Updated News Feed
Last updated at Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:51:30 GMT
American Serena Williams has pulled out of the Paris Open women's tennis tournament starting on Monday because she needs dental surgery, organisers said on Friday.
Chakvetadze came back from 3-0 down in the first set and shut out the chanting from a hostile home crowd who sensed they might be able to unsettle her.
THOUSANDS of Serbs cheered Novak Djokovic on his return to Belgrade after winning the Australian Open.Go to Court Coverage
9 – What question annoys you the most in interviews? Questions that insinuate that it is just very easy to play tennis and everything is easily fixed…. the old saying goes if it was easy everyone would do it. 15 – Would you captain a future Davis Cup Team if you were asked to? Yes, and I hope to be asked. 18 – Any plans to shave your head this year? No plans, but who knows… I don’t think I have ever known I was going to shave it the day before I did it. 19 – Do you ever take out your US Open trophy and give it a hug? Nope. It has not moved in four years. I need a new one to hugGo to Court Coverage
Top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile won the Movistar Open on Saturday night, beating Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-2 in the semifinals after fellow finalist Juan Monaco injured his left ankle in the doubles final.Monaco, expected to miss Argentina's Davis Cup match against Britain next week, hit his left foot against a referee's chair while trying to reach a ball and had to be carried off the court.
“IVAN the Terrible” is the big catch of the SAA Tennis Open.
Former world No3 Ivan Ljubicic has been given a wild card into the event, which starts in East London next Monday... Ljubicic will join Swedes Tomas Johansson, ranked 53, and Jonas Bjorkman (73), Austrian Stefan Koubek (55), as well as the SA trio of Wesley Moodie (168), Rik de Voest (134) and Kevin Anderson (190) at the R875000 event.
"I don't think about it. I'm living a second life. I feel like a newcomer again," Karatantcheva said... Anyone expecting a bitter, angry woman will be disappointed. The 18-year-old from Bulgaria laughs easily and speaks animatedly, although she tries to watch what she says.
When speaking about her suspension, Karatantcheva speaks matter of factly about the incident. "I was accused of doing things I didn't do," Karatantcheva said. "I don't think I deserved the biggest punishment in women's history. I don't think I did anything wrong, or took anything to deserve it."But I took my two years, they're over. Now I'm back. I'm ready to enjoy it and do what I'm suppose to." Karatantcheva's attorneys contend her supplements were contaminated [<I>partial sic</I>].
...Karatantcheva is hoping she can play well in La Quinta and catch the eyes of the Pacific Life Open organizer and earn a wild card. Steve Simon, the tournament director, said they have eight for the main draw and six for qualifying. He certainly remembers Karatantcheva's debut in 2004. "We knew she was a rising talent when we first had her here for her first wild card," Simon said. "She played well here, and it was Maria (Sharapova) where she had the famous match on Stadium 2. Right there, we knew she had a lot of spunk and personality. She came onto the scene with a thundering roar."
Fed Cup debutant Ashley Harkleroad spared the blushes for the United States by crushing Germany's Tatjana Malek 6-1 6-3 to level the scores at 1-1 in their world group first round tie on Saturday.
All four tennis players met the Israeli squad's expectations: Peer wrapped up a victory and provided a reminder of her ability, Safina picked up a loss and gave a reminder of her tendency to fall apart, Sharapova proved that she is merely human at times, and Obziler that she knows good tennis. The Israeli team had the heart, the Russians laughed when the crowd imitated Sharapova. Not a bad deal.