all around Rod Laver Arena, he told the crowd before yesterday's Australian Open final: "I haven't finished yet." By the time Federer's 10 other Grand Slam triumphs had been detailed, Murray might have wondered why he had bothered turning up. The 22-year-old Scot, nevertheless, has regularly proved that he has the composure to handle the biggest occasions that his sport can throw at him. There were many reasons why he was beaten 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in his second Grand Slam final – most notably the presence on the other side of the net of the most successful player in history – but loss of nerve was not one of them.   Federer brilliant vs. Murray - Jon Wertheim, SI.com 1. Roger Federer is still the king. Not exactly a news flash. But he was at his numinous, luminous best, beating Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) to take major No. 16. Playing a fine opponent in a big match, Federer played with customary brilliance but he also turned in an exceptionally strong performance mentally. He won all the "big points," staved off five set points in the tie-breaker, and, by his own reckoning, played some of his best tennis ever. Just a gem of a performance.   The best and worst from the Australian Open - Ravi Ubha, ESPN Biggest surprise: The Chinese women Overheard in the media work room when Zheng Jie and Li Na reached the semifinals: "Who's gonna care if they reach the final?" Following a pause, and with a laugh, "About a billion people," came the reply.   This time, it's Murray with the tears - Richard Evans, Foxsports “I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him.” It was an off-the-cuff remark, standing at the microphone on Rod Laver Arena, minutes after he had seen his Grand Slam title hopes end in ruins but it was the moment Andy Murray may have revealed more of himself to his public than he ever had before.   Aussie Open win shows Federer still rules - Matt Cronin, Foxsports For a split second, it seemed like Roger Federer's reign of dominance might end Sunday. Up 10-9 in the third set tiebreaker and holding his second match point, he drew his foe Andy Murray into the net with a drop shot and moved over to cover the line as the quick Scot sprinted forward. His brain briefly screamed 'hit the volley,' but instead, he let the ball whiz past him and watched it fall in the corner. “I thought, 'Oh no, I'm going to see myself in the fifth set and not winning the title,' ” said Federer, who slapped himself on the forehead. “I'm thinking, 'My God, he just grabbed the trophy out of my hands. I might end up losing this thing.' ”   Closing Notes: Murray's Lack of Offense - tennisreporters.net Andy Murray may end winning a handful of Grand Slam titles, but he had better come to the table with a lot more weapons if he’s going to best the likes of a gutsy Roger Federer in a Slam final. Such was the consensus after the Swiss’ a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) victory over Murray in the Aussie Open final. Murray, whose backhand is his greatest weapon, only registered six winners in that department and rarely ventured to net. He didn’t cut loose on his forehand side until too late in the match and came nowhere near serving as big or as effectively as he did in wins over John Isner, Rafa Nadal and Marin Cilic.   Roger's Hammer - Peter Bodo, TennisWorld My favorite moment of that touching, extended emotional moment occurred not when Murray revealed his anguish at failing to to reward the long-suffering British fans with a Grand Slam title after so many decades of frustration. It was right after Murray, overcome with emotion, abruptly relinquished the microphone. Roger Federer took it over, and as he began his remarks he suddenly tried to turn and re-position the entire mike stand, so that he could face Murray as he made his remarks.   The A List - Steve Tignor, Tennis.com The most significant success story of tennis’ last two decades has been the rise, and continued rise, of the Australian Open. For years it was a major in a minor key, passed over by top players unwilling to make the trek Down Under at the end of the season. With the move to Melbourne Park and its hard courts at the start of 1988, it became the Happy Slam, a kind of U.S. Open lite without the frazzle or the glamour of New York. Twenty-two years after that shift, it might be time for the Aussie to acquire a new nickname.   150,000 Reasons Why Roger Federer Won the Australian Open - Bill Simons, Inside Tennis Yes, there is actually one thing wrong with Roger Federer. He’s a lousy historian. He claimed that 1936 – the year when a Brit last won a major – was 150,000 years ago.   92,000 Reasons Why Serena Won the Australian Open - Bill Simons, Inside Tennis She only had 92,000 reasons to win the Australian Open. After all, just five months ago, Serena Williams imploded in New York and her late night x-ranted rant, prompted many to say that she should be banned from even playing in Melbourne. Instead she was fined $92,000.   Maestro conducts a tennis masterpiece - Tom Tebbutt, Globe and Mail blog Spectators walking in from the trams outside Rod Laver Arena before Sunday evening’s final were met by a tournament greeter using a megaphone to give instructions. He shouted, “welcome to the final day of the 2010 Australian Open...go Rog.” There was no bi-partisanship there, nor inside the grounds where four men in kilts sang a cheer song for Murray, a Scot. To the tune of “Momma Mia,” they inserted their own playful lyrics, including final lines about their faith in Murray, and a little dig at his Swiss opponent. “Andy has never let us down,” the deep-voiced foursome intoned before ending with, “Roger’s just a Toblerone.”   Down under grand slam comes up flat in 2010 itemtitle19= - Tom Tebbutt, Globe and Mail blog Not so easily recognizable Down Under were NFL receivers Terrell Owens, late of the Buffalo Bills, and Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers... But the most inadvertently incognito star athlete was British boxer Ricky Hatton. The former light welterweight champ had startlingly packed on so many pounds that when ESPN cameras first zoomed in on him in the stands, none of the broadcast staff recognized him. And while Prince William caused a major stir with his visit to the tennis, another high-profile international figure did not make it, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Before the earthquake in Haiti cancelled her plans, she was supposed to do something “typically Australian” while in Melbourne, i.e. attend the Australian Open. Too bad. Her husband Bill has been to Wimbledon and the French and U.S. Opens, so a Hillary visit to Melbourne Park would have completed the family’s career Grand Slam.   Sunday, January 31   Andy Murray stands up to Roger Federer’s mind games - Barry Flatman, The Sunday Times Top-seeded Federer, who beat Murray in the pair’s previous Grand Slam final meeting at the 2008 US Open, believes many of the Scot’s wins have come in lesser matches when he wasn’t physically at his peak. “It’s up to me who wins this title, especially against a player who is not that aggressive,” he claimed. “Murray is strong enough and dangerous but does not drive me nuts.” Murray laughed off Federer’s comments and said he had never contemplated indulging in pre-match mind games. “To me, that stuff he said is irrelevant,” he countered.   Flawless Roger Federer dismissive in face of Andy Murray's optimism - Neil Harman, The Times “He’s in his second grand-slam final now and I think the first one’s always a bit tougher than the second one,” he said. “Now that he didn’t win the first one, I think it doesn’t help for the second one around. Plus he’s playing, you know, me, who’s won many grand-slams and has been able to win here three times, so I know what it takes and how to do it, which is definitely an advantage. “I don’t feel the pressure’s really on me having to do it again because I did it before. I think he really needs it more than I do, so the pressure’s bigger on him. We’ll see how he’s going to handle it. It’s not going to be easy for him, that’s for sure. “Without taking anything away from him, I think a few times he played me I wasn’t at my very, very best. I played him on a couple of occasions — Dubai comes to mind — when I had just come back from resting, after my mono [mononucleosis, the illness]. I know some don’t like to hear it and some still don’t believe me for some reason. “We had some close matches on many occasions where I thought I was in control and I ended up giving the match away by making errors of my own. That was definitely because of his play and the way he plays. That’s why I don’t really care too much about how the head-to-head stands [6-4 in Murray’s favour]. Every match is played differently.”   Andy Murray admits he must play his best match ever - Mark Hodgkinson, The Telegraph "To me, that stuff is irrelevant," Murray said of Federer's verbal shrapnel. "I've always been pretty respectful about his game. He's probably the greatest player that's ever played. "But if every time he loses to me he thinks it's because he hasn't played his best, well, every time I've lost against him I don't think I've played my best either. "If I play my best I have a chance of winning and I'll try to do that." ...Murray added: "Maybe he is trying to do it. You'd have to ask him. He obviously deals with these situations his way and he's played very well in these circumstances. "But in the last few years he's also lost a lot of close matches in five sets, including slam finals, and that sort of gives you the belief you can win against him." Murray, however, was amused by Federer's remark that it was something like "150,000 years" since a Briton had won a grand slam. "I was watching it and I laughed. But that's obviously something I'd want to change," he said.   Cool Andy Murray unburdened by history as he seeks grand awakening - The Guardian If Andy Murray has a secret weapon, it might be serenity. Against Roger Federer in the Rod Laver Arena here tomorrow night, he will need every scrap of calm he can muster if he is not to fall to him for a second time when in sight of the prize. Murray sees tomorrow's final of the Australian Open not only as an examination of his character and tennis skill against the finest player the game has produced – the man who blitzed him at his first attempt, at the US Open two years ago – but as another step on a journey he started a long time ago.   Federer turns up the heat on Murray with verbal volley - Paul Newman, The Independent Murray should take it as a compliment that within moments of earning a place in his 22nd Grand Slam final Federer was indulging in the sort of mind games you would expect of Sir Alex Ferguson. Interviewed on court after his crushing 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 semi-final victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Federer was asked about the challenge Murray would pose. "I know he'd like to win the first [Grand Slam title] for British tennis in, what is it, 150,000 years," the world No 1 joked, to the amusement of the crowd. "The poor guy has to go through those moments over and over again. The words may have come out in a moment of frivolity and Federer may not have set out to wage psychological warfare, but that was how the comments came across. The Swiss even rubbed it in with remarks that could be interpreted as mocking Murray's reputation as one of the game's great strategists. "It's always very tactical against him," Federer told his interviewer. "Andy, if you're listening to me, here's how it will go. I'll come in on your backhand and you'll pass me. I'll drop-shot you and you'll lob me. I'll hit it between the legs. It will be something like that."   Clock ticks for ageing, hurt Hewitt - Linda Pearce, Melbourne Age Lleyton Hewitt insists he can return to contend for major titles again, but will have no realistic chance of doing so until Wimbledon, at the earliest. The former No. 1 had surgery on his right hip last Thursday in Hobart. In 24 days, he will turn 29. Whatever is left of a marvellous career has been seriously compromised again. Having returned successfully within five months of the left hip operation he required in 2008, Hewitt must now make his way back from a similar procedure on the torn right hip labrum and the ligaments he injured in a practice session before this year's Hopman Cup. Yet despite the ominous ticking of his career clock, Hewitt was adamant yesterday retirement was not an option. ''That never went through my mind,'' said the former US Open and Wimbledon champion, who was humbled in the fourth round of the Australian Open by Roger Federer. ''I've worked too hard to come back. I feel like I'm hitting the ball as well as I've nearly ever hit it. How I was feeling, the bloke I lost to at the start of this week, he's as good as you get right at the moment. I don't feel like I'm that far away, my ball striking, from doing some damage in the grand slams.   Drama crucial to blow away malaise at the Open - Greg Baum, Melbourne Age Apart from the sublime Federer, this Open was mostly as flat as his forehands.   Scot unperturbed by Federer's verbal volleys - Richard Hinds, Melbourne Age So artful and aesthetically pleasing is Roger Federer with a racquet, you can be left blithely unaware of the devastation he causes.   Investing our experienced talent - not top dollars - the way to go - Craig Tiley, Melbourne Age   Nadal setting his mind on recovery - Linda Pearce, Melbourne Age Rafael Nadal will drop out of the world's top three tomorrow for the first time since his debut there in mid-2005.   Brazil boy shades local to take title - Melbourne Age Local hope Sean Berman might have lost the boys' final at the Australian Open but he is set to help answer some of the persistent questions about the country's faded profile.   The good, the great and the superstitious - Melbourne Age Tennis stars, like all elite sportspeople, chase the merest advantages — and some of their rituals are downright bizarre. But if it gives them a sense of comfort, who are we to criticise?   Champion has restored the greatness of sport - Melbourne Age THERE is much about modern sport that can breed cynicism among those old enough to remember another time. So much money, so much greed, too many spoilt brats with a swaggering sense of entitlement, so many hangers-on for the fast buck, a rising tide of administrators drunk with the power sport offers, and - worst of all - the despicably corruptive practices of match-fixing and drug cheating which cast a shadow over all, and which have the potential to destroy a once-beautiful ideal. There is much I see today that I don't particularly like. Unfortunately, perhaps largely due to the issues cited above, it doesn't end there. I'm no longer as easily moved to the partisanship that once came so easily and which adds immeasurably to the fun of sports watching. Even when I am, it is often born of simply making a commitment to what I see as the lesser of evils. More disturbingly, I'm also not as moved to spontaneous excitement as I was in my youth. The latter trend leads me to worry that I may have become a curmudgeon. Then I watch Roger Federer.   Back in Serena style as Henin's dreams dashed - Greg Baum, Melbourne Age Justine Henin's impossible dream of a major title in only her second tournament since re-emerging from retirement has been dashed, but it took the best Australian Open women's final of recent years to dash it.   Williams denies fairytale finish - Linda Pearce, Melbourne Age The romantic notion of a player leaving tennis to find herself, and then returning to find herself crowned a grand slam champion, is all very well, but Serena Williams is clearly no sentimentalist.   Champions both, but Williams wills herself to victory - Jake Niall, Melbourne Age Unlike Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, whose rivalry had been white-hot - played out on the final day of six grand slam events - the Williams-Henin conflict was the cold war of tennis.   Tennis fades from the nation's living rooms - Melbourne Age Although the number of people attending courtside continued to be robust (a record 66,154 people went through the gates on January 20), television ratings for the Open have, on some nights, fallen by more than 20 per cent from last year. Why is this so? A possible culprit is Channel Seven, which has received complaints for its treatment of the tournament... One theory has it that the network's treatment of the Open is a response to the indifferent state of Australian tennis. But attendance figures at Melbourne Park point to a strong grassroots interest in the game, despite the disappointing performance of the Australians. Another theory is that the drop in ratings for the tennis is connected to a change in the way the ratings are collected. In the week after Christmas, viewers recording programs in order to watch them later were included in the ratings survey for the first time. OzTAM, the company that measures the viewers, said the change means that comparisons cannot be made with last year's figures.   Win or lose, Henin can live with herself - Patrick Smith, The Australian THE former world No 1 brings a newfound life outlook to tonight's final.   Both players to bring A-game - Tracy Austin, The Australian THE two best players and competitors of their generation will face off for the first time in a grand slam final when Justine Henin and Serena Williams meet tonight   Tomic threat to quit Australia - Courtney Walsh, The Australian THE father of Bernard Tomic threatened that his son would quit Australia and play for Croatia after raging against Australian Open officials following the rising star's loss to Marin Cilic.   Peerless Federer crushes Tsonga's Open dream - Courtney Walsh, The Australian HISTORY beckons for Andy Murray tomorrow night on Rod Laver Arena as he seeks to break a British grand slam drought of 74 years.   Secret to Serena's success is no weighty issue - Margie McDonald, The Australian WILLIAMS' heavy shots and hefty lower body make her unstoppable.   Thursday, January 28   Williams fights, Henin cruises - Linda Pearce, Melbourne Age Serena Williams screamed. She bellowed. She willed herself on. And just beat Li Na.   Henin magic fires grand dream - Melbourne Age Justine Henin has surprised even herself with her feats in Melbourne   Love-all, but not for long in the women's final - Richard Hinds, Melbourne Age It was not an Australian Open women's final you could have anticipated at the US Open.   Clown prince Henri serves it up his way - Melbourne Age As a player in the bygone 1980s Frenchman Henri Leconte was a clown. On Wimbledon's sacred grass he once mimed teeing off, golf-style.   Groths to link up with Hopper in Turkey - Linda Pearce, Melbourne ge Late last year, soon after Jarmila and Sam Groth lost their individual $150,000 scholarships at the Australian Institute of Sport, they irresistible received an irrestible offer.   Seven's coverage gets a serve - Melbourne Age Channel Seven's coverage of the Australian Open has come in for a hammering with only 14 per cent of people satisfied with Seven's performance, according to an Age online poll.   Beating Federer? Oui, says Tsonga - Melbourne Age "Why not against Roger?" It was almost 1.30am when the question was put to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga about his capacity to handle a slam semi-final against the No. 1.   Williams pushed all the way by strong Li - Melbourne Age Li Na has made a career - an increasingly lucrative one - out of breaking new ground in women's tennis.   There's only one Roger Federer - Jake Niall, Melbourne Age The Swiss master's standing in the game and the sporting firmament are unrivalled   Sporting Life: Tale of the tape - just pick your colour - Melbourne Age   Betting on women's tennis - surely the first sign of insanity - Melbourne Age The reason humans were able to levitate to the top of the food chain was our ability to learn quickly and play other bigger killing-machines like fiddles.   Summer Bay romeo keen for tennis - Melbourne Age Are we a nation more concerned with the latest dramas at Summer Bay than the action at Australia's very own grand slam?   Henin can follow Clijsters to summit - Patrick Smith, The Australian   Scot ready to break 74-year dry - Courtney Walsh, The Australian If Andy Murray is to break his grand slam duck in Sunday night's final, he will undoubtedly look back at perhaps the best point this tournament has seen last night as his nadir.   The first battle of the titans - Margie McDonald, The Australian Two titans of tennis face off in tomorrow night's women's Australian Open decider, but remarkably they have never met in a grand slam final before.   China serves notice of new world order - The Australian THE world order in tennis was restored yesterday but only after a new contender, China, flexed its muscle on Rod Laver Arena.   Henin, Serena to meet in Aussie final; Murray advances - Jon Wertheim, SI.com Kept thinking of Andy Roddick and his "bird flu" monologue from a few years ago. Here's the first exchange from the postmatch interview with Tsonga: Q: Novak talked about his problems. He had some problems during the match. When did you first notice that he was having problems? JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Five years ago. (Smiling.) Touche.   Murray has momentum, time on his side - Richard Evans, Foxsports In a match reminiscent of Roger Federer’s turnaround victory over Nikolay Davydenko the day before, Andy Murray recovered from a first-set hammering at the hands of Marin Cilic to beat the young Croat 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the second Grand Slam final of his career. If the first set hung on a lucky Croatian net cord, which dropped dead over the net and prevented Murray from breaking back in the sixth game, just one point in the fifth game of the second set swung the match around and allowed the Scot to climb into the driving seat.   Old foes Williams, Henin ready to renew rivalry - Matt Cronin, Foxsports A refreshed Justine Henin will take the court on Saturday night for her first Grand Slam final meeting with her archrival Serena Williams and the American better hope that her opponent looks more like the Henin of 2008, not the one of 2007, who stomped her in three straight Grand Slam quarterfinals. The Henin of 2008 was mentally toast. The Henin of 2007 was a dominant player. After Henin retired in May of 2008, Serena began to seize control of the majors again, reaching the Wimbledon final, winning the 2008 US Open, the 2009 Australian Open and 2009 Wimbledon. Had Henin been around in peak form, it's quite possible she would have snared one of those titles, or at least added another French Open crown or two to her total of her seven major titles.   Murray Clips Cilic to Reach Final - Matthew Cronin, tennisreporters.net Cilic down and now only Federer or Tsonga to go. Andy Murray moved one step closer to his first Slam title by taking down the game yet tired Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the semis. In another cool-headed and hot-handed performance, the Scot played much more aggressively in the final three sets, even going so far as to hit a screaming forehand winner in between the net post and umpire’s chair in the final game that had the fans leaping out of their chairs in a amazement."I just managed to chase it down. Honestly, I actually practice this shot quite a lot in training...["]   Player blog - Bob and Mike Bryan, USTA website During a local broadcast of our third-set-tiebreak win over Butorac/Ram on Tuesday night, Henri Leconte [the former French player] pretended to fall asleep. We're a little disappointed, and it's unfortunate when a commentator has to be negative when we are trying our guts out. It's big-serving tennis, and the points can be short. We know it's late at night, but it's unfortunate because he's there to make the fans interested in the game. It's not about him -- it's about the tennis. [Commentator and Australian Davis Cup Captain] John Fitzgerald apologized to us, but Henri hasn't said anything. It's disrespectful to doubles, to our opponents and to us. It's not that funny, especially when you come off the court happy and proud we got through a tough one, and to hear someone telling us that Henri is bashing you... it left a sour taste in our mouths. It was funny because he was asking us to come to his Haiti [fundraiser], joking with us and acting like he was our best friend, and since this, he hasn't looked our way. Maybe he feels bad. We'll do it for Haiti but…   Running Serena - Peter Bodo, TennisWorld Okay, I give up. I can't find a single additional caveat to attach to the comeback of Justine Henin. A few weeks ago, I wrote that Henin was a Ferrari, to Kim Clijsters' pick-up truck, and suggested that her high-performance game will require more fine-tuning and more of break-in period than did the rugged game of Champagne Kimmy.   Nervous Breakdown - Steve Tignor, Tennis.com It seems, to paraphrase NFL coach Denny Green, that no one has ever said what we thought they said. Rodney King never asked America, “Can’t we all just get along?” Humphrey Bogart never demanded, “Play it again, Sam.” Mark Twain never joked, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Andy Warhol didn't predict, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” His original quote was, characteristically, more surreal and sinister: “In the future, someone will become famous every 15 minutes.” The best line in tennis—“No one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row”—is real, though it came about by accident. Vitas didn’t walk into the pressroom after beating Jimmy Connors for the first time with that thought in mind, but as he was answering a question, someone there helped him turn his words into the greatest mock statement of defiance in history. Still, our sport isn’t completely in the clear. What may be its second-most-famous quote is indeed bogus. Boris Becker didn't say, “The fifth set isn’t about tennis. It’s about the heart.” Makes the game sound so soulful, right? What he originally said was, “The fifth set isn’t about tennis. It’s about nerves.”   The Chinese are Coming - Bud Collins, website Anyway, tennis, thought of as a patrician pastime when Mao and the communists took over, was in disrepute. A few people kept the game alive. One of them, Yu Li Ciao, whom I met in 1977, was good enough to play the women’s pro tour, but nobody could leave the country at that time. A former coach of Na, she’s now she’s an instructor in junior development.   Let a Thousand Tennis Balls Bloom - Inside Tennis Sometimes it’s obvious. On-court tennis events often quickstart long lasting trends. In the ’70s, Bjorn Borg – such an appealing lad with flowing blonde locks — broke through and a (Wilander-to-Edberg-to-Enqvist) Swedish boom swept tennis. Other times, “it’s not about the tennis, stupid” as events far from the court impact our game. Obviously, the winds of WWII’s battles diminished the competitive fire of many a star. Spy Alice Marble, diva Helen Wills, Coast Guardsmen Jack Kramer and Don Budge (who suffered a modest but significant injury during the war) come to mind. South Africa’s divide-and-deny apartheid ripoff muted the white and black aspirations of a sporting land with a strong tennis heritage.   Decline of Venus a sorry sight to see - Tom Tebbutt, Globe and Mail blog Venus Williams has now played 22 Grand Slam tournaments, dating back to the 2001 U.S. Open. without winning one. Well, that’s not actually true – it is without winning one anywhere else but at Wimbledon where she has, appropriately, raised the Venus Rosewater Dish, a gold-gilded plate, five times. At age 29, Williams no longer seems to be able conquer her nerves in big matches anywhere but at Wimbledon.   Nestor, Zimonjic in final - Montreal Gazette Toronto's Daniel Nestor and partner Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia were first on court in Rod Laver Arena this morning, and needed barely an hour to beat unseeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Dusan Vemic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open men's doubles final. The pair, seeded No. 2, was much sharper than in their tight third-set tiebreak win over Arnaud Clément and Jonathan Erlich in yesterday's quarterfinal.   Williams to Face Henin in Final; Murray Advances - New York Times Serena Williams had allowed Li Na to get back in the opening set and into the first-set tie breaker. Now, she skipped a backhand into the net like a weekend parks and recreation player, committing her second double fault as she clung to a 4-3 lead. Williams stopped, breathed hard and glared. It was time to turn it on, and did she ever.   Major letdowns could be in the past for Andy Murray itemtitle72=Serena Pulls Off Another Amazing Comeback After Na Li Knocks Out Flailing Venus - Douglas Robson, USA Today Andy Murray's feeble exit in the fourth round of last year's U.S. Open tarnished a season in which the talented Scot led the men's tour with six titles but failed to perform at his peak on the sport's biggest stages.   - Matthew Cronin, tennisreporters.net In perhaps her worst performance in a third set at a fast court major ever, Venus Williams was knocked out of the Australian Open 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 by Li Na, who joined fellow Chinese Zheng Jie in the semis. ...As has been the case for some time now at the hard court majors, Venus could take a page out of her baby sister Serena’s book, who pulled off a spectacular come from behind 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 over the hard-hitting yet still immature Victoria Azarenka. ...Just think about how many times her back has been against the wall and she’s responded in her four title runs: against Emilie Loit and Kim Clijsters in 2003; against Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport in 2005; against Nadia Petrova and Shahar Peer in 2007; against Svetlana Kuznetsova last year; and against Azarenka on Wednesday. Serena wouldn’t call it her greatest Aussie Open comeback, but it’s up there. “ I can't say it's No. 1 because I've been down match point several times, especially 2007 [against Petrova]. I think that was pretty cool. And then I know in '03 I was down some match points [to Loit]. It's nothing like being down match points [but] she's obviously young and does well. She's no pushover, that's for sure.”   In the blink of an eye, the real Fed returned - Ravi Ubha, ESPN Three years ago at the French Open, Patty Schnyder lost a heartbreaker to Maria Sharapova. Schnyder, a tricky Swiss lefty who never really lived up to potential, failed to capitalize on two match points in the final set and fell 9-7. Afterward, she proclaimed that Sharapova, a multiple Grand Slam winner, was a "big" champion and she was a "little" one. You could say much the same thing about another Swiss-Russian combo, Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko. No prizes for guessing which one's which.   Federer, Tsonga win on drama-filled night - Richard Evans, Foxsports Roger Federer needed a strategic bathroom break to get back on track in a dazzling contest with Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open here -- recovering from a set, 3-1 and 15-40 down to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5. ...With this win the Swiss has now reached at least the semifinal of 23 consecutive Slams... The longevity of his achievement was preying on Federer’s mind. “For some reason, I was just a bit worried I was not going to make it this time,” he admitted afterward. “You always believe the streak is going to be broken. I stopped thinking about it after the second round. It helps once the tournament starts. You focus match for match, point for point so I forget about the record. Now obviously that it’s safe again, it’s amazing. Definitely one of the most incredible things I have on my resume.” Federer also admitted that the bathroom break he took at the end of the first set was a bit of a ploy. “We are allowed two so I decided it was a good moment to take one,” he said, while also insisting that he “needed to go.”   A Knockout Puncher At a Buck 54 - Inside Tennis REALITY CHECK: Reflecting on her time away from tennis, Heinin told the USA Today’s Doug Robson, “It shocked me a little bit to see real life and how selfish and focused people are. It’s the same everywhere, not just tennis. It’s the way the world is going. I wasn’t really open to this before. My trips for UNICEF were very difficult for this reason, but I discovered many things. I started to trust myself much more as a person. I’m more positive than in the past.” This site is not responsible for the content of external websites and does not vouch for the accuracy of material excerpted above. This page is updated Monday-Friday except as noted. 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