Venus Williams wins Billie Jean King Cup

Serena Williams’ injured leg kept her from a chance to avenge her U.S. Open loss to Kim Clijsters. So sister Venus took care of the job.

Venus Williams defeated Kim Clijsters 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden to win the Billie Jean King Cup in the BNP Paribas Showdown, a match she lost a year ago to Serena.

Serena Williams withdrew a week ago because of her leg, ending what would have been the first meeting between her and Clijsters since the U.S. Open semifinals in September. Serena unleashed a tirade against a line judge after she was called for a foot fault near the end of the match, and Clijsters went on to win the championship.

Kim Clijsters struggled early against the elder Williams before finding a groove in front of a very Venus-friendly crowd of 11,702 in the second set.

Williams broke Clijsters in the first game and then held each of her serves to win the first set. Up 40-0 in the final game, Williams aced to take the set.

In the second set, Williams again won the first two games but got sloppy, volleying one break point out of bounds and hitting another past the baseline. Clijsters held her serve for the rest of the set to win.

Williams was down 3-4 in the final set when Clijsters hit a volley into the net on break point to tie the set. The pair held their serve the rest of the way until Clijsters, down 15-40, hit the break point past the baseline to hand Williams the win and $400,000 of the $1.2 million prize money.

King did not attend the exhibition because she is recovering from a recent double-knee replacement.

Clijsters beat Serena’s replacement, Ana Ivanovic, in the first of the one-set, no-ad semifinals, easily outscoring the 22-year-old Serb and 2008 French Open champion 7-2 in the tiebreaker.

Down 5-4, Clijsters rallied from 0-30 to hold serve and won the next two games. Ivanovic won the 12th game 40-0 to force the 13-point tiebreaker.

Williams beat third-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 French Open winner, in the second semifinal 6-4. Kuznetsova took a 2-0 lead but struggled with her serve. Down 15-40 in the final game, the 24-year-old Russian double-faulted on her serve to hand Williams the match.

Before the final, the International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Gigi Fernandez, Owen Davidson and Brad Parks were introduced on court. They are part of the 2010 class announced Monday that includes doubles specialists Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde and Natasha Zvereva.

The Championships, Wimbledon Women’s Results July 3

Wimbledon – London, Great Britian – June 22 – July 5

Doubles – Semifinals

(4) Williams / Williams d (1) Black / Huber 6-1 6-2
(3) Stosur / Stubbs d (2) Medina Garrigues / Ruano Pascual 6-7(3) 6-4 6-2

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

ATP World Tour Qualifying Singles

F Dancevic (CAN) d [1] D Sela (ISR) 62 64
[2] T Bellucci (BRA) d [19] S Greul (GER) 62 46 63
[3] F Gil (POR) d [18] M Berrer (GER) 67(4) 62 75
J Isner (USA) d [5] B Phau (GER) 26 75 63
M Russell (USA) d [6] E Korolev (RUS) 26 64 62
[13] K Kim (USA) d [7] P Capdeville (CHI) 67(4) 64 64
A Delic (USA) d [8] W Odesnik (USA) 64 76(5)
[10] R Kendrick (USA) d [20] R Karanusic (CRO) 63 76(5)
M Kukushkin (KAZ) d [15] A Golubev (KAZ) 64 62
[16] B Becker (GER) d R de Voest (RSA) 62 61
R Mello (BRA) d [17] V Spadea (USA) 76(6) 60
[WC] T Dent (USA) d [21] F Cipolla (ITA) 67(5) 64 75

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Qualifying Singles

[3] T Paszek (AUT) d [23] M South (GBR) 61 60
U Radwanska (POL) d [6] M Czink (HUN) 63 61
[8] P Mayr (AUT) d [21] M Domachowska (POL) 62 16 63
[10] A Morita (JPN) d [14] V King (USA) 75 64
K Sprem (CRO) d [16] A Amanmuradova (UZB) 61 61
[17] A Yakimova (BLR) d [7] J Groth (SVK) 67(7) 64 62
[18] M Koryttseva (UKR) d A Rodionova (RUS) 62 62
[19] A Rezai (FRA) d S Voegele (SUI) 76(1) 63
[WC] M Krajicek (NED) d [20] C Pin (FRA) 76(3) 61
[22] J Craybas (USA) d [5] S Bremond (FRA) 36 75 63
J Goerges (GER) d [24] I Olaru (ROU) 67(5) 63 76(3)
M Duque Marino (COL) d T Malek (GER) 64 64

© 2008 Sony Ericsson Open. All rights reserved

Monday, March 23, 2009

ATP World Tour Qualifying Singles

[1] D Sela (ISR) d [WC] A Domijan (USA) 62 75
[2] T Bellucci (BRA) d M Chiudinelli (SUI) 76(6) 63
[3] F Gil (POR) d R Hocevar (BRA) 63 26 61
[WC] T Dent (USA) d [4] B Dabul (ARG) 75 62
[5] B Phau (GER) d [WC] M McClune (USA) 46 60 61
[6] E Korolev (RUS) d [WC] G Gaudio (ARG) 62 36 75
[7] P Capdeville (CHI) d K Beck (SVK) 67(4) 64 61
[8] W Odesnik (USA) d B Dorsch (GER) 64 67(5) 76(12)
R de Voest (RSA) d [9] L Mayer (ARG) 26 76(5) 76(3)
[10] R Kendrick (USA) d D Young (USA) 62 64
R Mello (BRA) d [11] D Gremelmayr (GER) 63 63
M Kukushkin (KAZ) d [12] N Lapentti (ECU) 63 63
[13] K Kim (USA) d S Giraldo (COL) 64 64
A Delic (USA) d [14] D Koellerer (AUT) 62 23 ret.
[15] A Golubev (KAZ) d R Machado (POR) 63 76(5)
[16] B Becker (GER) d F Fognini (ITA) 64 64
[17] V Spadea (USA) H Zeballos (ARG) 60 63
[18] M Berrer (GER) d S Bohli (SUI) 32 ret.
[19] S Greul (GER) d A Peya (AUT) 64 64
[20] R Karanusic (CRO) d K Anderson (RSA) 62 63
[21] F Cipolla (ITA) d [WC] T Johansson (SWE) 46 63 64
F Dancevic (CAN) d [22] N Mahut (FRA) 57 76(5) 64
J Isner (USA) d [23] O Rochus (BEL) 64 75
M Russell (USA) d [24] T Alves (BRA) 62 63

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Qualifying Singles

[WC] M Krajicek (NED) d [1] E Vesnina (RUS) 76(5) 64
A Rodionova (RUS) d [2] R Vinci (ITA) 62 63
[3] T Paszek (AUT) d Z Yan (CHN) 62 46 64
S Voegele (SUI) d [4] J Coin (FRA) 64 67(5) 76(4)
[5] S Bremond (FRA) d A Brianti (ITA) 61 61
[6] M Czink (HUN) d [WC] P Martic (CRO) 64 36 75
[7] J Groth (SVK) d V Lepchenko (USA) 76(3) 63
[8] P Mayr (AUT) d E Baltacha (GBR) 60 20 ret.
K Sprem (CRO) d [9] K Barrois (GER) 75 64
[10] A Morita (JPN) d V Ruano Pascual (ESP) 64 62
M Duque Marino (COL) d [11] S Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 60 62
J Goerges (GER) d [12] L Hradecka (CZE) 63 63
U Radwanska (POL) d [13] R de Los Rios (PAR) 60 64
[14] V King (USA) d [WC] G Brodsky (USA) 62 63
T Malek (GER) d [15] M Ani (EST) 63 64
[16] A Amanmuradova (UZB) d [WC] S Stephens (USA) 63 62
[17] A Yakimova (BLR) d [WC] C Mchale (USA) 64 57 60
[18] M Koryttseva (UKR) d A Petkovic (GER) 64 76(7)
[19] A Rezai (FRA) d M Larcherde Brito (POR) 61 62
[20] C Pin (FRA) d E Loit (FRA) 62 61
[21] M Domachowska (POL) d O Savchuk (UKR) 60 61
[22] J Craybas (USA) d S Karatantcheva (KAZ) 75 26 64
[23] M South (GBR) d S Dubois (CAN) 16 63 62
[24] I Olaru (ROU) d [WC] J Boserup (USA) 62 61

© 2008 Sony Ericsson Open, All rights reserved

©Getty Images

Hobart, Australia (January 11): Eleni Daniilidou of Greece collected her fifth Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title after Vera Zvonareva was forced to withdraw from the final with an ankle injury. Daniilidou defeated No.1 seed Alona Bondarenko in the second round and did not lose a set on her way to the title match.

The current world number one, Serena Williams, withdrew from the Kremlin Cup Friday with complaints of leg pain. The pain was said to be caused by a strain in her left ankle during the U.S. Open. Serena wants to relax so she can go back to feeling 100 percent.

Serena quotes: “I have played a lot this year and my body needs to recover. My goal is to try and get the number one ranking back.” Williams will give up the number one spot to Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic when the new rankings are released Monday, October 6.

Last year, Williams reached the final in Moscow and lost to the Russian Elena Dementieva.

The women’s competition is the strongest in the 19-year history of the $2.3 million tournament, which starts in Moscow on Monday October 6, with eight of the world’s top 10 players taking part. Only Serena Williams and world number six Maria Sharapova, who is still nursing shoulder injury, are absent.

In men’s tennis news, finalist of the Australian Open, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, also withdrew after reports of having an abdominal injury.

Does anyone know where I can find the draw schedule for the US Open in August? I’ve been trying to find it for a while now. I’m assuming they can’t really put it together until right before the tournament, but how long before? I would love to know who is playing who and when so I can see some good matches. Thanks!

For all you tennis fanatics out there (myself included), the wait between the Championships at Wimbledon and the US Open feels like a lifetime. Like it wasn’t enough to finish the Wimbledon Championships with possibly the best match ever between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, we have to wait at least a month and a half to two months to see them in action again. I know for me, this time goes by extremely slow and I do whatever I can to be prepared. Of all things, this includes trying to find the best tickets to see them, if possible. Tennis is becoming a highly entertaining sport, and I’ve noticed a lot more people watching matches and caring about the winners. Everybody has a favorite. So if you, like myself, want to watch awesome tennis matches, go to www.tennisticketnews.com for great prices and seats for the US Open and other matches.

Hi everyone!
This is my first post to my new blog.
I’m trying to get my website out there for people to look at and use for tennis events/news.
Go to www.tennisticketnews.com and check it out!

Defending champion Venus Williams captured her fifth Wimbledon women’s singles title on Saturday, defeating sister Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4.

It was the third Wimbledon crown in four years for Venus, who trails only Martina Navratilova (nine), Steffi Graf (seven) and Billie Jean King (six) on the all-time list of women’s winners.

Venus came from 3-1 down in the first set to turn around the match, breaking Serena four times while dropping her own serve twice amid sunny but windy conditions at London’s All England Club

Venus also broke Serena’s serve to close out the match in the second set. After Serena hit a backhand wide on the second match point, the sisters embraced at the net, and Venus kept her celebrations in check as she twirled and waved to the Centre Court crowd.

“I have to first of all say great match to Serena,” Venus said after accepting the aptly named winner’s trophy — the sterling silver Venus Rosewater dish — from the Duke of Kent. “I can’t believe that it’s five but when you’re in the final against Serena Williams, five seems too far away from that first point. She played so awesome. It was really a task to beat her.

“It’s so rewarding to perform here,” Venus added. “Every time I come back I know I have the chance to play well and make history. My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously.”

Venus, 28, now owns seven Grand Slam titles. That’s one fewer than 26-year-old Serena, who has dealt her elder sister her only two Wimbledon finals defeats, in 2002 and 2003.

Sunday’s match was the seventh Grand Slam final between the Americans, with Serena leading 5-2. They are now 8-8 overall.

“I’m so happy that at least one of us was able to win,” Serena said. “She’s played great this year. We’re just glad to be in the finals again.”

Venus and Serena were to return to Centre Court later Saturday for the women’s doubles final.

The men’s singles final goes Sunday when world No. 1 Roger Federer tries for his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title against No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal, who Federer has beaten in the last two finals.

With files from the Associated Press

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