STARS
Jelena Dokic beat Lucie Safarova 2-6 7-6 (9) 6-4 to win the BMW Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Jelena Jankovic 2-6 6-2 6-3 to win the Whirlpool Monterrey Open in Monterrey, Mexico
DAVIS CUP
First Round
World Group
Serbia beat India 4-1 at Novi Sad, Serbia, hard
Sweden beat Russia 3-2 at Boras, Sweden, hard
Kazakhstan beat Czech Republic 3-2 at Ostrava, Czech Republic, hard
Argentina beat Romania 4-1 at Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay
United States beat Chile 4-1 at Santiago, Chile, clay
Spain beat Belgium 4-1 at Chaleroi, Belgium, hard
Germany beat Croatia 3-2 at Zagreb, Croatia, hard
France beat Austria 3-2 at Vienna, Austria, clay
Group I – Americas: Canada beat Mexico 4-1 at Asuncion, Estado de Mexico, clay; Uruguay beat Colombia 3-1 at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay
Group I – Asia/Oceania: China beat Chinese Taipei 3-2 at Shanghai, China, hard; Japan beat Philippines 3-1 at Lapu City, Philippines, clay; Uzbekistan beat New Zealand 3-2 at Namangan, Uzbekistan, clay
Group I – Europe/Africa: Slovenia beat Finland 3-2 at Ljubjana, Slovenia, clay; Netherlands beat Ukraine 3-2 at Kharkiv, Ukraine, hard; Portugal beat Slovak Republic 4-1 at Cruz Quebrada, Portugal, clay
Group II – Americas: Peru beat Netherlands Antilles 5-0 at Lima, Peru, clay; Dominican Republic beat El Salvador 5-0 at Santa Tecla, El Salvador, clay; Paraguay beat Puerto Rico 4-1 at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, hard; Venezuela beat Haiti 3-2 at Caracas, Venezuela, hard
Group II – Asia/Oceania: Korea beat Syria 4-1 at Changwon, Korea, hard; Pakistan beat Hong Kong 3-1 at Hong Kong, hard; Indonesia beat Iran 3-2 at Tehran, Iran, clay; Thailand beat Pacific Oceania 5-0 at Guam, hard
Group II – Europe/Asia: Great Britain beat Tunisia 4-1 at Bolton, Great Britain, hard; Luxembourg beat Ireland 3-1 at Dublin, Ireland, hard; Belarus beat Bulgaria 4-1 at Minsk, Belarus, hard; Hungary beat Cyprus 5-0 at Nicosia, Cyprus, hard; Bosnia/Herzegovina beat Morocco 3-2 at Marrakech, Morocco, clay; Estonia beat Lithuania 3-2 at Tallinn, Estonia, hard; Denmark beat Monaco 3-2 at Kolding, Denmark, carpet; Latvia beat Greece 4-1 at Thessaloniki, Greece, clay
SAYING
“This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing. I am doing better, I’m at home now and working with my doctors to keep everything under control.” – Serena Williams, who had a pulmonary embolism, then surgery for a hematoma.
“It was only at Brisbane in January that I won my first main draw WTA match in a year, so to have won a title in March is fantastic. But it’s not just that … it’s the players I have beaten and it’s the way that I beat them. I was fighting, I was always positive and I showed so much mentally how strong I am – I even surprised myself.” – Jelena Dokic, after winning her first WTA tournament in nearly nine years.
“It’s definitely always nice to win a tournament. I’m kind of on the way back because I was injured all last year. I’m trying to play as many matches as I can, singles and doubles. So I’m pretty happy with this week.” – Dinara Safina, who teamed with Galina Voskoboeva to win the doubles title in Kuala Lumpur, her first final of any kind since 2009.
SCARY TIMES
Serena Williams is recovering after overcoming two serious medical problems. The 29-year-old tennis star suffered a pulmonary embolism – blot clot in the lung. Then she underwent surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for a hematoma. “Thankfully everything was caught in time,” said Nicole Chabot, a Williams spokeswoman. “With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision.” Williams has not played on the WTA tour since winning Wimbledon last July. Celebrating the triumph, she had dinner in Germany, where she cut her foot on a broken glass. She has had two operations on her right foot since then and was preparing to resume training soon. Last week she told the New York Post that she was aiming her comeback for the French Open, which begins May 17. But that was before her two latest medical emergencies. “Doctors are continuing to monitor her situation closely to avoid additional complications,” Chabot told People magazine. Williams has won 13 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, but because of inaction has fallen from number one in the world to number eleven in the rankings. “I know I will be OK but am praying and hoping this will all be behind me soon,” Williams said. “While I can’t make any promises now on my return, I hope to be back by early summer. That said my main goal is to make sure I get there safely.”
S’WONDERFUL
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova feels right at home in Monterrey, Mexico, as well as she might. The Russian has won the last two Mexican Opens, including this year when she downed Jelena Jankovic in the title match. “Last year I said it was very special for me, but this one was also very special, maybe even more,” Pavlyuchenkova said. “The crowd made it possible for me last year and they made it possible for me this year too. They pulled me through each match. It’s always tough to defend a title, so it means a lot.”
SUCH A LONG WAIT
The last time Jelena Dokic had won a WTA title, she was ranked fourth in the world. Her sixth career title came nine years later, at the BMW Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, defeating Lucie Safarova 2-6 7-6 (9) 6-4. “I just don’t know where my strength came from … but I just kept pushing and pulling myself up to win the match,” said a delighted Dokic. “I’m very happy to win the tournament, and of course after winning one your appetite gets bigger and it will be the key to maintaining the momentum now.” Impressive the whole week, Dokic began the tournament by upsetting world number five and top-seeded Francesca Schiavone in the first round. “I’m happy to win a title as early in the season like this, but more importantly it was the players I beat and the matches I went through,” Dokic said. After the final, Safarova said: “I gave everything I could to this match. Jelena just played very well on the right points.”
SPANISH STAR
Rafael Nadal says he’s available to play in the World Group quarterfinals. The reigning French Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion, Nadal began the Davis Cup first round clash between Spain and Belgium by winning his singles in his first match since injuring his groin muscle. “My intention is to be in the Davis Cup,” said Nadal, who missed last year’s quarterfinals when Spain lost to France. “My decision is always that I will play, but I don’t know what will happen in four months, if I will be tired or as fresh as a daisy, I can’t say. In tennis you can plan the tournaments you play but you never know how many games you will have.” In the quarterfinals, Spain will play the United States, a 4-1 winner over Chile. The US and Spain last played each other in the 2008 semifinals, when pain won 4-1 on clay in Madrid before going on to defeat Argentina in the final. Spain has dominated the Davis Cup in recent years, winning in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2009. They were runners-up in 2003.
SUCCESS FINALLY
Dinara Safina is finally over her injuries and is back in the winner’s circle. The Russian was ranked number one in the world for 26 weeks in 2009. After struggling with injuries throughout 2010, she dropped to number 113. At the BMW Malaysian Open, Safina teamed up with Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva to win the doubles, knocking off Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Jessica Moore in the final. It was Safina’s ninth WTA doubles title, but her first since Indian Wells almost exactly three years ago. It was her first WTA title of any kind since Portoroz in July 2009. Safina had not even been in a final of any kind since Cincinnati in 2009. The Russian entered Kuala Lumpur riding a six-match losing string in singles, but beat China’s Han Xinyun in the opening round. It was Voskoboeva’s first WTA title of any kind. She returned to tennis in January after a right shoulder injury sidelined her in May 2010. She and Safina were a doubles pair for the first time. “I just want to go out there and enjoy each match,” Safina said. “When you’re injured it’s hard to enjoy yourself. Now I’m free of injuries I can do that. I have a smile again.”
SERVE RECORD
Ivo Karlovic raised the bar on the fastest serve in the world. The 6-foot-10 (2.08m) Karlovic fired a 156 mph (251 kph) serve during Croatia’s first-round Davis Cup World Group tie against Germany. The International Tennis Federation, in confirming the speed, said Karlovic broke the previous mark of 155 mph (249.4 kph) held by American Andy Roddick. But the huge serve didn’t mean anything in the overall scheme of things. The serve came in doubles, and Karlovic and his partner Ivan Dodig lost their match to Germany’s Philipp Petzschner and Christopher Kas 6-3 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-4. And Croatia lost the tie to Germany 3-2.
STOLEN MEMORIES
At least the Davis Cup team from Kazakhstan left the Czech Republic with a first-round World Group victory. After they lost the doubles on Saturday, the Kazak players returned to their hotel rooms in Ostrava to find them ransacked. Gone were laptops, cash and other personal goods to an estimated value of (USD) $23,500. Police said the break-in at the hotel was not thought to be related to the Davis Cup, but was more likely the work of an opportunistic thief working inside the luxury hotel. The thieves also targeted rooms of Kazak tennis officials and members of the official party. “Typical theft items were stolen,” said a Czech federation spokesman. Kazakhstan won the tie 3-2 and advances to a quarterfinal meeting against Argentina July 8-10.
SERVING FOR CANADA
Milos Raonic used his big serve to lead Canada to a 4-1 victory over Mexico in a Davis Cup Group 1 first-round tie. The win sends Canada into a second-round battle against Ecuador in July. Raonic won three matches in the five-match competition, capturing both of his singles and teaming with Vase Pospisil to win Saturday’s doubles match. Ranked 37th in the world, Raonic didn’t let the slow clay court surface bother him. “I know I have a lot of work to do on the clay,” Raonic said. “I have to put in hours. I’m going to do a full clay court season, I want to prove a lot on it. I don’t know too much of what to expect, I didn’t play at all last year on clay. So I look forward to that challenge.” The match with Ecuador will also be on clay. Canada was without doubles expert Daniel Nestor, who was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, but the team didn’t miss a beat with Pospisil filling in. The tie was televised nationally in Canada by Sportsnet, rare for a Canadian Davis Cup event.
SENIOR SITE
Mark Philippoussis withdrew his request for a wild card into the qualifying for the BNP Paribas Open and has instead decided to play with his own age group. Philippoussis won the Indian Wells tournament in 1999 and was set to receive a wild card into qualifying for this year’s event which features both men and women. Tournament officials said the 34-year-old Australian, who was runner-up at the 1998 US Open and the 2003 Wimbledon, will instead compete in a senior tournament in Zurich, Switzerland, making him unavailable for Indian Wells.
SOUTHERN GAL
Bollywood actress Lara Dutta said she’s glad her husband, tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, is a South Indian. After all, she said, she is a Punjabi girl who loves southern food. The statuesque beauty wed Bhupathi in a sunset ceremony in Goa. “I am a big foodie. Being a Punjabi, I love street food, especially chats, pani-puri, dahi-papdi, you name it and I love it,” said the former Miss Universe. “Being a Bangalorean, I also love South Indian food. I am glad I married a South Indian,” Dutta said.
Bhupathi recently made his debut as a film producer with “Chalo Dilli,” a movie that stars his wife and comic actor Vinay Pathak. The film was directed by Shashant Shah and is set for release on April 29. “‘Chalo Dilli’ is a journey which along with the two protagonists showcases the real India and its colorful and funny people with their eccentricities,” said Sunil Lulla, managing director of Eros International Media Ltd. “The film is an exciting collaboration with Mahesh and Lara and is going to take audiences by surprise with its strong content and fabulous casting.” Bhupathi, who is managing director of Big Daddy Productions said: “Through Eros International’s global positioning, we hope to present the film on a worldwide platform. We have a lot of faith in the script and believe that the audiences can expect a sure-shot rib tickler.”
SPONSORS
Besides being the new tournament director for the Atlanta Tennis Championships, Bob Bryant will also serve as USTA southern director of sales and marketing covering nine states and about one-quarter of the USTA membership. The Atlanta Tennis Championships will be played at the Racquet Club of the South July 18-24. Bryant spent five years at Turner Broadcasting and the Cartoon Network, mostly as vice president of off-channel commerce. He managed Cartoon Network Smash Tennis, a program designed with the Tennis Industry Association, USTA and ATP World Tour to promote tennis to youngsters. It included a national television image campaign and an interactive event that appeared around the United States and in South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. ”I am delighted to promote the game and serve the membership of USTA Southern,” Bryant said. “Atlanta is clearly a tennis town, and I look forward to building on the foundation of the Atlanta Tennis Championships and to welcome the ATP World Tour and the greatest professional tennis players in the world.”
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Kuala Lumpur: Dinara Safina and Galina Voskoboeva beat Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Jessica Moore 7-5 2-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)
Monterrey: Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King 6-7 (8) 6-2 10-6 (match tiebreak)
TO SURF
Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/
Zurich: www.zurichopen.net/
Nassau: www.thebahamasopen.com
Bahamas Tennis Association: www.blta.net/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
MEN and WOMEN
BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (first week)
SENIORS
BNP Paribas Zurich Open, Zurich, Switzerland, carpet
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$4,500,000 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$100,000 Le Gosier Guadeloupe Challenger, Guadeloupe, hard
WOMEN
$4,500,000 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$100,000 The Bahamas Women’s Open, Nassau, Bahamas, hard