Dinara Safina in Kuala Lumpur for BMW Malaysian Open

Dinara Safina, currently ranked no.112, made an appearance at the BMW Malaysian Open presser a moment ago.

Although she made into the tournament's Main Draw, she refused to comment much about her chance here nor making it into the top 10 or no.1 spot again.

According to Safina, she just wanted to be healthy and wouldn't think much.

At the presser, the tournament organiser assured the media that besides Francesca Schiavone, another top 10 player will be making her way to Malaysia too.

The recipient of the wild card will be announced in a couple of days and it will depend on the results in Doha.

I predict it could be Jelena Jankovic or Vera Zvonareva... could be Caroline Wozniacki too depending how much the organiser would pay for her appearance.

That's it for now. I'll come back with more updates on the BMW Malaysian Open soon.

(Images by HSFoo of HCFoo's Tennis Blog)

BMW Malaysian Open: Dinara Safina, Marion Bartoli among players announced

The BMW Malaysian Open official website was updated yesterday.

The tournament organiser has posted the main draw list but we have no idea who are the players that will receive wildcard this year.

Here's the complete list:

• Marion Bartoli FRA
• Alisa Kleybanova RUS
• Lucie Safarova CZE
• Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN
• Shuai Peng CHN
• Bojana Jovanovski SRB
• Tamarine Tanasugarn THA
• Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
• Ayumi Morita JPN
• Dinara Safina RUS
• Alberta Brianti ITA
• Shuai Zhang CHN
• Magdalena Rybarikova SVK
• Maria Elena Camerin ITA
• Junri Namigata JPN
• Regina Kulikova RUS
• Kai-Chen Chang TPE
• Zuzana Kucova SVK
• Kurumi Nara JPN
• Xinyun Han CHN
• Misaki Doi JPN
• Tatjana Malek GER
• Jelena Dokic AUS
• Michaella Krajicek NED
• Plus 4 qualifiers and 4 wild cards

Li Na who came here last year will most likely miss this small tournament.

I'm quite impressed with the quality and number of sponsors this year. And because of that fans get to enjoy affordable ticket prices this time around. I suggest you get your season passes before February 25, 2011 as a single pass only costs you RM100.

To grab your tickets, go to Ticketpro website.

Kimiko Date still kick ass at 39

I don't mean to be rude to Dinara Safina with this headline.

But her lost to Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, who is just 4 months short of her 40th birthday, in the first round at the French Open comes as a huge shock!

Kimiko beats Safina 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Kimiko made her Roland Garros debut back in 1989, when Safina was only three.

With the victory over the former world no.1, Kimiko becomes the second oldest player after Britain's Virginia Wade to win a main draw women's singles match in Paris since the game turned pro.

Congrats to Kimiko for the win!

(Image via nikkansports.com, Sina Sports)

The Real Glam Slam in Doha

All top eight women's players attended the draw ceremony for the WTA Championships at the Museum of Islamic Art in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday.

Round robin groups for the Sony Ericsson year-end championships are:

WHITE GROUP
Dinara Safina
Caroline Wozniacki
Victoria Azarenka
Jelena Jankovic

MAROON GROUP
Serena Williams
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Elena Dementieva
Venus Williams

The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals, where each first-placed player will face the second-placed player from the other group.

The 1.55-million-dollar championship willl be held between October 27 and November 1.

World no.2 Serena Williams


World no. 7 Venus Williams


World no. 5 Elena Dementieva

Svetlana Kuznetsova (no. 3), Dinara Safina (no.1), Caroline Wozniacki (no.4)

Victoria Azarenka (no. 6), Jelena Jankovic (no.8)

(Images by Getty Images)

US Open Week 1 Wrap-up: Bizarre weekend as Roddick, Sharapova, Safina oust in the third round

It seems like a bizarre day at Flushing Meadows as Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina were sent off by lesser known players, John Isner, Melanie Oudin and Petra Kvitova respectively.

Big-serving Roddick was defeated by the 6-foot-9 and countryman Isner who won 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6.

Another American who delivers one of the biggest shock is Oudin who sent off Sharapova in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory, followed up her win over another Russian Elena Dementieva in the earlier round.

In a late night match moment ago, top seed and world no. 1 Dinara Safina blowed a chance at the season ending Grand Slam after she was defeated 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 by little-known Petra Kvitova.

Earlier, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic led a parade of seeds — Nikolay Davydenko (8), Fernando Verdasco (10), Robin Soderling (12) and Radek Stepanek (15)—into the second week of the hardcourt major.

Kudos to American Jessie Witten who battled for almost 3 and a 1/2 hours before succumbing 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4 to Djokovic.

That was hell of an entertaining match as we saw Djokovic's racquet slipped off his hand several times.

I truly enjoyed this match although the LIVE coverage on TV kept hopping from court to court.

Since I did not post any updates on Saturday, here's the complete results for Day 5 and Day 6.

US Open men's singles third round results from New York on Sunday (prefix denotes seeding)

14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat 21-James Blake (U.S.) 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4
John Isner (U.S.) beat 5-Andy Roddick (U.S.) 7-6(3) 6-3 3-6 5-7 7-6(5)
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat 20-Tommy Haas (Germany) 3-6 7-5 7-6(8) 1-6 6-4
12-Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat 22-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 6-2 7-5 6-7(6) 6-1
8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) 6-4 7-5 7-5
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Jesse Witten (U.S.) 6-7(2) 6-3 7-6(2) 6-4
1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 31-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4
15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat 23-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3

US Open women's singles third round results from New York on Sunday (prefix denotes seeding)

Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 1-Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-4 2-6 7-6(5)
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-3 6-2
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 7-6(4) 6-4
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Shahar Peer (Israel) 7-5 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Sara Errani (Italy) 6-3 6-4
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-3 6-4
Melanie Oudin (U.S.) beat 29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 3-6 6-4 7-5
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat 21-Zheng Jie (China) 6-4 6-1


US Open men's singles second round results from New York on Saturday (prefix denotes seeding)

3-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 6-0 3-6 6-3 6-4
Taylor Dent (US) beat Ivan Navarro (Spain) 6-4 5-7 6-7(1) 7-5 7-6(9)
Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat 18-David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-2
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Josselin Ouanna (France) 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4
13-Gael Monfils (France) beat Andreas Beck (Germany) 6-3 7-5 6-3
32-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Robby Ginepri (US) 6-7(7) 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-4
Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4)
2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Paul Capdeville (Chile) 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-2
Daniel Koellerer (Austria) beat Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-4
17-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-2
9-Gilles Simon (France) beat Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 6-3 6-2 6-4
6-Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) beat Juergen Melzer (Austria) 7-6(6) 6-3 6-3
24-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Philipp Petzschner (Germany) 1-6 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-4
16-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Jesse Levine (US) 4-6 2-6 6-0 6-3 6-0
Julien Benneteau (France) beat 30-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-0
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-5 6-3 6-4

US Open women's singles third round results from New York on Saturday (prefix number denotes seeding)

3-Venus Williams (US) beat Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-2 7-5
Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-0 6-2
18-Li Na (China) beat Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-4 6-2
7-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat 31-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-2 6-4
26-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat 8-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 4-6 6-2 6-2
2-Serena Williams (US) beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spain) 6-3 7-5
22-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Vania King (US) 6-2 6-2
10-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) 6-1 6-1

(Via AP, Reuters, TVNZ, US Open website)

US Open Day 4 Wrap-up: Elena Dementieva blows $1mil bonus, another smooth day for men's seeded players

It was another disastrous day at the US Open where several women's seeded players were knocked out from the season ending Grand Slam — no. 4 Elena Dementieva, no. 5 Jelena Jankovic, no. 19 Patty Schnyder, no. 23 Sabine Lisicki and no. 30 Alona Bondarenko.

Elena Dementieva blew her $1 million bonus after being stunned by American teenager Melanie Oudin 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

The 17-year-old Oudin will set up a third-round match against Maria Sharapova who eliminated another 17-year-old American, Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1.

Dinara Safina was lucky to stay in the tournament, overcoming her second poor performance of the week before defeating Kristina Barrois 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3.

It was whole different scenario with the guys as no seeded men lost on Day 4 at the US Open.

Surprisingly, the Americans did pretty well as they sailed through to the next round — Andy Roddick, James Blake, Sam Querrey, John Isner and the unknown Jesse Witten.

Swiss Marco Chiudinelli currently ranked 161 in the world, surprised many after defeating Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3.

Somdev Devvarman managed to bageled Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third set before he was shown the exit door by the German who won 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

US Open men's singles second round results from New York on Friday (prefix denotes seeding)

5-Andy Roddick (US) beat Marc Gicquel (France) 6-1 6-4 6-4
23-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 6-3 6-4 0-6 6-2
John Isner (US) beat Marsel Ilhan (Turkey) 6-3 6-4 7-6(1)
21-James Blake (US) beat Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-4 3-6 7-6(6) 6-3
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Carsten Ball (Australia) 6-3 6-4 6-4
15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-3
14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-4
12-Robin Soederling (Sweden) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 2-0 (Granollers retired)
8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-1 6-2
22-Sam Querrey (US) beat Kevin Kim (U.S.) 7-5 6-7(6) 6-4 6-4
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-0 6-3
Jesse Witten (US) beat Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-5 6-2
20-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Robert Kendrick (US) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)

US Open women's singles second round results from New York on Friday (prefix denotes seeding)

29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Christina McHale (US) 6-2 6-1
Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-2 6-0
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) 6-4 6-2
Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) beat 23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-3 3-6 7-5
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat 5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(6)
Sara Errani (Italy) beat 19-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 7-5 6-2
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Peng Shuai (China) 2-6 6-1 6-4
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-1 6-3
21-Zheng Jie (China) beat Alize Cornet (France) 1-6 6-3 6-3
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Petra Martic (Croatia) 6-1 6-0
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Shenay Perry (US) 6-1 6-1
Melanie Oudin (US) beat 4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 5-7 6-4 6-3
24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 6-4 5-7 6-4
1-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Kristina Barrois (Germany) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Julie Coin (France) 6-4 7-6(3)
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat 30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4 6-0

(Via AP, TVNZ, US Open website)

US Open Day 2 Wrap-up: Safina survives close shave, Ivanovic not so lucky

Top seed and world no. 1 Dinara Safina barely survived a 2 hours and 35 minutes first round match to beat no. 167 Olivia Rogowska, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4!

Meanwhile, it was not so lucky for Ana Ivanovic who made her second straight early exit from the US Open, this time falling 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7) to Kateryna Bondarenko in the opening round.

Earlier, Svetlana Kuznetsova has advanced to the second round after a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Julia Goerges.

Just like Kuznetsova, Sharapova has no problem in advancing to the next round after an impressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova.

Fresh from winning a US Open tune-up tournament in New Haven last week, Caroline Wozniacki also passed her first-round test after defeated Galina Voskoboeva with a 6-4, 6-0 win.

Jelena Jankovic who sees herself as a danger woman at the US Open also sailed through to the next round after defeating Roberta Vinci 6-2 6-3.

The night before, I managed to catch up with a couple of matches including the one between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and American wildcard recipient Chase Buchanan.

Tsonga dominated the 18-year old 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 in a one-sided match.

Also advancing to the second round is Novak Djokovic, who lost to Federer in the 2007 final. The Serbian proved to be too powerful for Ivan Ljubicic by defeating him 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

Second seed and world no.2 Andy Murray denied Ernests Gulbis by winning 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 in the featured night match on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Here's the complete results for Day 2:

US Open men's singles first round results from New York on Wednesday (prefix denotes seeding)

2-Andy Murray (GB) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-5 6-3 7-5
Ivan Navarro (Spain) beat 27-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(8) 7-6(5)
Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat 19-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 4-6 3-6 7-6(6) 7-6(3) 6-3
Taylor Dent (US) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3 7-5
22-Sam Querrey (US) beat Michael Yani (U.S.) 6-3 7-5 6-4
Carsten Ball (Australia) beat Juan Pablo Brzezicki (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
Kevin Kim (US) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-3 0-6 6-2 6-2
Florent Serra (France) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-6(8) 7-6(5) 7-6(5)
Paul Capdeville (Chile) beat Victor Crivoi (Romania) 6-3 6-0 7-6(2)
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-3 6-3 6-3
Jesse Levine (US) beat Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 7-5 6-1 6-2
Josselin Ouanna (France) beat Rajeev Ram (US) 7-6(4) 6-4 3-6 6-3
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-3 6-1 6-3
16-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Ryan Sweeting (US) 7-6(2) 6-4 7-6(4)
30-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Peter Luczak (Australia) 6-3 6-3 1-6 2-6 6-1
Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-3 7-6(7) 3-6 6-0
Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Brendan Evans (US) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)
17-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Wayne Odesnik (U.S.) 7-5 6-4 6-4
Julien Benneteau (France) beat Flavio Cipolla (Italy) 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-3
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Benjamin Becker (Germany) 7-5 6-4 7-5
Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) beat Karol Beck (Slovakia) 2-6 1-6 6-1 6-4 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Fabio Fognini (Italy) 7-5 7-6(6) 6-4
Jesse Witten (US) beat 29-Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-4 6-0 6-2
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Chase Buchanan (US) 6-0 6-2 6-1

US Open women's singles first round results from New York on Wednesday (prefix denotes seeding)

Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat 11-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2-6 6-3 7-6(7)
Alize Cornet (France) beat Monique Adamczak (Australia) 4-6 6-4 7-5
29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-3 6-0
21-Zheng Jie (China) beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 6-3 6-2
Shenay Perry (US) beat Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-4 6-2
Christina McHale (US) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-3 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 6-2
4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Camille Pin (France) 6-1 6-2
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat Masa Zec Peskiric (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-2 6-3
Kristina Barrois (Germany) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-4 6-4
Shahar Peer (Israel) beat 32-Agnes Szavay (Hungary) 6-2 6-2
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 27-Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2
Julie Coin (France) beat Eva Hrdinova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-3
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
1-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Olivia Rogowska (Australia) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-3 5-7 6-4
23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Aravane Rezai (France) 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-1
Tathiana Garbin (Italy) beat Mallory Cecil (US) 6-0 6-1
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-3 6-3
Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 6-0 4-6 6-1
Melanie Oudin (US) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-1 6-2
19-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-3 7-6(6)
30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 3-6 6-3 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) beat Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-3 7-5
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) 6-4 6-0
Sara Errani (Italy) beat Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 6-0 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat 16-Virginie Razzano (France) 6-4 6-3
24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-1 6-3
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Julia Goerges (Germany) 6-3 6-2
Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Severine Bremond Beltrame (France) 6-4 6-2
Peng Shuai (China) beat Jarmila Groth (Slovakia) 6-2 6-3
Stephanie Dubois (Canada) beat Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-0 6-4 0

(Via AP, TVNZ, US Open website)

Montreal magic for new world no.2 Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic proves Serbian tennis still kick ass

I only needed a cup of 3-in-1 white coffee to keep me awake whole night for the Rogers Cup final.

I would say that this is one of the best "non-Nadal" match I ever watched for a very long time.

Although I was rooting for Juan Martin del Potro, I didn't mind the eventual title winner was Andy Murray.

Andy, you suck!

After all, Murray, the new world no.2 was clearly the winner in that battle of the fittest.

The Scottish tennis star defeated the Argentine 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1 to win his fourth Masters title.

In Cincinnati, Jelena Jankovic captured her only second title of the year after defeated world no.1 Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2.

Haha... Safina, yours is smaller than mine!

Now that Jankovic is back in her game, I'm hoping that fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic will improve her game and eventually end her title drought too.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

VIDEO: It Must Be Love US Open promo videos

If you haven't watch any of the US Open promo videos released by the USTA, here are the players so far who has taken a seat in the director's chair and express their love for tennis.

Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Dinara Safina, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Jelena Jankovic, James Blake, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Ana Ivanovic, Sam Querrey

TENNIS WATCH: The Hewitts, ATP & WTA's marriage in Cincinnati, Ivanovic's cutting cost, Safina's coconut, comeback Kim wins again

Australian weekly magazine New Idea has apologised to Lleyton Hewitt's wife Bec for labelling her brother Shaun Cartwright as her 'new lover' in an April news story.

The magazine surely have no idea that the Hewitts are still very much in love.

*******

The ATP and WTA events in Cincinnati will become a combined tournament in 2011 and will be held two weeks before the U.S. Open.

The current WTA and ATP events in Toronto and Montreal will remain in separate cities, but will occur during the same week, three weeks before the U.S. Open.

*******

Is Ana Ivanovic cutting cost due to her recent slump?

Speaking about her shrinking entourage, Ivanovic said, "Now I'm actually traveling with my mom mostly, and before I used to have four or five people. So I'm like, Where has everyone gone?"

"No, I feel really good, because also made me realise more thing on my own, what I'm doing and what helps me to play good, these kind of things, rather than relying on people telling me certain things."

*******

Recently Dinara Safina hurt her left hand while trying to open a coconut.

Safina said, "In Los Angeles, I would say I lost a bet with a coconut. I was trying to open a coconut, and actually didn't open very good because the knife slipped and it went straight into my hand.

Safina shoud ask Zeljko Krajan to do it instead.

*******

Kim Clijsters continues her successful comeback win by defeating Patty Schnyder 6-2, 7-5 in Cincinnati.

Clijsters who retired in May 2007 and gave birth to a daughter in February 2008, knocked out 12th-seeded Marion Bartoli in straight sets on Monday.

She is scheduled to meet 6th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in the next round. Clijsters has won six of her seven matches against Kuznetsova.

If everything goes well, she will probably meet top-seeded Dinara Safina in the quarterfinal match.

Marat Safin hopes Sis will prove to critics that they can go f*** themselves

"Nobody believed that she's going to be No. 1 in the world. Nobody believed that she going to be top 10 even two, three years ago. So look where she is right now. A lot of people they giving her trouble, 'Okay, she's No. 1 in the world but she never won a Grand Slam.'

"But I'm really proud that she's holding up herself even though that's somebody can be really rough on her. She's there. I hope she can be No. 1 for a long time so she can prove to everybody that they can go f*** themselves."

~ Marat Safin defended his sister Dinara Safina's no.1 ranking.

Roger Federer's the biggest gainer but here are the weekend winners...

A slightly late update but here's the list of the weekend winners.

It's a pity that German Open Hamburg, an ATP 500 event, has lost its crowd and sponsors due to the non-participation of top tennis players and well, bad timing.

But it's certainly not bad timing for Nikolay Davydenko who won his first title of the year, beating Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-2 in the German Open final.

The second-seeded Davydenko captured the 15th title of his career and became the first Russian to win the clay-court tournament.

Mathieu, the 13th-seeded Frenchman, was playing his first final of the year.

In Indianapolis, Robby Ginepri, ranked no. 95 in the ATP rankings, won his third career singles title on Sunday by upsetting no. 3 seed and fellow American Sam Querrey, 6-2, 6-4, in the final of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Dinara Safina thinks she needs more confident boost.

She gets what she wants by winning her 12th WTA tournament on Sunday, rallying to beat defending champion Sara Errani 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5 at the Slovenia Open.

Earlier, Andrea Petkovic bagged her first WTA Tour title, beating Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-2, 6-3 at the Nuernberger Gastein Ladies in Austria.

(Via AP, Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Stepmom Lakeisha Graham an added strength to the Williams team?

Serena and Venus Williams' mom, Oracene was spotted sitting far away from her ex-husband Richard and his new bride Lakeisha Graham during the semifinal match between Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva yesterday.

While Richard was busy wiping off his sweat under the beaming sun, his 30-year-old Rihanna-look alike wife cheered for Serena and looked very excited as if that was her first time on the player's box.

The Williams sisters dominate the women's singles and made it to the final at the Wimbledon this year.

Serena beat Dementieva 6-7, 7-6, 8-6 in the longest women's singles match in Wimbledon history, while Venus totally crushed world no.1 Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0.

Serena and Venus have played each other 20 times and are currently tied at 10-10 in head-to-head meetings.

Surely, Lakeisha will be there at the women's singles final on Saturday to cheer for the girls.

It doesn't matter who wins because the Williams family have proven themselves to be a strong team at Wimbledon this year.

(Images via Getty Images)