The strongest field in the Australian Open 103-year history was revealed on Wednesday, with every one of the world's top 100 men taking part and 99 of the top 100 women competing in January's tournament.
Three-time champion Roger Federer heads the men's draw, while world No.1 and the 2004 winner Justine Henin leads the women.
The only omission from the top 100 women is Russia's world No.44 Vera Dushevina, who is out with a right-foot injury.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said he was thrilled with the line-up.
"It's fantastic news to know that all of the world's best tennis players are coming to Melbourne in January for the Australian Open," said Federer.
"The field is sprinkled with genuine superstars, rising stars and Australians, which will no doubt lead to some brilliant tennis."
"At this stage, it's the strongest field in the event's history and we're sure this will equate to one of the most exciting tournaments yet."
The men's field will be completed by 16 qualifiers and eight wildcards, while the women's field has 12 qualifiers and eight wildcards.
The women's draw includes five former champions in Henin, Venus and Serena Williams, Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport.
Source: TOI
FORMER US Open champion Andy Roddick has hailed the United States’ first Davis Cup victory in 12 years as one of the greatest moments of his career.
The triumph ended the country’s longest drought since the tournament began in 1900 and stretched the United States’ winning streak to six in Davis Cup finals on home soil since 1973.
"It’s been a long road. To be here and bring the cup back to the States is an amazing feeling," said Roddick.
"But more important, just to share the journey with these guys, it’s just been so much fun. We have been the ultimate team and it’s an honour to be a part of that."
World No 6 Roddick, who won his only grand slam title in 2003, and Blake had already beaten Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny in the singles on Friday before the Bryans, winners of five grand slam titles together, took their Davis Cup record to 14-1 with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-2 victory over Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko.
"The Davis Cup probably doesn’t get as much recognition as it should," Roddick continued.
"It wasn’t really a seven, eight-year process to try to win the US Open, all of a sudden I was on tour and it happened before it knew it.
“But this has been a journey. Like Patrick said on court, we’ve been to some places. When you’re just with these guys we developed friendships. There’s so much that goes into this.
Source: icwales
"I am very excited to be returning to Sydney. As everyone knows the start of 2007 was a very difficult time for me personally and I really missed playing the Australian circuit, but this will make me even more eager to do well in January," Henin said in a statement on Monday.
Henin will be chasing her 40th career title at the January 6-12 Sydney International.
She won the event in 2006 and also in 2004, the year she went on to claim her first and only Australian Open. "I always seem to do well there and this helps me in Melbourne too," she said. "Hopefully, my good luck will continue there in 2008."
The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 14.
The Belgian finished this year with ten titles, including the Grand Slam double of the US Open and French Open.
Source:TOI
Know from where to get Tennis Tickets for tennis tournaments like Masters cup tickets, Hopman Cup, Australian open, Wimbledon tickets, French open tickets at Sports of World..read more
Justin Henin the Belgian player won the WTA championship title by defeating Maria Sharapova in a interesting game. World number one Justine Henin battled her way back from a set down to overcome Maria Sharapova 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 and retain her WTA Championships title.
The 25-year-old Belgian had to draw on every ounce of her renowned reserves of grit and determination to shake off Sharapova in a thrilling match that lasted three hours 24 minutes, a record for a three-set final in the end of season tournament.
Source: TOI
In upcoming tennis tournament Hopman cup in a group four teams are placed. All four teams in each group will play in round-robin format and the winners will advance to the final.
he Indian team of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna has been placed in the tough Group B alongside United States and hosts Australia for the Hopman Cup to be held from December 29 to January 4.
Sania and Bopanna, who have been given a direct entry for their good show in the previous edition of the mixed team event, are seeded seventh in the eight-team tournament.
They had upset Croatia and the Czech Republic to reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Spain last year.
The Group B will also have Czech Republic as the fourth team.
The Indians will face the challenge from the likes of Serena Williams, who has been paired with Mardy Fish, for the 20th edition of the tournament.
Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka beat David Nalbandian by 7-6,6-2, now nalbandian is out of Masters Cup Race. Nalbandian pulled off a shock victory over Roger Federer in Sunday's Madrid Masters final.
"It was a win for Roger and for me," Wawrinka told reporters. "I spoke to Roger after the Basel draw was made and he told me to win this one."
The opening set was close with both players saving one break point to line up a tiebreak won 7-5 by Wawrinka.
The world number 35 then broke serve twice in the second set to earn a meeting with Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych, who put out Spain's Feliciano Lopez 7-6 3-6 6-3.
"It was a great match for me and I was very happy with how I served. I'm sure Roger will be just as happy with the way I played as with the result itself." American fourth seed James Blake stayed on course for a place at the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai with a 6-3 6-4 win over Spain's Oscar Hernandez.
The Hopman Cup is an international team event. It is held annually in Perth, Western Australia. Unlike the Davis Cup and the Federation Cup, it is a mixed tournament in which a combined team of men and women players takes part.
The name 'Hopman Cup' is given in the memory of Harry Hopman. He was a great Australian player as well as a coach. The tournament was named as 'the Hopman Cup' in 1989...read more
The word "Tennis" has originated from the French term “tenez," which means "hold”. At the outset, the kings and nobles played this tennis sport . The authentic tennis sport . originated in the 12th century in France, popularly known as jeu de paume. The players used their hands to hit the ball and this game was commonly played outdoors, in enclosed spaces and also in courtyards......read more
Sania Mirza Indian Tennis star out of the Kremlin Cup after first round defeat with 6-3 6-4 to Argentine Gisela Dulko in Moscow on Tuesday.
Sania was coming off a quarter-final appearance at the Japan Open Tennis but could not continue her good form in the Russian capital. Service was again the bugbear for the Hyderabad girl as she sent down as many as nine double faults.
She won only 48 per cent of points on her first serve and 26 per cent on her second while committing 40 unforced errors in comparison to her opponent's 31. Her return game was good as she broke the 41-ranked Dulko five times but returned the favour on seven occasions.
The Argentine made a hat-trick of wins over the Indian star after getting the better of her at the 2005 French Open and the Tier III event at Pattaya City in Thailand in February this year.
Source: HindustanTimes
Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is in the Japan open Tennis final after beating Caroline Wozniacki. It was like a final said by Venus after a 6-3, 7-5 victory. It was really a tough game and she played really well.
"It feels good. It's great to be in the finals," Williams said. After losing the first four games in a row and eventually the first set, Wozniacki went ahead 2-0 in the second set and then 4-2, taking advantage of Williams's two double faults in the sixth game.
"Four-two is definitely not the set, it's just one break, so winning one game is always pretty much even," said Williams.
"I was trying to win one game at one time. I was very confident. I was trying to focus on making less errors," she said. The 17-year-old Wozniacki said she could not cope with Williams once she returned to form in the second set.
"Venus played really well, she just smashed winners in the corners, so I couldn't do anything," she said.
"I was trying to keep my tactics, just tried to make her run, but at 4-2 she really raised her game until four-all and she just did a lot of winners, so I couldn't really do anything.
"It's tough to break her serve even though I broke her serve three times in the match," said
Now Venus Williams will meet to Razzano tomorrow.
Good Luck for both!!!!
U.S Davis cup team may get dirty in 2008. Roddick and his U.S. Davis Cup cohorts will probably face another battle on dirt in Europe after the team was drawn to face Austria on the road in the first round of next year's world group competition.
That means Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan twins, who were fabulous in this year's semifinal against Sweden, will in all likelihood meet the unpredictable Jurgen Melzer and veteran Stefan Koubek -- two lefties -- in singles, with Julian Knowle playing a part in the doubles.
The U.S. has beaten Austria both times the countries have met, including 3-2 in Vienna 17 years ago when Michael Chang rallied from two sets down to defeat Horst Skoff in the decisive fifth rubber, and should get through, surface notwithstanding, perhaps by the same score.
France probably awaits in the quarterfinals, and though a step up in class with the likes of Richard Gasquet and Paul-Henri Mathieu, the U.S. would host that series and thus prosper.
Then things could get really interesting -- possibly Spain on the road in the semifinals, which would mean more clay and much stiffer opposition, even if Rafael Nadal doesn't play. Spain has a potentially tricky matchup at Germany in the quarters.
It could be Argentina's year. David Nalbandian can't play as poorly as he's done so far in 2007, and the 2006 finalists will probably have home ties right through until the final.
Oh, and if the U.S. does spring a surprise and gets to next year's final? If not Argentina, then a rematch may loom against Russia. Both would be on the road, and no prizes for guessing the surface.
Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com
The Davis Cup final will be played between US and Russia in Portland, Oregon, the US Tennis Association announced.
Portland's Memorial Coliseum was Wednesday selected as the site for the Nov 30-Dec 2 final.
The US, led by Andy Roddick, James Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan, advanced to the Davis Cup final with a 4-1 victory over Sweden last weekend in Goteborg.
Russia beat Germany 3-2 in Moscow in the other semi-final.
This will be the first Davis Cup final held in the US since 1992, when the 'Dream Team' of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and John McEnroe defeated Switzerland in Fort Worth, Texas.
Russia are the defending Davis Cup champions and have won the title twice in the past five years.
The US are 2-1 all-time against Russia in Davis Cup play, including a victory in Moscow in the 1995 final, the last time the Americans won the title.
Source: Earthtimes
FORMER British No 1 Tim Henman has warned the sport must be “very vigilant” about the dangers of gambling in tennis.
Henman retired at the weekend having produced two masterful performances for Great Britain’s Davis Cup side to help finish off Croatia inside two days and ensure his nation’s place in Thursday’s draw for the elite stages of the competition. But he has bowed out with a serious warning about gambling in tennis.
Henman said, “I personally have never experienced it but, listening to the players talking, it seems it goes on.
“We’ve got to be very careful, very vigilant about it as tennis doesn’t want to be associated with that.”
World No 4 Nikolay Davydenko will be questioned by the ATP next month after the governing body launched an investigation in August, following reports of irregular gambling patterns surrounding his defeat by Martin Vassallo Arguello. Davydenko has denied any involvement.
Source:icwales
Henman takes on Ivan Ljubicic on Friday and will retire after the conclusion of the Croatia tie on Sunday.
"He has been an exemplary player and perfect father - I count him as a good friend," said the world number one. "I wish he could have achieved what he really wanted, but he had to deal with Pete Sampras and then I came along."
Federer added that Henman has been the ultimate professional during his tennis career. "Tim deserves to go out on a high," Federer said.
"He spent many years under a microscope a lot of people would find unbearable in a country that loves its heroes. "I hope that he still comes back to tennis after he's had a deserved rest.
"What he brought to the game was total professionalism. There were times I wasn't in the mood to practise, but you knew when he gave you a hit, it was not going to be at less than 100% commitment.
"It's fitting that his career is ending at Wimbledon."
Source: //bbcsports
Andy Murray admits he may have to restrict his participation in the Davis Cup in order prevent injury.
Murray said: "It's not that I don't want to play Davis Cup. I love Davis Cup but it's just that I'm hurting myself from playing it, so I have to make a decision whether to play Davis Cup or whether to take a couple of weeks off after it."
He added: "There's no chance I'm going to play the week after Davis Cup, like I did last year, that was stupid. "I don't think it's abut playing for yourself, it's about doing what is right for your body. It's hard on you.
"If you look at what has happened to me when I have played Davis Cup in the past, such as after Ukraine last year - I was playing great before that and I hardly won another match for the rest of the year....
Roger Federer To Join Swiss Davis Cup Team. Roger Federer, the World No. 1 who bypassed Davis Cup play ahead of Grand Slam events, said he will play for Switzerland in a playoff against the Czech Republic.
Federer sat out the earlier Davis Cup matches, focusing on the biggest tournaments on the tennis calendar. He won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S.Open and finished second in the French Open.
Source: Postchronicle
Bad news for the fans of Tennis star Justine Henin because she is not participating in China Tennis open due to injury.
Justine Henin has just won her second U.S. Open title and was also the number one seed for the $585,000 WTA tournament which she was very enthusiastic about playing in the Chinese capital.
The Belgian's management said that doctors had told her that an infection she carried through the US Open, where she beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova for her seventh Grand Slam title, will force her to rest for three weeks. Others entered in the tournament which begins on Monday include France's Amelie Mauresmo, holder Kuznetsova and Swiss Martina Hingis.
Justin Henin Wins the second U.S. Open Tennis Title. Its a tough draw for her and to win that title she has to cross so many competitors and she did it in a very fantastic way without losing a single set. Justine Henin claimed her second U.S. Open tennis championship last night, following up victories over Serena and with a straight-set win over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.
Henin now ranks second among active women with seven career Grand Slam titles after beating fourth-seeded Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 at the National Tennis Center in New York.
Henin, 25, is the first woman to win the U.S. Open without losing a set since 2002, when Serena Williams, who has eight Grand Slam titles, accomplished the feat. Henin said her success this year was more satisfying because she had to beat the Williams sisters, who have a combined 14 major championships -- including four U.S. Opens -- in her run to the title.
This is maybe the most important one,'' Henin said in a news conference last night. The quality I played in the last few matches is amazing. It's just a great feeling because I had a tough draw and I had a lot of things to prove to myself. Not to anyone else, just to myself. And I did it.''
Congratulation Justin Hennin!!
Novak Djokovic, a young Serbian tennis player, has already won four tournaments this season. His toughest rival, Rafael Nadal of Spain, fell out of competition in the final’s 1/8 by loosing to David Ferrer. Meanwhile, Djokovic showed all signs of a winner in the match against Spanish veteran Carlos Moya.
All semifinalists of US Open have become known. Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer, who defeated Carlos Moya and Juan Ignacio Chela in three sets, were the last to enter the group of the four strongest players of the tournament in New York.
David Ferrer was not an obvious favorite. However, he managed to defeat Rafael Nadal. After this, the match against Juan Ignacio Chela was easier for Ferrer, who completely controlled the game and won quite easily.
The question now is who – Djokovic or Ferrer – will win the right to play in the final. The chances are equal. The players have meet thrice before, and Ferrer won twice. However, it was on clay court, which the Serbian does not like.
Roger Federer of Switzerland and Nikolai Davydenko of Russia made up the second semifinal match.
Source: Kommersant
The Prince Challenge Cup pits eight of the top junior tennis academies from around the country in college-format team competition. The Mike Wolf Tennis Academy, which is headquartered at Overland Park Racquet Club, will serve as the host club for a field that also includes the Nick Bollettieri Academy of Bradenton, Fla.; T-Bar-M from Dallas; Manchester of Boston; Lifetime Fitness of Minneapolis; Fustar Eagle of northern California; St. Stephens of Austin, Texas; and Trent Tucker Academy of Tulsa, Okla.
The teams will be divided into two round-robin pools of four. The top four teams to come out of the round-robin will play in semifinals and finals Sunday.
The overall winning team will be a leg up in earning a spot in the Prince World Challenge next May in Rome, a competition that will pit the U.S. entry against teams from Europe, Asia and South America.
There will be two more competitions held around the country to determine the representative.
“It’s a great thing for these kids,” Wolf said. “This format is more affordable, more team-oriented; kids get to play more matches.
Definitions of tennis :---
Type of Tennis tournament:--
- Australian Open
- Davis Cup
- WTA
- ATP
- Wimbeldon
- ITF
- Grandslam
- French Cup
- Federation Cup
- Hopman Cup
- Masters Cup
- US Open
