Saturday, July 31, 2010

Gasquet to face Almagro in Swiss Open final

GSTAAD, Switzerland (AP) -Frenchman Richard Gasquet has beaten Yuri Schukin of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the final of the Swiss Open.

Seventh-seeded Gasquet won convincingly Saturday against the 147th-ranked Schukin, who was playing his first career semifinal.

Gasquet, the 2006 champion on Gstaad's outdoor clay, will meet Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in the final Sunday.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Second-seeded Almagro beat countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Goerges wins Gastein Ladies titlePique points to Fabregas focus

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Ivanovic, Radwanska advance at Stanford

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -Serbia's Ana Ivanovic beat Alisa Kleybanova, 6-3, 6-2, Monday night in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic, ending a two-match losing streak to the 26th-ranked Russian.

The former No. 1 player, currently ranked No. 63, her lowest in five years, was awarded a wildcard into the event. She took advantage of it.

Third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska needed three sets to beat South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers, 7-4, 4-6, 6-3 in her first-round match.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The 11th-ranked Polish star recorded both of her aces in the third set and won both of her break points. Radwanska, who reached the semifinals at Dubai and Indian Wells, and the fourth round at Wimbledon, has won four of her last five matches after winning four of her previous 10.

Scheepers, ranked 91st, had a nice run at the French Open earlier this year, reaching the fourth round as a qualifier and making her debut in the top 100 on June 7.

In other first round matches, Olga Govortsova defeated Alla Kudryavtsena, 6-1, 6-1 and Dominika Cibulkova downed Stanford senior Hilary Barte, 6-2, 6-2.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Guardiola fined for ref rantFederer gets tested again at Wimbledon

Monday, July 26, 2010

Dolgopolov, Chela reach 2nd round at Croatia Open

UMAG, Croatia (AP) -Sixth-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine overcame Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (3) in a back-and-forth match Monday to reach the second round of the Croatia Open.

Lorenzi served for the match at 6-5 in the third set and had a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker, but didn't win a point after that.

The 42nd-ranked Dolgopolov served for the match at 5-4 in the second, but Lorenzi broke back before taking the tiebreaker.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Dolgopolov will next meet Croatian wild card Franco Skugor, who routed two-time Umag finalist Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-2, 6-1 in 56 minutes.

It was only the third career ATP-level singles victory for the 22-years-old Skugor, who reached the quarterfinals at the Swedish Open two weeks ago.

Eighth-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentine also advanced after breaking Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain four times in a 6-4, 6-1 win.

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko and second-seeded Jurgen Melzer, the French Open semifinalist, have a bye in the first round.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federer gets tested again at WimbledonGuardiola fined for ref rant

Fish outlasts Isner to win Atlanta final

ATLANTA (AP) -Mardy Fish won his second straight tournament and 10th straight match, beating John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the finals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships on Sunday.

Fish, who won in Newport earlier this month, took the first four points of the tiebreaker. Isner rallied to win the next three points but couldn't pull even.

With temperatures in the mid-90s, the match lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes. The on-court temperature hovered near 150 degrees.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Americans Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram beat Rohan Bopanna of India and Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 12-10 in the doubles final. Lipsky and Ram did not lose a set until the final.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Isner, Mahut playing longest match in historyGuardiola fined for ref rant

Goerges wins Gastein Ladies title

BAD GASTEIN, Austria (AP) -Julia Goerges of Germany has won her first WTA Tour title by beating Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Gastein Ladies.

The 65th-ranked Goerges, playing in her maiden final, broke Bacsinszky three times and won the opening set when the second-seeded Swiss player double-faulted on set point.

Bacsinszky led 4-2 in the second set but then was broken twice as Goerges wrapped up the victory.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Earlier Sunday, Goerges beat France's Alize Cornet by the same score in a semifinal that was rescheduled from the previous day because of rain.

The $220,000 Gastein Ladies was the last clay-court tournament of the season.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Clijsters loses to Azarenka at EastbourneIniesta - Cesc will stay

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Del Potro unable to defend U.S. Open title?

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -Defending U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who is on the provisional entry list for the Grand Slam this year, has yet to pick up a racket after wrist surgery and the start of the tournament just over five weeks away.

Del Potro said Saturday on his Twitter page that he "continues getting better" but said he could not set a date for his return.

"I still haven't picked up a racket," he said. "This is why I can't set an exact date."

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The United States Tennis Association said in a statement on Thursday that Del Potro was "expected to return to Grand Slam competition."

The Argentine has been sidelined since January with a right wrist injury that required surgery.

Del Potro's kinesiologist also put the Argentine's U.S. Open return in doubt.

"Nothing is sure," Diego Rivas said. "The goal is to return in Bangkok."

The Thailand Open begins on Sept. 27.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wimbledon bans vuvuzelas from tournamentRonaldo won’t return

Ex-tennis standout Srichaphan racing bikes

PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) -Former tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan is getting on a bike and beginning a new career as a motorcycle racer.

The 31-year-old Thai was once ranked No. 9 and was Asia's top player. He retired this year after a chronic wrist injury kept him off the tour for three years.

He plans to remain involved in tennis, but for now wants to indulge a lifelong passion. This weekend he entered the 1000cc superbike category as an amateur in the Pro Series Thailand Championship.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

"I have loved motorcycle racing since I was young," he said.

Paradorn, who is married to a former Miss Universe, tried his hand at several pursuits since leaving tennis. He starred in a movie, opened a restaurant and sold dietary supplements. And, of course, there was racing. He is now part of the Elf Smart Sports Racing Team.

Paradorn made a brief tennis comeback last September at the ATP Thailand Open, losing a doubles match. He planned a serious comeback at Wimbledon this year, but he injured both arms and his left leg in a second motorcycle racing accident in April.

"It was the most serious arm injury of my life," he said. "I can still hit the ball but not at the level that I would want to. I have been away too long from the circuit and I'm not young anymore. At the same time I have some businesses and I want to enter motor racing. So I decided to call it a day for tennis."

Paradorn plans to make his official tennis farewell at this year's Thailand Open in September and might enter the tournament as an amateur. He also will coach promising youngsters and captain Thailand's Davis Cup team.

"As I said before, I will never feel sorry that I quit because I achieved more than I expected," he said. "I'd rather move on and do what I love."

His goals for racing are less ambitious.

"I don't aim to be a race champion, top three will do," he said. "But my real goal is to become a racing team manager one day."

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Mata reveals English interestWimbledon bans vuvuzelas from tournament

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Jankovic into 2nd round at Slovenia Open

PORTOROZ, Slovenia (AP) -Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic beat Bojana Jovanovski 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday in an all-Serbian match in the first round at the Slovenia Open.

Jankovic will face Belarus qualifier Anastasiya Yakimova, who rallied to defeat Masa Zec Peskaric of Slovenia 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Stefanie Voegele upset second-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-2. The Swiss next plays Tamira Paszek of Austria, who won the tournament on her only previous appearance here in 2006 but is a wild card this year.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Eighth-seeded Sofia Arvidsson was also beaten in an upset, losing 7-6 (1), 6-2 to Johanna Larsson in an all-Swedish match. While Ksenia Pervak of Russia knocked out fifith-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-3.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, Sara Errani of Italy and Polona Hercog of Slovenia all advanced to the second round.

Pavlyuchenkova defeated Alberta Brianti of Italy 7-5, 6-1, Errani downed Anna Tatishvili of Georgia 7-6 (1), 6-4 and Hercog beat Russian qualifier Elena Bovina 6-3, 6-3.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Serena wins marathonAgent - Rossi a wanted man

Fish cruises to 6-3, 6-3 first-round Atlanta win

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia (AP) -Sixth-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States beat James Ward of Great Britain 6-1, 6-2 Monday in the first round of the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

No. 8 seed Benjamin Becker of Germany was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Michael Russell, who at 32 is the oldest American ranked in the ATP top 100 world rankings.

Fish earned his fourth career title - and his first on grass - July 10 at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island. Winning the tournament moved Fish's world ranking up 30 spots to 49th.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

After taking a couple of days to rest, Fish practiced late last week on hardcourts for the first time since March. He won 21 of his 25 potential points on first serve.

In other singles matches, Rainer Schuettler of Germany beat Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-1, 6-4. Illya Marchenko of Ukraine defeated Belgium's Kristof Vliegen 6-4, 7-6 (4), and American Rajeev Ram held off Karol Beck of Slovaki 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Atlanta is hosting its first ATP event since 2001 and the tour's first North American summer event on hardcourts as players prepare for the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 30.

Top seed Andy Roddick, No. 2 seed John Isner, No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt and fourth seed Horacio Zeballos of Argentina will play their first singles matches later in the week.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Henin stunned in Madrid, Sharapova bows outBremen still working on Ozil

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Starace, Fognini advance at German Open

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -Spanish qualifier Pere Riba rallied to upset last year's runner-up Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 Monday for a spot in the second round of the German Open.

Italian duo Potito Starace and Fabio Fognini also reached the second round, posting straight-sets wins.

Starace defeated German qualifier Bjorn Phau 7-5, 6-0. Fognini beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

In other games, Florian Mayer of Germany beat Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4, 6-1, and Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina defeated Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Rochus' brother Christophe also lost, going out 6-3, 7-6 (6) to Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

Others who advanced included Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan and Florent Serra of France.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pennetta, Rezai through at Palermo OpenRaul move close - Metzelder

Olaru beats Woerle at Gastein Ladies

BAD GASTEIN, Austria (AP) -Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania rallied to beat Kathrin Woerle of Germany 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday in the first round of the Gastein Ladies.

Olaru, who lost to Germany's Andrea Petkovic in last year's final, served 11 double faults but converted her seventh match point. Woerle has yet to win a singles match on the WTA Tour this season.

Alize Cornet of France routed Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-0 to set up a second-round match against either the top-seeded Petkovic or Iveta Benesova.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Earlier Monday, Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine saved a match point before beating Tatjana Malek of Germany 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-2.

The 132nd-ranked Koryttseva rallied from 4-0 down in the second set and saved the match point when Malek was serving at 5-4.

Simona Halep of Romania also advanced by defeating Renata Voracova of Czech Republic 7-5, 6-2.

The $220,000 Gastein Ladies is the final clay-court tournament of the WTA Tour season.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Benzema’s Real happySharapova beats Medina Garrigues in Strasbourg

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Safarova, Dulgheru advance at Prague Open

PRAGUE (AP) -Top-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the second round of the Prague Open on Tuesday.

Second-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania overcame Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 but unseeded Monica Niculescu of Romania upset third-seeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 6-3, 7-5.

"Except for a few forehand errors, I played well and had the match under control," Safarova said.


Safarova next plays Johanna Larsson of Sweden while Niculescu will face Czech Lucie Hradecka, who beat Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Seventh-seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary, fresh from winning her hometown Budapest title, also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Liana Ungur of Romania.

In other matches, fifth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain routed wild card Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic, who won the Wimbledon title in the girls' singles, 6-1, 6-3 and Patty Schnyder of Switzerland rallied to beat wild card Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-1.



Defending champ Szavay into Budapest home semisCech rejects Real link

Kohlschreiber bows out of Mercedes Cup

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -Local hope Philipp Kohlschreiber bowed out of the first round of the Mercedes Cup on Tuesday, falling to German compatriot Florian Mayer in straight sets.

The 35th-ranked Kohlschreiber was seeded sixth at the Stuttgart tournament but Mayer, ranked 21 spots lower in the ATP rankings, beat him 6-4, 6-2.

There was no such upset for fifth seeded Albert Montanes of Spain, who defeated Germany's Philipp Petzschner 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the second round.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Montanes' compatriot Daniel Gimeno-Traver eliminated the defending champion Jeremy Chardy of France, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3.

Also into the final 16 were Germans Bjoern Phau and Simon Greul, Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, and Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela and Horacio Zeballos, along with Gilles Simon of France.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wimbledon Show Court SchedulesCity target Real duo

Pennetta, Rezai through at Palermo Open

PALERMO, Italy (AP) -Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy has secured a comfortable straight-sets win over Kathrin Woerle to advance to the second round of the Palermo Open.

The defending champion beat her German opponent 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday.

Second-seeded Aravane Rezai of France had to dig deep, though, for her 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Romania's Simona Halep.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Two other seeded players also progressed to the second round.

Eighth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany beat Italy's Martina Caregaro, 6-3, 6-2, while ninth-seeded Italian Alberta Brianti defeated Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 7-6 (0), 6-2.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pennetta, Rezai cruise into Swedish Open quartersPalermo prepare for duo’s exit

Friday, July 9, 2010

Defending champ Szavay into Budapest home semis

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -Defending champion Agnes Szavay cheered home fans by reaching the semifinals of the Budapest Grand Prix with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of 2008 champion Alize Cornet of France on Friday.

The seventh-seeded Szavay reversed a loss to Cornet two years ago with six breaks of serve.

Next, she'll face second-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania, who defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-7 (1), 6-2, 7-6.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Dulgheru, who overcame a twisted ankle, became more aggressive in the second set instead of staying on the baseline and was able to rally for the victory.

Unseeded veteran Patty Schnyder, who lost to Szavay in last year's final, followed her win over top-seeded Alisa Kleybanova by removing No. 8 Polana Hercog of Slovenia, who has a training base in Budapest, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.

Schnyder will next play Zuzana Ondraskova of the Czech Republic, who beat fourth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain a third straight time, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pellegrini salutes RonaldoVenus wins again at French, talks about вЂskin’

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Pennetta, Rezai cruise into Swedish Open quarters

BASTAD, Sweden (AP) -Flavia Pennetta cruised into the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open with a straight-sets victory over Sloane Stephens of the United States on Wednesday.

The top-seeded Italian produced a dominant display to brush aside newcomer Stephens 6-1, 6-1.

Pennetta, who has given up only four games in the first two rounds of the WTA clay-court tournament, will face veteran Jill Craybas next, after the American defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Also advancing was second-seeded Aravane Rezai. The Frenchwoman beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2 on center court.

It was the second time the pair have faced off, and like in their first match, Rezai comfortably beat the player ranked more than 60 places below her.

Rezai is likely to face more of a test in the quarterfinals when she plays fifth-seeded Arantxa Parra Santonja, who beat fellow Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-4, 6-3.

Also, Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic had to come from behind to beat Karolina Sprem of Croatia 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. It was a hard-fought victory for third-seeded Safarova, who rallied at the end of the second set to save the match, before winning the third.

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic won the final match of the day against Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Guardiola fined for ref rantHenin stunned in Madrid, Sharapova bows out

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Berdych to miss Davis Cup quarterfinal at Chile

PRAGUE (AP) -Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych has ruled himself out of the Czech Republic's Davis Cup quarterfinal against Chile due to an abdominal muscle injury.

"If I have a problem, it's this muscle," Berdych told Czech public radio on Sunday just hours after losing the Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

"The windy conditions (in the match) contributed to it," Berdych said. "There are so many matches but I have just one body. Nobody's a machine to cope with everything."


On Facebook, the Czech team said that Berdych will take a three-week rest after his first Grand Slam final.

The Czech Republic's No. 2, Radek Stepanek, was also ruled out of the July 9-11 Davis Cup tie in Coquimbo on clay due to a left knee injury.

The team was expected to announce who will replace Berdych later Sunday to join Jan Hajek in the singles. Doubles specialists Lukas Dlouhy and Frantisek Cermak are also on the team.

Berdych and Stepanek helped the Czechs reach last year's final, where they lost 5-0 to Spain.



Fabiano to miss cup finalFrench Open Show Court Schedules

Nadal masterful in winning Wimbledon crown

LONDON - Injuries kept Rafael Nadal from defending his Wimbledon crown last year, but a dominant effort against Tomas Berdych in the 2010 championship helped him recapture the title. Nadal never lost his serve in  6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory.

Two years ago, Nadal won his first Wimbledon title, defeating Roger Federer in an epic match considered to be tennis' most memorable. This final did not have the same suspense, as Nadal was in control for most of the match.

It was near the end of each set that Nadal really picked up his game, winning the final three games of the first set, breaking Berdych at 6-5 to keep the second set from going to a tiebreak and finally breaking again at 5-4 in the final set to win the championship.


The win gave the Spaniard his second championship at Wimbledon and eighth Grand Slam singles title overall. Nadal also hoisted the trophy at the French Open this year.

Since mid-April, Nadal has gone 31-1 and regained the No. 1 ranking. His Day 13 win improved his career record to 8-3 against Berdych.

Despite suffering the championship defeat, the 2010 Wimbledon tournament was a successul one for Berdych. Now 24, he has achieved milestones twice in the past month, reaching a major semifinal for the first time at the French Open and advancing even further at Wimbledon.

Nadal masterful in winning Wimbledon crown

 Slideshow 

  Men's singles champions
See some of the men who have hoisted the singles trophy at the All England Club.

more photos

 

 

Seeded 12th at the All England Club, Berdych will climb to a career-best eighth in next week's rankings. He was the first Czech to reach the Wimbledon men's final since Lendl in 1987. The only Czech to win the men's title was Jan Kodes in 1973.

Berdych's major-final debut came in his 28th Grand Slam tournament, the second-longest wait for a Grand Slam men's finalist in the Open era. Perhaps he's a late bloomer like Lendl, who won the first of his eight major titles at age 24.

Lendl never won Wimbledon, and he never hit the ball as hard as Berdych, whose serve regularly tops 130 mph. Dealing with his flat, deep forehands can be like trying to short-hop a laser beam.

Also on NBCSports.com

PBT: Tracking the top 25 NBA free agents
Serena sweeps to Wimbledon title, 13 Slam crown
Armstrong sends message on first day of Tour
Spain reaches semis  |  Germany crushes Argentina
Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

 



Iniesta gets training boostNadal rallies after losing two of first three sets

Serena Williams Grand Slam finals results

Won 13, Lost 3

1999 U.S. Open — def. Martina Hingis, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
2001 U.S. Open — lost to Venus Williams, 6-2, 6-4.
2002 French Open — def. V.Williams, 7-5, 6-3.
2002 Wimbledon — def. V.Williams, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
2002 U.S. Open — def. V.Williams, 6-4, 6-3.
2003 Australian Open — def. V.Williams, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4.
2003 Wimbledon — def. V.Williams, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
2004 Wimbledon — lost to Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-4.
2005 Australian Open — def. Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
2007 Australian Open — def. Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2.
2008 Wimbledon — lost to V.Williams, 7-5, 6-4.
2008 U.S. Open — def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 7-5.
2009 Australian Open — def. Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-3.
2009 Wimbledon — def. V.Williams, 7-6 (3), 6-2.
2010 Australian Open — def. Justine Henin, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
2010 Wimbledon — def. Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 6-2.

advertisement | your ad here © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lucky 13: Serena captures Wimbledon crownValencia stall on sales

Lucky 13: Serena captures Wimbledon crown

WIMBLEDON, England - Getting set to accept her latest Wimbledon trophy, Serena Williams lifted both arms and held aloft 10 fingers. Then, raising only her right hand, she wiggled three more fingers, bringing the total count to 13.

That’s how many Grand Slam singles titles Williams owns as of Saturday.

“I thought, ’I hope I got the number right,”’ she said. “You know me: I tend to forget.”

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

That’s OK, Serena. The way you’re accumulating championships, it’s tough to keep track.

With a superb serve that had other greats of the game gushing, and plenty of offense and defense to back it up, the No. 1-ranked Williams overwhelmed No. 21 Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s final to win her fourth Wimbledon title and, yes, 13th major tournament overall.

That’s the most among active women and gives Williams sole possession of sixth place on the all-time list, breaking a tie with her former U.S. Fed Cup captain, Billie Jean King. Addressing King, who was in the front row of the Royal Box, Williams said: “Hey, Billie, I got you! This is No. 13 for me now. It’s just amazing to able to be among such great people.”

The American did not drop a set over two dominant weeks at the All England Club.

Serena captures Wimbledon crown

 Video highlights 

Serena captures Wimbledon crown

 

  Wimbledon winners
Take a look at some of the notable Wimbledon women's singles champions.

more photos

 

 

Williams improved to 13-3 in major finals; half of the 16 were against her sister. Zvonareva only once before went as far as the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament and never was past the fourth round at Wimbledon until this year.

“I did not show my best today, and it’s a bit disappointing, because it’s the final,” Zvonareva said. “You know, you don’t reach the Wimbledon final every day.”

Well, if you’re a Williams, you do reach one nearly every year. Ten of the past 11 women’s Wimbledon finals included at least one of the sisters; they played each other for the title four times.

This year, though, Venus lost in the quarterfinals, and she already was home in Florida before Saturday. So Serena took center stage, and as she walked through the All England Club carrying the champion’s plate, she spun around and kicked up her heels.

“I was really feeling Frank Sinatra-ish — ’Come Fly With Me,’ ’Fly Me To The Moon,”’ she explained. “Old-style dance — that’s what I felt like at the moment.”

The 28-year-old Williams has been criticized in the past for not paying enough attention to her tennis career, for dabbling in acting and clothes design.

It’s clear, however, that she is as good as it gets right now, and could be for some time.

“That’s always been a goal of hers, I guess, to be the best,” said her mother, Oracene Price. “And to not lose. She hates losing.”

That was never much of a concern Saturday.

Also on NBCSports.com

PBT: Tracking the top 25 NBA free agents
Serena sweeps to Wimbledon title, 13 Slam crown
Armstrong sends message on first day of Tour
Spain reaches semis  |  Germany crushes Argentina
Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

 

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wimbledon Show Court SchedulesIniesta gets training boost

Nadal, Berdych sweep into Wimbledon final

WIMBLEDON, England - Rafael Nadal knows exactly where he was, of course, on the first Sunday of July 2009, the only time in the past five years that the Wimbledon men’s final went on without him.

“I watched at home,” Nadal said. “On the sofa.”

Yes, a year ago this time, he was in front of a TV in Spain, resting his aching knees, instead of wielding his racket on Centre Court, only the fifth player in the history of a tournament that began in 1877 unable to defend his title because of injury.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

He’s here now — once again in the Wimbledon final, once again on top of his forehand-whipping, every-shot-retrieving, foe-demoralizing game. The No. 1-ranked Nadal picked apart No. 4 Andy Murray of Britain 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the semifinals Friday to close in on a second trophy at the All England Club and eighth Grand Slam championship overall.

“For sure, that makes (it) more special,” Nadal said, “because I worked a lot to be back, playing my best tennis. I did, so that’s very important. Personal satisfaction, no?”

Nadal’s wait to return to the Wimbledon final lasted 24 months, which probably seems like the blink of an eye to local fans. Their wait for a homegrown champion drags on: A British man hasn’t won the title since Fred Perry in 1936; one hasn’t even reached the final since Henry “Bunny” Austin in 1938.

“I obviously want to win for myself. I want to win for the guys I work with. I want to win for, you know, the U.K.,” said Murray, who also lost in the semifinals last year and appeared on the verge of tears at his news conference. “A little bit more disappointing than other Grand Slams, because this one is, you know, the biggest one of the year for me.”

Nadal has won his last 13 matches at the grass-court major, and 25 of 27, with the only losses coming against Roger Federer in the 2006 and 2007 finals. Nadal beat Federer in the epic 2008 title match, which ended at 9-7 in the fifth set as darkness descended.

On Sunday, Nadal will take on someone other than Federer in the Wimbledon final for the first time: 12th-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Berdych followed up his quarterfinal upset of six-time champion Federer by ousting No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 Friday.

This will be Nadal’s 10th Grand Slam final; Berdych’s first. Might Berdych feel some pressure because of that?

“I hope so,” Nadal said with a smile, “but I don’t think so.”

With English soccer superstar David Beckham seated in the front row behind Murray’s guest box at Centre Court, and about 15,000 others pulling for the Scotsman, too, Nadal was a picture of perpetual motion.

He repeatedly sprinted from one corner to another, tracking down strokes that would be clean winners against anyone else. A few times, members of the eager-to-roar crowd would applaud, thinking Murray won a point, only to be hushed by other spectators as play carried on.

When Nadal won two points in a row early in the second set with superb defense, Murray put his palms up as if to ask, “How many great shots do I need to hit?”

“His backhand’s good. His serve’s good. His forehand’s good. His movement is good,” Murray said afterward. “He does everything really, really well.”

Two qualities Murray neglected to mention: Nadal’s all-out intensity, and his propensity for coming up big at the biggest times.

“In the crucial points today, Rafael was really good,” said Nadal’s uncle and coach, Toni, “and Murray was not too good.”

The only break point of the first set arrived with Murray serving at 4-all. Nadal returned a 129 mph serve, then smacked a cross-court winner with his uppercut forehand, slathered with topspin and announced with an intimidating grunt. Nadal broke when Murray pushed a forehand wide.

Murray’s first break points came 70 minutes in, ahead 4-3 in the second set. On the first, he netted a return as a cell phone rang in the stands. On the second, he missed a backhand while trying in vain to handle — what else? — a fierce forehand from Nadal.

Nadal, Berdych sweep into Wimbledon final

 Slideshow 



Federer full of ‘excuses’ after Wimbledon lossPellegrini admits uncertainty

Wimbledon Show Court Schedules

Vera Zvonareva (21), Russia, vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria

Serena Williams (1), United States, vs. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cech rejects Real linkWimbledon Show Court Schedules

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Wimbledon Show Court Schedules

Vera Zvonareva (21), Russia, vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria

Serena Williams (1), United States, vs. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cech rejects Real linkFrench Open Show Court Schedules

Federer full of 'excuses' after Wimbledon loss

WIMBLEDON, England - For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final.

The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending his recent stretch of disappointing play.

The 12th-seeded Berdych used his big serve and forehand to beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Centre Court for the biggest victory of the Czech’s career.


Berdych will meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic for a spot in the final, with No. 2 Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

It’s the first time since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach the final. Since losing in the first round eight years ago, Federer had played in the championship match a record seven consecutive times. He won the title six times and finished runner-up once, bolstering his reputation as the greatest player of all-time.

Winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, Federer said he was unable to play his best tennis Wednesday because of pain in his back and right leg.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, who had been chasing the record of seven titles won by Pete Sampras and 19th-century player William Renshaw. “I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 Video highlights 

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 

Murray delights crowd with victory
After dropping the first set, Andy Murray raised his level of play to beat Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

NBCSports.com

 

 

Federer was clearly outplayed Wednesday by a man who has always possessed enormous talent but often failed to live up to expectations.

The 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) Berdych was on the offensive for most of the match, smacking first serves consistently in the 130s mph (above 210 kph), winding up to rip forehand winners and not buckling under pressure. He hit 51 winners, compared to 44 for Federer.

“He played well when he had to,” Federer said. “It was brutal for me. Every time he had a chance, he took it. On the break points, he played great on those. ... When I did have chances, I played poorly. It was just a frustrating match the way it all went.”

Berdych broke Federer four times, with the final break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces, was broken just once and saved seven of eight break points.

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 Video highlights 



Federer full of ‘excuses’ after Wimbledon lossFabiano to miss cup final

Federer full of 'excuses' after Wimbledon loss

WIMBLEDON, England - For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final.

The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending his recent stretch of disappointing play.

The 12th-seeded Berdych used his big serve and forehand to beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Centre Court for the biggest victory of the Czech’s career.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

Berdych will meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic for a spot in the final, with No. 2 Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

It’s the first time since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach the final. Since losing in the first round eight years ago, Federer had played in the championship match a record seven consecutive times. He won the title six times and finished runner-up once, bolstering his reputation as the greatest player of all-time.

Winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, Federer said he was unable to play his best tennis Wednesday because of pain in his back and right leg.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, who had been chasing the record of seven titles won by Pete Sampras and 19th-century player William Renshaw. “I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 Video highlights 

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 

Murray delights crowd with victory
After dropping the first set, Andy Murray raised his level of play to beat Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

NBCSports.com

 

 

Federer was clearly outplayed Wednesday by a man who has always possessed enormous talent but often failed to live up to expectations.

The 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) Berdych was on the offensive for most of the match, smacking first serves consistently in the 130s mph (above 210 kph), winding up to rip forehand winners and not buckling under pressure. He hit 51 winners, compared to 44 for Federer.

“He played well when he had to,” Federer said. “It was brutal for me. Every time he had a chance, he took it. On the break points, he played great on those. ... When I did have chances, I played poorly. It was just a frustrating match the way it all went.”

Berdych broke Federer four times, with the final break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces, was broken just once and saved seven of eight break points.

Federer full of excuses after Wimbledon loss

 Video highlights 



Unseeded Lu upsets Roddick in 5-set marathonUche to have final say