TENNIS WATCH: Ernests Gulbis hires Marat Safin's coach

• Latvian press reported that Ernests Gulbis has hired Hernan Gumy as his coach. Looks like Gumy will not be out of job after Marat Safin retires at the end of the season.

• Roger Federer was slapped with a $1,500 fine for using profanity while arguing with a chair umpire during the US Open final. A total of $31,500 is being collected by the season ending grand slam for audible obscenity, including a large portion of $10,500 from Serena Williams.

• Anna Kournikova was reportedly two months pregnant with Enrique Iglesias’ baby after pulled out from the Malibu Triathlon last weekend.

• More endorsement deal for American Melanie Oudin. She has just signed a deal with Air-Tran Airways Limited, which is based in her home state of Georgia.

• Rumours have been circulating that the French Open may be considering a move to Disneyland Paris. However this have been downplayed but not dismissed by French Open tournament director Gilbert Ysern.

• Hot-looking player Nicolas Lapentti could put his retirement on hold if Ecuador wins its Davis Cup tie against Brazil this weekend and secures a place in next year's World Group.

• Kim Clijsters will begin next season at the WTA event in Brisbane a tune-up tournament before the Australian Open.

(Image via bbs.tennis.com.cn)

US Open Day 10 Wrap-up: Oudin runs out of magic, Federer reaches 22nd Grand Slam semis

It's curtain call for Melanie Oudin at the US Open but as she stepped out of the Arthur Ashe stadium last night, her life will change forever - as the media said, she'll step into "a world of jostling paparazzi, autograph signing and an endorsement-filled future".

Caroline Wozniacki who ended Oudin's dream run with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, will go into her first Grand Slam semifinals for the first time.

In an earlier quarterfinal match, Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, who never before past a Grand Slam second round, beat Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4.

Both Wozniacki and Wickmayer will meet in a Friday semifinal to determine the winner to play for a US Open title on Saturday against either Serena Williams or Kim Clijsters.

In the men's singles, Roger Federer defeated Robin Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 to extend his winning streak to 39 at the US Open.

Federer will play Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, after the Serbian pulled off a 7-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over the unfit Fernando Verdasco.

Here's Thursday’s order of play on day 11 at the U.S. Open (prefix denotes seeding):

(Not before 1100EDT)
6-Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) v 16-Marin Cilic (Croatia)

(Not before 1900EDT)
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) v 3-Rafael Nadal (Spain)

(Via AP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

TENNIS WATCH: Verdasco's abs & foot, Djokovic's big heart, Oudin's private life

According to tennis.com, Fernando Verdasco will miss Spain's upcoming Davis Cup tie to allow an abdominal injury to heal and have surgery on his foot.

" I have micro tears [in the abdominal], and tomorrow I have proof to know how long I need to rest, to recover. But I think it's going to take around one week or ten days," Verdasco said.

"So in that time, I will take that time also to have the surgery on my foot."

Does that mean Verdasco would not be able to recover in time for the Malaysian Open scheduled to take place end of this month?

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Novak Djokovic is all out to win America's heart.

He invited children of 9/11 victims to watch his matches in his box.

"We had this idea before the tournament, and I didn't want to talk about it, obviously."

"Well, it's a gesture that I hope it means [something] for them. I've been meeting four different guys in these two weeks. I have been giving them some presents after the matches."

"I just try to bring some smiles and make them enjoy. I hope that's what I did."

*******

You know you're famous when people want to know about your private life.

That's happening to Melanie Oudin.

It has been reported that John Oudin, Melanie Oudin's father has filed for divorce from Melanie's mother, Leslie, in July 2008, alleging that Leslie was having an affair with Melanie's coach Brian de Villiers. *Gulp!*

Still about, Melanie Oudin, she just signed a multi-year endorsement deal with technology company BackOffice Associates, who also sponsors James Blake.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

(Via tennis.com)

US Open Day 8 Wrap-up: *Yawn* Djokovic impersonates again, teens rule the court

Coincidentally, after posting about the lack of star power at the US Open, we begin to see more celebrities in the second week.

Here are some of the celebrities who attended Day 8 matches.

Just like last year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are not here for tennis.

Mirka & Anna Wintour - Roger Federer #1 fans


Robert Federer & Gavin Rossdale - Also Roger Federer's #1 fans

Rob Thomas and wife

And speaking about celebrities, Novak Djokovic is a star of his own.

He has impersonated Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal and others in the past.

Last night, Djokovic added to his repertoire of memorable impersonations by channeling his inner John McEnroe in front of the majority-American crowd.

Check out the video here by tennisnakama.

Earlier Djokovic defeated Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

There was another thing for the American crowd to cheer about last night.

America's newest darling, Melanie Oudin, continued her dream run at the US Open with another upset over Russian Nadia Petrova.

The teenager won 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

The biggest upset of the day has to be Caroline Wozniacki who sent off Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Danish teen toppled the former US Open champ 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 to reach her first grand slam quarterfinal.

American John Isner’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Fernando Verdasco marked the first time since 1968 that no American men's players advanced to the US Open quarterfinals.

Here's the rest of the results:

US Open men's singles fourth-round results from New York on Tuesday (prefix denotes seeding)

4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-3 6-3
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat John Isner (US) 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-5 6-2 6-2
12-Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat 8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 7-5 3-6 6-2 (Davydenko retired)

US Open women's singles fourth-round results from New York on Tuesday (prefix denotes seeding)

9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 2-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-4 7-5
Melanie Oudin (US) beat 13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 1-6 7-6 (2) 6-3
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-0 6-0

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

TENNIS WATCH: Malaysian Tennis Classic, Serena living On The Line, Oudin & Querrey at NASDAQ, Uncle Toni lookalike

Great news for fellow Malaysians!

Next year, we'll be having both ATP and WTA events! What a dream come true!

Officially announced in the Sony Ericsson WTA website, the Malaysian Tennis Classic sanctioned by LTAM will begin on February 22, 2010, right after the Chinese New Year :D

Thanks to Hamdan for the tips!

*******

Serena Williams memoir already hit the bookstore.

For more info regarding the content of the autobiography, read it from Black Tennis Pro's.

*******

No... giant-killer Melanie Oudin did not get arrested for defeating Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova.

Together with fellow American Sam Querrey they were at the NASDAQ earlier this week to ring the opening bell at the stock exchange.

Check out Querrey's nerdy look...

*******

Am I the only one who think Jesse Witten look like Uncle Toni?

By the way, I enjoyed Witten's performance at the US Open. He proves chubby guys can play good tennis too :D

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)

Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova outclassed by teens on Wimbledon Day 6

American Melanie Oudin pulled the biggest upset on Day 6 by beating the struggling former world no.1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2.

When the 124th ranked Oudin (pronounced Oo-dan') concluded the match of her life she had to ask where to find the exit from the court. Still finding her way around the All England Club, Oudin has made her way into the fourth round.

French Open champion and birthday girl Svetlana Kuznetsova did not get the birthday present she hoped for when she was also knocked out of Wimbledon by unseeded teenager Sabine Lisicki.

The Russian was outclassed 6-2, 7-5 in just one hour and 26 minutes.

(Via AFP, Images by Getty Images)