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Peer secures semi-final berth in Dubai Open

2010-02-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Shahar Peer, the first Israeli woman ever to compete in the United Arab Emirates, further increased the security headaches by continuing her inspired run of success to a fourth victory and a semi-final place in the Dubai Open on Thursday.

Peer extended her career-best sequence to a victory over Li Na, the world number ten from China, who retired while trailing 5-7, 0-3, increasing the possibility that the Israeli will now be scheduled on to the centre court for the first time.

That might afford less protection for Peer than the secluded, tree-lined, limited access outside court on which she has so far played.

And with the political fall-out from last month's Dubai assassination, and the finger being pointed at Israeli agents, the temptation will be not to take this risk.

At the same time, with Venus Williams a favourite to win her quarter-final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the same half, there will be pressure for new plans to be considered.

About 5,000 people have bought centre court tickets for semi-finals day expecting to see one of the world's leading players - and Williams, the five times former Wimbledon champion, is the only big name left in the tournament.

"We have to take it day by day," said tournament referee Alan Mills.

"The tournament has said that security is paramount. And it is the security and police who dictate what happens.

"So we will have to wait and see. We have already said - if she gets to the final, where are 5,000 people going to sit? It's something that they have obviously got in hand."

It emerged later that organisers were considering placing Peer on an outside court yet again, even for her semi-final.

The plan is that she will play on court two, where it is possible for spectators seated behind adjoining courts to see, perhaps enabling 1,000 people to watch.

"I'm the only player that hasn't played on centre court," said Peer, who has been accompanied to breakfast by bodyguards.

"But whatever will be, will be. I'm not controlling it. I'm doing what I've been told, and wherever I need to play, I'll play on."

Asked if it would be a disadvantage not to have played on centre court if she eventually gets there, Peer answered: "I guess not, because I am winning.

"But you know like I said I'm doing what I've been told. I'm not involved in the schedule.

"I'm just getting the schedule after when my coach is telling me when I'm playing on which court, and I'm getting ready for the match."

Mills said he had never come across anything quite like this situation.

The former Wimbledon referee observed: "I remember when we had the problems with apartheid and flower bombs were thrown at events - that was the nearest we have come with the politics involved."

The dynamic effect of this unprecedented situation upon steely-minded Peer is shown by her results.

First she beat Yanina Wickmayer, the 13th seed, then Virginie Razzano, last year's runner-up, followed by Caroline Wozniacki, the world number three, and now against Li she overcame an opponent against whom she had lost both previous encounters.

And although Li retired with a troublesome lower back mid-way through the second set, Peer's success had the hallmarks of a genuine victory.
Peer's progress has also lent colour to a bit of sporting history being played out against a violent political background, but which also - according to local hopes - could eventually play a part in the Olympics coming to the Middle East.

Sharapova cruises to win in Memphis

2010-02-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Top-seeded Maria Sharapova downed American Shenay Perry 6-0 6-2 at the joint ATP/WTA event in Memphis on Monday, winning her first match since she was upset in the first round of the Australian Open.

Sharapova used her strength to move Perry around the court and keep her off balance, advancing in less than an hour.

"I thought I was very aggressive," Sharapova said.

"To play every point with a strong mentality in every match, it's impossible to keep going up, up, up and hit a winner on every single ball. So, when I did feel like I maybe missed a few, I still was going for it. I wasn't tentative."

Sharapova was able to work on various parts of her game, but stopped short of saying it was an easy win.

"It's just about going out there and doing the right things," she said. "Competing no matter who's across the net."

In the men's side of the Memphis tournament - No.3 seed Radek Stepanek advanced with a 7-5 4-6 6-4 victory over South Africa's Kevin Anderson, while sixth-seeded John Isner beat 17-year-old qualifier, and fellow American, Ryan Harrison 6-1 7-5.

American Taylor Dent, who won the tournament in 2003, lost to Germany's Philipp Petzschner 1-6 6-3 6-4.
On the women's side, No.3 seed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-0 6-4.

AFP Wozniacki survives wobble in Dubai tennis tournament

2010-02-16T19:46:00.001-08:00

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki survived an edgy wobble before reaching the last 16 of the Dubai Open on her first visit to the two million dollar tournament.

The charismatic Dane had to summon resilience and level-headedness to fight back from 1-5 down against an in-form Dominika Cibulkova to win 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).

The buoyant and mobile Slovakian belied her world number 30 ranking to get the better of some athletic baseline exchanges in the middle of the match, and was within two points of taking the second set while serving at 5-2.

"I was getting a bit nervous," admitted Wozniacki. "But I went out there and I fought and didn't give up, and felt like I was in there all the time. So I thought it might be just a matter of time.

"It's a bit difficult to play here because the ball fies a bit, but the courts are pretty slow. You have to get used to it."

Wozniacki did that by making one break of serve for 3-5 with some carefully controlled, yet still forcing drives; then she broke again for 5-5 with the help of a successful appeal to the Hawkeye electronic replay system.

Cibulkova's bubbling baseline presence had pressured Wozniacki into a counter-hit which looked as though it might have landed long, and was called out.

But the Dane's appeal to the computerised replay showed the ball just clipping the outside edge of the baseline, preventing her from slipping to 30-love down, and enabling her to get the point replayed.

Had this not happened Wozniacki might well have found herself a coupls of minutes later at 40-30 and set point down rather than of 30-40 ahead in that crucial Cibulkova service game.

Instead Wozniacki converted that break point for 5-5 with an enterprisingly early backhand cross court return of serve which landed plumb on the sideline.

By the time the tie-break came along two games later she had re-acquired enough ground-stroking momentum to carry her steadily to a hard-fought victory.

Wozniacki next plays Shahar Peer, who yesterday became the first Israeli woman to compete in a UAE state, and who scored a high quality win for the second successive day.

Having beaten the 13th seeded Yanina Wickmayer in the first round, Peer now outplayed Virginie Razzano, last year's runner-up, by 6-2, 6-2.

The commitment required of Peer's effort was underlined by her once again overcoming the distractions of careful security, with special arrangements for accommodation, transport, changing and the scheduling of her matches.

"I am very happy with my performance," said the Israeli. "It was a difficult day for me yesterday because I had two matches and, you know, a lot of emotions, so I am very happy I could be out there and playing very very good tennis today."
However a scheduling dilemma arose from her victory, with the tournament organisers having to decide whether or not they should now schedule Peer on to the more conspicuous venue of the centre court.

Israeli Peer claims victory in Dubai

2010-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

Shahar Peer, who became the first Israeli woman to compete in the United Arab Emirates when she beat Yanina Wickmayer in the Dubai Open on Monday, says her win was also a victory for keeping politics and sport apart.

Peer was denied a visa to compete in the UAE in 2009, but after a lengthy struggle by the WTA Tour on her behalf, earned the right to compete this year - one year after Israeli man Andy Ram made his pioneering appearance in Dubai.

"I think there should not be any involvement of sport and politics," Peer said after her 3-6 6-2 7-5 win over the world No.15 from Belgium.

"I was not really thinking about the victory that I am here," she said after volunteering that she had had a lot of support around the world after being denied a visa last time.

"But there are a lot of emotions coming on after this win.

"It's more than beating Yanina, it was more of me handling all the stuff around and able to put everything on the side and just play tennis, and do what I like to do, and just concentrate on the (match) and not the politics.

"It was a lot of emotions for me and a really tough first round and I am so happy I was able to win this."

To achieve Monday's win Peer had to travel from the hotel to the venue with a special guard, ignore the lookouts on the top of nearby roofs, and accept unusual scheduling, on an outside court at noon, which had been designed for her safety.

Asked afterwards if it felt like a normal tennis match, despite the security arrangements, she replied: "I mean I started pretty bad.

"I was very frozen and I didn't move. Actually, I twisted my ankle on the second point and I was like 'oh my god, I mean, I don't need this'.

"I thought 'finally I'm here and on the second point I might go home'. But it was a little bit different (from that).

"I really wanted to win this match, not only because of tennis, but because, make a statement that politics and sport should not be involved, you know."

Victory earned Peer a second round encounter with world No.24 Virginie Razzano from France.

If the Israeli did win again, she would almost certainly earn a quarter-final with top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki - and create a dilemma.
Security concerns which put Peer on to an outside court early in the day would conflict with the custom that a tournament promotes itself by scheduling its best players on to its centre court.

Top seed Dementieva fights back to win Paris Indoor title

2010-02-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

World number seven Elena Dementieva came from a set down to defeat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-7 6-1 6-4 to win the Paris Indoor Open for the first time on Sunday. The 28-year-old Russian, who lost to Amelie Mauresmo in the final last year, was forced to work hard by Safarova.

The unseeded Czech, a losing finalist here in 2007, made a bright start as she broke Dementieva's opening service game. The top seed, who also had to come from a set down to win in the quarter and semi-finals, broke back but it was Safarova who showed the cooler nerve in the tiebreak, taking it 7-5 with a rasping cross-court backhand.

Dementieva came back powerfully in the second set, though, twice breaking serve.

The left-handed Safarova, ranked 46th in the world, got her serve working again in the third set until her opponent cranked up the pressure in the seventh game to break for a 4-3 lead.

Safarova saved two championship points in her next service game and a third on Dementieva's serve. But the Russian made no mistake with her fourth as she claimed a cheque for $107,000.

Zvonareva retains Pattaya Open title

2010-02-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

Russia's Vera Zvonareva made a successful defence of her Pattaya Open title after a tense and testing 6-4 6-4 win over local favourite Tamarine Tanasugarn on Sunday.

Zvonareva had a fierce battle with the tenacious Thai, who was inspired by the partisan home crowd and challenged the Russian throughout a physical one hour, 51-minute match.

"In the end I'm glad I can beat her," Zvonareva said. "It was a tough match, a tough tournament to defend."

The world number 14 got off to an impressive start and raced to a 3-0 lead but Tamarine clambered back into the match and piled the pressure on her opponent as the intense heat took its toll in the second set.

The Russian varied her returns to try to keep Tamarine on the defensive, but the American-born Thai pushed Zvonareva all the way in marathon games of backcourt slugging.

Zvonareva regained her composure after being frustrated by a series of contested line calls, fending off a late fightback to become the only player to retain the title at the 19-year-old tournament.

It was the second successful defence for the Russian, whose consecutive wins in Memphis in 2004 and 2005 were among her 10 titles since turning professional in 2000.

"This match we both enjoyed, it was very close," Zvonareva said. "There were a couple of calls I think were faulty. I tried to stick to my game, every game, in every point so every one of them is important."

Tamarine expressed regret for being a losing finalist on home soil for the third time in 14 years. She praised Zvonareva for a polished performance.

"Credit to her, her game is brilliant, she didn't let me play mine and she didn't miss on hers," Tamarine told reporters.
"I had to run around and take chances to attack and get her on each and every point. It was quite close, especially on the second set, but I admit, she never opened the door."

Dementieva sets up Paris final with Safarova

2010-02-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

World number seven Elena Dementieva will play the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in the final of the Paris Indoor Open after they both came through challenging semis here on Saturday.

Top seed Dementieva survived a scare against US teen sensation Melanie Oudin, dropping the first set before going through 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier in the day, world number 46 Safarova produced an upset when she knocked out world number 12 and second seed Flavia Pennetta 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to set up Sunday's final date with the 28-year-old Russian.

The Czech left-hander picked up where she left off in Friday's quarter-final, keeping Pennetta on her toes with some emphatic baseline returns.

It was the Italian who made the breakthrough in the tenth game when she rattled an ace down the middle of the court to take the first set 4-6.

But the pressure started to tell in the second set that saw five successive breaks of serve.

Safarova raced into a 3-1 lead, only for Pennetta to break back to 3-2.

But the 27-year-old Italian lost a crucial break point in the fourth game, allowing the Czech to bring the score the 4-2 and hold her serve to the second 6-3 with two set points.

Pennetta never recovered as Safarova powered her way through to win the third and final set, winning 82 percent of the points from her first service.

Safarova explained after the match how she defeated a player who is 34 places above her in the WTA world rankings.

"Flavia is ranked 12th in the world, she's a very good player and still, I was able to stay focused throughout the match. I had to take risks but I did so at the right moments and it paid off."

In Saturday's other semi-final, Russia's Dementieva banished the bad memories of last year's US Open when she lost to the unseeded Oudin.

The Georgia native again showed all the guts and determination from that fairytale run by taking the first set 4-6.

But the world number seven recovered to win the second set 6-3, breaking the teenager's serve three times.

Oudin struggled with Dementieva's return of serve in the third and final set and the tournament's top seed finally sealed the match by winning it 6-3.

"I'm really happy to get through such a difficult match against Melanie and be in the final," the 28-year-old Russian said afterwards.

"She's a great fighter and this was probably the most difficult win of the year for me."
Dementieva has met Safarova, a finalist here in 2007, just once previously in her career. The Russian right-hander beat the Czech in straight sets in the 2005 US Open.

Dementieva makes WTA Paris Open semis

2010-02-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

Russian top seed Elena Dementieva marched into the semi-finals of the WTA Paris Indoor Open on Friday by beating Germany's Andrea Petkovic 3-6 6-4 6-2.

The world No.7 struggled to hit top form from the start, dropping the first set against the unseeded 22-year-old.

Petkovic fought hard in the second but the 28-year-old Russian's first serve was too strong and Dementevia went on to win in three sets for a last four match-up against unseeded American teenager Melanie Oudin.

"It was a tough one for me to win today."

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect at the beginning of the match as we had never played against each other before. I was impressed with how aggressive she (Petkovic) played," the Russian added.

Petkovic said she was pleased with her overall performance despite going out.

"I think that I started very well, Elena was a bit surprised," Petkovic said after the match.

"However against players like Elena, one moment can change the whole match and that is what happened today. I've got to learn a lot from this match but I will improve I think," she said in French.

Also Friday Italy's Flavia Pennetta made quick work of her compatriot Tathiana Garbin.

The No.2 seed and world No.12 took just 58 minutes to send her fellow Italian home, winning the match 6-1 6-3 to book a semi-final clash with the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova.

Safarova, an Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2007, knocked out Israeli Shahar Peer in straight sets 6-3 6-0.

Peer, ranked No.22 in the world, struggled with Safarova's return of serve, who showed the same form that powered her to the final of this tournament three years ago.

"I was trying to stay focused on each point and each game from the beginning of the match on," the Czech said. "But of course in the end, I'm happy that it went so well."

Meanwhile Oudin, at 18 the tournament's youngest player, beat Hungary's Agnes Szavay in three sets.

Oudin dropped the first set 6-2 but showed composure beyond her years to come back and win the next two. The second set was closer, finishing 6-4. With Szavay visibly tiring, Oudin wrapped up the final set 6-2.
"I just kept fighting and I started playing some really good tennis and had a great third set," Oudin said.

New chapter in Wozniacki fairytale

2010-02-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Caroline Wozniacki, the tenacious and charismatic Danish teenager who has made a stunning leap to world number three, will achieve another career landmark at the Dubai Open next week.

The 2million dollars Premier category tournament starting on Sunday is the largest so far at which Wozniacki has been top seed, something which may help her gain more ranking points to edge her nearer to the world number one position she says she can achieve.

The 19-year-old from the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen thus continues to write her own fairytale, though on this occasion the chapter is being written with the help of two bigger names.

Serena Williams and Dinara Safina, who fought for the year-end world number one spot until the very last tournament of 2009, are still suffering from chronic ailments, and have withdrawn.

Williams has a persistently troublesome knee and Safina back problems lasting for several months, which makes Wozniacki's huge total of 90 matches last year look all the more remarkable.

While many leading women have been increasingly careful about the number of matches they play, or have cut down their schedule to reduce the risk of injury, Wozniacki has played as much as she can.

"I had a lot of matches in each tournament. I think I can be happy about that," Wozniacki said, seemingly unaffected by the career-damaging problems of Williams and Maria Sharapova, or by the 18-month decline of Ana Ivanovic.

By complete contrast, Justine Henin apparently planned to compete in Dubai but changed her mind after reaching the Australian Open final, ending the tournament exhausted.

Henin, who has been through the agony of a failing body too often before, will instead take a break and not play again till Indian Wells next month.

But Wozniacki is more care-free.

"I like playing matches. It feels like I'm on a go. I like being in a competition rather than only practising," she said recently, adding: "I think if I wouldn't have made so many matches, my ranking wouldn't be as high as it is today."

Wozniacki though may be more sanguine about her record as top seed. Only once in five attempts has she justified this status, whilst winning the Japan Open in 2008.

She has been runner-up twice, losing to Victoria Azarenka in Memphis and to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in Bastad, a semi-finalist once, losing to Sam Stosur in Osaka, and a first round loser once, retiring against Anne Kremer in Luxembourg.

Wozniacki needs to avoid further disappointments, for she did not make the best start to the year, losing in the Australian Open fourth round to Li Na, this month the first Chinese player to reach the world's top ten.

Li went on to beat Venus Williams, and take Serena to two tie-break sets, indicating that her success against Wozniacki was no fluke.

This has helped her become a probable top eight seed next week, thereby missing more of the better players early on, and helping her to become a slightly greater threat.

The withdrawals have given Venus, the likely third seed, a better chance of becoming only the second woman to make a successful defence of the Dubai Open title she won amidst last year's controversy.

This caused the five times Wimbledon champion to refer to her father Richard's suffering while growing up in America's deep south.

"My dad grew up in a place where if you spoke too much, it was your life. I had a small opportunity here to say something where everyone would listen," Venus said as comment to the much-publicised Shahar Peer affair.

The Israeli had initially been denied a visa by a junior immigration official in the United Arab Emirates. Although it was eventually revoked, the tournament was given a 300,000 dollars fine - the largest penalty ever imposed by the WTA Tour.

Consequently this year's Dubai Open has been required to satisfy special conditions, which include proof of an entry permit for Peer at least eight weeks in advance - although it was simultaneously described as "a long-standing first rate partner of tennis."
Its opulence and hospitality has again attracted an outstanding field, which should include French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, and former world number one Jelena Jankovic.

Zvonareva advances to semis in Pattaya

2010-02-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

Top seed Vera Zvonareva withstood a strong second-set challenge from Austrian left-hander Sybille Bammer on Friday to advance to the semi-finals of the Pattaya Open, winning 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).

Kazakh Sesil Karatantcheva reached her first career semi-final, taking three hours 23 minutes to overcome Russia's Ekaterina Bychkova 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in a match that included a massive 41 break points.

She now plays Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, who defeated Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-1, 6-4 to reach the Pattaya semi-finals for only the third time in 17 attempts.

Zvonareva will face fourth seeded Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova, who defeated Germany's Tatjana Malek 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

"I think I came out and played very well, very consistent in the first set and I think she (Bammer) was struggling to find her rhythm a little bit," said Zvonareva.
"I was very precise with my shots and my level of concentration was very good. And then second set, she knew she had to be a little bit more consistent and go for her shots a little more."

American Oudin races into quarters at Paris Open

2010-02-11T23:47:00.000-08:00

American Melanie Oudin thrashed experienced Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-1 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the Paris Open on Thursday.

The teenager, who had dropped just three games in her first round annihilation of Romania's Sorana Cirstea, breezed past her 31-year-old opponent in just over an hour.

Oudin's return of serve was superb as she stormed through the first set losing just one game. The world number 53 was almost as impressive taking the second set.

The 18-year-old, who reached the last eight at the U.S. Open, now faces Hungary's Agnes Szavay who beat Croatian Petra Martic 6-2 6-4.

Oudin's win sets up the possibility of a semi-final meeting with top seed and world number seven Elena Dementieva.

The Russian must first get past Germany's Andrea Petkovic who dashed French hopes of a quarter-finalist when she battled past fifth seed Aravane Rezai 6-3 3-6 6-3.

On the other side of the draw, Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic booked her place in the last eight with a 7-5 6-2 win over fourth seed Francesca Schiavone.

Safarova broke the Italian at 5-5 in the first and then held to take the set. The Czech broke Schiavone immediately in the second set before going on to triumph 7-5 6-2.

"I wanted to push her back into the trenches," said Safarova. "I really had to give 100 percent to win this match. It was pretty tight and difficult, so I'm glad to have made it through."

Her next opponent will be sixth seed Shahar Peer of Israel who cruised through with a 6-4 6-3 win over Croatia's Karolina Sprem.

In Friday's other quarter-final, number two seed Flavia Pennetta will meet fellow Italian Tathiana Garbin.

Australia to play Ukraine in Fed Cup

2010-02-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Australia must beat Ukraine away in April to return to the world group of the Fed Cup for the first time since 2004.

Australia will be led by world No.11 Samantha Stosur in the April 24-25 clash, while Ukraine will rely on the talents of sisters Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, ranked 26 and 33 in the world respectively.

"The Ukrainian team has a lot of depth with three singles players in the top 100 and two in the top 40," said Australian Davis Cup captain David Taylor following the draw.

"The Australian team has Samantha Stosur, who is ranked world No.11 and is the best player in Australia at the moment.

"She will be the one to beat after her performance at the Fed Cup in Adelaide where she won all three rubbers she played.

"We also have Jelena Dokic and Anastasia Rodionova who are top 100 and Casey Dellacqua and Alicia Molik who will be stronger by April, having played more matches following their comebacks late last year.

"Add to this a strong doubles combination and a team that is unbelievably supportive of each other and I think we have a real chance to get the women's team back to where they should be."

Ukraine downed Australia 4-1 on the Gold Coast three years ago in the only previous clash between the two nations at Fed Cup level.
Ukraine lost 4-1 to Italy last weekend after reaching the world group for the first time, while Australia downed Spain 3-2 in Adelaide to progress to the playoff.

Dementieva cruises into Paris last eight

2010-02-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

Russian top seed Elena Dementieva beat compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA Paris Indoor Open on Wednesday.

Dementieva, a second-round casualty at the Australian Open, took the first set 6-4 and was 4-1 up in the second set before Pavlyuchenkova staged a mini-revival, only for the world No.7 to eventually prevail 6-4 6-4.

"It wasn't an easy match to play," said Dementieva, who lost in last year's final to home favourite, the now retired Amelie Mauresmo.

"Anastasia had an opportunity to play on this court already and she was playing with a lot of confidence.

"I don't think I played 100 per cent and I was up and down in the match, but in the end it was good to win in two sets. Now I'll focus on my quarter-final match."

Dementieva, who received a bye in the first two rounds, was joined in the last eight by Italian second seed Flavia Pennetta, who beat Russia's Alisa Kleybanova 7-6 (7/4) 6-1.

Tathiana Garbin followed her compatriot Pennetta into the quarter-finals after downing the eighth-seeded Russian Elena Vesnina in three sets, 6-4 2-6 6-2.

Croatian wild card Petra Martic earlier sprung a surprise by ousting third seed Yanina Wickmayer of Belgian after winning their first-round encounter 6-4 3-6 7-5.

"I feel great," said 19-year-old Martic. "She was a big favorite, so I didn't have expectations, but I just played and enjoyed every point, and I made it."

Wickmayer was left to lament a heavy schedule that saw her feature in Belgium's 3-2 Fed Cup World Group II victory in Poland last weekend.

"I was super, super tired today. I had a very hard weekend, playing in Fed Cup, so it was very hard for me," said the world number 15.

"She played a very good match. I tried everything I could but my legs weren't there. She was just too good. That's how it is, that's tennis. You win some, you lose some, and today I lost."
Martic faces Hungary's Agnes Szavay in round two, while French fifth seed Aravane Rezai will play Germany's Andrea Petkovic following a 6-4 6-4 win against qualifier Evgeniya Rodina of Russia.

Schnyder, Schiavone advance in Paris

2010-02-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

Swiss veteran Patty Schnyder beat seventh-seeded Virginie Razzano of France 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in her season debut at the Open GDF Suez on Tuesday.

The two other seeds in first-round action had far less trouble.

Fourth-seeded Francesca Schiavone routed Russian qualifier Vesna Manasieva 6-0 6-0, and sixth-seeded Shahar Peer beat Alize Cornet of France 6-4 6-1.

Schnyder, a former top-10 player and winner of 11 singles titles on tour, was forced to delay her season start because of left foot tendinities, which foreced her to withdraw from the Australian Open.

After losing twice to Razzano last year, she converted three break points in 11 chances against Razzano to edge through in a tight contest in the indoor hard-court tournament at Stade Pierre de Coubertin.

The one-time Paris semi-finalist will next play Melanie Oudin of the United States, a US Open quarter-finalist last year.

Schiavone, who led Italy past Ukraine in the first round of their Fed Cup defence at the weekend, didn't lose a game to Manasieva but still took almost an hour to put her away. Next up will be 2007 runner-up Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.

Peer broke Cornet four times to set up a second-round meeting with Croatia's Karolina Sprem, a 7-5 6-1 winner against Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky.

There were also straight-sets wins for Oudin, Safarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, and Andrea Petkovic of Germany, while Tathiana Garbin of Italy struggled to get the better of Romanian qualifier Ioana Raluca Olaru 3-6 6-2 6-4.

Top-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia and second-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta have byes into the second round.

Dementieva plays Pavlyuchenkova, and Pennetta faces Julie Coin of France or Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.

U.S. go 2-0 up in Fed Cup, Ivanovic slumps

2010-02-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

United States were the only team to take a lead after Saturday's Fed Cup World Group first round ties where Serbia's Ana Ivanovic continued her woeful form.

The Americans are a win away from April's semi-finals after racing to a 2-0 advantage over nervous hosts France while defending champions Italy were level at 1-1 with World Group debutants Ukraine in their best of five encounter.

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova swatted aside Ivanovic 6-1 6-4 but Serbia drew level thanks to Jelena Jankovic.

Czech Republic and Germany had also won one match each in their tie ahead of Sunday's reverse singles and doubles.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands gave last year's runners-up the lead when she edged out an anxious Alize Cornet 7-6(7) 7-5.

"I was really nervous when coming on the court. I guess I take things too much to heart. I felt like I was petrified by the stress," France's Cornet told reporters.

The U.S., again without the Williams sisters, went further ahead with Melanie Oudin's 6-4 6-4 win over Pauline Parmentier.

Former world number one Ivanovic, who lost in the second round at last month's Australian Open, has tumbled down to 23 in the rankings and was never in the match against Kuznetsova.

Despite the support of the Belgrade crowd, Ivanovic produced 21 unforced errors in the first set alone before world number four Kuznetsova comfortably closed out the second set.

Jankovic levelled matters with a dogged 4-6 6-4 6-0 win over Alisa Kleybanova in the second rubber.

BOOMING SHOTS

Italy started badly with Alona Bondarenko crushing Francesca Schiavone 6-1 6-4 in exactly an hour and a half.

The Ukrainian world number 26 cruised through the first set on the hardcourt in Kharkiv before 18th-ranked Schiavone fought back to go 3-1 up in the second.

Powerful Bondarenko then increased the tempo and retook the initiative with a series of booming shots, sealing victory when the Italian went wide with a forehand.

Sister Kateryna Bondarenko fared less well against world number 12 Flavia Pennetta in the second match, losing 7-5 6-3.

Pennetta, who struggled with the partisan crowd, often struck the net in an unconvincing victory.

Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld confidently beat Czech 23-year-old Lucie Safarova 6-2 6-2 in Brno but the home team levelled the tie at 1-1 thanks to Petra Kvitova's battling 6-4 6-4 win over Andrea Petkovic.
In World Group II, where the winners playoff against the World Group losers in April, Australia were level at 1-1 with Spain, Estonia led Argentina 2-0, Slovakia were 2-0 up against China and Belgium were drawing 1-1 in Poland.

Big confidence crisis for France's Cornet

2010-02-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

France found themselves on the verge of a first round exit in the Fed Cup after losing their first two singles to the U.S. on Saturday with French number one Alize Cornet suffering a severe confidence crisis.

Cornet, who is still to earn her country a point in six attempts since her first call-up in 2008, bowed out 7-6 7-5 to Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 140th in the world rankings.

Cornet, world-ranked 65, told reporters "I was really nervous when coming on court. I guess I take things too much to heart. I felt like I was petrified by the stress.

"As long as I am not able to deal with my feelings, I will not get through.

"The more I play the more I lose. If I am to play on Sunday, I'll try to be more aggressive but will it be enough?"

In the other singles, newcomer Pauline Parmentier lost 6-4 6-4 to Melanie Oudin to leave France 2-0 down.

French coach Nicolas Escude said "I know France have never overcome such a poor start but there is a first to everything.

"We will have to lift up our sleeves and go out for it. Our strategy will be different on Sunday. We will do everything we can to make it work. We are going to hold a team meeting and I will decide if Alize Cornet plays."

Italy wary of Ukraine's Fed Cup sister act

2010-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

PARIS (AFP) - Francesca Schiavone has warned defending Fed Cup champions Italy that they will have to be on their toes to avoid an upset against debutants Ukraine in the first match of their title defence.

Italy thrashed the United States 4-0 on home soil in last year's final and they will take the same team into the match in Kharkiv that begins on Saturday and concludes on Sunday.

Ukraine are playing in the World Group for the very first time after gaining promotion last year and they can call upon the services of sisters Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, who are both in the world's top 35.

"It's tough because we play the first round against a big team like Bondarenko and Bondarenko," joked Schiavone, whose team-mates are Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

"We have to pay attention and play very good, at a very high level. They play at home, which is good for them. We have to stay focused and enjoy our tennis like we did all year last year."

The USA's defeat in last year's decider marked their first final appearance since 2003, while the 17-time champions are still chasing their first title since 2000.

Mary Joe Fernandez oversaw the run to the 2009 final and she will take an inexperienced team shorn of the Williams sisters into battle against France in the northern French town of Lievin.

"We're playing France, without (Amelie) Mauresmo, without (Nathalie) Dechy, because they've retired. So that's a plus for us," said Fernandez.

"But they're still very strong, they still have a lot of depth on their team. Alize Cornet, as we've seen in the past, can produce some great tennis.

"We?re pretty evenly matched. Home always has a little bit of an advantage. It's on clay so that's a little more uncomfortable for us."

Joining Ukraine in making their World Group debut this year are Serbia, who welcome last year's semi-finalists Russia -- victors in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 -- to the Belgrade Arena on Saturday.

The hosts will include two former world number ones among their ranks in the form of Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, and Jankovic is anticipating a tremendous atmosphere in the Serbian capital.

"It's going to be an amazing event," she said. "We're playing for the second time in Serbia. We already experienced it once when we played against Japan. We played in Belgrade and the support of the crowd was really unbelievable."

In the remaining World Group first-round tie, Germany travel to the Czech Republic.
The semi-finals take place on the weekend of April 24-25, with the final to follow on November 6-7.

Barbie unveils Kim Clijsters' lookalike at toy fair

2010-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Kim Clijsters' lookalike sports the same tennis kit, golden hair and blue racquet as the U.S. Open champion but her backhand is somewhat stiffer.

That's because she is a doll -- the first Barbie to commemorate a female athlete, unveiled at the world's largest toy fair in the German city of Nuremberg on Wednesday.

Clijsters, 26, was hailed as the poster girl for working mums around the world last year when she became the first mother to win a grand slam singles title since Evonne Goolagong triumphed at Wimbledon in 1980. [ID:nLF368476]

Mattel , the world's No. 1 toymaker, said it also unveiled a doll of Clijsters' daughter Jada, sporting the same outfit she wore for the U.S. Open finals.

"I am...deeply honoured and humbled as I today join the ranks of iconic women who represent Barbie's aspirational value," the Belgian former world number one said in a statement.

"My family means everything to me, so I was really excited when I found out that Jada would also received her very own Jada Barbie doll."
Mattel, which last year celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Barbie doll with a string of glamorous parties, also unveiled dolls representing the heiress to Sweden's throne, Crown Princess Victoria, and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Williams eyes more success after winning in Australia

2010-01-31T14:03:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams jetted out of Australia on Sunday with a suitcase full of trophies and her heart set on stockpiling even more silverware.

The 28-year-old American won the women's singles title for a fifth time, teamed up with sister Venus to win the doubles for a fourth, and has no plans of stopping.

"I don't see an end now," she told reporters after her 6-4 3-6 6-2 over Belgian Justine Henin.

"I feel like as long as I'm happy and I want to do it and I enjoy being out there, (I'll keep playing).

"Sometimes I think it gets a little bit redundant but I really love playing the slams."

Williams's next major goal is the French Open, her least successful grand slam event. She won on the red clay of Paris in 2002 but has not won there since.

"I only have one but hey that's not bad, if at the end of the day that's all I have at least I have it," she said.

"My whole goal is just to get fit because I plan on playing singles and doubles at Paris. So, if I do that, and I'm fit enough, then maybe I'm a chance."

Williams now has 12 grand slam singles titles, joining Billie Jean King in equal sixth place on the all-time list behind Margaret Smith Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (18) and Chris Evert (18).

Although she has no plans to retire, Williams said it was unlikely she would catch all if any of the women in front of her -- so she has set her sights on the men.

92K MISSION

Pete Sampras is the leading American man with 14 while Roger Federer is the overall men's leader with 15, before Sunday's final against Andy Murray.

"I just want to be with Roger. So Roger, can you please let me catch up," Williams said.

"I was trying to hunt him down, but the guy keeps winning. I'm like, dude, stop winning. The guy is amazing."

Williams also wants to start using her success on the court to help the less fortunate.

She has opened a school in Africa and plans to teach a class there in March, and launched her 92k Mission to raise money for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.

The fund was called 92k because that was the amount of money she was fined by the International Tennis Federation for her foul-mouthed attack on a line judge at last year's U.S. Open.

Williams, who is also on a two-year probation, was on her best behaviour in Australia but said she hoped people would forgive her for her outburst in New York.

"I just want to keep people aware that it's okay to make a mistake but learn from it," she said.

"One moment doesn't make one person's career. It's all about the moments you put together. The fine was a little bit exorbitant but that was that and it turned out to be a big thing.
"Sometimes things happen for a reason."

Henin stays positive

2010-01-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Belgian comeback queen Justine Henin will take plenty of positives out of her loss to Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open on Saturday night.

Henin almost replicated the feats of compatriot Kim Clijsters by winning a Grand Slam title on her return to the sport but fell to world No.1 Williams 6-4 3-6 6-2 in just over two hours in a topsy-turvy match.

Just getting to the final was a remarkable achievement for Henin, who spent 20 months out of the game after surprisingly announcing her retirement in May 2008 when she was ranked No.1 in the world.

She made her return to competitive tennis in January this year at the Brisbane International, where she went on to reach the final, and then repeated the dose at Melbourne Park in just her second tournament back.

While she was disappointed to lose the decider, she was delighted with what she has achieved over the past month.

"Of course disappointed, I mean, when you lose in the final of a Grand Slam, especially in three sets, and I got a few opportunities that I haven't been able to take," she said.

"But this feeling of disappointment cannot take advantage on all the things I've done in the last few weeks. And it's just more than what I could expect for. I just have to remember that."

"Even if it's quite soon after the match now, I'm sure there will be a lot of positive things I can think about in a few days. It's been almost perfect. Just the last step, I couldn't make it."

"It's mixed feeling at the moment. In a few hours I'm sure it's going to be much better."

The 27-year-old dismissed tiredness as a factor for her loss, instead pinpointing the second game of the third set as the decisive moment of the match. Henin had just won 15 straight points to break Williams twice, claim the second set and take a 1-0 lead in the deciding set.

She knew if she could keep the momentum going and break Williams again, the title would be hers for the taking. But the American stepped up to win six of the seven games and seal her fifth Australian Open title.

"The big opportunity in the beginning of the third set, I started to play much better at the end of the second, really aggressive," Henin recalled.

"She was under pressure. She served unbelievable in that game. I was up 1 0 in the third, and what happened if I could break her at that time. But she's a real champion. She plays the right shot at the right time. She served great at that time. After that, mentally was a little bit harder to stay in the match."

"So I wouldn't say physically. I'm tired, of course, especially now after the match. But for the rest, it was okay."

Henin has learnt a lot about her game in the past month and has plenty of ambitions for the remainder of the year. But she isn't getting too far ahead of herself as she knows that if she continues to work and improve, the rest will take care of itself.

"I learned a lot of things in the last few weeks. Many things were positive in my game, on and off the court. I think I really enjoyed every moment of it,' she said.

"But I also know the way is still long in terms of where I want to go as a tennis player, and I know I'll have to work harder. And I'm gonna do it, for sure. I mean, what I did was just amazing in the last few weeks."
"Winning big tournaments, just get better, get better, get better. That's my motivation, and the rest comes. If I get better, if I improve, if I work hard, the rest will come. So I'm not focused on who's No.1 or whatever at the moment or where I can be in a few months."

Tennis royalty on hand to see Serena win

2010-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams drew level with her idol Billie-Jean King on the all-time majors list on Saturday, ending the remarkable comeback run of Justine Henin with a dramatic victory in the Australian Open women's final.

With King watching on in admiration from the stands at Rod Laver Arena, Williams extended her stunning record in grand slam finals to 12-3 with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win over Henin, playing only her second tournament since ending a 20-month retirement.

Amazingly it was the first meeting in a grand slam title for two of the titans of the modern era.

And it lived up to the hype.

Henin looked to have Williams on the ropes when she strung together 15 straight points late in the second and early in the third sets.

It would have been enough to break almost any other opponent.

But not Williams, whose mental toughness is legendary.

She regrouped, reeling off the last four games before collapsing onto her back in triumph after claiming victory on her second match point.

It was Williams' fifth Australian Open title - a record in the Open era - but curiously her first in an even-numbered year, having previously lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Surprisingly there were a couple of hundred empty seats in the stands for the title match on the hottest day of the tournament.

The Belgian enjoyed the majority of the support, perhaps in recognition of her stunning achievement in returning to the top level without missing a beat despite the long layoff.

Henin was ranked No.1 in the world when she retired - and it took the best from the woman who currently occupies that lofty perch to deny her what would have been a fairytale ending to the comeback story.

The only participants who appeared to be feeling the pressure early on were the linespeople, who made three clear errors in the first two games - all of which were successfully challenged by the players.

Playing her first major since being fined $US82,500 ($A92,200) for abusing a lineswoman in the semi-finals of last year's US Open, Williams got lucky in the fifth game when an official made another error, forcing a point to be replayed and denying the Belgian what would have been a vital service break.

It was an early sign that this was going to be the American's night.

And so it proved - the mid-match hiccup notwithstanding - as Williams moved level with King in equal sixth place on the all time majors list with 12.

"It's so cool finally to do it, that was my goal, but I didn't want to say it was my goal," said Williams.

"To even be mentioned in the same breath as her is awesome.

"Now I can focus on doing what she was able to do off the court."
Also on hand to present the trophy was Australian legend Margaret Smith Court, who tops that table with a stunning 24 grand slam titles.

Serena Williams wins Australian Open

2010-01-30T03:20:00.000-08:00

World No.1 Serena Williams has successfully defended her Australian Open crown after recording a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory over Justine Henin in Saturday night's final at Rod Laver Arena.

It was her 12th Grand Slam title and her fifth at Melbourne Park to become the first player in the Open era to win five Australian Open titles (although Australia's Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 11 prior to the Open era).

The victory sees her move level with her idol Billie Jean King at sixth on the all-time Grand Slam winners' list, still 12 behind Court.

Henin couldn't match the efforts of fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters (2009 US Open) and Australia's Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1977 Australian Open) as the only unranked women to win a Grand Slam title.

But after spending 20 months out of the sport, Henin knows she has what it takes to get back to the top after pushing the current No.1 to the limit.

The first meeting in a Grand Slam final between the two best players of the past decade lived up to the billing with both players producing a wonderful array of shots in two hours and seven minutes of high-quality tennis.

Despite Williams starting the match with an ace, it was Henin who had all the early opportunities to break serve. After Henin fluffed chances in the first two games, Williams got the first break in the fourth game.

Henin had chances to immediately break back, but again missed her chance before finally breaking through on her seventh attempt in the seventh game.

Williams pushed ahead 5-4 and then broke the Henin serve to clinch the first set in 51 minutes.

Henin lifted in the second set and achieved the first break in the third game, only to hand it straight back to Williams the very next game.

Games went with serve until Henin suddenly caught fire in the seventh game. She reeled off 15 points in a row to seal the second set and take a 1-0 lead in the decider.

With all the momentum behind her, it looked like Henin's fairytale comeback to tennis would end with her eighth Grand Slam title.

But Williams had other ideas and got the crucial first break in the third game, only for Henin to once again break straight back.

Williams responded to break again in the fifth game and then again in the seventh before sealing the match with a crosscourt backhand on her second championship point.
It caps off a remarkable fortnight for Williams, who clinched the doubles title with sister Venus on Friday night.

Serena eyes five

2010-01-29T15:23:00.001-08:00

The chance to tie level with one of her idols on the list of all-time Grand Slam singles titles winners will be a powerful motivating force for Serena Williams when she takes on Justine Henin in Saturday night's Australian Open final at Melbourne Park.

Victory for world No.1 Williams would not only see her become the first player in the open era (when professionals were allowed to compete alongside amateurs for the first time in 1968) to win five Australian Open titles (although Australia's Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 11 prior to the open era) but would also see her join fellow American Billie Jean King on 12 Grand Slam singles titles.

That would place Williams - who has won four Wimbledons, two US Opens and one French Open crown to go alongside her four Australian Open titles - in equal sixth place on the all-time list.

That list is headed by Court with 24 followed by Steffi Graf with 22, Helen Wills Moody on 19 and great 1980's rivals Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert on 18 each.

But while Williams knows that at 28 she is unlikely to ever come anywhere near Court's record, the chance to draw level with King is something that would mean a great deal to Williams particularly given the close relationship between the pair.

When asked on the eve of her first Grand Slam final meeting with seven time major winner Henin; just how hungry she was to win yet another major title - Williams could not have been more adamant.

"I definitely feel like I am hungry and I have the chance to tie with Billie Jean, which would be great," she said.

"But at the end of the day I don't really think about that because I'm okay with where I'm at too."

Williams said that she had never mentioned the pair's respective records during her regular conversations with King and was just still happy that at this stage of her career she is still able to be in a position to win more Grand Slam titles.

At various stages in this tournament Williams has been bandaged around the left calf and right thigh as well as around the wrist on Friday, while winning this year's doubles title with sister Venus - the pair's 11th Grand Slam doubles title together and their fourth Australian Open title.

"I'm just happy and blessed to still be in the tournament and to still be physically able to play tennis altogether," she said.

And while Williams joked that she has almost run out of tape at this tournament, such is the amount of bandaging she is wearing in her bid to keep her body intact, she does not believe she will go into the final at a disadvantage against Henin - who is only playing her second tournament back after retiring in May, 2008.

"I'm definitely more upbeat," Williams said after her doubles triumph after admitting to feeling tired following her gruelling singles' semi-final win over China's Li Na.

"Yesterday (after beating Li) I wasn't really upbeat but it's always good knowing I am going to go home with at least one title."

Williams boasts an outstanding 11-3 record in Grand Slam singles' finals and discounting her eight major finals against Venus, she is 5-1 with her only loss coming against Maria Sharapova in the 2004 Wimbledon final.

But Williams knows former world No.1 Henin - who like Williams is renowned for her mental toughness and fanatical desire to win - will be a much tougher nut to crack as Henin searches for her second Australian Open title and her eighth major overall.

Williams is predicting an epic battle.

"It will definitely be a mental battle and who wants it more and wants the title more and is willing to go the extra step," she said.
"I think we both it want it and we'll just see who plays better on the day."

Williams sisters win Australian Open doubles title

2010-01-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

Defending champions Serena and Venus Williams defeated Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4 6-3 to win the Australian Open women's doubles title on Friday, maintaining the partnership's perfect record in grand slam finals.

The second-seeded Williams sisters continued their dominance over Zimbabwe's Black and American Huber, overcoming a sluggish start under bright sunshine at Rod Laver Arena to win in 86 minutes and seal their 11th grand slam doubles title.

The Williams sisters have now beaten the top-ranked pair in all three of their meetings, including the U.S. Open final last year. The title was the Williams sisters' fourth at Melbourne Park, where they also won in 2001 and 2003.
Serena will clash with Justine Henin for the women's singles title on Saturday

Serena Williams to face Henin in final

2010-01-28T00:56:00.001-08:00

Justine Henin will take on defending champion Serena Williams in a dream Australian Open final at Melbourne Park.

In just her second tournament back after 20 months out of the game, Henin crushed China's Zheng Jie 6-1 6-0 in their semi-final on Thursday.

Williams earlier edged out another Chinese player - Li Na - 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1) to reach her fifth final in Melbourne.

The world No.1 has won every one of those finals - in 2003, 2005, 2007 and last year.

Henin, 27, trails 28-year-old Williams 7-6 in their career series, but holds a 4-2 winning record over the American in grand-slam encounters.

As has been the case for much of the tournament, Williams played with strapping on her left knee and right thigh in her match.

At times the world No.1's movement around the court seemed laboured, but she lifted when it mattered, dominating the second-set tiebreak after blowing four match points in the 10th and 12th games.

Williams screamed in delight after finally wrapping up the match with her 12th ace.

She had also finished the first-set tiebreak with a second-serve ace.

"I really should have won sooner," said Williams, who had to back up for a doubles semi-final with her older sister Venus later on Thursday.

"But (Li) played really well. Every time I had match points she came up with some big serves and great shots.

"She just goes for broke when she has match points (against her)."

Despite the loss in her first-ever grand slam semi-final, the 16th-seeded Li will move into the top 10 in the world for the first time when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Henin is hoping to better fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, who won her second grand slam title at last year's US Open in her just her third tournament back from more than two years in retirement to start a family.

The seven-times major champion she was happy to spend far less time on the court swatting aside her Chinese opponent than in her earlier round matches at her comeback slam.

"It was perfect - I've had enough tennis in the past two weeks," Henin said.

"It was good to get an easy match.

"It is an amazing feeling to have the chance to play another final in Melbourne. It is more than a dream.

"It's also a surprise."

Henin and Williams last met at a grand slam in the 2007 US Open quarter-finals, with the Belgian triumphing on her way to the title.

The unranked Open wildcard said she was delighted to be meeting the American again on one of the sport's greatest stages.

"I am very happy because she is the best in the world and I will have to be at my best to win," Henin said.
"She is a champion and a grand slam final is very special. I hope we can be at our best physically so that we can play a good match."

Li Na ousts Venus Williams from Open

2010-01-26T19:56:00.000-08:00

China's Li Na has pulled off a major upset, defeating sixth-seeded Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

Li fought back to win 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 and reach her first grand slam semi-final.

Li could face another Williams - top seed Serena - next with Serena to play Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the last women's quarter-final.

It's the first time China has had two players in the semi-finals of a grand slam together with Li joining compatriot Zheng Jie who qualified on Tuesday and meets former world No.1 Justine Henin in her semi.

Venus Williams was off to a blistering start when she broke the Chinese player in the first and third games and held serve effortlessly to streak to 4-0 and take the first set.

She started the same way in the second set, with an opening break of serve although Li broke back to level in the fourth game and then broke again to stretch the games to 5-5 as Williams served for the match.

Li clinched the following tiebreaker before the deciding set became a matter of which player could manage to hold serve.

From the second to the seventh games there were six service breaks in a row.
Li surpassed her previous best grand slam performance, which was a quarter-final berth at both the 2009 US Open and Wimbledon in 2006.

Henin to meet Zheng in Aussie Open semis

2010-01-25T23:22:00.000-08:00

Justine Henin is just two tantalising Australian Open victories away from emulating fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters' fairytale grand slam comeback.

Standing in her way could be the daunting figure of either Serena or Venus Williams, who are eyeing a family semi-final.

But Jie Zheng and Li Na have other ideas - they are out to trump their celebrated rivals and produce an historic all-Chinese title match.

These are three intriguing scenarios after Henin and Zheng won their quarter-final matches on Tuesday and the Williams sisters set to play for a place in the final four on Wednesday.

Henin will meet Zheng for a berth in the final as she continues her impressive comeback from retirement.

A runner-up to compatriot Kim Clijsters in Brisbane earlier this month, Henin defeated experienced Russian Nadia Petrova 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.

Her win means she is just the third wildcard to reach the semi-final of any grand slam after Zheng at Wimbledon in 2008 and Clijsters at last year's US Open (which she won).

Zheng blasted her way into the semis with a dominant 6-1 6-3 display against Russian Maria Kirilenko.

In the remaining quarter-finals, top seed Serena Williams meets Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Venus Williams plays China's Li Na.

The draw raises the prospect of the second Belgian comeback star in six months to return and win a major, after Clijsters' US victory, or the outside possibility of the first all-Chinese final.

Henin, 27, who announced her retirement in May 2008, is playing her first grand slam since the 2008 Australian Open.

She extended her winning streak over Petrova to 13-2.

Henin won her most recent meeting against the Russian, in Toronto in 2007. She came out of retirement at Brisbane this month and beat Petrova again.

The Belgian said she had never dared to look deep into the draw at this event, saying she was only "curious" to see what unfolded, but is delighted to have come so far.

"It's much more than I could expect and the dream continues," Henin said.

She admitted she has been able to draw inspiration from Clijsters' US Open victory.

"What she did, I admire that a lot because it's not easy what she did in New York," she said. "I see it as motivation of course. That means it is possible.

"What she did was just great - that will be a dream for me to do it also, but it's still one more match before we can talk about a final. I dream of it but I'm not going to change my attitude now."

Henin has played five tough matches to reach the semis and said it was vital she closed out Tuesday's game in straight sets.

"It was important that I could finish this match in two sets. The last few days took a lot of energy from me," she said. "It was important today I wasn't that long on the court. Even if it was two close sets it wasn't that physical, so I'm glad about that."

Zheng will be lining up against one of her favourite players when she clashes with Henin.

"I like her because she is so strong mentally," Zheng said. "I always enjoy watching her and it's a tough challenge for me to play her but it's something I want to do."

She also said her semi-final appearance and Li Na's quarter-final effort would be a major boost for tennis in China.
"It's a big surprise for China," she said.

Clijsters pulls out of Fed Cup

2010-01-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

US Open champion Kim Clijsters has pulled out of Belgium's Fed Cup series against Poland next month in the wake of her stunning loss at the Australian Open.

Justine Henin has already said the February 6-7 series will come too early in her return to competitive tennis, leaving Yanina Wickmayer to lead the Belgian team. Henin beat Wickmayer in the fourth round of the Australian Open at the weekend.
Nadia Petrova beat Clijsters 6-0 6-1 in the third round at Melbourne Park and the Belgian federation said Clijsters had let it be known that she "needs a fresh period to build up training" and that made it impossible to compete in the Fed Cup.

Azarenka books last quarter-final berth

2010-01-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

Belarussian Victoria Azarenka has mounted a remarkable comeback to book the last spot in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The 20-year-old seventh seed came from a set and 4-2 down to defeat Russia's Vera Zvonareva 4-6 6-4 6-0 in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes and ended after midnight.

Azarenka, who shares with Maria Sharapova both pin-up looks and a propensity to shriek with every shot, will meet world No.1 Serena Williams in the quarter-finals.

Williams ensured her berth when she outclassed Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-2 on Monday.

Zvonareva looked set to be the one to take on Williams when she broke Azarenka's serve for a 4-2 lead in the second set.

But the Belarussian showed tremendous spirit to win the final 10 games of the match, clinching the second set and controlling the decider.

While that streak of games suggested complete dominance, it was not always the case, as some of the games were arduous battles.

The opening game of the third set lasted 14 minutes and went to deuce seven times, before Azarenka finally clinched it.

Even match point was a struggle, Azarenka initially celebrating when a Zvonareva shot was called out.

But a correct challenge by the Russian meant the point had to be replayed, with Azarenka this time winning it for real.

"I just tried to keep fighting even though I was down," Azarenka said of her comeback.

"I just tried to bring myself back into the game and just tried to keep up with her."
Azarenka also good-naturedly praised the crowd after the match for their attempts to imitate her shrieking.

Serena serve floors Sam

2010-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

Australia's Samantha Stosur has been knocked out of the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing in straight sets to world No.1 Serena Williams on Monday afternoon.

The scoreline flattered the 13th seed, with Williams never really troubled in the 6-4 6-2 victory, which took just over an hour.

Stosur knew she had to serve well to be any chance of winning the match, but it was the Williams serve that proved decisive.

The American grabbed the only break of the opening set in the fifth game and lost just two points on serve in her five service games to close out the opening set in 32 minutes.

Williams then immediately had Stosur on the back foot in the second set, when she broke in the opening game.

The Australian finally made inroads on the Williams serve and earned three break points in the next game, but three monster serves from the top seed got her out of trouble.

The crowd tried their hardest to get the local hero back in the contest but there was no stopping the defending champion as she broke again in the seventh game to cruise into the last eight at Melbourne Park for the seventh time in her career.

Chinese revolution gathers steam in Melbourne

2010-01-24T22:40:00.000-08:00

China's sporting revolution has been slow in reaching international tennis. More than two million Chinese play the game for fun but only a handful take it seriously enough to make a mark on the professional game.

At the forefront of her nation's batch of leading players is Zheng Jie, who gave the world a glimpse of the changing face of tennis when she made the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years ago.

The diminutive 26-year-old is already through to the quarter-finals of this year's Australian Open and looking to go further but this time, she is not the only Chinese player left in the women's draw.

Her compatriot Li Na is also through to the last eight after defeating Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-3 on Monday.

It was not an upset of major proportions as Li is ranked 17th in the world, but it was still a surprise as Wozniacki made the final of last year's U.S. Open and was seeded fourth at Melbourne Park.

"Yeah, this is good for us, both players in the quarter-finals," Li said, before jokingly revealing the secret behind their success. "Maybe I eat Chinese food."

Wozniacki is a popular figure in Australia but her loss to Li was a victory for the tournament's marketing team who have rebranded the championship as the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific.

Despite their success so far, neither Chinese is making any bold predictions about winning this year's title because the road ahead is full of obstacles.

OLYMPIC TRIUMPH

Li's next opponent is Venus Williams, who booked her place in the quarter-finals with a 3-6 6-2 6-1 win over Italian Francesca Schiavone.

As a former world number one and multiple grand slam winner, Williams is entitled to start as favourite although Li can draw confidence from her only previous encounter with the American.

That was at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also in the quarter-finals, with Li emerging triumphant 7-5 7-5.

"It was good experience for me, for my tennis. But I just want to forget (that), because I will play her again."

Williams has never won the Australian Open and time may be running out for her. At 29, she is the oldest woman left in the women's draw and even if she beats Li she could face her younger sister Serena in the semi-finals.

She was well below her best against Schiavone, dropping the opening set then losing her first service game in the second set without winning a point.

But winning a set against the Williams sister is one thing, winning the match is another, and once Venus found her rhythm the contest was over. She remains a serious contender.

"I just realised I was rushing a little too much and I just really needed to take my time," Venus explained.

"It was just the first game. There was a long way to go after the first game still, and I knew that. Everyone knows that."

Safina set for lay-off

2010-01-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

A devastated Dinara Safina fears an extended spell on the sidelines after a serious back injury she describes as 'shocking' forced her out of the Australian Open.

The second seed was in obvious pain as she attempted to serve to stay in the first set at 4-5 and 30-40 against compatriot Maria Kirilenko at Hisense Arena on Sunday night, hobbling to her chair before telling the umpire she could no longer continue.

It is a similar injury to the one that saw her miss two months at the end of last season and also caused her to withdraw from the Brisbane International.

Safina said she had taken a painkiller before Sunday night's fourth-round clash and another at 3-2 as the pain slowly got worse.

"It suddenly hit me. It was getting worse and worse. I have no idea really how it could happen. It's really, really terrible," she said.

"My doctor told me I could sometimes have some discomfort in that spot, as I had bone edema, maybe I could not use full power. As long as I can play match, it can happen and I can have discomfort, but he said no pain, nothing."

"Yesterday I had treatment. Today I warm up, it was fine. I was cooling down, and I start to feel a little more pain. Suddenly I played a long game at 3 2. I won the game. I turned to my coach. I said I cannot move anymore."

Although she battled on for two more games - both of which she lost - Safina said it may have been in her best interests to pull the pin earlier.

"You always hope that it cannot get worse. If it would be the same, you think the pain killer can help. You always hope," she said.

"Now I see I did worse."

Safina, who lost the 2009 Australian Open final to Serena Williams, will fly to Germany early this week for further treatment.

"I did (an) MRI before I came here, and my bone edema was getting much smaller. It could not happen this. I just don't know what happened. It's shocking," she said.

"It's exactly the same like in Doha. Exactly the same. I just cannot move anywhere."
"The physio asked me to lie on the table. I said I cannot lie. I cannot make any movement. Whatever I try to move, it hurts terribly."

Wozniacki storms past Peer at Aussie Open

2010-01-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki stormed home on the back of a powerful serve to beat Israel's 29th seed Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-0 and stay alive at the Australian Open on Saturday.

The Dane now faces China's Li Na in the fourth round of the year's opening Grand Slam after seeing off the Israeli in 80 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The 19-year-old lost her opening service game to go 2-0 down but from that point on she served superbly to dominate.

Wozniacki had an 81 percent first serve success rate in the opening set and 76 percent overall, the sheer pressure of which told on Peer, who battled bravely in the first set but tired as the match wore on.

"The serve percentage was really high today and I was really pleased about that," she said.

"I felt like I was serving well and winning a lot of my points on it.

"But I think some days you serve well and some days you serve less good. All in all, it was a good performance."

Wozniacki has soared up the world rankings since she reached the final of last year's US Open, where she lost to Kim Clijsters.

But despite being just 19 years old, she showed enormous composure against Peer.

The two players were called on court early after Marcos Baghdatis pulled out of the earlier men's match injured, but Wozniacki said she had kept an eye on the score and when she saw Baghdatis lost the first set 6-0, she decided to start her preparations.

"Actually, I came here and warmed up at 6pm at the stadium," she said.

"Afterwards, I just had a quick look at the scores. I could see it was 6-0 for (Lleyton) Hewitt, so I went to the gym and started working out a little bit just to get the match rhythm, and I got into match mode.

"Afterwards, I heard that he retired, so I was already ready. I went and changed fast, and then we went on court."

She conceded she would have to be at her best against Li, after the Chinese number one came back from a set and a break down to overhaul her in the first round in Sydney last week.

"I'm going to do my best. She's a great player, she beat me last time," she said.

"It's going to be a tough fight.

"She can't be the one dictating the game because then she's dangerous and playing really heavy balls.
"It's just important for me to keep her moving."

Williams in good touch

2010-01-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

World No.1 and defending champion Serena Williams has set up a tantalising fourth-round clash with Australia's Samantha Stosur while title hopefuls Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva have also powered into the last 16 at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Williams, a four-time winner at Melbourne Park, was in cruise control against 32nd seed Carla Suarez Navarro as she sent the Spaniard packing 6-0 6-3.

The American looked like she wanted to spend as little time as possible on court, racing to a 5-0 lead against her opponent, who famously beat Williams' sister Venus in the second round here last year.

Suarez Navarro held Williams at bay in a marathon sixth game that lasted 23 minutes before the 11-time Grand Slam champion eventually claimed the first set.

The Spaniard put up more of a fight in the second but Williams was too strong to move through to the round of 16 in 81 minutes.

Azarenka, meanwhile, recorded her third 'bagel' of the tournament as she crushed veteran Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-0 6-2.

The world No.7, who had 6-0 sets in each of her opening two rounds and has lost just eight games in her three matches to date, was ultra-impressive as she looks to improve on her quarter-final appearance at Melbourne Park last year.

"I played very well today," said the Belarussian. "I followed my game plan and I was hitting big shots so everything was perfect really."

"I'm definitely in good form though at the moment. I'm working hard and want to improve more so hopefully I can do that and keep enjoying it here."

Azarenka now meets ninth seed Zvonareva, who also had a comfortable win on Saturday.

A semi-finalist last year, Zvonareva reached the round of 16 with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko, who had ousted 20th seed Ana Ivanovic in the second round.

Stosur moved through to the last 16 at the Australian Open for the second time in her career with a 6-4 6-1 win over Italian Alberta Brianti earlier on Rod Laver Arena.

Wildcard Casey Dellacqua will aim to join her compatriot when she faces sixth seed Venus Williams, while other women's match-ups on Saturday include 10th seed Agnieszka Radwanska up against No.17 Francesca Schiavone and 16th seed Li Na taking on 22nd seed Daniela Hantuchova.
Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki meets No.29 Shahar Peer in a night match on Rod Laver Arena.

Kuznetsova labours into fourth round

2010-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova needed all her big match experience to dig herself out of trouble and beat German qualifier Angelique Kerber 3-6 7-5 6-4 at the Australian Open on Friday.

Kerber, ranked 118th in the world, looked to be on the verge of a stunning upset when she outplayed Kuznetsova for the first hour before the world number three clawed her way back into the contest.

The French Open champion struggled to find her rhythm in the swirling wind in the late-night match at Melbourne Park, which started just before midnight after Rafa Nadal's four-set win over Philipp Kohlschreiber lasted more than three and a half hours.

As part of her preparation for the match, Kuznetsova left the confines of the players' lounge to sit in the stands and watch the men's contest.

"I did that to motivate myself," she told reporters. "It is so much better when you see it live.

"It was very hard to play after such a great match they played before, so it was a little bit late," Kuznetsova said.

Kuznetsova made things harder for herself when she did get on to the Rod Laver Arena with 39 unforced errors in an unconvincing display.

"I did not play my best but she played really well and it took time for me to adjust to her game," Kuznetsova said.

"I think she's very dangerous because she's a leftie. All credit to her, she played amazing and I was lucky to survive."

Although Kuznetsova was below her best, she was still able to scrape through and avoid joining Kim Clijsters as another third-round casualty.

Kuznetsova will play Nadia Petrova in the fourth round on Sunday after the Russian demolished Clijsters 6-0 6-1 in the biggest upset of the championship so far.

"It was really tough but I'm proud of myself, I was really fighting my way through this match," she said.

Petrova stuns Clijsters

2010-01-22T01:43:00.000-08:00

US Open champion Kim Clijsters has been sensationally knocked out of the Australian Open after winning just one game in her third-round loss to Russian Nadia Petrova.

No.15 seed Clijsters looked out of sorts as Petrova dominated the match from start to finish to wrap up the 6-0 6-1 victory in just 51 minutes.

The Belgian former world No.1 committed a staggering 17 unforced errors in the first set and won just five points as Petrova raced through the set in just 18 minutes.

It was more of the same in the second with the No.19 seed winning the first three games before Clijsters finally held her serve to get on the board.

Despite the crowd doing their best to get behind 'Aussie Kim', there was no stopping Petrova as she wrapped up the match on the back of yet another unforced error from Clijsters.

Petrova will now play either third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova or German qualifier Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.

Earlier in the day, former world No.1 Justine Henin survived the toughest test of her comeback to book her spot in the fourth round.

Henin, a seven-time grand slam winner including the 2004 Australian Open, is playing her first major tournament and only her second tournament overall since announcing her comeback from a 16-month retirement in September, 2009.

After finishing runner-up to Clijsters in a warm-up tournament in Brisbane prior to the Australian Open, Henin has already showed she is determined to return to the top of women's tennis with a straight sets but hard-fought win over No.5 seed Elena Dementieva in the second round.

But in her third-round clash on Friday, the 27-year-old had to call on her all renowned fighting spirit to subdue another Russian in No.27 seed Alisa Kleybanova.

Kleybanova, the conqueror of Australia's Jelena Dokic in the opening round, not only won the first set but was up a break in the second set as Henin was facing the possibility of a shock early exit.

But the four-time French Open champion rallied to win five of the next six matches to take the match into a deciding set before eventually prevailing 3-6 6-4 6-2.

Henin will now face another talented Belgian in the fourth round in Yanina Wickmayer after she downed Italy's Sara Errani 6-1 6-7 (7-4) 6-3.

Wickmayer is actually ranked No.16 in the world but was forced to qualify for the Australian Open following a suspension for failing to adhere to drug testing policies - which has since being lifted - with Wickmayer also having reached the semi-finals at last year's US Open.

But while Henin's comeback continues to gather momentum, the form slump of another former world No.1 in Serbia's Jelena Jankovic continues as she joined countrywoman Ana Ivanovic on the Australian Open scrapheap.

Just a day after Ivanovic suffered her earliest Australian Open exit in four years after crashing out in the second round, Jankovic did likewise on Friday as she suffered a third-round exit at the hands of much-improved Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-2 6-3.

SBut there were no such problems for yet another former world No.1 in Russian Dinara Safina, who pulverised outclassed British player Elena Baltacha on Rod Laver Arena winning 6-1 6-2 in less than an hour.

Safina and Jankovic are often regarded as the two best players in women's tennis not to have won a Grand Slam singles title despite both having reached the pinnacle of the game in terms of rankings.

But while Safina played on Friday like a woman on a mission to atone for her humiliating straight-sets loss to Serena Williams in last year's final at Melbourne Park, Jankovic looked nothing like the player who reached the top of the rankings in 2008 and also lost to Serena Williams in the US Open final that year.

While Bondarenko is one of the most improved players in women's tennis - she won her second career title at Hobart in the lead-up to this year's Australian Open - Jankovic's Australian Open campaign ended amidst a litany of unforced errors - 40 to 24 - as Bondarenko reached the fourth round of a grand slam tournament for the first time.

It is the first time since 2006 that Jankovic has failed to make it to the second week at Melbourne Park - where she was a semi-finalist in 2008 - and continues her decline from last year when she was bundled out in the second round at the US Open.

Safina, who has lost all three Grand Slam singles finals she has played (last year's Australian Open and the 2008 and 2009 French Open finals), looked awesome against the 83rd-ranked Baltacha.

The younger sister of dual Grand Slam champion Marat Safin smacked 19 winners to four and looked determined to get off court as soon as possible on a day when temperatures at Melbourne Park were in the low 30s.

Safina's bid for her first Grand Slam singles title was also boosted by Jankovic's shock early exit as the Russian No.2 seed now appears to have a clear run to the semi-finals with Bondarenko the only other seeded player left in her quarter of the draw.

The other seed to fall in Safina's quarter of the draw on Friday was French No.11 seed Marion Bartoli who went down 5-7 6-3 6-0 to unseeded Chinese player Jie Zheng, who will now face Bondarenko in the fourth round.
Safina will next face fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko - conqueror of Maria Sharapova in the first round - after Kirilenko equalled her previous best performance in a grand slam tournament by reaching the fourth round with a 7-5 7-6 (7-4) win over Roberta Vinci.

Jankovic crumbles

2010-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

Another day at Melbourne Park and the horror form slump of another former Serbian world No.1 continues as Jelena Jankovic joined countrywoman Ana Ivanovic on the Australian Open scrapheap.

Just a day after Ivanovic suffered her earliest Australian Open exit in four years after crashing out in the second round, Jankovic did likewise on Friday as she suffered a third-round exit at the hands of much-improved Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-2 6-3.

But there were no such problems for another former world No.1 in Russian Dinara Safina, who pulverised outclassed British player Elena Baltacha on Rod Laver Arena in less than an hour in winning her way into the fourth round 6-1 6-2.

Safina and Jankovic are often regarded as the two best players in women's tennis not to have won a Grand Slam singles title, despite both having reached the pinnacle of the game in terms of rankings.

But while Safina played on Friday like a woman on a mission to atone for her humiliating straight-sets loss to Serena Williams in last year's final at Melbourne Park, Jankovic looked nothing like the player who reached the top of the rankings in 2008 and lost to Serena Williams in the US Open final that year.

While Bondarenko is one of the most improved players in women's tennis - she won her second career title at Hobart in the lead-up to this year's Australian Open - Jankovic's Australian Open campaign ended amidst a litany of unforced errors.

Jankovic made 40 unforced errors to just 24 for Bondarenko, who has now reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time - while the Serbian also won only 32 percent of points on her second serve.

In total the 24-year-old was broken on serve on six occasions including to lose the match when appropriately she produced yet another unforced error on match point when she netted a forehand.

It is the first time since 2006 that Jankovic has failed to make it to the second week at Melbourne Park - where she was a semi-finalist in 2008 - and continues her decline from last year when she was bundled out in the second round at the US Open.

And just as Ivanovic has slid from world No.1 to finishing outside the top 20 for the first time in five years last year, Jankovic's current world ranking of eight will suffer as a result of failing to at least match her fourth-round appearance at last year's Australian Open.

Safina, who has lost all three Grand Slam singles finals she has played (last year's Australian Open and the 2008 and 2009 French Open finals), looked awesome against 83rd-ranked Baltacha.

The younger sister of dual Grand Slam champion Marat Safin smacked 19 winners to four and looked determined to get off court as soon as possible on a day when temperatures at Melbourne Park were in the low 30s.

Safina's bid for her first Grand Slam singles title was also boosted by Jankovic's shock early exit as the Russian No.2 seed now appears to have a clear run to the semi-finals with only No.11 seed Marion Bartoli and Bondarenko left in her quarter of the draw amongst the seeded players.
But in the semis she is likely to face one of three Grand Slam champions in either Justin Henin, Kim Clijsters or countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Anna Kournikova's mother charged

2010-01-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

Alla Kournikova (R), mother of tennis star Anna Kournikova (L), is charged with child neglect.

EPA © Enlarge photo

Tennis star Anna Kournikova's mother has been arrested in Florida and charged with child neglect.

A Palm Beach police report says 46-year-old Alla Kournikova left her five-year-old son home alone while she ran errands on Tuesday.

Someone passing by the home found the boy and called police.

The boy told police he jumped out a second-story window, but was not seriously injured.

Police said Alla Kournikova locked the home with a deadbolt and officers had to get inside through a second-story window.

She was released from the Palm Beach County Jail after posting a $US3,000 ($A3,244) bond.
Online records and the police report did not list an attorney. A phone number listed for an Alla Kournikova in Palm Beach has been disconnected.

Anti-Israel protest threat for Peer not there

2010-01-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

Israeli player Shahar Peer has grown accustomed to the worlds of politics and tennis colliding on her court.

Going into her first-round match at the Australian Open on Wednesday she wasn’t aware of media reports about protests planned against her. But she figured that’s why all the TV cameras were there.

“I didn’t know if there was protesting but I was guessing because I saw a lot of cameras coming to my court,” said the No. 29-seeded Israel, who won her match against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-1.
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As it turned out, the pro-Palestine groups that had announced plans to picket outside Melbourne Park never showed up and the only courtside chanting came from flag-waving Israeli supporters.

But organizers weren’t taking any chances, especially after pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged three days of small but noisy protests against Peer earlier this month at the ASB tennis Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

A half dozen protesters were arrested in Auckland and the entire stadium— players and spectators—was evacuated one day after an unattended bag was found and disposed of.

On Wednesday, at least six plainclothes security officers in dark suits— with wires dangling from their ears and talking into their sleeves—monitored Peer’s match, which came on the first hot, sunny day of the season’s first major. Her match was originally scheduled for Tuesday but delayed because of a backlog caused by rain Monday.

The group “Australians for Palestine” has pasted posters around Melbourne that show Peer, who did Israel’s compulsory national service, in a military uniform while a picture of a distressed child from Gaza is superimposed on her racket, The Age newspaper reported Wednesday. The poster’s slogan reads: “Shahar Peer Serves for Israel.”

Next month, Peer will play for the first time at the Dubai Tennis Championships after the United Arab Emirates, under international pressure following its refusal to allow her entry in 2009, relented this year and gave her a visa.

Peer lamented the need for security in Melbourne but says she is not distracted by it and doesn’t feel the need to take extra precautions.

“I know that there is security going on around me, and I don’t know exactly how much but I really feel safe,” she said. “I’m just focusing on playing tennis. I’m not here to focus on my security or whatever’s going on outside the court.”

After a close first set that Peer lost in a tiebreaker, she re-established her dominance in the second set and cruised through the third.

Hradecka, who had beaten Peer in straight sets in their only previous meeting, got so frustrated in the final game she whacked her racket against both shoes. The Czech handed Peer the last three points on errors, including the final service return into the net.

Peer has not passed the quarters in her four previous appearances at the Australian Open.

She is currently ranked No. 28, slipping from a career-high ranking of 15 in 2007, and has set herself a target of returning to the top 20. Her season so far is off to a good start: At her first two tournaments of the year, she reached the semifinals in Auckland and the final at Hobart.

Her schedule this year includes the addition of Dubai, which starts Feb. 15.

“I got (the visa) already,” Peer said. “I will go play this year’s tournament.”

The United Arab Emirates rejected Peer’s visa request last year, apparently because of anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state following a three-week war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza. The UAE does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The tournament was fined $300,000 and told to meet certain requirements— one of them written confirmation about Peer, which it subsequently provided.

After Peer’s ban last year, Israeli player Andy Ram received a visa to play the following week in the men’s tournament. Andy Roddick, the 2008 champion in Dubai, skipped last year’s event because of the Peer dispute, saying he “didn’t agree with what went on over there.”

Yuval Rotem, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, attended Peer’s match Wednesday, dividing his time between the stands and discussion with security patrolling the outdoor show court.

“It is very ridiculous,” he said, adding that he was relieved protesters didn’t turn up at the stadium but he takes threats against Israeli athletes seriously. “For us, whenever they try to bring the involvement of political issues, it always brings the memories of the 1972 massacre of Israelis at the Olympics.”

Eleven Israeli Olympic team members were killed by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Munich Games.

“We have to leave sport out of politics,” he said.

Henin knocks Dementieva out of Australian Open

2010-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Comeback queen Justine Henin issued an ominous warning to her rivals at the Australian Open by knocking out Russian fifth seed Elena Dementieva 7-5 7-6 in the second round on Wednesday.

In a pulsating, high-quality contest, 2004 champion Henin withstood Dementieva's baseline onslaught early, then sealed the match under enormous pressure in the second set to claim her biggest scalp since coming back from retirement after 18 months out of the game.

"I couldn't believe I would relive these kind of emotions," the seven-times grand slam champion said in a courtside interview.

"It's only positive things... The tournament is not over."

Henin, who made the final of her first tournament back at the Brisbane International earlier this month, will face another Russian in the third round, 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova.

Just before the Australian grand slam, the Belgian said she was looking forward to tough matches to gauge her level against the world's best and Dementieva delivered.

The Russian, a semi-finalist here last year and still chasing her maiden grand slam, reeled in Henin twice in the first set when the Belgian threatened to break away.

But the pressure told on Dementieva, who blew set points when serving at 5-4, and collapsed with unforced errors to allow Henin to take the set.

The cat-and-mouse contest continued in the second, with Henin chasing Dementieva and herself suffering an attack of nerves when serving for the match at 5-4.

Under enormous pressure, Dementieva ripped two clean winners to break back and scrape into a tiebreaker.

More drama was to follow as Henin double faulted, then hit long to hand Dementieva a set point, but the Russian wasted it before seemingly suffering a brain failure.

Needing to rally to stay in the game, she gambled with a drop shot from near the back of the baseline which found the net to gift match point.

Henin pounced with a volley to seal the match and screamed in triumph amid thunderous cheers at Rod Laver Arena.

"It is disappointing... I feel like I gave her the opportunity to play well," said a downcast Dementieva, whose closest tilt at a grand slam was six years ago with finals at the 2004 French and U.S. Opens.
"I think she was playing very well... It just doesn't feel like she was having a break."

Kuznetsova eases into third round

2010-01-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

Third seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova has eased into the third round of the Australian Open.

The reigning French Open champion defeated compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets - 6-2 6-2.

Meanwhile, US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has also won through to the second round.

The Dane defeated Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak in straight sets, scoring a straightforward 6-4 6-2 victory.
Ninth seed Vera Zvonereva of Russia easily accounted for Belarussian Kristina Kucova 6-2 6-0.

Wozniacki continues mastery over Wozniak

2010-01-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Caroline Wozniacki continued her domination over Aleksandra Wozniak with a 6-4 6-2 victory in their first-round match at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The pair were scheduled to meet on Tuesday but heavy rain on the previous day forced a backlog of matches in the bottom half of the women's draw.

World number four Wozniacki, last year's U.S. Open finalist, wasted little time in dispatching her error-prone Canadian opponent for the sixth time in seven encounters.

Wozniak's only victory was when Dane Wozniacki retired injured from their match in Tokyo last year. Wozniacki will meet Germany's Julia Goerges in the second round.

Ivanovic, Serena Williams cruise through

2010-01-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

Serb Ana Ivanovic overcome a late fightback to move into the second round of the Australian Open, crediting her ability to stay calm for the victory.

The 20th seed crushed American Shenay Perry in straight sets, winning 6-2 6-3.

But Ivanovic struggled to hold serve in the swirling breezes while trying to close out the match as Perry fought hard to stay in contention.

"It was very good, I was pleased with the way I played," Ivanovic said.

"The conditions were very tough. It was very cold and windy and a lot different than Brisbane or what I been used to.

"But I just tried to work my way through, just taking time, try to stay composed. I thought I played well and served good.

"I'm very happy to have victory, because she had lot of matches already. She's a dangerous opponent. She likes to come in and serve and volley and doesn't give you much rhythm or time."

The Serb, winner of the French Open and a finalist in Australia in 2008, is out to prove she deserves a spot in the top 10 again.

She was ranked No.1 in June 2008 but her ranking has slipped to 21 in the world.

Ivanovic was knocked out in the third round in Melbourne last year.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams' defence of her Australian Open title is off to a bright start.

The top seed cruised into the second round when she scored an effortless 6-2 6-1 victory over Polish player Urszula Radwanska.

Williams is chasing her fifth Australian crown after winning in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

She was far too powerful for the Polish baseliner in her campaign opener, blasting winners from the back of the court and moving in behind a big serve.
The 28-year-old had one of her best seasons in more than a decade on tour in 2009, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon championships as well as the Tour Championships

Sharapova makes early exit

2010-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin enjoyed mixed fortunes on their returns to Melbourne Park on Monday.

Sharapova was the big loser, suffering a shock first-round loss to Maria Kirilenko, but Clijsters and Henin won easily on a day when everything, except Melbourne's fickle weather, followed the usual script.
Instead of the extreme heat that has left competitors soaked in sweat and gasping for air, the opening day of this year's first grand slam was severely disrupted by unseasonal wind and showers.

Tournament organisers closed the giant retractable roofs on the two main courts to ensure the featured singles matches went ahead but almost 40 matches on the outside courts were left unfinished or rescheduled for Tuesday.
Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva led the Russian charge in the women's draw.

Sharapova, seeded 14th and making her first appearance at Melbourne Park since winning the championship two years ago, lost 7-6 3-6 6-4 to her good friend and fellow Russian Kirilenko.
Unable to defend her title last year because of a shoulder injury, Sharapova was a shadow of the player who stormed to the 2008 title without dropping a set, contributing to her own downfall with 66 unforced errors and 11 double faults.

"I could be disappointed or I could just take it as it is and just go back on the court and just keep working. I choose option two," Sharapova said.

Clijsters was runner-up to Henin at the 2004 Australian Open but had given up on the idea of winning the title when she quit the sport in 2007.
She made a fairytale comeback last year by winning the U.S. Open, however, and launched her Australian campaign with a 6-0 6-4 win over Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault.

"I never expected when I said goodbye that I would be back here," Clijsters said. "Life can change and I changed my mind, and so far I haven't regretted it for a second."
Henin romped past fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-3 and will play Dementieva after the in-form Russian defeated compatriot Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-1.

"I feel it's my place to be here," Henin said. "It's a good feeling to be back here."

Safina, runner-up in Melbourne last year, defeated Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-4 despite still trying to rebuild her fitness after suffering back pain late last year.

"At the end of the last year I was tired, exhausted, like I had no more fun on the court," she said.
"But now I feel like I'm back and I'm enjoying every moment."

There was no repeat of the violent ethnic clashes that have marred the start of the tournament in recent years with security adopting a firm stance.

Dementieva sets up juicy clash with Henin

2010-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva set up a mouth-watering second-round clash with Justine Henin after dispatching compatriot Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-1 on Monday.

Former world number one Henin, who returned to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International after an 18-month retirement, beat her fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-3.
Dementieva, who defeated Serena Williams in the Sydney International final at the weekend, had been scheduled to play an early match on Margaret Court Arena but rain delays forced it indoors.

"I think it was a very difficult day for all of us," Dementieva told reporters. "Ten hours waiting to come on court was quite difficult. I'm just glad that we were able to finish our match today."
The 28-year-old Dementieva never allowed Dushevina to settle, clinically dismantling her service game with constant pressure which yielded six breaks.

Dementieva said she had not seen Henin's match but knew the Belgian would be a difficult opponent despite her rustiness.
"I think it's going to be a tough challenge because Justine, she's a very experienced player," she said.

"I'm sure she was getting ready for this comeback. So I'm just expecting a tough match against her."

Hingis keen on another comeback

2010-01-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Swiss tennis great Martina Hingis hinted on Sunday at a return to the women's professional circuit having served her two-year ban for drug abuse.

The 29-year-old admitted in November 2007 she had tested positive for cocaine and announced her retirement.
But after her two-year ban expired in September 2009, the five-time grand slam winner admitted she misses the game.

"I can not imagine a life without tennis," she said after playing American former world No.1 Lindsay Davenport of the United States in an exhibition game near Berlin.
"It's still so much fun for me.

"I'd like to play more exhibition games and see what happens.
"Past that, I just don't know at the moment."

Hingis showed good fitness in the 6-4 6-4 win over Davenport which came after two hours.
And the Swiss miss said she was not surprised at the planned comebacks of Belgium veterans Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open which starts on Monday.

"I think the women's game is somewhat monotonous at the moment," said Hingis.
"The young girls all play the same way, whereas Justine and Kim are successful because they vary their game."

But her opponent Davenport said there is no hope of a full-time return to tennis.
"If I play again it will only be to selected events and only then for fun," said the 33-year-old American.

Serena fit for Open

2010-01-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

Four-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams has dismissed concerns over her fitness ahead of her title defence, saying her knee had improved in the 24 hours since she limped her way through the Medibank International final against Elena Dementieva.

Just two days out from the start of 2010's first Grand Slam, Williams said she was feeling ready for what shapes as a gruelling fortnight at Melbourne Park and would be ready to take on Poland's Urszula Radwanska in the first round and also compete in the doubles with her sister Venus.

"The knee is much better. So, it was good for me to get all those matches in. So it was good," she said.

"I played a lot of matches in a row, you know, back to back. I had a long three-set match. Eventually, I had a quick turnaround time. But that was good preparation for me because I do plan on playing both singles and doubles here."

She admitted that soreness in her knee had put her off her form in a straight-sets loss at the hands of Dementieva, but said her opponent was just too good on the night.

"I definitely wasn't at my best. But I feel like it's very comforting to know that I wasn't at my best on that particular match. But, you know what, I never want to make excuses. I think Elena played well. She always plays me well. I think we always have really fun, tough, tough matches."

"With that being said, I thought she played amazing. What athlete really is at a hundred percent every time? Probably never."

But the world No.1 admits that she will need to pace herself throughout the tournament or she may risk further injury.

"You know, don't want to push it, go too far. Definitely want to do the best I can obviously, but also want to pace myself. Hopefully I can play seven single rounds and six double rounds," she said.

Meanwhile Williams, who was beaten at the semi-final stage of the US Open after threatening a linesman, fended away questions about her anger management.

"Was it anger management, do you think? How is your writing coming along?" she shot back at the journalist.

"Just fine, thank you," was the response.

"Great. Ditto, kiddo," retorted Williams.

Belgian Wickmayer qualifies for Australian Open

2010-01-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

U.S. Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer was placed in the same quarter of the draw as fellow Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin after Saturday's final round of qualifying for the Australian Open.

The world number 16 was forced to go through the qualifying competition, to decide the last 16 men and 12 women, because she was ineligible to enter the main draw for the registrations in November due to suspension, a ban which has since been revoked.
Wickmayer safely booked her place in the main draw with a 6-0 6-0 win over Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino and will face Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru.

She could face Henin in the fourth round and Clijsters in the quarter-finals if they all progress.
"I'm really happy I've played well ... I think I deserve my place in the main draw," Wickmayer said.

"I'm really happy with the way I've handled everything. It's been a really tough time in the last couple of months.
"Coming here and starting the qualifiers wasn't easy for me. I just tried to take it the positive way."

Clijsters will play Valerie Tetreault in the opening round after the Canadian advanced through the qualifiers on Saturday.

AAP Bondarenko wins Hobart International

2010-01-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

Alona Bondarenko (pic) has won the Hobart International final, defeating Shahar Peer 6-2 6-4.

AAP © Enlarge photo

Alona Bondarenko heads to the Australian Open feeling optimistic after her 6-2 6-4 upset victory over second seed Shahar Peer of Israel in Saturday's Hobart International final.

Bondarenko plays a qualifier in the first round of the Australian Open next week.
"I am very happy to have won my second WTA title and I hope it's not the last for the year," the Ukrainian said.

"I am looking forward to my matches next week. I am feeling good and I hope I play well."
Peer, an Australian Open quarter-finalist in 2007, plays Czech Lucie Hradecka in the first round.

"I am disappointed with today's match because I didn't find my rhythm at all," she said.
"But it was a dream come true to be in the final in Hobart and I am ready to raise my level next week at the Australian Open."

Peer and Hradecka have met once before in 2009 when Hradecka won.

Bondarenko and Peer through to Hobart final

2010-01-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

Fourth seeded Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko upset top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues on Friday night to progress to a Hobart International final showdown with hard hitting Israeli Shahar Peer.

Bondarenko recovered from a set down to beat the Spaniard 4-6 6-3 6-4, Bondarenko claiming afterwards that she was always confident of her chances despite her early difficulties.
"I was not worried about being down in the first set because you have two more sets to win the game," Bondarenko said.

Peer was far more impressive in her semi-final win, the second seed crushing unseeded Italian Sara Errani 6-2 6-0.
The win was even more meritorious given Peer was forced to play early Friday despite a late finish to her quarter-final on Thursday night.

"I did not sleep very much," Peer said of her less than ideal preparation.
Peer holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage over Bondarenko heading into Saturday's final.

Dementieva thrashes Serena Williams

2010-01-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams will carry a bruised ego and series of niggling injuries into her Australian Open title defence after slumping to a straight-sets loss in the Sydney International final on Friday night.

Grand slam bridesmaid Elena Dementieva showcased her Open credentials with a ruthless victory over the wounded Williams, but all the attention focused on the world No.1 after her meek 6-3 6-2 loss.
The Open's top seed and four-time champion confessed only to a minor knee injury but she also had her right hamstring heavily iced after the match - plus her left ankle strapped during it.

"I was struggling a little bit, but I hate to make any excuse. I think she definitely deserves all the credit for what she did," Williams said.
The 11-times major winner insisted the injuries wouldn't hinder her chances in Melbourne and even vowed to partner sister Venus in the women's doubles.

"It's just a little pain here (in the knee) and the strapping usually helps the pain go away sometimes," Williams said.
"It's definitely not ligament problems. Definitely not.

"I feel great. I feel like I have more than enough matches under my belt. I feel like I'm really ready and fit."
Dementieva required just 75 minutes to spectacularly reverse her straight-sets loss to Williams at the 2009 season-ending championships and romp to back-to-back titles in Sydney.

The Russian is the first woman to defend her crown in the Olympic city since Martina Hingis reigned supreme in 2001-02.
The 2004 French and US Open runner-up, the fifth-ranked Dementieva has long been rated the best player in the world without a major.

But boasting four semi-final appearances from the last six slams, the 28-year-old may finally be ready to break her well-documented drought at Melbourne Park.
Williams abruptly halted Dementieva's 15-match winning streak in last year's Open semi-finals before thrashing Dinara Safina in the title match.

But there was no stopping Dementieva on Friday night, the world No.5 mixing devastating attack with some remarkable defence to completely dominate Williams, who contributed heavily to her demise with 40 unforced errors.
After breaking Williams five times during the one-sided final, Dementieva nailed a backhand return winner to put the American out of her misery.

It was Dementieva's 15th career title.
"For sure such a big win gives you a lot of confidence," Dementieva said.

"When it comes to the Grand Slam, it's going to be a new challenge and I have to be ready and recover from this week and be ready from the first round.
"I was expecting a tough match and even though the score was 6-3, 6-2 it didn't show how tense it was out on the court."

Peer reaches the Hobart semi-finals

2010-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

World No.30 Shahar Peer of Israel defeated fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain in three tough sets to reach the semi-finals of the Hobart International tournament on Thursday night.

Peer, seeded second, lost the first set before recovering to progress 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.
Peer will now play unseeded Italian Sara Errani in Friday's semi-finals.

Earlier on Thursday, Errani defeated Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-3 6-4 to ensure her place in the final four.
Friday's other semi-final will be between top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and fourth seed Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine.

Serena scrapes through to Sydney final

2010-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

World No.1 Serena Williams has battled her way into the final of the Sydney International after edging out Aravane Rezai of France 3-6 7-5 6-4 in a thrilling encounter on Thursday.

Williams looked to be crashing out of the tournament after losing the opening set to an inspired Rezai and then trailing the world No.23 5-2 in the second.

However, the reigning Australian Open champion showed all of her fighting qualities to win five straight games and level the match.

The deciding set was a topsy-turvy battle with both players relinquishing their serves before Williams broke Rezai once again in the ninth game and saw out the match.

The 28-year-old will now face defending champion Elena Dementieva or Belarusian world No.7 Victoria Azarenka in Friday's final.

Dementieva marches into Sydney semis

2010-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Defending champion Elena Dementieva booked her place in the semi-finals of the Sydney International late on Wednesday with a 6-2 6-3 victory over world No.2 and fellow Russian Dinara Safina.

The start of the match, a repeat of last year's final, was delayed by almost two hours due to heavy rain, with play finally getting underway at 9.20pm (AEDT)
The long break had no adverse effects on the champion who came roaring out of the blocks, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set as Safina's serve continued to misfire.

The 23-year-old Safina finally showed some form in the sixth game of the set when she broke her fellow Russian, but Dementieva held her next service game to take the opener 6-2.
The second set was a closer affair, but Dementieva secured an early break to seize the inititiative.

Despite Safina questioning the umpire's decision to let play continue with light rain starting to fall, Dementieva held her nerve after the ground staff had dried the white lines on the court to see out the set 6-3 and march into the last four.
Dementieva will be back on court on Thursday afternoon when she takes on Victoria Azarenka of Belarus for a place in the final.

Serena Williams looked in ominous form on Wednesday, ahead of the defence of her Australian Open crown later this month, as she brushed aside Russia's Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-2 to book a place in the semi-finals of the Sydney International.
The 28-year-old has spent 85 weeks as the top player in the world, some way short of Justine Henin's 117, and the Belgian looked like she had never been away at the Brisbane International last week on her return to action following an 18-month break.

The pair were on course to meet in the second round in Sydney, only for Henin to withdraw from the tournament following her epic final defeat in Brisbane to Kim Clijsters, a move that disappointed the current world No.1.
"I was really excited about playing her as she is playing really well and we always have great matches," Williams said.

"No one is really surprised at the way she has come back, she was only gone for a little while ... and you don't lose that much form.
"I know she quit while she was ahead but that is the great thing about women's tennis, that you can do that."

With Clijsters winning the US Open, beating Williams en route in the now infamous semi-final clash where Williams was docked a point on match-point after berating a line judge, the American said she could see the benefit of having time out.
But it is not an option she will be taking.

"I definitely want to keep going when the going is tough, more than anything I enjoy it. I enjoy being out there on the court," she said.
"I feel it is what I was born to do and what I do best, until I find something I do better."

Williams will face France's Aravane Razai for a place in the final on Wednesday.
World No.27 Razai comfortably beat Samantha Stosur's first-round conqueror Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-0 to book her place in a first semi-final in Sydney.

Also into the last four is sixth-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who came from a set down to beat Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 2-6 6-2 7-5.

Dementieva undaunted by lack of major success

2010-01-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

Elena Dementieva will again be considered one of the favourites when the Australian Open starts next week and although she has yet to win a grand slam title, the Russian does not feel weighed down by the burden of expectation.

The world number five has reached at the semi-finals of all four majors including two finals -- the 2004 French and U.S. Opens -- and at 28 time is not on her side, but Dementieva will arrive at Melbourne Park perfectly content with her achievements.
Winning the Olympics in Beijing was the highlight of her career, she said, and anything else would be a bonus.

"I don't feel any pressure, to be honest with you, because I like to play," Dementieva told Reuters in an interview.
"I really enjoy to compete and no matter what tournament I am playing, I try to play my best."

Like many Russians, Dementieva takes enormous pride in playing for her country and when she won the gold medal in 2008, she said her career was effectively complete.
"For me there is nothing bigger than the Olympic Games," she said.

"For sure, as a tennis player I would like to win a grand slam but the biggest goal of my career was to win a gold medal for my country and I've done this already.
"I still have my motivation, especially when it comes to the grand slams. I still have some goals in my career and that's why I am playing."

ACHILLES HEEL
Dementieva has long been one of the best ball strikers on the women's tour and remains one of the best athletes, attributes that have helped her to be ranked in the top 10 for six of the past eight years.

Her attitude is first class but for years, her Achilles heel has been her serve, the one part of her game that seems to buckle under pressure.
The Russian has remodeled her action on many occasions and the present version is much more solid than previous editions, but she admits it will never be a work of art.

"I think I have some problems with the rhythm, maybe because of the problems I had years back with my shoulder," she said.
"It's like a bad habit, it's very difficult to get away from it. You're always trying for the repetition but sometimes when it comes to the games it's very easy to lose it."

Six years on from her two grand-slam finals, Dementieva is still very much a contender, having reached the last four at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2009, where she was one point away from beating Serena Williams in the semis.
She feels her game is stronger now than it has ever been and despite so many near misses, never allows time to wallow in self-pity.

"I don't feel unlucky," she said. "I just think it's great experiences. I was able to be in two finals of a grand slam and I played a lot of semi-finals.
"If I didn't win, I didn't deserve it, you know. It's not that good in the end. I just take it as a good experiences, take it as a lesson and try to improve my game."

Williams cruises into Sydney semi-finals

2010-01-13T00:07:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams cruised into the semi-finals of the Sydney International with a straight sets victory over Vera Dushevina on Wednesday.

The world No.1 took 61 minutes to dispose of the Russian 6-2 6-2 and will now face France's Aravane Razai for a place in the final.
Dushevina broke Williams' serve in the fifth game of the second set, but it proved to be a minor setback for the American as she broke back in the next game before closing out the match.

World No.27 Razai comfortably beat Samantha Stosur's first-round conqueror Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-0 to book her place in the semi-finals.
Also into the last four is sixth-seed Belarussian Victoria Azarenka who came from a set down to beat Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 2-6 6-2 7-5.

Defending champion Elena Dementieva will take on world No.2 and fellow Russian Dinara Safina in the Wednesday night game at Ken Rosewall Arena.

Italian Errani on course for semis

2010-01-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

Italy's Sara Errani has won a place in the quarter-finals of the Hobart tennis international against Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens.

Errani, ranked 50th in the world, advanced on Wednesday after upsetting third seed and world No.31 Kateryna Bondarenko from the Ukraine 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.
Flipkens, ranked 80th, upset Canadian sixth seed Aleksandra Wozniak 7-5 6-2 earlier on Wednesday to earn her place in the quarter-final.

Two other quarter-final showdowns have also been finalised.
Top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain plays Argentine eighth seed Gisela Dulko and fourth seed Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko will meet seventh seed Jie Zheng of China.

Aussie Jelena Dokic and second seed Shahar Peer of Israel will play Wednesday night's match to determine who plays Spanish fifth seed Suarez Navarro in the last of the quarter-finals.
World No.33 Suarez Navarro knocked Australia's Alicia Molik out of the tournament on Wednesday 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3.

"It's been the best preparation I could ask for," Molik said.
"Carla is ranked about the top 30 in world and to not just push her to a third set but be in a commanding, winning position as well 2-1 up and I had a point for 3-1 - so it could have been very different.

"I did the right things for two hours, it was only the last five or six minutes that I didn't quite do the right things, so that's a pretty good sign."
The 28-year-old Aussie, ranked No.198, is returning to tennis this summer after retiring in 2007 due to persistent injury problems.

She beat world No.57 Sania Mirza from India in the Hobart first round and also took out world No.60 Russian Ekaterina Makarova in Brisbane before losing there to US Open champion Kim Clijsters.
Molik reached No.8 in the world in 2005.

"I felt like I should have won today," Molik said.
"I have certainly been playing well enough to win a match like that but it's just the way it goes, that seven minutes that I didn't play so well is what I'll have to focus on for my upcoming matches."

Dominant Williams sends ominous warning to rivals

2010-01-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams started her 2010 season in the same devastating fashion in which she ended 2009, thrashing Spain's Marie Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1 6-2 in the second round of the Sydney International on Tuesday.

Playing her first match since beating older sister Venus in the final of last year's Tour Championship, Williams showed why she remains the woman to beat at this month's Australian Open with a powerful display.
The world number one was not at her absolute best after a two-month break and struggled with the scorching temperatures at the Olympic tennis centre, but could not have been happier with her form leading into the first grand slam of the year.

"I felt all right. Obviously I don't feel my best, but that's what the game is all about, taking it one match at a time and just doing the best that you can," she told reporters.
"My goal is to do well, obviously, but I can't put too much pressure on myself. If I play the best I can play, I've always said I'm very difficult to beat."

Russia's Dinara Safina, who lost last year's Australian Open final to Williams, also opened her new season with a win but had to work much harder before toppling Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals.
SAFINA STRUGGLES

Safina spent the off season recovering from a back complaint and the early signs were not good when she lost the first five games of the match as the mercury hovered above 35 degrees Celsius.
But just when the world number two looked to be in trouble, she rebounded and seized control of the contest.

"It was a little bit of slow start, but it was a winning start," Safina said.
"It's not easy to play against her. She's a top 10 player and she plays very smart.

"It was my first match of the year. I think I was just finding my game... but once it clicked, it went all the way."
Russia's defending champion Elena Dementieva beat Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchokova 6-2 4-6 6-2 while Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan 6-1 5-7 7-5, leaving four of the original eight seeds in the women's draw.

The only high-profile casualty was Russia's French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
"You can't play your best every week," Kuznetsova said.

"To play good here, it would be nice but it's not such a bad thing.
"I'm definitely very worried about the match today and I have to improve and practice a lot before Australian Open, but that's not the worse thing in the world."

Medina Garrigues wins as wind plays havoc in Hobart

2010-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Spanish top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues came from behind to beat Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 3-6 6-3 6-1 at the Hobart International on Tuesday.

Medina Garrigues recovered from her slow start to run away with the match and set up a quarter-final against Gisela Dulko, who had an even tougher time.
The Argentine, playing in the afternoon when the wind was blowing hard, beat Austria's Tamira Paszek 6-1 0-6 7-6 after struggling in the conditions.

The wind gusts became so strong that the umpire had to interrupt the match several times as loose objects blew across the court.
"It was impossible to play tennis," Dulko said. "I don't think I've played tennis in worse conditions than this today.

"It was really windy and everything was flying around on the court, I couldn't serve, toss the ball."
Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, the fourth seed, beat Alize Cornet of France 6-4 3-6 6-2.

She will play Zheng Jie in the quarter-finals after the Chinese player beat compatriot Peng Shuai 6-2 6-1 in the Australian Open warmup.

Serena breezes into quarter-finals

2010-01-11T22:31:00.000-08:00

World No.1 Serena Williams has scorched into the quarter-finals of the Sydney International with a straight-sets win over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Clearly keen to escape the sweltering conditions at Sydney Olympic Park, Williams romped to a 6-2 6-2 win over the in-form Martinez Sanchez, who last week teamed with Tommy Robredo to win Spain the Hopman Cup.
Williams will play Russian Vera Dushevina for a place in the last four as she continues her build-up for the Australian Open starting in Melbourne on Monday.

Earlier on Tuesday, world No.2 Dinara Safina - who lost the 2009 Open final to Williams - scored an impressive comeback win to advance to the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-4 victory over the 10th-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.
Playing her first match of 2010, after enjoying a first-round bye, Safina recovered from 5-0 down in the opening set to set up a quarter-final with either fellow Russian Elena Dementieva or Slovak Daniela Hantuchova.

It was Safina's first match since October after overcoming a back injury.
"Well, a little bit of slow start, but it was a start. It was a winning start," a relieved Safina said.

"I mean, it's not easy to play against her. She's a top-10 player and she plays very smart.
"I was like miss-timing until 5-love (down) but then I found my rhythm and my game.

"I think it was a very solid match for me for the first match of the year."

Dulko through to quarter finals

2010-01-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

Alona Bondarenko has reached the quarter-finals of the Hobart international tennis tournament.

AAP © Enlarge photo

Argentine Gisela Dulko has won through to quarter-finals at the Hobart international tennis tournament for the second year in a row after beating Austrian Tamira Paszek on Tuesday.

The tournament eighth seed prevailed 6-1 0-6 7-6 (7-5) after two hours in hot, windy conditions.
The wind was so strong at one point that it blew a player's name card off the scoreboard.

Dulko will next play the winner of Tuesday night's second-round match between top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues and Russian Alla Kudryavtseva.
Earlier on Tuesday, Alona Bondarenko won a place in the quarter-finals by beating France's Alize Cornet.

The tournament fourth seed will next meet the winner of Tuesday's all-Chinese match between Shuai Peng and seventh seed Jie Zheng.
The Medina Garrigues/Kudryavtseva singles match will be followed by the new Aussie doubles pairing of Jelena Dokic and Alicia Molik, against Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei and Monica Niculescu of Romania.

WTA figure denies Kuznetsova claim

2010-01-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

A senior WTA figure has denied Svetlana Kuznetsova's claim that players have not been told that they need to report any approaches made to them about influencing the outcome of a match.

Responding to the news that fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova had been handed a 30-day ban and fined $US5,000 last Friday for failing to report that she had been offered money to throw a match, world No.3 Kuznetsova called for guidance from the governing body to prevent further confusion.

However, WTA vice-president Andrew Walker said players had been educated about corruption in the sport and the association's zero-tolerance policy towards it.

"Protecting the integrity of the sport is the number one priority for the all of tennis' governing bodies and professional tennis as a whole," Walker said in a statement to AAP.

He said an independent study was commissioned by the WTA, ATP, ITF and the Grand Slam Committee in 2008 to assess the threat to the sport's integrity.

The findings helped set up the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), who issued Bychkova's ban on Friday.

Walker added that the TIU was continuously monitoring the sport and reviewing penalties, and players were told about the program at a mandatory player meeting in Miami last year.

"The sport as a whole has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to corruption, with the most severe penalties reserved for transgressions in this area," he said.

"The Tour has a comprehensive program in place that included in-person education where the Tennis Integrity Program rules were reviewed, including affirmative obligations on players such as the requirement to report approaches."

Dokic wins first round match in Hobart

2010-01-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

Australia's Jelena Dokic says she's fitter and hitting the ball better than at the same time last year.

The world No.56, who pushed former No.1 Ana Ivanovic to three sets in the Brisbane International, was a comfortable first round winner at the Hobart international tennis tournament on Monday, beating British qualifier Elena Baltacha 6-4 6-2.
Battling sweltering temperatures of 35 degrees, Dokic served five double faults and four aces to the world No.84.

In the second she added two double faults and seven aces.
"I feel like I'm fitter this year and hitting the ball better," she said after Monday's match.

"It's just a matter now of how I'm playing in the match situations."
Dokic said she was managing her injuries, including a tricky ankle and was planning a full year of tennis in 2010.

"The start of the year is always difficult. You always get a little bit sore after matches but it's okay," she said.
"I'm still working on that and the more matches I play the better."

She also suffered a debilitating bout of glandular fever last year.
"I'm feeling good. I had a tough middle of the year last year," she said.

"I was injured and sick but hopefully now I've got that under control."
Dokic will play Israeli Shahar Peer on Wednesday night after she beat Melbourne's Olivia Rogowska on Monday 6-3 6-2.

Earlier on Monday, Sydney's Sophie Ferguson lost her first round match 6-2 6-2 to Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens.
Dokic will team with Alicia Molik to play doubles on Tuesday night.

Molik, the last of the four Australians in the tournament, plays tonight against Indian Sania Mirza.
Other first round singles winners on Monday were Italy's Sara Errani, Spain's Carla Suarez-Navarro, Argentine Gisela Dulko, China's Jie Zheng, Austrian Tamira Paszek, and Russian Alla Kudryavtseva.

Dellacqua follows Stosur out the door

2010-01-11T01:04:00.000-08:00

Casey Dellacqua has followed fellow Australian Samantha Stosur out the Sydney International exit door with a straight-sets first-round loss to Russian Elena Vesnina.

Dellacqua succumbed 6-2 6-2 after Stosur earlier on Monday crashed to a 6-3 6-1 loss to Italian Flavia Pennetta.
Former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic also suffered an Australian Open setback, falling 5-7 6-1 7-5 to Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay.

There was no joy either for eighth seed Vera Zvonareva, who had to retire with an ankle injury with the first set locked at 3-3 in her match against fellow Russian Vera Dushevina.
In other matches, Dominika Cibulkova beat Timea Bacsinszky 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez earned a date on Tuesday with top seed Serena Williams after downing Varvara Lepchenko 6-3 6-3.

Leading Russian women advance in Sydney

2010-01-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and her fellow Russian Elena Dementieva won their opening round matches at the Sydney International on Sunday, one of the major lead-up events to the Australian Open.

Kuznetsova was given a tough workout from compatriot Alisa Kleybanova before winning 6-2 6-7 7-5, while defending champion Dementieva had a much easier time in defeating Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-2 7-5.
Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova also had a quick workout, beating Virginie Razzano of France 6-3 6-0 in less than an hour to advance to a second round clash with Dementieva at Sydney's Olympic tennis centre.

Kuznetsova spent almost two-and-a-half hours under the baking Australian sun and recovered from 3-0 down in the deciding set to kickstart her Australian campaign with a win.
"I pushed back when I needed most and it worked for me. I played good at the important moments in the third set," she said.

"I need some matches, I am happy in some way to play a long match today.
"It's not good for me not to close (out the match) when I have too but to have a long fight it's also good because you play lots of points and you get adjusted to the court and get tested."

Only three regular tournament matches were played on Sunday as organisers completed the last stage of qualifying but the co-sanctioned ATP-WTA event swings into full action on Monday.
Women's world number one Serena Williams has a first-round bye and was scheduled to meet Justine Henin in the second round before the Belgian pulled out with a leg injury sustained during her loss to Kim Clijsters in Saturday's Brisbane final.

Wickmayer starting from scratch at Aussie Open

2010-01-09T20:12:00.001-08:00

Belgian No 1 Yanina Wickmayer will go from tennis champion to just another qualifying hopeful when she makes an early start to this year's opening Grand Slam tennis tournament.

A comfortable winner of the ASB Classic in final in Auckland yesterday, Wickmayer will have to play in qualifying for the Australian Open this week despite a world ranking of 16.

The reason is that the one-year ban handed down in November for failing to notify Belgian anti-doping officials of her whereabouts under drug-testing rules was not lifted in time for her to get direct entry for Melbourne.

The ban was suspended last month pending an appeal by Wickmayer, who has blamed Belgian officials for a lack of communication.

The timing did mean that Wickmayer was able to accept a wildcard for the ASB Classic, for which she was the third seed.

Wickmayer, 22, believed she should have been able to get into the main draw of the Australian Open.

"I don't deserve to start off in `qualies' and have to play three matches to qualify for the main draw," she said.

"Everyone who knows my story, and how everything went, thinks I deserve to be on court."

However, she said she would not get negative about the situation, but would focus on preparing well.

Wickmayer's 6-3 6-2 defeat of top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in a one-sided final between two players hadn't dropped a set all week gave her third WTA Tour title.

She overpowered her more experienced opponent, especially with her forehand, while Pennetta wasn't helped by inconsistent serving.

Wickmayer said her tough times over the past two months had made her success in the Classic all the sweeter.

It was also the "perfect preparation" for Melbourne.

"Playing qualies is for sure not the best way to go into a Grand Slam if you know you can be 16th seed so it's going to be a very tough week for me," she said.

"But this week was amazing for me. It was a great start of the year and I can go to the Aussie Open without any pressure."

Wickmayer's victory meant Belgium players were guaranteed to win the tour's first two events of the year.

A few hours later, Kim Clijsters beat compatriot and fellow comeback queen Justine Henin in the Brisbane International final.

Both Clijsters and Henin are Grand Slam winners and Wickmayer said one of her goals in 2010 would be to perform better in the major tournaments.

While she made a big run in the United States Open in August to reach the semifinals, she failed to get beyond the second round in the three other Grand Slam events last year.

Another target was being more consistent throughout the season.

"That's one of my main goals -- to try to keep my level high throughout the whole year and not have too many downs," she said.

"That's the quality of the big champions and that comes from experience."

Sharapova beats Wozniacki in Hong Kong

2010-01-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

Russian Maria Sharapova continued her march to the Australian Open on Saturday, sweeping Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 7-5 and 6-3 in a Hong Kong exhibition match.

Wozniacki, ranked fourth in the world, initially had Sharapova on the back foot with several blistering cross court winners.
But Sharapova's powerful serve and groundstrokes helped her best the 19-year-old Dane, who lost to American Venus Williams earlier in the week.

Sharapova, 22, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined her for part of last year, also beat China's Zheng Jie this week in a come-from-behind victory at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic.
"It's a great field... a good test for the Australian Open," Sharapova said of the exhibition tournament.

But she remained circumspect about her chances at the first Grand Slam of the season, which starts January 18.
"Whether I have a good feeling or not, you never know the future," she told reporters after her match.

Still, the two wins are good news for the former world number one, who is now ranked 14, after she crashed out of Beijing in October in a third-round loss to China's Peng Shuai.
The Russian three-time Grand Slam winner had arthroscopic surgery on her right shoulder, and was out of action until May last year.

The Hong Kong tournament features four teams with three players each - representing Russia, Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific - in singles and mixed doubles play.

Leg injury forces Henin's withdrawal

2010-01-09T13:58:00.001-08:00

Justine Henin's place at the Australian Open is under a dark cloud with a leg injury forcing her to withdraw from this week's Sydney International.

Henin sustained a strain to her left glute (upper leg) in the third set of her epic three-set final loss to fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters at the Brisbane International on Saturday night.
It has put her in doubt for the Australian Open, where she was given a wildcard to play her first grand slam tournament after 20 months out of the game.

In a dramatic postscript to a match Henin described as the best and most intense she's played against Clijsters, the former world No.1 appeared to suffer the blow midway through the third set of her 3-6 6-4 6-7 loss.
Henin had been drawn to meet Serena Williams in a likely second round clash at the Sydney International, but scratched herself after consulting a WTA tour doctor late on Saturday night.

"My leg was sore for the last few days and really got worse today in the third set and I hope it's not that serious that I can recover soon," she said.
"But it would be a great, great mistake to go and play Sydney and I'm not going to play for a few days.

"It was very tight for a few days, but it got worse and at the end of the third set, it's no excuse and it's not the reason why (I lost), I gave my best but I feel it can really get worse if I continue playing in the next few days and it's something I can not do."
Henin will now stay longer in Brisbane to treat her injury before heading to Melbourne for the start of the Open on Jan 18.

Henin rued missing two match points in the 10th game on Clijsters serve after failing to serve for the third set at 5-3.
But she was delighted with her play in just her fifth official match back from premature retirement.

"I can't be disappointed, especially when you have match points," she said. "I can be proud of what I did tonight.
"It was a drama from the beginning to the end. She deserved to win it first, I deserved to win it second and maybe both of us deserved to win it in the end."

Sharapova rates Wimbledon ahead of French Open

2010-01-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Former world number one Maria Sharapova rates the Wimbledon tennis championships ahead of the French Open even though the Roland Garros title is the only major missing from her collection.

"Of course, I have the ambition to win Roland Garros but it's not the most important thing for me," the 22-year-old Russian told the Bulgarian website www.sportal.bg.
"It's Wimbledon that is something special and it's the Wimbledon titles that are the most precious to me.

"There's no better feeling than winning the Wimbledon. It was my first grand slam and I did it at such a special place."
Sharapova, the first Russian woman to reach the top rank, said she retained her enthusiasm for her sport.

"I just love to compete," she said. "It makes me keep working to improve my play and to try to become a better performer."
Sharapova said she was excited that Belgian pair Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters had returned to action. Clijsters defeated Henin in the final of the Brisbane Open on Saturday.

"I think it's great that Kim and Justine are back," she said. "Women's tennis needs them and we're just lucky that they're among us once again."
"I love to play against the best and I'm really thrilled of the possibility to meet them at the court."

Serena keen for showdown with Henin

2010-01-09T13:53:00.001-08:00

Super-confident Serena Williams arrived in Australia on Saturday welcoming a blockbuster second-round showdown with Justine Henin at next week's Sydney International.

"It's good. It will be a good test for her, and for me," Williams said.
Refusing to discuss her foul-mouthed attack on a lineswoman at September's US Open, Williams's steely focus was fixed on defending her Australian Open crown at Melbourne Park later this month.

"It's all about now," the American said.
Williams was fined an ITF-record $US82,500 for abusing the Japanese official for foot-faulting her in what turned out to be the final game of her US Open semi-final against Kim Clijsters.

The foot-fault brought up match point for Clijsters and ultimately cost Williams the match after she was docked a point for the expletive-laden outburst.
But Williams on Saturday was keen to leave the incident in the past.

"I feel it's over. It was what it was. I think I've spoken enough about it," Williams said.
Sydney tournament officials couldn't believe their bad luck when Williams and Henin - boasting 17 grand slam titles between them - were pitted in the same eighth of the draw for the Open's premier warm-up event.

Top seed Williams has a first-round bye and, provided wildcard Henin beats Spanish left-hander Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, the two superstars will go head to head on Tuesday or Wednesday.
After 19 months in retirement, Henin this week made an immediate impact in her return to professional tennis, storming to the final of the Brisbane International.

Despite losing the final 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6) to Clijsters on Saturday night, Williams expected her great rival to be ready for their 14th career showdown.
Williams insisted she didn't feel any added pressure to retain her top ranking with both Clijsters and Henin back in the mix in 2010.

"I don't think about it a lot. I've got a lot on my plate. Everyone assumes that I'm No.1 anyway," the 10-times major winner said.
"My main goals are always to stay healthy, and that's a huge goal for any athlete.

"For me, it's all about doing the best that I can. Obviously I love playing well in all the grand slams and I hate to lose, regardless of where it is.
"Whenever I play, I give 200 per cent and whether that's becoming No.1 as a result or becoming No.50, it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy what you do."

Samantha Stosur also received a tough Sydney draw, striking Flavia Pennetta, an Italian ranked one place above the Australian at No.12 in the world.
With nine of the world's top 10 women's players completing their Open preparations in Sydney, Australian wildcard Casey Dellacqua could count her lucky stars after drawing a qualifier first up.

Clijsters wins epic Brisbane final

2010-01-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Kim Clijsters has claimed the Brisbane International tennis tournament with a three-set victory over Justine Henin in an all-Belgian final.

Clijsters took two hours and 23 minutes to record Henin's first defeat in her comeback to the game after a 20-month hiatus, winning 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6) at Pat Rafter Arena.
Henin had two match points in the third set before Clijsters held serve in the 10th game and went on to win the third set tiebreak 8-6.

It is Clijsters' second WTA tournament victory, along with last year's US Open triumph, since returning to tennis herself after retiring and having a child.
Clijsters, who donated her prize money to the Royal Brisbane Childrens Hospital, was overjoyed with her victory and the quality of the unforgettable encounter.

"What a match!" she said. "I think we set the bar pretty high for ourselves for the rest of the year.
"Justine played at a really high level for the whole tournament so congratulations."

While lamenting a lost opportunity, Henin was delighted with her performances at her comeback tournament.
"It's just great to be back, I want to congratulate Kim she's a great player and it was an amazing final," she said.

Sentiment has rarely ruled in their relationship and Clijsters was ruthless early by breaking Henin in three of her first five service games.
Showing early nerves, Henin double faulted with her first two serves to immediately give up a break.

But, as resilient as ever, she quickly broke back and then held her serve to level at 2-all to give hope of a tense tussle.
Clijsters, though, dominated the rest of the set with her big forehand holding sway and exploiting Henin's wobbly serve.

The tiebreak was a snapshot of the entire final with Clijsters shooting out to 5-1 lead when she fired down her first ace of the match, on her second serve no less, before she missed three match-point chances at 6-3.
Clijsters thought she claimed the title and raised her arms with the third but a backhand was called out.

Henin levelled at 6-6 before serving her 11th double fault, allowing the 26-year-old to close out the fluctuating encounter.

Hard-hitting Wickmayer claims Classic title

2010-01-08T20:02:00.001-08:00

Big-hitting Belgian Yanina Wickmayer overcame some early jitters to produce a dominant performance and upset top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the final of the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland today.

Wickmayer, the third seed, won 6-3 6-2 in 74 minutes to claim her third WTA Tour title.

Both players began nervously, with Wickmayer, 20, dropping serve in the opening game.

Pennetta, 27, then found herself 0-40 down in the next game, but was allowed to hold for a 2-0 lead because of her opponent's unforced errors.

However, Wickmayer began finding her range with her groundstrokes, especially her booming forehand.

She broke serve twice in succession for a decisive 5-3 lead, and while Pennetta staved off three set points, Wickmayer closed out the set.

After both players traded service breaks at the start of the second set, Wickmayer broke again after playing one of the shots of the tournament.

A running forehand winner down the line established the opening that she converted for a 3-2 advantage.

At 2-4 down, Pennetta again dropped serve, in frustrating circumstances.

She recovered from 0-40 to get to deuce, but then double faulted to face another break point, which she lost by putting a forehand volley into the net.

Earlier today, the world's No 1 ranked doubles combination, Zimbabwe's Cara Black and American Liezel Huber, claimed their 28th WTA Tour title as a team.

They beat the unseeded pairing of South African Natalie Grandin and American Laura Granville 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

Venus Williams overpowers Zheng Jie in HK

2010-01-08T11:57:00.001-08:00

American Venus Williams overpowered Zheng Jie at an exhibition match in Hong Kong on Friday, with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over her Chinese opponent.

Zheng, ranked 35 in the world, took an early 2-0 lead in the first set but Williams powered back to overtake the 26-year-old Chengdu native.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, continued the pressure in the second set, blasting Zheng with her powerful serve.

"Every game was close," Williams said after the match.
"I really had to work for it."

The American struggled for much of 2009, losing her Wimbledon crown to sister Serena and then crashing out of the Beijing Open in October.
Earlier Friday, Japan's Ayumi Morita beat 24-year-old Argentine Gisela Dulko 7-5, 3-6, and 10-4 in a tiebreak.

The Hong Kong tournament features four teams with three players each -- representing Russia, Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific -- in singles and mixed doubles play.
The tournament, which wraps up Saturday, comes before the Australian Open later this month, the first Grand Slam of the season.

Pennetta to meet Wickmayer in Auckland final

2010-01-08T00:56:00.000-08:00

Italian top seed Flavia Pennetta advanced to the final of the Auckland Classic after thumping doubles partner Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-0 in under an hour on Friday.

Pennetta will meet Yanina Wickmayer in Saturday's final after the Belgian beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-4 7-5 in the other semi-final at the Auckland Tennis Centre.
Pennetta, ranked 12 in the world, outclassed her compatriot with a powerful service game while breaking her serve five times and she said it was tough facing her good friend.

"I was very nervous in the beginning because we know each other really well and it's not easy to play with one of my best friends," she told reporters. "She was also very nervous and she didn't play so well.
"But I think in the end I was starting to play better, making no mistakes, and my serve was good, so I'm really happy about where I am."

Wickmayer, a wild card into the event after a court last month overturned a one-year ban when she fell foul of the Belgian doping authority's "whereabouts rule", overturned a 0-3 deficit in the second set to reach the final.
CONTROVERSIAL CALL

The Belgian was also aided in the 11th game of the tightly-fought second set when the baseline line judge ruled a ball in to give her three break points.
Most of the crowd and Peer, however, disagreed, with one patron cheekily yelling out "wake up Nana", though the chair umpire refused to over-rule and the Belgian broke to take a 6-5 lead.

The 20-year-old Wickmayer then seized the opportunity from a visibly frustrated Peer to serve out the next game on her second match point.
"I didn't play my best tennis. I made a lot of mistakes especially in the beginning of the second set," Wickmayer said. "It was 0-3, it was only one break, but she was really playing better and she had stepped up a level so I knew I had to play a lot better to come back.

"I just kept fighting and playing well every point and while I was making mistakes the points were getting closer so I am really happy with the comeback.

Clijsters, Henin in dream Brisbane final

2010-01-08T00:54:00.000-08:00

Justine Henin spoke of the immense respect she holds for Kim Clijsters after the pair booked a dream all-Belgian final at the Brisbane International.

The eyes of the sporting world will be watching Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday night as the pair do battle for the 23rd time on the WTA tour - their 11th clash in a final.
While a huge fillip for tournament organisers, Henin admitted it was the "perfect situation" for her to meet her long-time rival in the decider in her return from a 20-month hiatus.

The big-name wildcard coolly swept aside Ana Ivanovic 6-3 6-3 in her Friday semi-final before top seed Clijsters overcame a topsy-turvy first set to prevail 6-4 6-2 over German surprise-packet Andrea Petkovic.
After preparing for her return for five months, Henin said she was surprised to immediately have the chance to add to her 41 career titles.

"It's a perfect situation for me as I'm in the final of my first tournament," she said. "It's a great feeling.
"Eighteen months with no competition is not easy ... this is more than I could expect to be in the final."

Henin holds a 12-10 head-to-head advantage, courtesy of three consecutive wins, but her long lay-off following a premature retirement gives Clijsters slight favouritism.
The 27-year-old's vanquished semi-final opponent Ivanovic found it hard to split the pair, believing Clijsters was in better shape after winning last year's US Open but Henin would have a clear head with "nothing to lose".

Second seed Nadia Petrova had her money on Henin after being beaten by her in straight sets in the opening round when the Russian rated her better than when she left the game as No.1.
The Belgians have endured a cool relationship in the past, particularly after Clijsters' now late father Leo was quoted saying he was surprised such a small player like Henin could be so powerful, leading to reports of doping insinuations.

Clijsters tried her best to minimise the damage and Henin on Friday admitted such reports had created some tension in their camps.
But she stressed while the pair aren't close, there had never been issues between the two of them.

"There is so much respect between the two of us so, I know sometimes people would love to hear there have been problems between us but that's not the case - never in the past," she said.
"I think I respect the person and the player and it's the same for her.

"We are so different. But we have good memories. When we were younger we were travelling a lot together - the same tournaments - but after that we grew up differently and went in different directions.
"It's always a good feeling to play against her because it's always a tough match and it's always a good challenge.

"I think we've helped each other a lot in our careers to get better and I think that's very good."
Clijsters expressed the same sentiments about their "big past together".

"We grew up playing juniors together and I think we always made each other better players," she said.
"I don't think anyone, not even in Belgium or in our own groups, expected this would happen."

Peer shrugs off protests, targets return to NZ

2010-01-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Israel's Shahar Peer is refusing to be downcast after being subjected to a week of protests at the Auckland Classic and hopes to return to New Zealand in the future.

The 22-year-old faced chants from a small group opposed to Israel's policies towards Palestinians, urging her to withdraw from the tournament at the central city Auckland Tennis Centre.
On Friday, a group of about 25 people made their presence felt with megaphones from a public park nearby before police arrested two and ended the protest.

"I have said I really enjoy playing here," Peer told reporters after she was beaten 6-4 7-5 in the semi-finals by Belgian third seed Yanina Wickmayer. "It's a nice tournament.
"The crowd is very nice. (tournament director) Brenda (Perry) takes very good (care) of us and I enjoy it. This is the fourth time I have been here so I really like it."

Peer admitted the protests had actually helped inspire her run to the semi-finals, as her first two matches were on outside courts and close to the perimeter fence.
The chants were so loud during her second round match against Magdalena Rybarikova, officials delayed it for 15 minutes after the first set as they discussed whether or not to continue.

The Israeli, however, said the fact she could not quite hear the protestors on centre court on Friday -- organisers played music throughout the breaks between games -- may have contributed to her loss.
"It was not loud enough for me to play good. The other days were very loud and I won those matches," she said with a wry smile.

Peer, however, said it had been an unpleasant experience though she was proud of the way she had dealt with it.
"For the whole week, again and again and again, and been asked about it and hearing them calling me to go out of the tournament, it's not a nice feeling and not comfortable.

"I'm only 22 and to get those calls against me is not nice... but I am really proud of the way I handled it."
Peer, who was refused a visa to play in Dubai last year, said she had received one for next month's tournament and hoped that she would now be treated purely as a player. "Unfortunately I don't only have to deal with the players but I also have to deal with politics stuff as well.

"If it is because of where I come from, that's not fair.
"I have nothing to do with politics. I am just a tennis player and I want to enjoy the tour like the other players."

Victories take Pennetta and Wickmayer into final

2010-01-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

Italian Flavia Pennetta will have experience on her side, while Belgian Yanina Wickmayer can rely on a litte bit of history, when the pair meet in the final of the ASB Classic tennis tournament tomorrow.

Both made it through to the title decider in Auckland with straight-set victories today.

Top seed Pennetta's passage was largely untroubled, as she despatched a disappointing Francesca Schiavone, her compatriot and doubles partner,

6-3 6-0 in just 57 minutes.

Wickmayer, the No 3 seed, had to repel a fightback from Israel's Shahar Peer before getting through 6-4 7-5.

Pennetta, 27, has eight WTA Tour titles from 17 final appearances.

Wickmayer, 20, has two from four.

However, the Belgian won the only previous meeting between the pair, in Linz last October, when she prevailed in straight sets at the semifinal stage on the way to her second title.

By coincidence, the pair were also the first and third seeds in Austria.

"She has been one of the most consistent players of the past two years and she's beaten everyone easily [this week]," Wickmayer said.

"She's older than me so she has more experience and she has played in more finals. But it is a final and it's always tough."

Wickmayer produced some strong serves and solid forehands in her victory over Peer.

The Israeli fought hard throughout, but was hampered by double faults, a number of them coming at crucial times of a contest played in windy conditions.

Wickmayer, who has been getting over a back problem, said the performance wasn't her best and she was pleased to come away with the win.

She felt she made too many mistakes, especially at the start of the second set when her opponent gained a break of serve on the way to a 3-0 lead.

"But I just kept on fighting for each point and improved, and at the end I was playing really well."

Peer was disappointed she couldn't take full advantage of the opportunities she created.

However, she also wanted to the look on the bright side of a deep run in the first event of the season.

She refused to blame three close line calls that went against her, and about half a dozen net cords that bounced her adversary's way.

"In the middle of the match, I said in Hebrew to my mother, `She's so lucky today'," Peer said.

"But I didn't lose the match because of a line call or the net. This is part of tennis."

Peer rated Pennetta as probably the favourite, "but a final is a final and both have won four matches and not lost a set".

Despite enduring four days of anti-Israel protests outside the venue this week, Peer said she would be happy to return to the Classic for a fifth time.

However, a complicating factor would be the clash with the Hopman Cup, which she had intended to play this week but for a delay in Israel's entry application.

Venus Williams beats Wozniacki in HK

2010-01-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

American champion Venus Williams beat teenaged Danish sensation Caroline Wozniacki in a Hong Kong exhibition match on Thursday which was shortened to one set because of rain.

Williams, 28, got off to a slow start, trailing the 19-year-old Wozniacki 3-1 before a series of aces and blistering groundstrokes helped her pull ahead, winning the set 6-4.
Williams, a seven time Grand Slam winner, said she was happy with her performance against the Dane, who is ranked fourth in the world.

"I felt pretty good playing against such a competitive player," Williams told reporters.
"She plays so well."

The American struggled for much of 2009, losing her Wimbledon crown to sister Serena and then crashing out of the Beijing Open in October.
Earlier Thursday, Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, 20, beat Argentine Gisela Dulko, 24, by a 6-1 margin.

The Hong Kong tournament features four teams with three players each - representing Russia, Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific - in singles and mixed doubles play. The tournament wraps up Saturday.
On Wednesday, former world number one Russian Maria Sharapova pulled off a comeback win against China's Zheng Jie 6-7 6-4 6-2, while Russia's Vera Zvonareva easily overpowered Japanese newcomer Ayumi Morita, beating her 6-2 6-2 in just over an hour.

Henin, Clijsters survive in Brisbane

2010-01-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Kim Clijsters drew on her first major upset at last year's US Open against Venus Williams to dig herself out of a deep quarter-final hole at the Brisbane International on Thursday night.

Clijsters breathed a huge sigh of relief by holding off unseeded Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1 0-6 6-4 to keep a dream finals clash with Justine Henin on track at Pat Rafter Arena.

The top seed was made to look second rate by the lanky left-hander in the second set of before Clijsters eventually prevailed in 85 minutes.

Safarova, ranked 41st in the world, stunned the US Open champion by racing through the set in 20 minutes, conceding just nine points as she hit winners from all over the court.

It was a like bolt from the blue by the lanky left-hander as Clijsters had lost just six games in her previous two matches, and no more than three in the one set.

Clijsters managed to wrestle the momentum back in the deciding set after drawing inspriation from her fourth round victory over Williams at Flushing Meadows, clinched 6-0 0-6 6-4.

"At the end of the second set I was like this feels a little bit familiar from a match not that long ago," she said. "I thought look the third set might go the same way, and it kind of did.

"When I played Venus I played really good in the first set and she played really good in the second set and then we both raised our levels and that was the case here today.

"I feel in the second set before I had my chance to work my way into the rally she would hit a winner."

Cheered on by her daughter Jada in the stands, the 26-year-old took five match points to grab a berth in the semi-finals where she'll meet German Andrea Petkovic on Friday afternoon.

Compatriot Henin, making her comeback in Brisbane, also had her moments on Thursday, forced into a third set tiebreak by Hungary's Melinda Szink, before progressing to a semifinal clash with Ana Ivanovic.

Clijsters denied she was ambushed by the mercurial Safarova, who has been renowned as one of the most dangerous players on the WTA tour on her day.

But the Czech's fluctuating game did put her off guard.

"The difference between what she was playing in the first set to the second set was so big that it just surprised me," she said.

A clay court specialist, the Czech's career highlight was upsetting Henin in the Paris Indoors in 2007 but has rued her inconsistency.

"She's beaten a lot of good players in the past so coming out here I knew I was in for a tough match," Clijsters said.

Henin survives scare at Brisbane

2010-01-06T23:59:00.001-08:00

Former world No.1 Justine Henin has survived a scare to win through to the Brisbane International semi-finals.

The seven-time grand slam winner - in her first tournament in 20 months - overcame seventh-seeded Hungarian Melinda Czink 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-5) at Pat Rafter Arena on Thursday.

She booked a semi-final showdown with third seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who held out Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 7-6 (8-6) earlier on Thursday.

The Belgian wildcard breezed through the first set in 31 minutes.

But the 27-year-old looked in big trouble after world No.37 Czink took the second and broke the Belgian's first service game in the third.

Henin reeled off the next four games, but when she double faulted to be broken again, the third set was suddenly back on serve.

Czink dug deep to save three match points in the 11th game to push the third set into a tiebreak.

She saved another two in the tiebreak before Henin clinched the match with an impressive cross-court forehand to keep her comeback on track.

In the other half of the draw, German Andrea Petkovic beat fourth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2 to reach the semi-final.

The 22-year-old will meet the winner of Clijsters' quarter-final with Czech Lucie Safarova on Thursday night.

Friends become foes as Classic semifinal looms

2010-01-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

Mutual supporters over off-court issues, Belgian Yanina Wickmayer and Israel's Shahar Peer will be opponents in Auckland tomorrow as the ASB Classic tennis tournament reaches the semifinal stages.

Third seed Wickmayer took just under an hour to complete a comfortable

6-2 6-2 victory over Japanese wildcard Kimiko Date Krumm today.

Peer took three-quarters of an hour longer to subdue Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-0 3-6 6-1.

Afterwards, she said Wickmayer, 20, had been among those to ask her how she was coping with being the target of anti-Israel protests outside the stadium this week.

Peer, 22, had done a similar thing in November, when Wickmayer, whom she was described as a good friend, was handed a one-year ban by the Flemish anti-doping tribunal.

The ban, for failing to follow drug-testing procedures in relation to the "whereabouts" rule, was lifted by a Belgian court last month pending further appeal and is the reason Wickmayer is a wildcard entry.

"I think it was a shame she got the ban and I'm happy she could come back," Peer said.

"I sent her an email to support her and I said I hoped she was fine. I think they went too far with the penalty, which she did not deserve."

The pair have met once before, at the Estoril Open in Portugal last May, but Peer retired during the first set of that semifinal clash with a foot injury.

Wickmayer went on to claim her first WTA Tour title.

World No 30 Peer's victory over Kirilenko was a topsy-turvy affair, with errors proving the Russian's downfall.

After an opening set that lasted just 23 minutes, the 62nd ranked Kirilenko lifted her game in the second while Peer's service suffered a wobble.

The opening two games of the final set proved the key period of the match.

Peer found herself down 0-40 on serve, but managed to hold, and then consolidated by breaking her opponent in the next game.

She said she had got a little defensive in the second set, failing to capitalise on opportunities and allowing Kirilenko to level.

"I didn't start the third set well and was still making a little too many mistakes, but I then got in my groove," she said.

"I was serving better and being more aggressive and coming into the court."

In the top half of the draw, No 1 seed Flavia Pennetta maintained her record of not having dropped her serve this week as she eased past Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.

The Italian, the world No 12, won a one-sided match encounter with the 28th ranked Cibulkova 6-1 6-2.

She was delighted with how the match unfolded, describing it as "unbelievable".

"I didn't make many mistakes at all and I was very aggressive," she said.

"She's always tough to play because she makes you play so many balls and it's not easy to make a winner. Today, everything was perfect."

Pennetta has barely been pushed in her three singles outings so far, conceding just 13 games.

She will now face the winner of tonight's clash between compatriot and No 4 seed Francesca Schiavone and unseeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.

Sharapova pulls off comeback win

2010-01-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Maria Sharapova (pic) pulled off a come-from-behind win against Zheng Jie at an exhibition match.

AFP © Enlarge photo

Russian Maria Sharapova pulled off a come-from-behind win over Zheng Jie at an exhibition match in Hong Kong on Wednesday as the 22-year-old sets her sights on the Australian Open later this month.

Sharapova, recovering from a shoulder injury, bounced back from losing the first set and then finding herself two games down in the second to defeat determined world No.35 Zheng 6-7 6-4 6-2.
"(Zheng) definitely played really well but as we all know in tennis it's never over until the last point," said three-time grand slam winner Sharapova, now ranked 14 in the world.

"I'll take whatever comes my way. If that means losing the first set and then coming back, fine... But obviously I would have loved to win it in two (sets)."
Sharapova, the former world No.1, had arthroscopic surgery over a year ago on her right shoulder and was out of action until May last year.

The Hong Kong tournament features four teams with three players each - representing Russia, Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific - in singles and mixed doubles play.
On Thursday, Venus Williams is set to play Caroline Wozniacki, the teenage Danish sensation ranked No.4 in the world, while retired star Michael Chang will play six-time grand slam winner Stefan Edberg.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russia's Vera Zvonareva easily overpowered Japanese newcomer Ayumi Morita 6-2 6-2.

'Aussie Ana' digs deep to beat Russian

2010-01-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

It has been a bumpy ride but former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic remains on course for a Brisbane International semi-final clash with comeback queen Justine Henin.

The third-seeded Serbian - dubbed "Aussie Ana" since hooking up with local golfer Adam Scott - held her nerve in her quarter-final with promising Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win 6-2 7-6 (8-6) on Thursday.
Already weary after two straight three setters, Ivanovic looked set to play a third on Thursday morning when the Russian teenager fought back from 4-0 down in the second set to force a tiebreak.

The 18-year-old world No.40 even held a set point leading 6-5 in the tiebreak before a clearly frustrated Ivanovic dug deep to close out the match in almost an hour and a half.
Ivanovic has been warmly embraced by the Brisbane crowd since her romance with Scott - and the Pat Rafter Arena faithful initially had plenty to cheer about.

The former French Open champion broke the world No.40 to lead 4-2 - and then it appeared to be all one way traffic.
The 22-year-old reeled off seven straight games to take the first set in 30 minutes and lead 4-0 in the second to seemingly have the Russian rising star on the rack.

But Pavlyuchenkova launched her own counter attack, breaking Ivanovic three times to amazingly lead 6-5 in the second with her serve to come.
Yet Ivanovic held her nerve to immediately break the teenager and force a tiebreak.

The wheels again appeared to have fallen off for the popular Serb when she trailed 1-4 in the tiebreak, and the Russian had a set point leading 6-5.
But with the crowd egging her on, Ivanovic found enough to hold out the Russian upstart and finally clinch her first match at the tournament in straight sets.

Former world No.1 Ivanovic finished 2009 ranked 21st after cutting short her year due to niggling injuries.
And Ivanovic needs to clear some more rust before the Australian Open judging by her display in her first tournament in four months.

While she is considered a darling of world tennis, her popularity will be tested if she lines up against Henin in the semi-finals.
Henin takes on seventh-seeded Hungarian Melinda Czink later on Thursday.

Peer downs Kirilenko to take semifinal spot

2010-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Israeli Shahar Peer downed Russian Maria Kirilenko in three sets today to claim a semifinal spot in the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland.

Errors proved Kirilenko's downfall as Peer, the world No 30, won a topsy-turvy contest 6-0 3-6 6-1.

After an opening set that lasted just 23 minutes, the 62nd ranked Kirilenko lifted her game in the second while Peer's service suffered a wobble.

The opening two games of the final set proved the key period of the match.

Peer found herself down 0-40 on serve, but managed to hold, and then consolidated by breaking her opponent in the next game.

Russia slip up against Kazakhstan

2010-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Russia have missed a chance to stay level with Britain in group B at the Hopman Cup, upset 2-1 by Kazakhstan.

Russia's Elena Dementieva opened with a 6-3 6-1 win over Yaroslava Shvedova before Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev outplayed Igor Andreev 6-4 6-3 to level the match.

Shvedova and Golubev then won the mixed doubles 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 to complete a major boilover and keep Kazakhstan's final hopes alive.

Russia play Britain on Friday in their final round-robin match.

Should the British slip up, either the Russians or qualifiers Kazakhstan could sneak into Saturday's final.

Wildcard leans on experience at ASB Classic

2010-01-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Japanese wildcard Kimiko Date Krumm will look to mix her greater experience with some traditional shot-making today when she tries to stretch her run in the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland.

Date Krumm, 39, has a quarterfinal meeting with third-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer and there will be few secrets between the pair despite a 20-year age difference.

They have practised together and they also met competitively as recently as November, when Wickmayer won in straight sets in Bali before she found herself banned for one-year by the Flemish anti-doping tribunal.

The ban, for failing to follow drug-testing procedure, was suspended last month.

Date Krumm was preparing for a tough battle against Wickmayer, describing her opponent as a fighter.

However, while the Belgian had a big forehand, Date Krumm believed she could target her backhand with some angled shots and a bit slice.

"Younger players aren't used to hitting sliced balls," she said, pointing to their preference for power and top spin.

"So I'll try to use more backhand slice and go to the net more often. It will be my tactic, but we will see what happens."

Date Krumm set up the encounter with by scoring the biggest upset of the tournament so far, downing fifth-seeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzaro 3-6 6-3 6-2.

As the world No 19, Razzaro is the highest ranked player Date Krumm has beaten since she came out of a 12-year retirement in April 2008.

Once ranked as high as No 4 and now at No 69, Date Krumm quit the professional circuit at 26.

It was her husband, German racing car driver Michael Krumm, whom she married eight years ago, who encouraged her to make a comeback.

She was granted a wildcard in Auckland last year, where she was beaten by American Jill Craybas in one of eight consecutive first-round exits on her return to the WTA Tour.

She finally broke that sequence at the Korea Open last September, before going all the way to claim the title, beating the top two seeds, Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova and Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues, along the way.

It was the eighth WTA Tour singles crown of her career and it came on the eve of her 39th birthday, making her the second oldest player to win an event after Billie Jean King.

While everyone talked about her age, it wasn't an issue that worried Date Krumm.

She said she felt less pressure to win than she did when she was younger and the enjoyment of playing was a large part of her tennis now.

Wickmayer said she had plenty of respect for Date Krumm and what she had achieved in her comeback.

"She's a great player, a great athlete and she has an awesome mentality," she said.

"It's great to have her back on tour and she's going to cause some surprises this year."

WTA given assurance of Peer's visa

2010-01-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

The United Arab Emirates provided written confirmation to the WTA that Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer will be allowed to play at a tournament in Dubai next month.

Peer was denied entry into the UAE last year, apparently because of anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state following a three-week war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.
"The tour has received written confirmation from the UAE Ministry of Interior that she will be able to enter and participate in the event without incident," WTA spokeswoman Katie Scott said on Wednesday.

The Dubai Tennis Championships start on February 15.
Last year, the tournament was fined $US300,000 ($A329,000) for denying the visa.

"One of the conditions that Dubai had to meet was that this year there would have to be a written confirmation that she would be able to play because last year there were just verbal assurances," Scott said.
After the UAE's refusal last year to allow Peer to enter the country, Israeli player Andy Ram was given a visa to play the following week at the men's tournament in Dubai.

But Andy Roddick, the 2008 champion in Dubai, skipped the 2009 tournament because of the incident involving Peer, saying he "didn't agree with what went on over there".
Earlier on Wednesday, the 30th-ranked Peer faced more anti-Israeli protests at a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. Police arrested one person outside the stadium while Peer easily beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1 6-0.

"I also want peace in the world but I don't think this is the place for this protest," the 22-year-old Peer said.

Israel's Peer progresses despite NZ protests

2010-01-06T01:51:00.001-08:00

Chanting protestors interrupted Shahar Peer's second round match at the Auckland Classic on Wednesday before the Israeli advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-0 victory over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova.
One of the small group of people, who are protesting against Israel's treatment of Palestinians and have called on Peer to withdraw from the event, was arrested, local media reported.

The 22-year-old Peer was the subject of similar protests outside the Auckland Tennis Centre last year and on Tuesday.
"I think it was really bad, yesterday was a bit better," Peer told reporters. "Today was much more louder.

"I guess those people know exactly where to stand so that we can hear them well and it was continual, it didn't stop."
Officials stopped the match after Peer took the first set and discussed for 15 minutes whether or not to continue.

Peer was adamant she wanted to keep playing and subsequently ran out an easy winner as a visibly distracted Rybarikova's resistance collapsed.
"It did encourage me," Peer added. "Like yesterday, when I was hearing that (protests), it made me play better to prove I can also play with the noise.

"They're doing what they want. Everyone can do whatever they want, as long as I'm winning I don't care."
Rybarikova admitted the protests had effected her.

"I have to say it was tough to play during the protest," she said. "I lost the first set because I was not concentrating. I was thinking about that and not my tennis."
Peer will now meet Maria Kirilenko in Thursday's quarter-finals on centre court after the Russian beat Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-2 6-3.

Top seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, who was first up on centre court on Wednesday, also advanced to the last eight with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and will meet Dominika Cibulkova
The Slovak upset seventh seeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-3 6-4.

Italian fourth seed Francesca Schiavone, who beat India's Sania Mirza 6-0 6-3, will meet the unseeded Alize Cornet after the Frenchwoman thrashed sixth seed Elena Vesnina, last year's beaten finalist, 6-1 6-1. Belgian third seed Yanina Wickmayer continued her return to the game after having a drug ban overturned with an easy win over Romania's Ioana Olaru and will meet Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, who beat French fifth seed Virginie Razzano in three sets.

'Hyped up' Ivanovic ready to oust Henin

2010-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

A "hyped up" Ana Ivanovic says she's ready for a probable semi-final showdown with Belgian comeback queen Justine Henin, despite surviving a second round scare at the Brisbane International.

It was midnight (AEST) when Ivanovic strolled into the post-match press conference with an ice pack strapped to her right shoulder, which she insisted was just precautionary, following her hard-fought 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory over unseeded Swiss Timea Bacsinszky.

With high-profile boyfriend Adam Scott watching, the third-seeded Ivanovic was cruising before her serve percentage dropped, allowing Bacsinszky back into the match.

But she displayed plenty of grit and tenacity to wrestle her way back into the match and then close it out.

"I felt like I wasn't moving forward enough and putting pressure on her," said world No.21 Ivanovic.

She will certainly have to step up a few gears to beat seven-time major champion Henin, provided she can safely negotiate a quarter- final clash with either Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Italy's Roberta Vinci.

"Am I in that part of the draw?" she innocently asked when questioned about taking on Henin.

"It would be nice to play against her. She hasn't been competing for a year-and-a-half and I haven't played too many matches lately.

"It's going to be a good test to see where I'm at and where's she's at."

Ivanovic missed Henin's first round victory over second seed Nadia Petrova on Monday but she did get a glimpse of the Belgian's form via television news highlights.

"She looks fit and in good shape," said Ivanovic, whose 2009 was marred by injuries.

"She looks confident and she hit some really good shots."

Asked whether she was ready to defeat Henin, 2008 French Open champion Ivanovic replied: "Yeah, definitely.

"Tomorrow (Wednesday) I have the day off so I can recover and do some light practice, and maybe watch some tennis."

Ivanovic, dubbed "Aussie Ana" for her link to Queensland top golfer Scott, is relishing the support she's receiving from the Brisbane crowds.

"I felt hyped up and full of energy out there," said Ivanovic, who ousted Australian Jelena Dokic in the first round.

"I always feel like at home here.

"It's nice to have that support at crucial moments.

"It helps a lot, particularly when I'm struggling physically and maybe mentally it helps me pull through it."

Safarova, Clijsters set for showdown

2010-01-06T01:41:00.000-08:00

Unseeded Czech Lucie Safarova set up a quarter-final clash with Kim Clijsters after a one-sided upset of Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak in the Brisbane International on Wednesday.

Safarova, ranked 41st in the world, took just over an hour to dump the sixth-seeded Wozniak from the tournament with a 6-3 6-1 second-round victory.
The 22-year-old will now play US Open champion and tournament top seed Clijsters on Thursday.

Fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova also made light work of her second round match by winning 12 of the last 14 games to eliminate Hungary's Agnes Szavay 6-3 6-1 on Pat Rafter Arena.
Hantuchova, now coached by Australian Darren Cahill, can set up a likely semi-final encounter with Clijsters if she overcomes another unseeded Czech in Andrea Petkovic.

Ivanovic battles into Brisbane quarters

2010-01-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

Serbian Ana Ivanovic has come through a second tough match at this year's Brisbane International to qualify for the quarter-finals in three sets.

Ivanovic was tested by Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky, but prevailed 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
She says it was another tough three-set match.

"Those kind of matches give you confidence and last year I had a lot of close matches and a lot of three setters and I lost most of them," she said.
"It's good to have these wins under my belt."

Ivanovic knocked out Australian hopeful Jelena Dokic in the opening round.

Seeds continue to fall at ASB Classic

2010-01-06T01:37:00.000-08:00

Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm provided the big upset at the ASB Classic today as the Auckland tennis tournament lost three further seeds.

Date Krumm, 39, downed No 5 seed Virginie Razzano of France 3-6 6-3 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal meeting tomorrow with third-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, 20 years her junior.

She said it took her the opening set to work out Razzano's strengths and weaknesses before her coach told her to focus on her opponent's forehand.

The move paid dividends as errors crept into Razzano's game.

"When I got more confidence, I tried to mix it up a bit more," Date Krumm said.

Once ranked at high as No 4, Date Krumm is 21 months into her return to competition after a 12-year retirement.

She lost in the first round in Auckland last year, but went on to win the Korea Open in September, becoming the second oldest player after Billie Jean King to claim a WTA Tour title.

Ranked 69th, she got entry into the Classic main draw with the wildcard that originally went to New Zealand No 1 Sacha Jones before the latter's withdrawal through injury.

She has recent experience of playing Wickmayer. The pair met in Bali late last year with the Belgian winning 7-6 6-2.

"She's a big fighter and it's not eay to play against her," Date Krumm said.

"I've practised with her so I know her and of course she knows me. Let's see what happens."

Her result against Razzano went against the tournament trend so far this week, with straight-set victories predominating.

The two other seeds to fall today were the runners-up from the past two years, Elena Vesnina and Aravane Rezai.

Russian Vesnina, the sixth seed and finalist 12 months ago, made too many errors and went down 6-1 6-1 to France's Alize Cornet.

Frenchwoman Rezai, the seventh seed, exited at the hands of Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-4.

While just two of the 24 singles matches so far have gone to three sets, and many of the contests have been one-sided, Cilbulkova did have to work to down get past Rezai.

In a battle between two players in ranked in the mid-20s, Cilbukova needed to a repel a fightback in the second set to set up a meeting with top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta.

Cibulkova, 20, a semifinalist at the French Open last year, is coming back from a lengthy injury break and was delighted with her start to the new season.

She expected a different type of contest against world No 12 Pennetta, who got past Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2- 6-2, than she had against Rezai.

"She doesn't play as fast and she tries to keep the ball in the court," she said of Pennetta.

"I think it's going to be a match of long rallies."

Cornet, 19 and the conqueror yesterday of New Zealand's sole hope, Marina Erakovic, was also pleased with how her year had begun.

The world No 49, who now meets fourth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone, said winning two matches in a row was something she hadn't done for six months.

Wickmayer had a largely straightforward 6-2 6-2 victory over Romania's Ioana Raluca Olaru.

However, Estonian Kaia Kanepi, a comprehensive winner over No 2 seed Li Na of China in round one, failed to progress, going down to Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-2 6-3.

That result pits Kirilenko against Israeli Shahar Peer, who has been targeted this week by protesters upset over Israel's policies towards Palestine.

Peer's second-round opponent, Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova, struggled today with the noise the group created from just outside the venue as she fell to a 6-1 6-0 defeat.

Kirilenko was confident she would be able to cope if the protesters returned tomorrow.

"When I play I don't really hear the noise from outside," she said.

"I'm concentrating on each point. I'll be prepared and I hope it's not going to disturb me."

Peer shrugs off protests, security scare in Auckland

2010-01-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

Israel's Shahar Peer shrugged off a protest at her presence and a security scare that forced the evacuation of the venue to advance to the second round of the Auckland Classic on Tuesday.

A small group of people carrying placards and chanting against Israel's treatment of Palestinians mingled outside the Auckland Tennis Centre before Peer took to Court Four for her first round match against Slovenia's Polona Hercog.

Prior to play starting, however, an unattended bag by a spectator provoked a full-blown security scare forcing the evacuation of the venue before police and security staff discovered there was no threat.

Police later said there was no link between the protest and the security scare.

Peer, who faced similar protests at last year's tournament, wasted little time in advancing to the second round with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Hercog and said while she had seen the protest when she arrived, would not be dissuaded.

"As you can see, I've come back again. I really like this tournament," she told reporters. "It's a shame that somebody thinks it's my fault that there are problems in the world.

"For me, the most important thing was that even though I was hearing those things, which were not nice, I still won."

The Israeli, however, was not so fortunate in her first round doubles match later when she and partner Edina Gallovits lost to third seeded Italians Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone 7-5 2-6 10-3.

Second seed Li Na of China became the highest seeded casualty when she was thrashed 6-1 6-3 in just 66 minutes by the hard hitting Kaia Kanepi of Estonia. "Everyone can see she had a huge serve and on her service game I could do nothing," the world number 15 said. "Also she hit so hard, I couldn't control the point."

Fourth seed Schiavone, who was first up on centre court when players were allowed back into the venue after the evacuation, was barely troubled by France's Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-2 6-3.

India's Sania Mirza, however, battled to overcome Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele 5-7 6-1 7-5 in just under two hours.

Local favourite Marina Erakovic, returning to the game after an 11-month injury break, was bundled out 6-4 6-3 by France's Alize Cornet, ending New Zealand's involvement in the tournament.

"I felt I did let (the fans) down," Erakovic said. "When you are at home, you want to play well and when you don't, it sucks."

Clijsters shows no mercy to pal Molik

2010-01-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

They may be old friends, but it did not stop Kim Clijsters delivering fellow comeback queen Alicia Molik a sobering reality check at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.

In her first WTA tournament since her surprise retirement, a shell-shocked Molik was thrashed 6-0 6-3 in just 60 minutes by the merciless Belgian in their much-hyped second round clash.
The 28-year-old Australian hope had been riding high following her gritty Brisbane International opening round win - her first WTA victory in two years since coming out of retirement.

In an organiser's dream, Molik set up a quarter-final qualifier with old chum Clijsters, another on the comeback trail.
But it quickly became a nightmare for former world No.8 Molik whose friendship with Clijsters clearly earned her no favours.

The world No.18 dominated from the outset, taking the first set in 25 minutes against her former doubles partner on her way to winning the first eight games.
Molik looked every bit the world No.198 alongside the 26-year-old, but did receive a roar from the crowd when she finally held her serve in the ninth game of the second set.

That sparked a mini-comeback by Molik who again held serve before breaking the Belgian she has known since the age of 14 in the sixth game to lock it up 3-3.
However, former world No.1 Clijsters was in no mood to tolerate a comeback, breaking back immediately - and for the fifth time overall - before finally closing out the match in an hour.

There were similarities between the blondes before they took the court on Tuesday night.
Like Clijsters, Molik had spent more than a year out of the game and announced her comeback midway through 2009.

But their returns could not be more different.
Molik came back via low-tier tournaments around Australia while her dear friend famously won the US Open in just her third event back.

And the difference between their on-court form could not have been more stark on Tuesday.
While a clinical Clijsters hit crisp winners, Molik sabotaged herself with unforced errors.

Perhaps fittingly Clijsters clinched victory when Molik's forehand went long - yet another mistake by the outclassed Australian.

Auckland tennis tournament evacuated

2010-01-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Police evacuated the stadium hosting the Auckland Classic women's WTA event on Tuesday due to a bomb scare as a handful of anti-Israel demonstrators picketed the venue.

Protesters denied any link to the scare and police said they had found the owner of an unattended bag that sparked the evacuation, and that normal procedure had been followed.

Play started 20 minutes late after the all-clear was given, delaying the appearance of Israel's Shahar Peer, who went on to beat unseeded Slovenian Polona Hercog 7-5 6-3.

A spokesman for the eight protesters, John Minto, said the Global Peace and Justice Auckland group had sent a letter to Peer asking her to withdraw from the tournament because of Israel's policies towards the Palestinians.

The group launched a similar protest outside the ASB Tennis Centre last year but left halfway through Peer's opening match. This time the group plans to stay as long as the 22-year-old remains in the tournament.

"We will definitely be here if she progresses," Minto said.

Second seed Li Na crashes out of ASB Classic

2010-01-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

No 2 seed Li Na of China today became the biggest casualty so far of the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland, beaten in straight sets by Estonian Kaia Kanepi.

Li, the world No 15, went down 6-1 6-3 in just 66 minutes to an opponent ranked 43 places below her.

The pair had met once before, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, with Li winning in three sets on the way to reaching the semifinals.

But it was largely one-way traffic this afternoon and no one seemed more surprised than Li, who rated Kanepi's weight of shot as the decisive factor.

"Everyone can see she had a huge serve and on her service game I could do nothing," she said.

"Also she hit so hard, I couldn't control the point."

Li's next event is Sydney next week, but she won't be making a quick exit from New Zealand, saying she planned to stay a couple of days to have a look around.

Li is the second seed to fall, after eighth-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues was beaten by Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2 6-3 last night.

Singles, round one: 4-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt q-Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) 6-2 6-3, Shahar Peer (Israel) bt Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 7-5 6-3, Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) bt q-Edina Gallovits (Romania) 6-4 7-5, Alize Cornet (France) bt wc-Marina Erakovic (NZ) 6-4 6-3, 5-Virginie Razzano (France) bt q-Monica Niculescu (Romania) 7-5 6-4, Sania Mirza (India) bt Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 5-7 6-1 7-5, Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) bt 2-Li Na (China) 6-1 6-3.

Protest against Israeli tennis player at ASB Classic

2010-01-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

Protesters are planning to renew action against Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer's participation on Tuesday in Auckland's ASB Classic.

The group, Global Peace and Justice, led by veteran protester John Minto, has sent Peer, 22, a letter asking her to withdraw "as a demonstration of your commitment to peace".

Mr Minto's group is opposed to Israel's treatment of Palestinians and supports a boycott of the country, including sporting contacts.

Peer's appearance in last year's tournament coincided with a major Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip. About 20 protesters gathered outside the courts and called for her withdrawal.

At the time she said the fighting was "not easy on any of us" but was surprised to have been singled out as she was there to play tennis, not to be involved in politics.

The letter, sent to Peer on Monday, acknowledged it was a "significant sacrifice" she was being asked to make.

"Because of your high profile in Israel you could assist peace efforts greatly by speaking out against Israeli government policy. Your silence will indicate to us your sympathy with (the Israeli government)."

Global Peace and Justice on Tuesday said sport was a key part of the boycott campaign.

"It is more visible than a trade or investment boycott and can have an important psychological impact.

"We saw this with the successful sports boycotts against apartheid (in) South Africa."

Iranian media on Monday reported a spokesman for Iran's soccer federation had resigned after an email offering New Year's greetings to Fifa members was mistakenly forwarded to Israeli officials.

Iran has not recognised Israel since 1979 and the country's athletes avoid playing Israeli competitors in international matches.

The unseeded Peer is ranked 30th in the world and is scheduled to play Slovenia's Polona Hercog on Tuesday morning.

'Aussie Ana' pips Jelena, Henin through

2010-01-04T00:18:00.000-08:00

Her bad luck with tournament draws may have continued, but Jelena Dokic could only see good fortune ahead after being knocked out of the Brisbane International on Monday by adopted Australian Ana Ivanovic.

It wasn't Australia's day at the WTA event with Dokic's Fed Cup teammate Casey Dellacqua also going down in the first round - 6-2 0-6 7-6 (7-1) to Kazakhstani qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva.

But comeback queen Justine Henin was all smiles after disposing of Russian second seed Nadia Petrova 7-5 7-5 at Pat Rafter Arena.

Dokic - the player who once famously claimed the Australian Open draw was rigged - bowed out to a big-name player in the first round of the Brisbane WTA event for the second time in as many years.

But Dokic, 26, was hardly blowing up after the 7-5 1-6 6-3 loss to the Serbian third seed, even drawing comparisons with the lead-up to her golden run at the 2009 Australian Open.

All was forgiven for Dokic despite her tumultuous early years in Australia when she became the darling of Melbourne Park last year, taking her wildcard all the way to the grand slam's quarter-finals.

That came after Dokic was bundled out in the 2009 Brisbane International first round by French powerhouse Amelie Mauresmo.

But the current world No.56 was hardly discouraged after enduring a clash where crowd loyalties were clearly divided thanks to the presence of "Aussie Ana".

"It was also disappointing to lose to Mauresmo last year - I had my chances in that match as well. It was a little bit similar to today," Dokic said.

Dokic blew Ivanovic away in the second set - ensuring the Serb did not once hold her serve - but unforced errors, including 11 double faults, let the former world No.1 get out of jail.

However, the Serbian-born Dokic clearly took heart from taking it to the former French Open champ.

"Eighteen months ago she was a grand slam winner, and when she was I wasn't even playing tennis (due to personal issues)," Dokic said.

"So to come out and play three sets and still not to be satisfied with my game is a good sign," he said.

Even Ivanovic - who has become an honourary Aussie after hooking up with local golfer Adam Scott - backed Dokic to repeat her Australian Open heroics.

"I think so, she looks fit, hitting the ball well, serving well, her second serves are coming through a lot faster than most of the girls, that is a good thing," she said.

In contrast to the youngster who made sensational claims about the Australian Open organisers, a more mature Dokic was still hoping her rotten luck with tournament draws turned around in Melbourne later this month.

"I haven't been that lucky with the draws, but it's okay," she said.

"A match like this will make me tougher and hopefully I can get a better draw in the next couple of weeks."

Ivanovic, 21, is on the comeback trail after finishing her injury-marred 2009 ranked 21st in the world.

She spent the past month preparing for the tournament on the Sunshine Coast with her high profile boyfriend - who was in the crowd on Monday - after following him around on the golf course.

But she wasn't putting too much pressure on herself in Brisbane.

"I was relaxed, not trying to look too forward ahead, I just want to enjoy it again - the break has taught me not to take anything for granted," Ivanovic said.

Meanwhile, former world No.1 Justine Henin made a stylish return in her official comeback tournament by dumping second seed Nadia Petrova out of the tournament.

In a high-quality first-round encounter, Henin overcame the Russian 7-5 7-5 in two tough sets to raise organisers' hopes of a dream final with compatriot and top seed Kim Clijsters.

The tournament wildcard, who has ended a premature retirement, broke Petrova in the 11th game of each set and duly went on to close out each on serve.

Her signature single-handed backhand was working nicely for the seven-time grand slam winner while her movement at the court was slick despite not playing for 20 months.

Henin did have to dig deep, coming back from an early break in the second set, to progress through to the second round against Kazakhstan's Sesil Karatantcheva, who beat Australian wildcard Casey Dellacqua 6-2 0-6 7-6 (7-1).

Top seed progresses at ASB Classic

2010-01-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta made it safely through the opening round of the ASB Classic tennis tournament today, beating American veteran Jill Craybas 6-2 6-4.

The Italian world No 12 took just 70 minutes to get past Craybas and will next face the winner of the encounter between Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro and a qualifier.

Pennetta, 27, who won the two previous meetings between the players, the latter at Monterrey last year when she allowed Craybas a solitary game, was in control for most of the contest.

She won the first set comfortably and looked to be racing away with the match with an early break in the second.

Craybas, 35, a Classic regular for more than a decade, did break back to level at 2-2, but the world No 76 couldn't deny Pennetta the decisive break in the seventh game.

Singles, round one: 3-wc-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt Julia Goerges

(Germany) 6-3 7-5, 1-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-2 6-4.

Doubles, round one: 1-Cara Black (Zimbabwe)/Liezel Huber (US) bt wc-Marina Erakovic (NZ)/Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-3 7-6 (8-6).

'Aussie Ana' pips Jelena in Brisbane

2010-01-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

Crowd loyalties were divided but "Aussie Ana" emerged a 7-5 1-6 6-3 winner in her first round match up with Jelena Dokic at the Brisbane International on Monday.

Ana Ivanovic may officially be a third seeded Serbian at the tournament but she has also become an adopted Australian since hooking up with local golfer Adam Scott.
And just like Kim Clijsters when she was adopted by Aussie crowds during her engagement to Lleyton Hewitt, Ivanovic received warm local support as she beat the Australian player in 99 minutes.

Dokic, 26, became the darling of Australian tennis when she took her wildcard all the way to the Australian Open quarterfinals last year.
But the Brisbane crowd was clearly torn by the presence of Ivanovic with Queenslander Scott in attendance at Pat Rafter Arena for his partner's first tournament in four months.

Ivanovic, 21, is on the comeback trail after an injury-marred 2009 saw her finished the year ranked 21st in the world.
The former world No.1 has spent the past month preparing for the tournament on the Sunshine Coast with her high profile boyfriend after following him around on the golf course at the Australian PGA.

In all, it was a "very frustrating" year for Ivanovic - at least her new beau could understand.
Coincidentally Scott also had a shocker - but Ivanovic said they would both emerge "stronger" from the experience.

World No.56 Dokic also bowed in the 2009 Brisbane International first round - to Amelie Mauresmo - before her fairytale run at Melbourne earlier this year.
Unforced errors by Dokic helped Ivanovic close out the first set before the Australian came alive in the second.

Dokic hit winner after winner to race to a 5-0 lead before being broken, only to recover and win the second set in 25 minutes.
Ivanovic did not hold her serve in the second set.

Roles were reversed in the third as Ivanovic broke Dokic three times to win the set in 31 minutes.