2007 Tennis Season

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Roddick beats Ljubicic to set up semifinal against Nadal


Andy Roddick beat Ivan Ljubicic 7-6 (7), 7-6 (8) Thursday night to move into the Pacific Life Open semifinals.

No. 3 Roddick will face No. 2 Rafael Nadal, a 7-5, 7-5 winner over Juan Ignacio Chela, on Saturday. The men's final is Sunday.

On the women's side, 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the semifinals with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Nicole Vaidisova. Kuznetsova will face Sybille Bammer, who defeated Tatiana Golovin 6-2, 6-3. The women's championship match is Saturday.

Roddick and Ljubicic, both big servers with powerful groundstrokes, nearly matched each other shot for shot. There were no service breaks, and the tiebreakers were similarly tight.

Roddick finally ended it with a forehand to the baseline that handcuffed Ljubicic, and he hit an awkward backhand wide. Almost before the ball bounced, the Croatian -- who had fought back from three match points during the tiebreaker -- began to trot to the net to shake the American's hand.

The first set tiebreaker was much like the second, with Roddick winning it with a backhand passing shot as Ljubicic charged forward.

"I was excited because I was playing the way I wanted to in the breakers," Roddick said. "I kept going forward. I won some points, I lost some points. ...

"I thought all in all, I gave myself a chance to win and eventually was able to do it."

Ljubicic served 12 aces to Roddick's eight, and his fastest serve -- 143 mph -- was 1 mph faster than his American foe.

Asked about facing Nadal, Roddick said, "You've got to make him play. If he's getting cheapies off of his serve, then that's a bad thing. At the same time, you don't want to leave it hanging in the middle of the court."

Nadal, looking for his first title since winning the French Open last June, was patient against Chela, usually keeping the ball in play until either he would suddenly drive a hard winner down the line or his Argentine foe would hit an errant shot.

A 20-year-old Spaniard, Nadal has been ranked No. 2 behind Roger Federer for a record 86 weeks. He won five times last year, including beating Federer to successfully defend his Roland Garros title.

Since then, Nadal has gone 12 events without a championship, the longest dry spell since it took him 24 tournaments to win his first tour event in 2004.

Nadal said he wasn't at the top of his game against Chela, but that he is pleased with the way he's been playing.

"I'm having the best moment of the season, for sure right now. It's just the fourth tournament," he said. "But I feel great. I feel so much better than the last months right now, and I am in the semifinals.

"That is a very good result in one hard tournament."

Noting that the best players show up at Indian Wells, Nadal said: "So that's very good, being in the top four players."

Three-time defending champion Federer was knocked out of the tournament in his first match, when Guillermo Canas beat him in straight sets on Sunday to end the Swiss star's 41-match winning string.

Asked about his stay on the second rung in the rankings, Nadal said, "Right now, I feel good at No. 2 because I don't see a lot of chances for being the No. 1. But for sure, my goal is to be the No. 1 (some) day."

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Nadal downs Djokovic to take Indian Wells title

Rafael Nadal won his first title since the French Open, beating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 Sunday in the Pacific Life Open.

When Djokovic's forehand went long on the final point, Nadal raised his arms, then flopped on his back and lay there a moment, arms still extended, as the fans laughed and cheered.

Nadal, a five-time champion last year and an 11-time winner in 2005, had gone a stretch of 12 tournaments without winning, dating to the successful defense of his title at Roland Garros in June.

He jumped on Djokovic quickly in the Indian Wells final.

Nadal was up 2-0 before Djokovic got his first point of the match, leading off the third game. By the end of the first set, the 19-year-old Serb had won only 12 points to Nadal's 26.

Djokovic got his game going with his serves and powerful forehands in the second set, but Nadal was able to come up with the critical shots late in the set.

Tied 5-5, the 20-year-old Spaniard broke Djokovic's serve, wrapping up the game by whipping a powerful backhand passing shot by the charging Djokovic. Nadal then held serve to finish the championship match that lasted just 93 minutes.

Second-ranked Nadal beat No. 3 Andy Roddick in straight sets in the semifinals. Djokovic, who won his third tour title at Adelaide the first week of this year, is ranked No. 13.

On Saturday at Indian Wells, 2002 winner Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia took the women's title again, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-4. A two-time champion in the desert tournament, the 23-year-old Hantuchova has not won any other tour events.









PS: to the mods plz change the title of the thread the Australian open is finished
10x

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Federer pays Woods a visit during practice round

The No. 1 player wasn't even the most popular in his own group Wednesday, and that was OK with Tiger Woods.

Roger Federer came out to watch him play Doral.

"It's pretty neat when you have probably the most dominant athlete on the planet out there in your gallery," Woods said after his practice round for the CA Championship, where he is the two-time defending champion.

This is the first time Woods and Federer, the top players in their sports, have competed the same week in the same city. Federer's opening tennis match is Saturday night in the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne.

Woods and Federer, both IMG clients, struck up a friendship last summer when Woods sat in Federer's box during the U.S. Open final. Federer watched him play in Shanghai during the HSBC Champions last November, and they were together again in Dubai last month.

"I had never really seen live golf from professionals up until the last year," Federer said. "It's different from sitting in a stadium watching soccer or a tennis match. You've got to know where to stand to see the ball. For me, it was hard to follow the ball. I lost it just because he hits it so hard and so far."

The hardest part was getting a view from inside the ropes.

Dressed in blue jeans, an untucked collared shirt and a black cap, Federer showed up on the back nine and was swarmed by fans wanting autographs. A tournament official let him inside the ropes, but PGA Tour officials said he couldn't stay.

Only when Woods invited him in did Federer get some space.

"They said they didn't want to do a favor because other players otherwise want the same treatment," Federer said. "I guess just one Roger Federer was coming to the golf course today, so it was nice they got me inside the ropes."

Woods said he understood the tour's policy.

"I'm sure I'll get fined for it," he said with a laugh. "I don't mind paying because he was starting to get hassled pretty good. That's not why he came out here. He came out here to enjoy himself and watch me slap it around a little bit."

Woods said he would go to Key Biscayne on Saturday night to watch Federer.

They posed for pictures beyond the 18th green, and Federer walked through a corridor of fans as they yelled at Woods for an autograph. Asked who gets more attention, Woods he probably had a slight edge.

"I don't know if you'd call it an advantage or disadvantage," Woods said. "Globally, I don't know. But certainly in this country, I'm probably a little bit more recognized than he is."

Different sports, different stadiums. But the tennis star noticed a few similarities.

"He's got media after the rounds, media after the practice rounds, fans following him during matches, practice rounds. It's the same thing for me," Federer said. "Autographs, photographs, everybody always wants something from you. You need tight security. It's almost easier when he's on the golf course."

The biggest difference?

"With us, they scream after every point," he said. "With him, it's not every shot."








Mauresmo has appendectomy, out a month

Amelie Mauresmo had an appendectomy and is expected to be sidelined a month.

The fourth-ranked Frenchwoman underwent surgery in Paris. She had a stomach ache for several days before a sonogram indicated the need to remove her appendix, her Web site said.

"The operation went well and all that's left for me is to wait patiently," Mauresmo said.

Mauresmo withdrew from the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., shortly before the tournament began Wednesday. Her most recent match was Feb. 24 in the Dubai Open final, which she lost to Justine Henin.

Mauresmo, once ranked No. 1, won the Australian Open in 2006 and beat Henin in last year's Wimbledon final. She hopes to return for the clay-court season.

"The surgeon advised me to walk a bit but not to do anything else," Mauresmo said on her Web site. "I will doubtless need a good month to get all my physical capacities back."






14-year-old wins in Miami, will face Hantuchova

In the women's draw of the $6.9 million Sony Ericsson Open, the present meets the future.

When 16th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova takes the court, her first match will be against 14-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito, who engineered a stunning first-round upset between the raindrops Wednesday.

The first female Portuguese player in the main draw of a Tier I event, Brito displayed uncommon nerve for a teenager in a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3) victory over American veteran Meghann Shaughnessy.

"I just went out there and just tried my best," Brito said. "It wasn't going to be an easy match but I played my best. I was really nervous."

A product of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Brito is ranked 64th in juniors, the only player in the top 200 born in 1993. She was able to handle Shaughnessy, who is nearly twice her age and has five career WTA Tour titles.

Brito's reward is a match with Hantuchova, a native of Slovakia who ended a five-year victory drought last week by winning at Indian Wells for the second time. Hantuchova was a prodigy herself, winning at Indian Wells as an 18-year-old in 2002.

"I have watched her play a couple times but I don't know much about her," Brito said of Hantuchova. "I'll just go out there and play my best and just have fun with it. I'm excited to play her."

Hantuchova's quarter of the draw also includes second-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium, and sixth-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia.

Henin skipped the Australian Open for personal reasons but swept through the Middle East, winning at Doha and Dubai. She will open against American Vania King, who posted a 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 victory over China's Tiantian Sun.

The top seed is ravishing Russian Maria Sharapova, who will be trying to shake off an early exit at Indian Wells. In a draw missing many of the sport's stars, she was taken out in the fourth round by compatriot Vera Zvonareva.

Sharapova gets her first shot at redemption against either Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei and fellow unknown Nunia Llagostera Vives of Spain. Down the road could be eighth-seeded compatriot Nicole Vaidisova and 13th-seeded American Serena Williams, who will be playing for the first time since trouncing Sharapova in the Australian Open final.

It was the first win in two years for Williams, who was plagued by injuries and inactivity since late in the 2005 season. Many will be watching to see if she has returned to the form that has made her an eight-time Grand Slam champion.

Williams awaits the survivor of the all-Russian first-round match between Elena Likhovtseva and Anastasia Rodionova.

Belgium's Kim Clijsters, who also skipped Indian Wells, is seeded fourth and appears to have the easiest quarter of the draw. In her way are seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, ninth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia and 15th-seeded Na Li of China, a surprise semifinalist last week.

Before concerning herself with any of those potential foes, Clijsters faces Akiko Morigami of Japan, who eliminated Canadian wild card Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1, 7-5.

The third seed is defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, whose quarter also is occupied by fifth-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland and 12th-seeded Ana Ivanovic.

Kuznetsova's first opponent will be either Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine or Aiko Nakamura of Japan. Hingis awaits Gisela Dulko of Argentina of Iveta Besenova of the Czech Republic.

A year ago, Kuznetsova handled Sharapova, 6-4, 6-3, for her biggest victory since the 2004 U.S. Open. She could have added to that resume last week but was taken out in the final by Hantuchova.

Like Sharapova, men's top seed Roger Federer is coming off an upset loss and should be on the defensive when he meets either Igor Andreev of Russia or American wild card Sam Querrey.

Federer took a staggering 41-match winning streak into last week's Pacific Life Open and looked practically unbeatable. But the Swiss superstar was unceremoniously bounced in straight sets in his first match by Guillermo Canas of Argentina.

Canas returned from a 15-month drug suspension in September and has been playing his way back into form. He had to qualify for the main draw of this hardcourt event and will meet Britain's Tim Henman in the first round.

The defending champion, Federer could meet Canas again in the round of 16. His quarter of the draw also includes sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain, ninth-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany and 15th-seeded Richard Gasquet of France, who beat Federer on clay at Monte Carlo in 2005 but has lost the last five meetings.

The second seed is Rafael Nadal of Spain, who capitalized on Federer's absence to storm to victory in the Pacific Life Open and appears to have regained the form he displayed a year ago.

Nadal did not lose a set at Indian Wells, dispatching five seeds along the way, including American Andy Roddick in the semifinals and Serbian upstart Novak Djokovic in the final.

Nadal's first match here will be against Brazil's Ricardo Mello, who defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). Djokovic is seeded 10th and could meet Nadal in the quarterfinals.

Roddick is seeded third and will play Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina, who eased past Hyung-Taik Lee of Korea, 6-4, 6-2.

Roddick shares a quarter of the draw with fifth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Spain, who lost to Federer in the Australian Open final, and 12th-seeded Andy Murray of Britain, who lost to Djokovic in last week's semifinals and is nursing a handful of injuries.

Both draws have given byes to the top 32 seeds.

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Mauresmo named WTA Player of the Year

Last year's Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo has been honored as the Player of the Year in a media vote, the WTA announced on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Frenchwoman, who is recovering from an operation to remove her appendix, claimed the award for the first time. The current world number four topped the rankings for 34 consecutive weeks.

Comeback Player of the Year went to Swiss Martin Hingis, who won the Rome title after returning from a three-year retirement.

Serbian Jelena Jankovic was voted Most Improved Player after turning around her 2006 to end 44-17 after losing 10 of her first 11 matches.

Belgium's Kim Clijsters, due to retire this season, won sportsmanship and humanitarian awards.

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Another rout for Serena Williams against Sharapova



Serena Williams routed Maria Sharapova -- again.

With a performance reminiscent of their Australian Open final, Williams beat the top-seeded Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open.

The match was only the third for Williams since she defeated Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in Melbourne two months ago. Williams bristled when asked if she expected such an easy rematch.

"Haven't you learned that I expect the best of myself?" she said. "If I'm playing well, then anything can happen. I believe there could be a similar score if I'm playing well."

Ranked No. 1 in 2002-03, Williams has played only six tournaments in the past 18 months and has slipped to 18th. But when she hit a forehand winner on match point, she raised her index finger and shouted "No. 1" to the cheering crowd.

After shaking hands with Sharapova, a jubilant Williams raised her finger again.

"Every time I do that I win, so I'm a little superstitious," she said. "I'm working toward getting to be the best. It's an uphill battle."

Seeking her fourth Key Biscayne title, Williams will play No. 8 Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Sharapova, who lost the No. 1 ranking last week to Justine Henin, has yet to win a tournament this year. She was runner-up at Key Biscayne the past two years.

The Russian beat Venus Williams in the third round Sunday but lasted only 58 minutes against the younger sister. As was the case in Melbourne, Sharapova struggled with her serve. Hitting it aggressively, she double-faulted eight times and won only four of 16 points on her second serve.

"When you feel that you need to hold serve against someone like her, and someone that's serving so well, I think that puts a little bit of extra pressure on your serve," Sharapova said. "Because once she gets up in the set or in the match, she seems to steamroll."

In men's fourth-round play, No. 12 Andy Murray overcame two match points to beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

No. 9 Anna Chakvetadze became the first women's semifinalist by beating No. 15 Li Na 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Playing like the Slammin' Serena of old, Williams went for a winner on most of her shots, yet still committed only 15 unforced errors. She won the final five games of the first set and the last six games of the match.

Williams reached break point for the first time by skipping a crosscourt forehand off the sideline. The ball was called out, but a replay reversed the ruling. Williams won the next point for 3-1, then hit four service winners to hold and take control.

Even after dominating the opening set, she signaled for her father and coach, Richard, to come onto the court for a consultation.

"I told her, `You don't want to get into a hitting battle with Sharapova, because it would be uneven for Sharapova, because Sharapova only has one good side and that's her backhand,"' Richard Williams said. "`You don't want to get into that for the simple reason you would win. So try to hit some balls to her strong side, to her backhand, and that would help you with your match for tomorrow."'

Sharapova began to look increasingly frustrated in the second set. When she double-faulted on consecutive points, she waved her arms, shook her head and looked at her father in the stands with a frown.

There was no repeat of the heckling Williams endured from a fan during her match Monday, including a racist remark. The fan was ejected and banned from the site for the rest of the tournament, and Williams said she had no concerns about security.

"I have an orange belt in taekwondo, just in case," Williams said with a laugh.




Federer receives 4 ATP awards

Roger Federer won a record four annual ATP awards Monday -- only one for his tennis.

Federer received the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for his charity and volunteer work in 2006. He received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, chosen by players, and was voted the fans' favorite award for the fourth consecutive year.

For the third year in a row, Federer was chosen player of the year. He won three Grand Slam titles in 2006 and has been ranked No. 1 the past 164 weeks.

Novak Djokovic was voted most improved player, Benjamin Becker was chosen newcomer of the year, and Mardy Fish was selected comeback player of the year.

Bob and Mike Bryan were chosen doubles team of the year and received the fans' favorite doubles award.

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Rematch repeat -- Federer loses to Canas again


Standing near the net, looking up at the ball coming almost straight down in the twilight, Roger Federer hesitated.

Should he hit an overhead, or let it bounce?

With the match on the line, the world's greatest player made the wrong choice, took a swing when the ball fell to chest level and whacked it into the net.

Two points later, Federer had lost to his new nemesis. Guillermo Canas beat Federer for the second time this month, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (5) in a fourth-round epic at the Sony Ericsson Open.

The upset wasn't the only rematch repeat Tuesday. Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1, in a rout reminiscent of their Australian Open final two months ago.

With that, Key Biscayne's two No. 1-seeded players were eliminated.

Two weeks ago, Canas ended Federer's 41-match winning streak at Indian Wells. The dogged Argentine showed that victory was no fluke, extending points by repeatedly chasing down shots and forcing a frustrated Federer into 51 unforced errors.

"It's one of those matches I never should have lost," Federer said.

The defeat ended his bid for a third successive Key Biscayne title, while Canas improved to 3-0 this year against top-10 players. He was ranked as high as No. 8 before serving a 15-month doping suspension, and he had to qualify for the Key Biscayne draw.

"I'm surprised because I beat two times the No. 1 in the world. Really, I don't know what is my secret," Canas said. "I'm just trying to enjoy the moment. For me it's like a dream."

Williams, who defeated Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open final, this time won by an even more lopsided score. She bristled when asked if she anticipated such an easy match.

"Haven't you learned that I expect the best of myself?" she said. "If I'm playing well, then anything can happen. I believe there could be a similar score if I'm playing well."

While Sharapova and Federer lost, Andy Roddick won his rematch against David Ferrer. The Spaniard was an upset winner when they played at Key Biscayne a year ago, but this time the third-seeded Roddick won 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.

Roddick hit one serve 150 mph, a tournament record. His opponent Wednesday will be No. 12 Andy Murray, who overcame two match points to beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

No. 2 Rafael Nadal defeated 18-year-old Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 6-0, 6-4. American qualifier Amer Delic lost to No. 23 Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 6-2.

Top-ranked Justine Henin reached the Key Biscayne semifinals for the first time by beating No. 6-seeded Nadia Petrova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4). Henin's opponent Thursday will be No. 9 Anna Chakvetadze, who beat No. 15 Li Na 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

With a parade of Grand Slam champions on the schedule, Canas won the biggest cheers. South Florida's large Latin population made for a festive stadium atmosphere during his match, with fans singing, waving Argentine flags and shouting "Willy!" -- Canas' nickname.

"As long as they don't boo my Swiss flag, it's OK," Federer said. "This was a nice atmosphere to play."

Federer may play big points as well as anyone ever, but Canas was better at pivotal moments. The Argentine kept his cool in both tense tiebreakers, while Federer looked shaken at times and converted only four of 16 break-point chances.

The match turned with Canas serving at 0-2 in the final set. Federer had four break points, each a chance to pull away, and he failed to convert them.

The decisive moment in the second tiebreaker came with Federer serving at 4-5. Canas hit a short, high lob, and Federer handled it like a weekend hacker.

"I didn't want to let it bounce," he said. "It's a tough shot to hit. I mean, I guess at 1-0, 15-love in the first set, that's not a problem. But it was tough. It was getting into the night. It kind of made it a bit tricky, and I messed it up."

Canas then closed out the win with a 125-mph service winner. That made Federer 0-2 against Canas this year and 14-0 against everyone else.

Next month the tour moves to clay -- Canas' best surface and Federer's worst. How will Federer shake the slump?

"I'm not going to play him every week, so it doesn't matter," Federer said.

Sharapova faces a similar riddle regarding Williams, who has won 24 of their 29 games this year.

"Once she gets up in the set or in the match," Sharapova said, "she seems to steamroll."

Williams, ranked No. 1 in 2002-03, has played only six tournaments in the past 18 months and has slipped to 18th. But when she hit a forehand winner on match point, she raised her index finger and shouted "No. 1" to the cheering crowd.

After shaking hands with Sharapova, a jubilant Williams raised her finger again.

"Every time I do that I win, so I'm a little superstitious," she said. "I'm working toward getting to be the best. It's an uphill battle."

Seeking her fourth Key Biscayne title, No. 13-seeded Williams will play No. 8 Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Playing like the Slammin' Serena of old, Williams went for a winner on most of her shots, yet still committed only 15 unforced errors. She won the final five games of the first set and the last six games of the match.

Even after dominating the opening set, she signaled for her father and coach, Richard, to come onto the court for a consultation. His advice: Approach the second set as if it were practice, to make the most of the court time.

"I told her, `You don't want to get into a hitting battle with Sharapova, because it would be uneven for Sharapova, because Sharapova only has one good side and that's her backhand,"' Richard Williams said. "'You don't want to get into that for the simple reason you would win. So try to hit some balls to her strong side, to her backhand, and that would help you with your match for tomorrow."'

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Williams stays on course as Nadal and Roddick bow out


Serena Williams stayed on course for a fourth Sony Ericsson Open title with a ruthless 6-1 6-4 win over Czech Nicole Vaidisova in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

The men's draw took a surprising turn for the second successive day, however, with second seed Rafael Nadal and number three Andy Roddick joining world number one Roger Federer on their way out of the tournament.

After losing to Nadal in last week's final at Indian Wells, Serb Novak Djokovic took quick revenge, shocking the Spaniard 6-3 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals without dropping set.

The 19-year-old Serbian will now meet Britain's Andy Murray, who reached the final four when Roddick was forced to retire with a hamstring injury trailing 5-3 in the first set.

After disposing of top seed Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, Williams made quick work of Vaidisova, overwhelming the 17-year-old in just 67 minutes to advance to the last four.

Playing her first tournament since lifting her eighth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Williams has gained form and confidence with every match, underlining her determination to return to the top of the world rankings.

Williams raced through the opening set but met resistance in the second when the eighth-seeded Vaidisova threatened to seize control, securing triple break point at 4-4.

DECISIVE BREAK

But the young Czech failed to capitalize and Williams immediately made her pay, recording the decisive break to go up 5-4 and winning 13 of the final 14 points to close out the match.

"I play tough when I'm down, I can always count on my serve," Williams told reporters.

Williams will next meet 14th seed Shahar Peer of Israel who booked her place in the final four with a 6-0 6-3 rout of Italy's Tathiana Garbin.

World number one Justine Henin of Belgium will take on Russian ninth seed Anna Chakvetadze in the other semi-final.

Murray, the 12th seed, was leading 4-3 when American Roddick called for a medical timeout to receive treatment in the locker-room.

The third seed returned to the court but was immediately broken. Roddick walked to the net to shake hands then informed the umpire he could not continue.

"I don't know what it is, I'm going to get an MRI, I think the medical term is, the bottom of my *** hurts," said Roddick, the 2004 Miami champion. "He hit a volley behind me and I lunged at it and hurt something.

"It's disappointing but right now I just want to focus on getting better."

The 19-year-old Murray moved into the semi-finals for the second successive Masters Series event having reached the last four at Indian Wells.

"I guess anybody would rather get off the court quicker than longer but I'd rather it was under normal circumstances," said Murray. "I'm definitely going to have enough time off to be 100 percent fit going into the match.

"I've lost my last two Masters semi-finals and I'd like to get to my first final."

Earlier in the week, Nadal ruled himself out of Spain's Davis Cup tie because of a sore foot but refused to use the nagging injury as an excuse for his loss.

Federer lost to Argentine Guillermo Canas on Tuesday.

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Williams, Henin to meet in Key Biscayne final

Serena Williams beat the best the Israeli Army had to offer.

Shahar Peer, a 19-year-old corporal, kept things close for an hour before Williams pulled away, winning 7-6 (4), 6-1 Thursday night for a berth in the final at the Sony Ericsson Open.

"I started out really slow," Williams said. "I think I was a little nervous. And then I just finished well."

One test remains this week for the rejuvenated Williams: a revival Saturday of her long-dormant rivalry with Justine Henin. The Belgian reached the Key Biscayne final for the first time by beating Anna Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-3.

"Justine has been playing some of the best tennis on the tour," Williams said. "She's doing awesome. This will be a real test of my game."

Henin versus Williams was once a fierce rivalry, but they haven't met since the 2003 Wimbledon semifinals. Williams has won five of their eight meetings, including two of three in Grand Slam events.

"We had a couple of good fights in the past," Henin said. "When she's healthy and really focused, she's a great champion. She has nothing to prove to anyone. She did it in the past. It's great the level she's back to."

Williams struggled early against the 14th-seeded Peer, who came within two points of an upset when they met at the Australian Open in January. In the first set Williams returned poorly, struggled with her backhand and failed to break serve. She said she was bothered by a sore left knee.

"It's a little tired," she said. "I forgot to take my anti-inflammatory medicine."

Big serves kept Williams in the set. She won 12 consecutive service points to stay even, took a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker and closed out the set with a service winner and a shout, "C'mon!"

"I was very close," said Peer, who played in her first Tier I semifinal. "The first set could go either way. Unfortunately, the second set she was running away."

Williams earned her first break early in the second set, took a 3-0 lead and punctuated the victory with her seventh ace. Playing her first tournament since winning the Australian title, she's seeking her fourth Key Biscayne title.

With a 14-1 record this year, Williams will climb to at least 12th in next week's rankings. She was ranked as low as 140th in 2006, when she played in only four tournaments.

The top-ranked Henin is a five-time Grand Slam champion, but until this year she had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at Key Biscayne. She says she dislikes the island's windy weather and tends to play poorly in March because it's the anniversary of her mother's death.

"It is a challenge for me," Henin said. "I just live for now. I'm not in the past anymore. I just try to enjoy every moment, not try to project myself too far in the future and forget a little bit of what happened in the past."

Qualifier Guillermo Canas and No. 7 Ivan Ljubicic will meet in the men's semifinals Friday night. Canas, who upset top-ranked Roger Federer for the second time this month in the fourth round, advanced by beating No. 6 Tommy Robredo 7-6 (5), 6-1.

A former top-10 player, Canas became the first qualifier ever to reach the men's semifinals at Key Biscayne. Ranked 143rd at start of year after returning from a doping suspension, the 29-year-old Argentine will climb back into the top 40 next week.

"I am the same player I was before, just more happy when I get onto the court, because I enjoy every day more and more," Canas said.

Ljubicic, last year's runner-up to Federer, is the highest-seeded man in the final four. He defeated No. 23 Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 7-5.

The other semifinal will be between two 19-year-olds, No. 10 Novak Djokovic and No. 12 Andy Murray.

Henin said she has been hindered during the tournament by a breathing problem, possibly allergies, and is taking medication. She barely survived the third round, overcoming a 5-1 deficit in the third set to beat Virginie Razzano.

But against the ninth-seeded Chakvetadze, Henin took charge from the start.

The latest Russian to crack the women's top 10, Chakvetadze played tentatively early and lost the first set in 33 minutes. In the second set, serving at 40-0, she lost five consecutive points to fall behind 2-0.

Henin hit consecutive aces to close out the next game, and saved some of her most aggressive groundstrokes for the final few games. Chakvetadze lost 20 of 35 points on her first serve and was broken five times.

"She did a lot of mistakes," Henin said. "I played the kind of game she doesn't like that much. I had a solution to every ball she was hitting today, and I used my slice a lot."

"Justine can mix her game," Chakvetadze said. "That's why she's No. 1."

Henin reached every major final last year. She's 15-1 this year, but skipped the Australian Open in January because she was going through a divorce.

"Emotionally, I still have to find a good balance," she said. "I had a pretty tough time early in the year."

The Belgian is seeded second but reclaimed the top ranking last week from Maria Sharapova and will remain No. 1 next week.








Memoirs of Andre Agassi to be published by Alfred A. Knopf


The memoir of tennis sensation, gossip column favorite and philanthropist Andre Agassi, a book strongly desired by numerous publishers, has been acquired by Alfred A. Knopf.

Financial terms were not disclosed Wednesday, although bidding reportedly topped $5 million as publishers flew out to see Agassi at his hometown of Las Vegas, touring his Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school for at-risk youth, and then meeting with him at his office.

David Hirshey, senior vice president and executive editor at HarperCollins, one of the publishers that competed for the book, said the deal was more in line with what a former U.S. president would get.

"This is White House money," Hirshey said. "I can't remember the last time a sports figure got more than two million."

The 36-year-old Agassi, one of the greatest players of his generation, retired after last fall's U.S. Open.

His book is not yet titled and no release date has been set.

"I recently had the privilege of meeting with top executives and editors from eight publishing houses," Agassi said in a statement released Wednesday by Knopf. "Everyone was very impressive, but in the end, I felt the strongest connection with (Knopf head) Sonny Mehta and his colleagues at Knopf."

"Andre Agassi is one of the world's most popular and admired figures," Mehta said in a statement. "He has lived an extraordinary life, and he has a great story to tell -- an inspiring story of determination, competition, and what it takes to become one of the greatest athletes of our time. Additionally, he is someone who has chosen to use his success as an instrument for change in the world."

In his early years on the tour, Agassi was known for his tennis, togs and 'tude, especially for his brief marriage to Brooke Shields, his friendship with Barbra Streisand and his "Image Is Everything" ad campaign, a slogan from which he later distanced himself. Agassi is now married to fellow tennis star Steffi Graf.

He was the game's top-ranked male player for months in 1995, but then faltered so badly that he dropped out of the top 100 and resorted to playing in tennis' minor leagues. Thanks to rigorous training, he bounced back, soaring into the top 10 in 1998 and enjoying a yearlong reign on top in 1999-2000. He has won all four "Grand Slam" singles events: The French Open, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

In 1994, he founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF), "created to provide recreational and educational opportunities for at-risk children in Southern Nevada." The Agassi academy opened in 2001.

[Thuggishh_E]

Canas to meet Djokovic in Miami final


Argentine Guillermo Canas tamed big-hitting Croat Ivan Ljubicic 7-5 6-2 to reach the final of the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday, underlining his return to top form following a 15-months doping ban.

Canas, who scored back-to-back upset wins over world number one Roger Federer at Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami, will face Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final.

The 19-year-old Serb reached his second Masters Series final in as many events with a 6-1 6-0 demolition of Andy Murray.

"I feel amazing," a smiling Canas told reporters. "It's great to beat Roger twice and now the final, this is amazing for me."

Canas said he was proud of the way he played and that he was full of confidence.

"The last six months have been amazing and to play again in the final of a Master Series, I'm so proud what I have done in six months."

Ljubicic, who lost in the Miami final last year to Federer, lashed out at tournament officials for giving Canas wildcards to events.

While the Argentine battled his way through qualifiers to gain entry into the main draw in both Indian Well and Miami, his comeback has been helped along by a series of wildcard entries to other tournaments.

'CHEATING ON US'

"I feel like giving the wildcards to guys coming off doping suspensions means helping them come back, which I don't feel is right," said Ljubicic. "The guys were cheating on us and I don't think we should help them to come back.

"I feel it's like a guy coming out of prison and you're just giving him a gun straight away."

Canas put on a show for the fans at the Stadium court, many waving Argentine flags, as he waited patiently for an opening and then took full advantage of all three of his break chances.

Ljubicic failed on all seven of his break opportunities, including a triple break point early in the opening set.

Canas now faces the dangerous Djokovic, who has earned his second shot at a Masters Series title two weeks after losing to Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells final.

His opponent in the other semi-final, Briton Murray, went into their meeting having won more matches than any other player this season. But the 19-year-old Scot was swept aside by the 10th-seeded Serb, who reeled off 11 consecutive games to win in only 62 minutes.

Having advanced when Andy Roddick was forced to retire from their quarter-final with a hamstring injury, a well-rested Murray produced a surprisingly listless display and was loudly jeered by unhappy fans for his apparent lack of effort.

World number one Justine Henin of Belgium and three-times champion Serena Williams will meet in the women's final on Saturday.

[Thuggishh_E]

Williams wins Ericsson with dramatic comeback over Henin


Serena Williams fought off two match points on her way to an epic 0-6 7-5 6-3 comeback win over world number one Justine Henin to claim her fourth Sony Ericsson title on Saturday.

Brushed aside in 26 minutes in the opening set and broken by the Belgian to start the second, Williams's title hopes had appeared over.

But the muscular American, backed by a vocal home crowd at Crandon Park, gathered her reserves and slowly clawed her way back into the contest, finally gaining control after fending off two match points with Henin serving at 5-4 in the second.

With the crowd and the momentum now on her side, a ruthless Williams moved in for the kill sweeping through the next six games to take a 3-0 lead in the third set, closing out the two hour 26 minute marathon with service winner on her first match point.

While Williams is currently ranked 18th, the final featured the WTA Tour's two hottest players with both women coming into the showdown having lost just one match this season.

Henin arrived in the championship match riding a 13 match unbeaten streak including back-to-back titles in Dubai and Doha while Williams, playing her first event since the Australian Open, brought a 12 match unbeaten run onto Stadium court.











A new star: Serb teenager wins Key Biscayne title


Novak Djokovic twice threw his racket in anger. The third time, he tossed it into the stands in jubilation.

A delighted young woman in the front row caught the souvenir from the new Sony Ericsson Open champion.

Djokovic won his first ATP Masters Series title Sunday, beating qualifier Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

The 19-year-old Serb's teenage temper occasionally showed, but he hardly had cause for anger. Djokovic became the youngest men's champion in the event's 23-year history.

"Tennis has a new star today," tournament chairman Butch Buchholz said. "He's going to be around."

Canas upset top-ranked Roger Federer twice last month, including in the fourth round Tuesday. But the 29-year-old Argentine's relentless baseline game failed to faze Djokovic, who dominated with his versatile shotmaking and held every service game.

"I hope this is only the start," said Djokovic, runner-up at Indian Wells two weeks ago. "I was always trying to compare myself to the best players in the world, because that's what I want to be. Right now I feel like probably for the first time in my career I'm on that level, that I deserve to be one of the three best players in the world."

Seeded 10th, Djokovic will improve to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings Monday.

He has already put Serbia back on the tennis map. The nation has a modest tennis tradition aside from Monica Seles, a nine-time Grand Slam champion who was in the crowd Sunday.

"I'm very happy about that, because she was one of my idols when I was young," Djokovic said.

The crowd roared when Djokovic skipped a forehand winner off the baseline on match point, and his exuberant celebration kept the cheers coming. After collapsing to his back in glee, he rose to hug Canas, climbed into the stands to embrace his parents, then returned to the court and threw his shirt and racket to the cheering crowd.

"It was a very emotional moment for me," Djokovic said. "I was thinking even to put away my shoes and shorts and everything. But I said, OK, television is here, so I'll keep that."

Canas applauded the young champion.

"If he continues like this, he's going to be one of the top three or four players very, very soon," Canas said.

Canas can take consolation in a career resurgence. Ranked as high as eighth before serving a 15-month doping suspension that ended last summer, he was 143rd at the start of the year but will climb to about 31st in the new rankings.

"Now everybody knows I'm back on the tour," Canas said. "I'm very happy now, but hopefully more happy moments are going to come for me."

The wiry Djokovic succeeded where Federer failed, mixing pace, spins and angles so well that some of his shots were beyond reach even for Canas, whose forte is fetching. The Serb's repertoire ranged from 130-mph serves to feathery drop shots, including one to end the match's longest game.

That game in the second set lasted 20 minutes and 22 points.

"It was really long, and really important for me to win that game," Djokovic said. "It was probably a turning point. It's very important to stay very calm and mentally strong. I managed to do that."

The showing by both finalists suggests the upcoming clay-court season could be a mad scramble. Djokovic, Canas and Rafael Nadal all pose potential obstacles in Federer's bid to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in June.

"Clay is one of my favorite surfaces, that's for sure," Djokovic said. "I can play a lot of different styles of the game, which gives me a lot of advantage, so I hope I'll do well."