Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Serena Williams advances

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The top-ranked Williams twice lost five games in a row Monday but finished with a flourish and beat No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Also advancing was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could renew their sibling rivalry in the semifinals Thursday.

Serena Williams is seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title and her third in a row. Her reign was in danger when she fell behind 0-2, 15-40 serving in the third set, but she rallied to take the lead, then swept the final eight points.

Williams won despite being broken six times and committing 43 unforced errors.

Roddick advances at Key Biscayne

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Andy Roddick missed his chance on Sunday to play Dwyane Wade in H-O-R-S-E.

Roddick was too busy trying to beat Dmitry Tursunov at tennis.

Already off to the fastest start of his career this year, Roddick reached the fourth round at the Sony Ericsson Open by defeating Tursunov 7-6 (9), 6-2.

The match forced the cancellation of plans for Roddick and tennis buddy Mardy Fish to play H-O-R-S-E against Wade on the Miami Heat practice court following their workout Sunday.

"He can have his H-O-R-S-E title for another year,'' Roddick said with a smile. "It's disappointing, and it's something I really looked forward to.''

His 25th victory this year - most on the ATP Tour - was considerable consolation. It didn't come easily: The No. 5-seeded Roddick erased two set points in the tiebreaker, one with an ace and the second when Tursunov netted a forehand, and won the final three points in a stressful 75-minute first set.

Roddick lost his temper early in the set when mist fell and umpire Cedric Mourier declined to stop play. After losing his serve, Roddick slammed down his racket, picked it up and threw it again.

"I basically was wondering how many more times we were going to play on a slippery court,'' Roddick said. "He said, 'Well, no one has fallen yet.' I said, 'Well, if that's a barometer, then we have a problem.' So I feel like my argument was just, but the way I went about it probably wasn't the best.''

Roddick said he apologized to Mourier after the match.

Downtrodden U.S. tennis fortunes received a surprising boost when qualifier Taylor Dent upset No. 15 Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-3. Dent, ranked 467th, is mounting a comeback from a back injury that plagued him for three years, required two operations and left him in a body cast for months.

"It has been a dream comeback so for me,'' said Dent, 27. "It hasn't been a perfect ride, but the fact that I'm here and still plugging away and fighting hard is a dream come true.''

Dent, Roddick and the Williams sisters were the only Americans to reach the fourth round. No. 13 James Blake lost to No. 21 Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3.

Dent's opponent Tuesday will be No. 2-seeded Roger Federer, who beat Nicolas Kiefer for the 11th consecutive time, 6-4, 6-1. Roddick will play No. 9 Gael Monfils, who rallied from two service breaks down in the final set to beat two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (3).

Top-ranked Serena Williams, seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title, made the round of 16 by beating Peng Shuai 7-5, 6-2. No. 5-seeded Venus Williams defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-3.

There were two upsets on the women's side, both involving last year's French Open finalists. No. 7-seeded Ana Ivanovic, the defending Roland Garros champion, lost to No. 25 Agnes Szavay 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. No. 2 Dinara Safina was beaten by unseeded Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-4.

"I hardly did anything well,'' Ivanovic said. "I always was missing by a little bit, and got really down on myself.''

"Just a disaster match,'' Safina said. "It was sad the way I played.''

That left the women without three of their seven highest-seeded players. No. 3 Jelena Jankovic was eliminated Saturday night by Gisela Dulko.

Roddick missed many chances in the first set to make his match shorter. With the No. 25-seeded Tursunov serving at 5-all, Roddick failed to convert five break-point chances and finally sailed a forehand long to lose the 22-point game. He also was unable to convert his first three set points in the tiebreaker.

Roddick said gusty wind and high humidity made conditions difficult, so he was content to keep the ball in play and wear Tursunov down with a series of long rallies.

"It's like a swamp out there today,'' Roddick said. "You're sweating a ton. I mean, you can wring out your shorts afterward. So I wanted to be sure to take advantage of that and make the points tough.''

The match started at 11 a.m., and Roddick said he didn't know until afterward that his agent and trainer had scrubbed the H-O-R-S-E showdown because they feared he might be late.

"They said they had to make a call this morning,'' Roddick said. "Obviously Dwyane wasn't waiting around all day, and so my agent erred on the side of not making Mr. Wade wait.''

Roddick, who often disparages his basketball skills, said Wade is his favorite athlete. Rescheduling their game wasn't an option because the Heat play at home Monday, then have a three-game trip starting at Dallas.

Said Roddick: "I don't know if I provide the necessary warmup for the Mavericks.''

Serena Williams wins at Key Biscayne

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams is one step closer to a record sixth consecutive Key Biscayne title.

The top-ranked Williams trailed much of the first set but rallied and beat Peng Shuai 7-5, 6-2 Sunday night in the third round at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Williams shares the tournament record of five titles with Steffi Graf and has won the title the past two years. She has lost only one match at Key Biscayne since 2001.

Against Peng, Williams fell behind 5-4, then won seven of the next eight games. She struggled with her second serve but smacked seven aces.

Williams will play for the third day in a row Monday, when her opponent in the round of 16 will be No. 17-seeded Zheng Jie.

Clijsters returning from two-year retirement

BREE, Belgium - Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Clijsters returning from two-year retirement

BREE, Belgium - Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Clijsters returning from two-year retirement

BREE, Belgium - Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Clijsters returning from two-year retirement

BREE, Belgium - Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Clijsters returning from two-year retirement

BREE, Belgium - Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Federer, Roddick roll in Key Biscayne

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Roger Federer’s first shot hit a light pole, and his third sailed over the upper deck out of the stadium.

No, Federer’s slump didn’t reach a new low Friday. He merely misfired a couple of times trying to whack souvenir balls into the stands after winning his opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The two-time Key Biscayne champion beat American Kevin Kim 6-3, 6-2.

“Great start to the tournament,” Federer said.

He hopes to end a drought that has left him without a title in his past 12 Masters tournaments, the ATP Tour’s most prestigious events aside from the Grand Slams. His 4½-year reign atop the rankings ended last August when he was overtaken by nemesis Rafael Nadal, but Federer professes optimism that he has the ability to reclaim the top spot.

“The true understanders of the game know it doesn’t go that quickly,” he said.

His one-hour workout with Kim on stadium court was more like a practice session, especially in the second set. Federer played serve-and-volley and chip-and-charge much more than he would in a tight match.

“I was trying out a few things toward the end, that’s true,” he said. “I could take my foot off a little bit and just try out a few things.”

The No. 2-seeded Federer moved into the third round, where he’ll meet Nicolas Kiefer. Seeded players had first-round byes.

No. 5 Andy Roddick needed only 56 minutes to beat Diego Junqueira 6-1, 6-1. Also advancing were No. 3 Novak Djokovic, the 2007 champion, and No. 13 James Blake. Unseeded American Taylor Dent needed five match points to eliminate No. 19 Nicolas Almagro 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7).

The Safin family swept its second-round matches. No. 22 Marat Safin defeated Oscar Hernandez 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and his sister, No. 2 Dinara Safina, beat Mathilde Johansson 6-1, 6-3.

Also reaching the third round in women’s play were two-time Grand Slam winner Amelie Mauresmo, Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and former U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Federer’s match was his first since the announcement this week of the annual ATP World Tour awards. He won the Stefan Edberg sportsmanship honor for a record fifth consecutive year and was chosen the favorite player for the sixth year in a row in a poll of fans.

He’s popular with South Florida’s many Latin and South American fans even though Spanish and Portuguese are not among the six languages he speaks.

“This morning I was signing autographs after my practice, and one guy was saying, ’You know, Brazil loves you,”’ Federer said with a smile. “Next guy, ’Venezuela, too.’ And ’Ecuador’ is the third guy, and then another guy, ’Dominican Republic as well.’ So it’s nice. They love tennis, which is good.”

In his 10th year on the tour, Federer conceded he’s less patient with the many demands on his time.

“I feel it just hanging around the courts,” he said. “I just don’t do it as much anymore. You just want to get away from the tennis scene, because maybe after playing 1,000 matches, you get sick and tired of seeing another 100,000 matches you’ve seen already. But still I try to give back to the fans by signing autographs and taking pictures while I’m at the site. Especially after practice, I like to take my time.”

The toll of the tennis grind may help explain the decline in the 27-year-old Federer’s fortunes. He has lost five consecutive matches against Nadal and four in a row against Andy Murray, and for the first time in five years, Federer’s not seeded No. 1 at Key Biscayne.

Marat Safin can relate — he briefly reached the No. 1 ranking in 2000.

“You can’t expect to be on top for 10 years,” Safin said. “New guys are coming. They’re hungry, they’re faster, they’re playing better. It’s something new for them.

“For Roger, he has already been on the tour for nine or 10 years and has seen everything. Guys see the opportunity of beating him, and that’s what happens. He’s getting old, and the young guys want to beat him. Eventually they will crack him down. The older he gets, the more people are going to beat him. That’s the way it is.”

Federer could meet Djokovic in the semifinals and Nadal in the final. He has won 31 consecutive matches against players ranked outside the top 10, suggesting he’s a near-lock to hang around for several more rounds.

That will give him time to work on his postmatch lobs into the stands.

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Clijsters returns, will play U.S. Open

BREE, Belgium (AP) -Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Clijsters returns, will play U.S. Open

BREE, Belgium (AP) -Kim Clijsters is returning to the tennis circuit after two years in retirement, saying she has regained the competitive hunger that took her to the No. 1 ranking.

"I still have that craving,'' the 25-year-old Belgian said Thursday. "I look forward to the challenge.''

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007 to get married and start a family, announced her comeback at the tennis facility in Bree, Belgium, where she has been practicing recently.

She said she has already asked for wild cards for WTA hard-court tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto in August and the U.S. Open.

"I want to be back at my peak as soon as possible, but I know that is not logical to ask that,'' Clijsters said. "I will have to take it match by match.''

The U.S. Tennis Association is setting aside a spot in the main draw for Clijsters at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 31.

"We have been in contact with Kim regarding her comeback and have committed a 2009 U.S. Open wild card to her,'' tournament director Jim Curley said. "As a past U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1, Kim has been a great ambassador for our sport. We are excited about Kim's return to tennis and look forward to welcoming her to New York this summer.''

Clijsters won the 2005 U.S. Open for her one Grand Slam title. She won 34 career titles overall and was runner-up in four Grand Slam finals.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

"I am not coming back to lose in the first rounds,'' she said. "Otherwise I might as well go on holiday.''

Clijsters returns at a time when the WTA tour is wide open and without a single player dominating the rankings.

"I am amazed how many players I don't even know,'' she said. "There are even many names I do not know how to pronounce.''

Clijsters, who is married to American basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to her daughter Jada last year, is convinced she has the maturity now to juggle marriage, motherhood and top tennis.

"Now I have the right balance and I feel good,'' she said.

Clijsters refused to commit herself beyond the U.S. Open, preferring to make an assessment at that stage.

"One year, two or three, it is far too early to start answering those questions,'' she said.

Flashing her disarming smile and with her blonde curls tied in a ponytail, Clijsters exuded the easygoing charm which made her a fan favorite around the world.

Her career was marred by a series of injuries, including to her hip and back.

"I know a lot, lot more about my body,'' Clijsters said, adding that she has an exercise regimen designed to prevent injuries.

Clijsters was already set to join Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She said it was while preparing for the Wimbledon exhibition that the competitive edge came back.

Soon, she was spotted at the training center putting in long hours. When she was seen at the basketball court to support her husband, she had that lean streak in her face again.

"I have never trained harder,'' she said.

Clijsters also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July before making the big jump back to the WTA Tour.

Fitter Roddick bids for Key Biscayne title

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -The conversation that inspired the Andy Roddick weight-loss program occurred shortly after he hired Larry Stefanki as coach in December.

"I told Larry, `This is your show. I'm here to follow,''' Roddick recalled. "He promptly said, `OK, lose 15 pounds,' and I regretted saying what I said.''

Now Roddick's slimmer and fitter. But better? That question might be answered at the Sony Ericsson Open, where the No. 5-seeded Roddick plays his opening match Friday night against Diego Junqueira of Argentina.

He's off to the best start of his career with a 23-4 record, and he matched his best Australian Open showing when he reached the semifinals before losing to Roger Federer.

"I've been playing well and winning the matches I'm supposed to win,'' Roddick said Thursday. "I think there is some room for improvement. I'm excited about the rest of the way.''

Seeded players had first-round byes and begin matches Friday, with Federer, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic among those in action. U.S. men went 4-2 Thursday, with John Isner, Sam Querrey, Amer Delic and Bobby Reynolds advancing. American women went 1-1, with Jill Craybas losing and Alexa Glatch winning.

Roddick hired Stefanki after slipping to No. 8, his lowest year-end ranking since 2002. With a new workout regimen he met the coach's goal of shedding 15 pounds, which has allowed him to chase down shots that might have been beyond reach in the past.

Now Roddick will try to chase down top-ranked Rafael Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in the rankings.

"Larry recognized there is a change in the game,'' Roddick said. "It seems like everything is slowing down a little bit as far as surface and balls, and therefore you see a lot more guys dependent upon their running ability and their legs.

"So we're just trying to keep up. It has worked so far, but we're talking about 2 1/2 months. It needs to be proven for a little bit longer than that to consider it an ultimate success.''

The third-ranked Djokovic noticed the difference last week when Roddick beat him 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells.

"He's playing better. That's a fact,'' Djokovic said. "He's stepping up more in the court, and you just feel the improvement.''

Nadal beat Roddick the next day in the semifinals, winning two close sets.

"It seems like he has more motivation right now than last few years,'' Nadal said. "He's playing well, no?''

The 26-year-old Roddick has gone 5 1/2 years since winning his lone Grand Slam title at the 2003 U.S. Open. Critics say he has failed to make the most of a serve and forehand that rank with the most formidable in tennis. Defenders say he has done well to win one major title despite an inconsistent backhand and poor net game.

Key Biscayne offers one last chance to make a splash before the tour switches to clay, Roddick's worst surface. He has enjoyed several memorable victories on the island, including an upset at age 18 over Pete Sampras in 2001, and a win over Federer last year to end a streak of 11 consecutive losses to his nemesis.

Roddick and Federer could meet next week in the quarterfinals, with Nadal in the other half of the draw.

Roddick won the tournament in 2004, when he lived nearby in Boca Raton. That's the only time he has reached the final in nine tries, but he bristles at the suggestion he has underachieved in the event.

"I won it; it's tough to say I haven't played well,'' he said. "That's kind of a microcosm of my career, I guess. It's just a matter of how you want to grade it.''

Serena voted WTA player of the year

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Serena Williams has been voted the WTA Tour player of the year for the second time.

Williams also received the award for 2002. She won the U.S. Open in September and ended last year ranked No. 1.

Dinara Safina was selected most improved player for 2008, and Zheng Jie was chosen comeback player of the year. Top-ranked Cara Black and Liezel Huber were chosen doubles team of the year for the second time.

Caroline Wozniacki was selected newcomer of the year. Ana Ivanovic was chosen humanitarian of the year for her work and contributions to UNICEF, and Elena Dementieva was honored with the Karen Krantzcke sportsmanship award.

Williams was the only winner not to attend a ceremony Thursday at the Sony Ericsson Open to honor the award winners. She released a statement through the WTA Tour.

"Winning the player of the year award for the second time in my career is a great personal achievement,'' Williams said. "I feel great about my game and hope to win many more player of the year titles in the years to come.''

Australia wants India Davis Cup match shifted

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -Tennis Australia has confirmed it wants its Davis Cup match against India moved out of the southern city of Chennai in May due to security concerns.

"We have received advice from a variety of sources referring to traveling to India,'' Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood said in a statement Thursday. "It is on that basis of security concerns that we have asked for the tie to be moved out of India.

"The ITF has received our request and is doing its own security assessment. The safety of our players and staff is of paramount importance to Tennis Australia.''

The winner of the Asia-Oceania Group 1 match, scheduled for May 8-10, will advance to the playoffs for a spot in the elite world group.

In London, the International Tennis Federation confirmed it had received Tennis Australia's request to switch venues, and had asked its security advisers to submit a report which it hopes to receive next week.

The ITF said there would be no discussion of alternative venues until it had reviewed that report and, until then, the match would take place in Chennai as planned.

The All India Tennis Association said in a statement that it was confident of the match being held in Chennai.

"There's no need to shift it,'' the statement said. "The International Tennis Federation wrote to us about Australia's security concerns and we've sent a reply.''

The Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament was moved this week to South Africa due to security concerns in India.

A terror attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore, Pakistan earlier this month heightened concerns about security for sports events on the Indian sub continent. Seven test players, an assistant coach and a match official were among those injured. Six policemen and a driver were killed in the ambush by heavily armed gunmen.

In November, terror attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai left 164 people dead and forced the cancellation of a Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament involving provincial teams from five countries.

Serena Williams goes for 6th Key Biscayne title

KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) -Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt survived a challenge from Israeli Dudi Sela to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 first-round win Wednesday at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The No. 92-ranked Hewitt, playing because of a tournament wild card, will hope to end an 11-match losing streak against top 10 opponents when he faces No. 7 Gilles Simon in the second round.

In blustery conditions, the 28-year-old Australian dropped serve five times but converted six of 11 break point opportunities on Sela's serve to seal the win in just under two hours.

The former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, a three-time semifinalist at Key Biscayne, slipped in the rankings last year after four months out for hip surgery and is hoping to improve his ranking significantly before Wimbledon this year.

Hewitt is on the bottom half of the draw with No. 2 Roger Federer, No. 3 Novak Djokovic and American Andy Roddick.

Four American qualifiers advanced to the second round: Taylor Dent beat Ricardo Mellow 6-1, 6-4; Robert Kendrick beat French veteran Arnaud Clement 6-3, 7-6 (5); Michael Russell overcame Victor Hanescu; and Kevin Kim progressed when Michael Llodra retired with a groin muscle injury after winning the first set 6-3.

Fabrice Santoro, the oldest player in the draw at 36 years, three months, was one of two Frenchmen to advance, beating Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Julien Benneteau had a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow Frenchman Florent Serra.

Marcos Baghdatis, who broke into the top 10 in 2006 after reaching the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semifinals, had a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ernests Gulbis of Latvia.

On the women's side, Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic beat Patricia Mayr of Austria 6-4, 6-2 and Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova defeated American Melanie Oudin 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Jelena Dokic, a former Wimbledon semifinalist who returned to the top 100 - after a long climb back from a ranking in the 600s - after a surprising quarterfinal run at the Australian Open in January, beat Romania's Edina Gallovits 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Women's defending champion Serena Williams and the other seeded players received first-round byes and will be in action beginning Friday at the 12-day tournament.

Perhaps the foremost threat to Williams' reign at Key Biscayne is her sister, Venus Williams, a three-time champion seeded fifth. They could meet in the semifinals.

As usual, the sisters skipped the Indian Wells tournament this month, and they arrived at Key Biscayne following a monthlong layoff from the tour. Serena's focus is not yet entirely on tennis - she held a news conference Wednesday to introduce a new line of jewelry and handbags, discussing "price points'' and "comfortability'' with the same zeal she shows returning a second serve.

She said her passion for fashion provides a welcome diversion from tennis, but she finds it draining to be so busy between events.

"For me to play a tournament is the easiest thing in the world,'' she said. "It's like my relaxing time. If not, I'm busy doing a photo shoot, usually two a day. I have to practice really, really early, because I have to fit the other stuff in. Then I'm on the phone doing interviews - this is all in one day. I somehow have to go to the gym, and I don't know how I do it. It's really stressful and so much easier for me to play the tournaments.''

Dolphins' Pennington switches sports, tries tennis

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington picked up a tennis racket Wednesday for the first time since college, and the rust showed.

It wasn't really a fair matchup - he hit with top-10 women's player Nadia Petrova of Russia on the practice courts at the Sony Ericsson Open.

"I'm just going to try to get one over the net,'' Pennington said as he took the court.

He was sweating 10 minutes later when the session to promote the tournament ended. He hopped over the net and kissed Petrova on the cheek.

She conceded she had never heard of Pennington, but she was familiar with the Dolphins. She took it easy on him, hitting the ball at half speed and not exploiting his especially weak backhand.

"I'm very impressed,'' she said. "He kept the ball going.''

Pennington said he hadn't hit a tennis ball in 10 years and never played seriously, but his forehand showed promise.

"It's part of playing quarterback - you act like you know what you're doing, but inside you have no idea,'' he said.

With a grunt worthy of Serena Williams, he whacked one shot into the corner for a winner as Petrova laughed.

"The grunt helped me,'' Pennington said. "I laced one. I may incorporate that in my football game - a grunt every time I throw.''

Scott leaves WTA to become Pac-10 commissioner

MIAMI (AP) -Larry Scott will become the Pac-10 Conference commissioner on July 1 after six years as chairman and chief executive officer of the WTA Tour.

Scott will remain with the women's professional tennis circuit into June, the tour said Tuesday. He will work with the tour board to select his successor.

"With women's professional tennis more popular than ever, the tour in the strongest business position in its history and a fantastic senior management team in place, now is the right time for me to embrace a new challenge,'' Scott said in a statement.

Scott became the CEO of the WTA in 2003, after having been ATP chief operating officer and president of ATP Properties. Under his watch, the WTA pushed for - and got - equal prize money for women at Wimbledon and the French Open.

"He brings a lot of great skills and experience to the job,'' said Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, who led the Pac-10's search and screening committee.

"He has great experience in branding. He has great experience in sponsorship development and in television negotiations,'' Bowlsby said in a telephone interview. "He has the right energy to build upon a great foundation with the Pac-10.''

Scott will take over for Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last June after 26 years, making him the longest-tenured Division I conference commissioner in the country.

Bowlsby said his committee began work last August and forwarded the names of four candidates to the conference presidents.

Scott's announcement that he is leaving the tour comes a little more than a month after perhaps the biggest controversy of his stay: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates and wasn't able to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The WTA eventually fined the tournament's organizers a record $300,000 and made them post a $2 million performance guarantee to ensure Peer and other Israeli players won't be shut out of future tournaments in the UAE.

Under Scott, according the tour, it has seen a 500 percent increase in sponsorship revenue, a 250 percent increase in overall revenues, a 40 percent increase in prize money and $710 million in new stadium investments.

He helped the tour land the largest sponsorship deal in the history of women's sports with Sony Ericsson at $88 million over six years. The announcement of his resignation came on the eve of the start of the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.

"Under Larry's leadership, the tour and our sport have grown over the past six years beyond anyone's wildest expectations,'' said Steve Simon, tournament board representative and chairman of the tournament council.

Scott helped the tour change its calendar and rules to shorten the season and lessen the strain on players, and it landed the largest deal for the year-end championships, putting them in Doha, Qatar, for 2008-10.

Innovations under Scott included electronic line-calling, on-court coaching, pre-match player interviews and a new doubles scoring format.

Scott leaves WTA to become Pac-10 commissioner

MIAMI (AP) -Larry Scott will become the Pac-10 Conference commissioner on July 1 after six years as chairman and chief executive officer of the WTA Tour.

Scott will remain with the women's professional tennis circuit into June, the tour said Tuesday. He will work with the tour board to select his successor.

"With women's professional tennis more popular than ever, the tour in the strongest business position in its history and a fantastic senior management team in place, now is the right time for me to embrace a new challenge,'' Scott said in a statement.

Scott became the CEO of the WTA in 2003, after having been ATP chief operating officer and president of ATP Properties. Under his watch, the WTA pushed for - and got - equal prize money for women at Wimbledon and the French Open.

"He brings a lot of great skills and experience to the job,'' said Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, who led the Pac-10's search and screening committee.

"He has great experience in branding. He has great experience in sponsorship development and in television negotiations,'' Bowlsby said in a telephone interview. "He has the right energy to build upon a great foundation with the Pac-10.''

Scott will take over for Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last June after 26 years, making him the longest-tenured Division I conference commissioner in the country.

Bowlsby said his committee began work last August and forwarded the names of four candidates to the conference presidents.

Scott's announcement that he is leaving the tour comes a little more than a month after perhaps the biggest controversy of his stay: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates and wasn't able to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The WTA eventually fined the tournament's organizers a record $300,000 and made them post a $2 million performance guarantee to ensure Peer and other Israeli players won't be shut out of future tournaments in the UAE.

Under Scott, according the tour, it has seen a 500 percent increase in sponsorship revenue, a 250 percent increase in overall revenues, a 40 percent increase in prize money and $710 million in new stadium investments.

He helped the tour land the largest sponsorship deal in the history of women's sports with Sony Ericsson at $88 million over six years. The announcement of his resignation came on the eve of the start of the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.

"Under Larry's leadership, the tour and our sport have grown over the past six years beyond anyone's wildest expectations,'' said Steve Simon, tournament board representative and chairman of the tournament council.

Scott helped the tour change its calendar and rules to shorten the season and lessen the strain on players, and it landed the largest deal for the year-end championships, putting them in Doha, Qatar, for 2008-10.

Innovations under Scott included electronic line-calling, on-court coaching, pre-match player interviews and a new doubles scoring format.

Federer eager to get on a roll at Key Biscayne

MIAMI (AP) -Roger Federer's slip from supremacy extends beyond Grand Slam events, as his recent record at Key Biscayne suggests.

Federer hasn't reached the semifinals since 2006, and for the first time in five years he's not seeded No. 1 for the tournament beginning Wednesday. Nemesis Rafael Nadal is top-seeded, and five-time champion Serena Williams is No. 1 on the women's side.

The focus in recent months has been on Federer's decline in major events, but the slippage has been even more pronounced in Masters tournaments - the ATP Tour's most prestigious and lucrative events aside from the Grand Slams.

Federer won his most recent Masters title at Cincinnati in August 2007.

"I hope this year I can change that a bit and get on a good roll again, because I've done so well over the last few years that I'd like to win a few again,'' Federer said.

His 14 Masters titles rank second only to Andre Agassi's 17, while Nadal has 13. But Federer has come up short at 12 Masters tournaments in a row, losing three finals, including two against Nadal.

Federer's most recent Masters setback was last week in Indian Wells. Returning from a six-week layoff due to a back injury, he reached the semifinals before losing to Andy Murray.

"You're just like disappointed a bit, but it was a decent tournament,'' Federer said. "Not the greatest of all time, but it was all right. Hopefully I'll play well in Miami.''

Nadal is seeking his first Key Biscayne title. He ended Federer's 4 1/2-year reign atop the rankings last August and won his latest title Sunday at Indian Wells, then was on a plane that night to Miami.

"The good thing of tennis is when you lose you have another chance next week,'' Nadal said. "The bad thing is when you win, most of the time you don't have enough time to enjoy the victories.''

Nadal actually has a few days this week to savor the achievement. Seeded players at Key Biscayne receive first-round byes, and the Spaniard will play his opening match Saturday night.

Federer is seeded second, and 2007 champion Novak Djokovic is third. Seeded fourth is the improving Murray, who has beaten Federer four times in a row. Andy Roddick is fifth.

Federer, Djokovic and Roddick are in the same half of draw. The only top player missing from the 96-man field is defending champion Nikolay Davydenko, sidelined by a foot infection.

The only top woman absent will be Maria Sharapova, whose ranking has slipped to No. 30 as she recovers from shoulder surgery last fall.

Williams seeks her third consecutive Key Biscayne championship. Last year, when she tied Steffi Graf's record of five titles in the event, Williams dubbed the it "The Serena and Steffi Open.''

Three-time champion Venus Williams is seeded fifth and could meet her younger sister in the semifinals. Dinara Safina is seeded second and Jelena Jankovic third, with the top 10 women all competing.

Federer won Key Biscayne in 2005 and 2006, when he was winning almost everything, but he played a dismal third set in the quarterfinals last year and lost to Roddick. The defeat was part of a yearlong slump for Federer interrupted only when he won the U.S. Open for his 13th Grand Slam title, one shy of Pete Sampras' record.

Federer has lost five consecutive matches against Nadal, most recently last month in the Australian Open final. While Nadal's lead in the rankings is widening, Federer still considers the gap small.

"I don't know if I really have to like make a major jump,'' Federer said. "With Rafa the last few matches, for instance, it has been down to a few points here and there. That makes a difference of winning a Slam or not winning a Slam. So I think I just have to make sure next time I play him I get those couple of points.''

The latest loss against Nadal left Federer sobbing during the trophy ceremony. Federer later said he was embarrassed because the tears were misinterpreted.

"It had nothing to do with, 'Oh my God, I'm never going to win this tournament again,''' he said. "We care about this game and try hard. When it doesn't happen, you know, we're not happy, we're sad. ...

"Instead of getting it out maybe in the locker room, it happened in the center court in front of anybody. That's the tough part for me to handle. But I could handle it, and I still believe it shows that there is a human side to any player.''

Scott leaves WTA to become Pac-10 commissioner

MIAMI (AP) -Larry Scott will become the Pac-10 Conference commissioner on July 1 after six years as chairman and chief executive officer of the WTA Tour.

Scott will remain with the women's professional tennis circuit into June, the tour said Tuesday. He will work with the tour board to select his successor.

"With women's professional tennis more popular than ever, the tour in the strongest business position in its history and a fantastic senior management team in place, now is the right time for me to embrace a new challenge,'' Scott said in a statement.

Scott became the CEO of the WTA in 2003, after having been ATP chief operating officer and president of ATP Properties. Under his watch, the WTA pushed for - and got - equal prize money for women at Wimbledon and the French Open.

"He brings a lot of great skills and experience to the job,'' said Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, who led the Pac-10's search and screening committee.

"He has great experience in branding. He has great experience in sponsorship development and in television negotiations,'' Bowlsby said in a telephone interview. "He has the right energy to build upon a great foundation with the Pac-10.''

Scott will take over for Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last June after 26 years, making him the longest-tenured Division I conference commissioner in the country.

Bowlsby said his committee began work last August and forwarded the names of four candidates to the conference presidents.

Scott's announcement that he is leaving the tour comes a little more than a month after perhaps the biggest controversy of his stay: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates and wasn't able to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The WTA eventually fined the tournament's organizers a record $300,000 and made them post a $2 million performance guarantee to ensure Peer and other Israeli players won't be shut out of future tournaments in the UAE.

Under Scott, according the tour, it has seen a 500 percent increase in sponsorship revenue, a 250 percent increase in overall revenues, a 40 percent increase in prize money and $710 million in new stadium investments.

He helped the tour land the largest sponsorship deal in the history of women's sports with Sony Ericsson at $88 million over six years. The announcement of his resignation came on the eve of the start of the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.

"Under Larry's leadership, the tour and our sport have grown over the past six years beyond anyone's wildest expectations,'' said Steve Simon, tournament board representative and chairman of the tournament council.

Scott helped the tour change its calendar and rules to shorten the season and lessen the strain on players, and it landed the largest deal for the year-end championships, putting them in Doha, Qatar, for 2008-10.

Innovations under Scott included electronic line-calling, on-court coaching, pre-match player interviews and a new doubles scoring format.

Scott leaves WTA to become Pac-10 commissioner

MIAMI (AP) -Larry Scott will become the Pac-10 Conference commissioner on July 1 after six years as chairman and chief executive officer of the WTA Tour.

Scott will remain with the women's professional tennis circuit into June, the tour said Tuesday. He will work with the tour board to select his successor.

"With women's professional tennis more popular than ever, the tour in the strongest business position in its history and a fantastic senior management team in place, now is the right time for me to embrace a new challenge,'' Scott said in a statement.

Scott became the CEO of the WTA in 2003, after having been ATP chief operating officer and president of ATP Properties. Under his watch, the WTA pushed for - and got - equal prize money for women at Wimbledon and the French Open.

"He brings a lot of great skills and experience to the job,'' said Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, who led the Pac-10's search and screening committee.

"He has great experience in branding. He has great experience in sponsorship development and in television negotiations,'' Bowlsby said in a telephone interview. "He has the right energy to build upon a great foundation with the Pac-10.''

Scott will take over for Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last June after 26 years, making him the longest-tenured Division I conference commissioner in the country.

Bowlsby said his committee began work last August and forwarded the names of four candidates to the conference presidents.

Scott's announcement that he is leaving the tour comes a little more than a month after perhaps the biggest controversy of his stay: Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates and wasn't able to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The WTA eventually fined the tournament's organizers a record $300,000 and made them post a $2 million performance guarantee to ensure Peer and other Israeli players won't be shut out of future tournaments in the UAE.

Under Scott, according the tour, it has seen a 500 percent increase in sponsorship revenue, a 250 percent increase in overall revenues, a 40 percent increase in prize money and $710 million in new stadium investments.

He helped the tour land the largest sponsorship deal in the history of women's sports with Sony Ericsson at $88 million over six years. The announcement of his resignation came on the eve of the start of the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.

"Under Larry's leadership, the tour and our sport have grown over the past six years beyond anyone's wildest expectations,'' said Steve Simon, tournament board representative and chairman of the tournament council.

Scott helped the tour change its calendar and rules to shorten the season and lessen the strain on players, and it landed the largest deal for the year-end championships, putting them in Doha, Qatar, for 2008-10.

Innovations under Scott included electronic line-calling, on-court coaching, pre-match player interviews and a new doubles scoring format.

Clijsters to announce plans amid comeback rumors

BRUSSELS (AP) -Former top-ranked Kim Clijsters will hold a news conference Thursday amid reports she is planning a full-time return to tennis.

The 25-year-old Belgian, who retired two years ago, will "unveil her plans for 2009'' at the tennis center where she has been training recently.

Recent photos showed Clijsters looking close to competition fitness.

The Het Belang van Limburg regional newspaper said she was set to enter top-level tournaments again. The VTM television network said she could target the U.S. Open, which she won in 2005 for her only Grand Slam title, as the highlight of her season.

A spokeswoman for Clijsters did not return repeated phone calls.

Even though she no longer has a WTA ranking, Clijsters could quickly be reintegrated by receiving wild cards for any tournament she wants to enter.

Clijsters retired from the WTA Tour in May 2007. She married pro basketball player Brian Lynch and gave birth to a daughter, Jada, in February 2008.

Fellow Belgian star Justine Henin retired last year while still ranked No. 1.

In her last competitive match two years ago, Clijsters lost in the Antwerp Diamond Games final to France's Amelie Mauresmo before a capacity 14,500 crowd at the city's Sport Palace.

Over the past month, Clijsters already announced she would play several exhibition and lower-level matches.

She will play Steffi Graf on May 17 as part of a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon to test out the conditions under the new retractable roof over Centre Court.

She is also scheduled to play a June 14 exhibition at the Ordina Open in Rosmalen against Michaella Krajicek, as well as two matches for the St. Louis Aces in the World Team Tennis league during the summer.

Apart from winning the U.S. Open, Clijsters reached four Grand Slam finals and won 34 singles titles overall. She won two Grand Slam doubles titles and held the No. 1 ranking for 19 weeks.

ITF pulls Davis Cup from Pakistan

LONDON (AP) -Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the International Tennis Federation said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants.''

"The Philippines has been told, 'It's your right to host it now. Can you tell us where and when?''' ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said Wednesday.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.

"I believe we went back to them and they said no change,'' Robinson said, noting that the Davis Cup Committee makes the final decision.

Last week, tennis authorities in the Philippines asked that the series be moved to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Three of the five Filipino players, including Cecil Mamiit, are dual U.S.-Philippine citizens and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva feared they may be targeted because of their American passports.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said the series should be held in a third country.

"If they think that the security situation is not ideal here, then the tie should be organized at a neutral venue,'' Khan said. "If the security is not good in Pakistan, we don't think that the (security) situation is too good in the Philippines.''

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet,'' Robinson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rizwan Ali in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Nadal beats Roddick, but won't face Federer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Rafael Nadal edged Andy Roddick 6-4, 7-6 (4) Saturday to move into the BNP Paribas final.

No. 1 Nadal, constantly powering his forehand into the corner to Roddick’s backhand, ended several long rallies by passing Roddick with a shot down the line when the American came to the net.

Nadal, the 2007 Indian Wells champion, improved to 5-2 against the seventh-ranked Roddick.

The 22-year-old Spaniard next will play Andy Murray, who beat Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 for his fourth straight victory over the former world No. 1.

Nadal finished with 17 forehand winners to Roddick’s four. Nadal also was effective when he went to the net, winning 11 of 15 points to Roddick’s 10 of 27.

Nadal will have another difficult match Sunday against Murray, a 21-year-old Scot who’s off to 20-1 start this year and already has won two tournaments.

“I think he’s more focused all the time, he’s more regular,” Nadal said. “Before, he has one good match and later he plays one set well and two sets not at the same level.

“Right now he’s playing all the time very solid and very regular. You look at his results the last seven, eight months, he’s not losing to anyone. He only loses against the best, and not a lot of times.”

Nadal smiled and added, “I hope tomorrow.”

Roddick still left Indian Wells with a trophy. Shortly after his loss to Nadal, he joined Mardy Fish for the men’s doubles final. They beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram 3-6, 6-1, 14-12 (super tiebreaker).

Roddick thanked Fish for “carrying” him during the doubles, saying, “Especially today, I was a little down after the singles match and he picked me up.”

No. 4 Murray won for the sixth time in eight career matches against Federer.

The 27-year-old Federer, whose four-year stint at No. 1 ended last year, made some outstanding shots against Murray, and some awful ones. Inconsistency remains his problem as he tries to fight his way back to the top.

The Swiss star made a whopping 32 unforced errors, including several by clanging routine shots off the frame of his racket. Murray was a model of consistency, scrambling back and forth to keep the ball in play and making just 15 unforced errors.

After Federer came back to win the second set, Murray earned a break in the fourth game of the third to take control. Murray had a scary moment in that game when his feet slipped out from under him and he did the splits while trying to stop, turn and get to a shot behind him. He yelled in pain, but got up off the court a few seconds later and obviously wasn’t hampered — he won the next three points.

“I was worried for him, went down badly, screamed,” Federer said. “I was happy to see that he got back up.”

Said Murray: “Obviously a bit scared at first, then once I got up and ran around after a couple of points, I knew that it felt OK.”

Federer praised Murray for his counterpunching ability.

“He’s got great feel, so he’s very confident at the moment,” the Swiss star said. “He knows he doesn’t need to play close to the lines because he knows he can cover the court really well.

“I think that calms him down mentally. I think that’s why he’s playing so well.”

Murray, who already has won at Dubai and Rotterdam this season, said he concentrated on mixing up his pace against Federer.

“If I started trading big groundstrokes with someone like Federer, I think he likes that,” he said. “I haven’t done it against him and I don’t do it against many people. That’s my style, very rarely do I lose matches having let the other guy play his natural game.”

Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Victoria Azarenka in the women’s semis, joined with Azarenka to take the women’s doubles title, beating Gisela Dulko and Shahar Peer 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 (super tiebreaker).

Zvonareva will face defending champion Ana Ivanovic for the title on Sunday.

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NASCAR: Kurt Busch to bust loose at Bristol

 

ITF pulls Davis Cup from Pakistan

LONDON (AP) -Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the International Tennis Federation said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants.''

"The Philippines has been told, 'It's your right to host it now. Can you tell us where and when?''' ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said Wednesday.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.

"I believe we went back to them and they said no change,'' Robinson said, noting that the Davis Cup Committee makes the final decision.

Last week, tennis authorities in the Philippines asked that the series be moved to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Three of the five Filipino players, including Cecil Mamiit, are dual U.S.-Philippine citizens and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva feared they may be targeted because of their American passports.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said the series should be held in a third country.

"If they think that the security situation is not ideal here, then the tie should be organized at a neutral venue,'' Khan said. "If the security is not good in Pakistan, we don't think that the (security) situation is too good in the Philippines.''

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet,'' Robinson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rizwan Ali in Islamabad contributed to this report.

ITF pulls Davis Cup from Pakistan

LONDON (AP) -Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the International Tennis Federation said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants.''

"The Philippines has been told, 'It's your right to host it now. Can you tell us where and when?''' ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said Wednesday.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.

"I believe we went back to them and they said no change,'' Robinson said, noting that the Davis Cup Committee makes the final decision.

Last week, tennis authorities in the Philippines asked that the series be moved to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Three of the five Filipino players, including Cecil Mamiit, are dual U.S.-Philippine citizens and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva feared they may be targeted because of their American passports.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said the series should be held in a third country.

"If they think that the security situation is not ideal here, then the tie should be organized at a neutral venue,'' Khan said. "If the security is not good in Pakistan, we don't think that the (security) situation is too good in the Philippines.''

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet,'' Robinson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rizwan Ali in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Nadal beats Roddick, but won't face Federer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Rafael Nadal edged Andy Roddick 6-4, 7-6 (4) Saturday to move into the BNP Paribas final.

No. 1 Nadal, constantly powering his forehand into the corner to Roddick’s backhand, ended several long rallies by passing Roddick with a shot down the line when the American came to the net.

Nadal, the 2007 Indian Wells champion, improved to 5-2 against the seventh-ranked Roddick.

The 22-year-old Spaniard next will play Andy Murray, who beat Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 for his fourth straight victory over the former world No. 1.

Nadal finished with 17 forehand winners to Roddick’s four. Nadal also was effective when he went to the net, winning 11 of 15 points to Roddick’s 10 of 27.

Nadal will have another difficult match Sunday against Murray, a 21-year-old Scot who’s off to 20-1 start this year and already has won two tournaments.

“I think he’s more focused all the time, he’s more regular,” Nadal said. “Before, he has one good match and later he plays one set well and two sets not at the same level.

“Right now he’s playing all the time very solid and very regular. You look at his results the last seven, eight months, he’s not losing to anyone. He only loses against the best, and not a lot of times.”

Nadal smiled and added, “I hope tomorrow.”

Roddick still left Indian Wells with a trophy. Shortly after his loss to Nadal, he joined Mardy Fish for the men’s doubles final. They beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram 3-6, 6-1, 14-12 (super tiebreaker).

Roddick thanked Fish for “carrying” him during the doubles, saying, “Especially today, I was a little down after the singles match and he picked me up.”

No. 4 Murray won for the sixth time in eight career matches against Federer.

The 27-year-old Federer, whose four-year stint at No. 1 ended last year, made some outstanding shots against Murray, and some awful ones. Inconsistency remains his problem as he tries to fight his way back to the top.

The Swiss star made a whopping 32 unforced errors, including several by clanging routine shots off the frame of his racket. Murray was a model of consistency, scrambling back and forth to keep the ball in play and making just 15 unforced errors.

After Federer came back to win the second set, Murray earned a break in the fourth game of the third to take control. Murray had a scary moment in that game when his feet slipped out from under him and he did the splits while trying to stop, turn and get to a shot behind him. He yelled in pain, but got up off the court a few seconds later and obviously wasn’t hampered — he won the next three points.

“I was worried for him, went down badly, screamed,” Federer said. “I was happy to see that he got back up.”

Said Murray: “Obviously a bit scared at first, then once I got up and ran around after a couple of points, I knew that it felt OK.”

Federer praised Murray for his counterpunching ability.

“He’s got great feel, so he’s very confident at the moment,” the Swiss star said. “He knows he doesn’t need to play close to the lines because he knows he can cover the court really well.

“I think that calms him down mentally. I think that’s why he’s playing so well.”

Murray, who already has won at Dubai and Rotterdam this season, said he concentrated on mixing up his pace against Federer.

“If I started trading big groundstrokes with someone like Federer, I think he likes that,” he said. “I haven’t done it against him and I don’t do it against many people. That’s my style, very rarely do I lose matches having let the other guy play his natural game.”

Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Victoria Azarenka in the women’s semis, joined with Azarenka to take the women’s doubles title, beating Gisela Dulko and Shahar Peer 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 (super tiebreaker).

Zvonareva will face defending champion Ana Ivanovic for the title on Sunday.

Also on NBCSports.com

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NFL: Duplicating New England's system tough for ex-Patriots
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NHL: Crosby, Penguins are flying high  |    Images
NASCAR: Kurt Busch to bust loose at Bristol

 

ITF pulls Davis Cup from Pakistan

LONDON (AP) -Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the International Tennis Federation said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants.''

"The Philippines has been told, 'It's your right to host it now. Can you tell us where and when?''' ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said Wednesday.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.

"I believe we went back to them and they said no change,'' Robinson said, noting that the Davis Cup Committee makes the final decision.

Last week, tennis authorities in the Philippines asked that the series be moved to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Three of the five Filipino players, including Cecil Mamiit, are dual U.S.-Philippine citizens and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva feared they may be targeted because of their American passports.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said the series should be held in a third country.

"If they think that the security situation is not ideal here, then the tie should be organized at a neutral venue,'' Khan said. "If the security is not good in Pakistan, we don't think that the (security) situation is too good in the Philippines.''

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet,'' Robinson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rizwan Ali in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Nadal beats Roddick, but won't face Federer

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Rafael Nadal edged Andy Roddick 6-4, 7-6 (4) Saturday to move into the BNP Paribas final.

No. 1 Nadal, constantly powering his forehand into the corner to Roddick’s backhand, ended several long rallies by passing Roddick with a shot down the line when the American came to the net.

Nadal, the 2007 Indian Wells champion, improved to 5-2 against the seventh-ranked Roddick.

The 22-year-old Spaniard next will play Andy Murray, who beat Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 for his fourth straight victory over the former world No. 1.

Nadal finished with 17 forehand winners to Roddick’s four. Nadal also was effective when he went to the net, winning 11 of 15 points to Roddick’s 10 of 27.

Nadal will have another difficult match Sunday against Murray, a 21-year-old Scot who’s off to 20-1 start this year and already has won two tournaments.

“I think he’s more focused all the time, he’s more regular,” Nadal said. “Before, he has one good match and later he plays one set well and two sets not at the same level.

“Right now he’s playing all the time very solid and very regular. You look at his results the last seven, eight months, he’s not losing to anyone. He only loses against the best, and not a lot of times.”

Nadal smiled and added, “I hope tomorrow.”

Roddick still left Indian Wells with a trophy. Shortly after his loss to Nadal, he joined Mardy Fish for the men’s doubles final. They beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram 3-6, 6-1, 14-12 (super tiebreaker).

Roddick thanked Fish for “carrying” him during the doubles, saying, “Especially today, I was a little down after the singles match and he picked me up.”

No. 4 Murray won for the sixth time in eight career matches against Federer.

The 27-year-old Federer, whose four-year stint at No. 1 ended last year, made some outstanding shots against Murray, and some awful ones. Inconsistency remains his problem as he tries to fight his way back to the top.

The Swiss star made a whopping 32 unforced errors, including several by clanging routine shots off the frame of his racket. Murray was a model of consistency, scrambling back and forth to keep the ball in play and making just 15 unforced errors.

After Federer came back to win the second set, Murray earned a break in the fourth game of the third to take control. Murray had a scary moment in that game when his feet slipped out from under him and he did the splits while trying to stop, turn and get to a shot behind him. He yelled in pain, but got up off the court a few seconds later and obviously wasn’t hampered — he won the next three points.

“I was worried for him, went down badly, screamed,” Federer said. “I was happy to see that he got back up.”

Said Murray: “Obviously a bit scared at first, then once I got up and ran around after a couple of points, I knew that it felt OK.”

Federer praised Murray for his counterpunching ability.

“He’s got great feel, so he’s very confident at the moment,” the Swiss star said. “He knows he doesn’t need to play close to the lines because he knows he can cover the court really well.

“I think that calms him down mentally. I think that’s why he’s playing so well.”

Murray, who already has won at Dubai and Rotterdam this season, said he concentrated on mixing up his pace against Federer.

“If I started trading big groundstrokes with someone like Federer, I think he likes that,” he said. “I haven’t done it against him and I don’t do it against many people. That’s my style, very rarely do I lose matches having let the other guy play his natural game.”

Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Victoria Azarenka in the women’s semis, joined with Azarenka to take the women’s doubles title, beating Gisela Dulko and Shahar Peer 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 (super tiebreaker).

Zvonareva will face defending champion Ana Ivanovic for the title on Sunday.

Also on NBCSports.com

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NFL: Duplicating New England's system tough for ex-Patriots
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NHL: Crosby, Penguins are flying high  |    Images
NASCAR: Kurt Busch to bust loose at Bristol

 

Federer will skip tournament in Monte Carlo

MONACO (AP) -Roger Federer will skip the Monte Carlo Masters next month, while Rafael Nadal will attempt a record fifth straight title.

"Roger already told me some time ago that he had to renounce to play in our tournament because of a change in his clay season's schedule,'' tournament director Zljko Franulovic said Friday.

Top-ranked Nadal has confirmed his participation in the April 11-19 clay-court tournament.

Federer, a three-time finalist in Monte Carlo, could still ask for a last-minute wild card if he changes his mind, Franulovic said.

Nadal beat Federer 7-5, 7-5 in last year's final for his fourth straight Monte Carlo title.

"His only goal is to make history by achieving the unseen feat of winning five times in a row,'' Franulovic said.

Eight of the top 10 players are entered. Other than Federer, No. 7 Andy Roddick is the only player missing.

ITF pulls Davis Cup from Pakistan

LONDON (AP) -Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the International Tennis Federation said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants.''

"The Philippines has been told, 'It's your right to host it now. Can you tell us where and when?''' ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said Wednesday.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.

"I believe we went back to them and they said no change,'' Robinson said, noting that the Davis Cup Committee makes the final decision.

Last week, tennis authorities in the Philippines asked that the series be moved to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Three of the five Filipino players, including Cecil Mamiit, are dual U.S.-Philippine citizens and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva feared they may be targeted because of their American passports.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said the series should be held in a third country.

"If they think that the security situation is not ideal here, then the tie should be organized at a neutral venue,'' Khan said. "If the security is not good in Pakistan, we don't think that the (security) situation is too good in the Philippines.''

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet,'' Robinson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Rizwan Ali in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Sharapova withdraws from Key Biscayne

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Maria Sharapova withdrew Friday from the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open, saying she's not ready to play a full tournament of singles as she recovers from a shoulder injury.

Defending men's champion Nikolay Davydenko also withdrew because of a foot infection. The tournament begins Wednesday.

Sharapova played her first match in seven months March 12 when she lost in doubles at Indian Wells. She was forced off the WTA Tour last August by a torn rotator cuff and underwent surgery on her right shoulder two months later.

Sharapova plans to continue her rehabilitation.

"It felt great to be back on tour last week, even if it was just playing doubles,'' she said in a statement. "I am still not ready to play seven consecutive matches and will have to withdraw from the Sony Ericsson Open.''