50 YEARS AGO: THE ROCKET REFLECTS ON WINNING FIRST MAJOR DOWN UNDER

It will be 50 years ago on Monday, February 1 that Rod Laver won his first major championship – the Australian Open.
The man whose name now graces the Center Court at the national championship of his homeland finally broke through and won the 1960 Australian Championships, that year played at the Milton Courts in Brisbane. [...]

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE:MALISSE AND WICKMAYER NO LONGER SUSPENDED

STARS

Regina Kulikova beat Sandra Zahlavova 7-6 (6) 6-3 to win the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SAYING

“The ITF has removed both Mr. Malisse and Ms. Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect.” – The International Tennis Federation (ITF), in a statement.
”It’s the best [...]

Federer’s First Season-Ending Championship

Roger Federer is playing in the ATP World Tour’s season-ending championship for an eighth time in 2009 at the O2 Arena in London. It was in 2002 when Federer first qualified for the ATP World Tour finale as a xx-year-old. Rene Stauffer, the respected Swiss tennis writer, chronicles Federer’s first appearance at the ATP World [...]

This Week in Tennis Business: Mercedes-Benz USA signs $35 million deal with US Open

By: Justin Cohen

The USTA announced on Monday that Mercedes-Benz USA has signed a four-year deal to become the “Official Vehicle of the US Open” starting in 2010. SportsBusinessJournal reports that the deal is worth $35 million. More than 250 players participating in the tournament will receive transportation services from Mercedes-Benz. The partnership includes major media [...]

Nadal and Davydenko reach Shanghai final

Rafa Nadal reached the final of the Shanghai Masters when Feliciano Lopez retired on Saturday, the second evening in a row when the top seeded Spaniard’s opponent had to withdraw injured.
World number two Nadal was coasting at 6-1 3-0 when his compatriot Lopez, struggling with an ankle injury, became the ninth player to fail to [...]