Bollettieri misses out on Hall of Fame
Notable coach Nick Bollettieri was not elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Bradenton Herald-Tribune reports. Bollettieri whose name is on the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida, was nominated in the contributor category along with former men’s circuit administrator Mike Davies and Japan’s Eiichi Kawatei, who has been active in all facets of the game.
“I don’t question it. It is just the way it is,” the 80- year-old Bollettieri said.
The official results of the voting has not been released yet. Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Gustavo Kuerten and three-time Paralympic medalist Randy Snow have been nominated in the Recent Player Category.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Sanchez says her parents left her broke
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario says in her forthcoming book “Arantxa, Vamos! Memoirs of a struggle, a life and a woman” that her parents stripped her of nearly all of her earnings and that she no longer speaks to them.
“My parents made me suffer a lot,” she is quoted by the magazine La Otra Conica as saying. She says has no relationships with anyone in her family, including her two former pro player brothers, Emilio and Javier. “My parents left me with nothing and now I am indebted to the [IRS} and I will not be quiet,” she said.
Four-time Grand Slams champion Sanchez won $16.9 million dollars in prize money in her 17-year career but claims that overall (including endorsements) she took in about $59 million. “Today I am without resources,” said Sanchez, who has just taken over as Spain’s Fed Cup captain.
Sanchez also said that her mother Marisa — who was with her at nearly every tournament throughout her career — was super controlling. “My mother decided on my hair, my clothes … When I bought something on my own, she rarely liked it,” she said.
Sanchez’s lawyers are still negotiating with the Spain’s IRS because she did not pay taxes for the years 1989-1993 when she claimed to have lived in the tax haven of Andorra. Sanchez also says that her family opposed her marriage to her current husband Jose “Pep” Santacana (she was briefly married once before to the broadcaster Juan Vehils). – Matt Cronin
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
McHale stakes U.S. to 1-0 lead in Fed Cup
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP)—Christina McHale beat Anastasiya Yakimova 6-0, 6-4 and gave the United States a 1-0 lead over Belarus on Saturday in the first round of the Fed Cup.
Yakimova was a late substitute for top-ranked Victoria Azarenka. The Australian Open champion withdrew earlier the day because of a sore lower back. Azarenka is eligible to play Sunday.
Serena Williams plays Olga Govortsova in Saturday’s second match of this best-of-five series in World Group II.
McHale won the first 10 games, then survived a scare in the second set when Yakimova rallied from 4-0 to tie it. Yakimova didn’t appear ready early, but pushed the young American in the second set before McHale closed it out. She broke Yakimova, then held serve after falling behind love-30 and then winning five straight points.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Youzhny to play Lacko in Zagreb final
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP)—Third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia reached the finals of the Zagreb Indoors tournament on Saturday after defeating Germany’s Michael Berrer 6-3, 6-4.
Youzhny—who will play his first final since St. Petersburg in 2010—will face Lukas Lacko on Sunday after the Slovak ousted sixth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 7-5, 7-6 (3).
“I am very pleased to be able to play for the title,” Youzhny said. “Wherever you are you try to play your best game.”
The Russian played well at crucial times against Berrer, who was a finalist here in 2011 and 2010. After winning the first set, Youzhny broke early in the second, but Berrer broke back.
Youzhny then broke again at 4-4 and went on to complete his victory.
Lacko will play his first ATP final after ousting three seeded players en route to the final. Lacko reached the third round at the Australian Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
He pressed hard against Baghdatis and managed a break at 6-5 in the first set, which he then easily closed.
Baghdatis responded aggressively in the second set and was two points away from a 5-1 lead, but Lacko recovered and won the tiebreaker.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Czechs, Russia lead 2-0 in Fed Cup first round
LONDON (AP)—Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova took more than two hours to put defending champion the Czech Republic in control of its Fed Cup tie with Germany, while Italy’s Francesca Schiavone surprisingly lost to give Ukraine a boost on Saturday.
The Czechs led 2-0 in Stuttgart, Russia led Spain by the same score in Moscow, Italy and Ukraine were 1-1 in Biella, and Belgium and Serbia were 1-1 in Charleroi.
Germany was without its best player, an injured Andrea Petkovic, but pushed the Czechs hard in both singles.
Iveta Benesova overcame Sabine Lisicki 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, then Kvitova was, twice, two points from losing to Julia Goerges in the second set, but pulled through 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in 2 hours, 21 minutes.
Goerges, who beat Kvitova in their only previous match, hit some superb service returns and twice broke back in the final set to put the pressure back on the Czech star.
“It was really little difference between us,” said Kvitova, who won her 26th straight indoor match.
She can clinch the Czechs a spot in the semifinals in April by winning the first reverse singles on Sunday against Lisicki.
In Biella, 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone lost a home Fed Cup match on clay for the first time in seven years when she was picked apart by unheralded Lesia Tsurenko from Kiev 6-1, 6-2.
Tsurenko, ranked 110 spots below Schiavone at 121st, dominated with a strong serve and accurate volleys in just her third tie.
She evened the tie after Australian Open quarterfinalist Sara Errani beat Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-3.
In Moscow, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova won their opening singles as expected and without trouble.
Sharapova accounted for Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 6-1 and Kuznetsova put away Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-1.
Sharapova was nervous because she lost her opening singles of her last tie in Moscow, last year against France. But Soler-Espinosa wasn’t up to taking advantage of it. Sharapova can send Russia into a sixth successive semifinals in Sunday’s first match against Suarez Navarro.
Belgium or Serbia will face the Russia-Spain winner in the semis, and the tie in Charleroi was evenly poised after the first day.
Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic first put Serbia in front by saving two set points in a 7-5, 7-5 win over Kirsten Flipkens, then Yanina Wickmayer hit back with 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Bojana Jovanovski, winning the last four games.
The minus-7 C temperature outside the Spiroudome almost overwhelmed the indoor heating, leaving the players and fans shivering. Jankovic joked she might turn out on Sunday in a coat and hat.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Azarenka out of Fed Cup opener with back injury
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP)—Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus has withdrawn from her Fed Cup match against the United States because of a lower back injury.
The Australian Open champion was scheduled to play Christina McHale in Saturday’s opening singles of the second-tier series. She was replaced by Anastasiya Yakimova but remains eligible to play Sunday in the best-of-five competition.
Azarenka says her lower back has been sore since the Australian Open. She says the long flight from Australia didn’t help her back and she has had little time for practice.
Azarenka took the No. 1 ranking after winning her first Grand Slam title last weekend.
“It has been a while and I have been trying to take [the injury] day by day. I had the pain since the Australian Open and was hoping to recover, but did not have enough time with all the flying I did,” Azarenka said in a satement. “Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. It’s disappointing, but health is the most important thing. I am trying to do my best and over the last few days, I have got treatment and not so much practice. It is frustrating to sit out, but what I did in Australia was very physical, so the body needs a little break. We have a great team and the girls are ready to go.”
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Injured Azarenka uncertain for match vs. Serena
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has pulled out of her first match in Fed Cup with a back injury. It is unclear whether she will be able to face Serena Williams on Sunday. . The Australian Open champion was scheduled to play the United States’ Christina McHale in Saturday’s opening match of the Fed Cup World Group II tie in Worcester, Mass.
“It has been a while and I have been trying to take [the injury] day by day,” Azarenka said in a statement. “I had the pain since the Australian Open and was hoping to recover, but did not have enough time with all the flying I did. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. It’s disappointing, but health is the most important thing. I am trying to do my best and over the last few days, I have got treatment and not so much practice. It is frustrating to sit out, but what I did in Australia was very physical, so the body needs a little break. We have a great team and the girls are ready to go.”
Azarenka did not cite an injury during her maiden run to a Grand Slam title in Australia, where she beat Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova back to back. After winning the title, she flew to Los Angeles and appeared on the “Ellen Show” before heading to Massachusetts. – Matt Cronin
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Youzhny beats Berrer to reach Zagreb final
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP)—Third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia reached the finals of the Zagreb Indoors tournament on Saturday after defeating Germany’s Michael Berrer 6-3, 6-4.
Youzhny—who will play his first final since St. Petersburg in 2010—will face either Lukas Lacko of Slovakia or sixth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus
Youzhny says he is “very pleased to be able to play for the title.”
The Russian played well at crucial times against Berrer, who was a finalist here in 2011 and 2010. After winning the first set, Youzhny broke early in the second, but Berrer broke back.
Youzhny then broke again at 4-4 and went on to complete his victory.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Monfils to face Berdych in Montpellier final
MONTPELLIER, France (AP)—Defending champion Gael Monfils saved a match point to edge second-seeded Gilles Simon 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 and reach the Open Sud de France final on Saturday.
Monfils will meet top-seeded Tomas Berdych, who beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 6-4.
Simon rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the final set, leveling at 4-4, but he dropped serve again to lose the all-French match.
“It’s not easy to outmaneuver Gilles,” Monfils told Sport Plus television. “I tried to be aggressive. I missed some shots in the beginning but that’s what made a bit of the difference in the end.”
Monfils whipped a forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead in the first set, but Simon broke back in the sixth game with a backhand return winner.
Simon put Monfils under pressure at 5-4 and took the first set when Monfils sent a forehand into the net.
Monfils saved eight break points in the second set, including a match point at 6-5, to force a tiebreaker. He leveled at one set apiece on a forehand error from Simon.
Monfils will play in his second final this season after reaching the Qatar Open final last month.
Berdych broke Kohlschreiber once in each set and saved all five break points he faced.
The Czech clinched victory when Kohlschreiber netted a backhand.
Berdych will chase his first title since winning the China Open last October.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines
Italy, Ukraine split opening singles in Fed Cup
BIELLA, Italy (AP)—Lesia Tsurenko routed 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-2 Saturday, leaving Ukraine tied with Italy after their opening singles matches at the Fed Cup.
Earlier on the indoor red-clay court at the Lauretana Forum, Sara Errani followed her quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open by beating Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-3.
Reverse singles and doubles in the first-round, best-of-five series is Sunday.
The 121st-ranked Tsurenko dominated with a big serve and accurate volleys, while Schiavone lacked her usual aggressiveness and fleet footwork.
Errani broke early in each set and was never really challenged by the 89th-ranked Bondarenko. The 34th-ranked Errani usually plays doubles for Italy, but captain Corrado Barazzutti decided to use her in singles because of her results in Australia and Flavia Pennetta’s back injury.
“It’s never easy to open in Fed Cup but it was a good match, very quick. She was hitting really hard,” said Errani. “For me, Fed Cup is the best thing all year.”
Errani was beaten by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the Australian Open quarters. She also reached the doubles final in Melbourne, pairing with Vinci in a loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
Italy won the Fed Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010. But in its previous outing, it played without Schiavone and Pennetta and lost to Russia 5-0 in last year’s semfinals, ending its winning streak of eight series. Italy has won all three of its series with Ukraine.
Original post by TENNIS.com – Headlines