Fed Cup Photos

AP

Petra Kvitova, left, from Czech Republic is embraced by the team's captain Petr Pala, right, as she celebrates after defeating Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia in their world group first round tennis match in Bratislava, Slovakia, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Kvitova won the match 6-4, 6-2 and gave Czech Republic a decisive 3-0 lead.

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Aleksandra Krunic (L) and Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia celebrate after beating Sharon Fichman and Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada during their Fed Cup doubles tennis match on February 6, 2011, in Novi Sad, Serbia. Serbia won the tie.


Reuters

US player Bethanie Mattek-Sands returns the ball against Belgian Kim Clijsters during the Fed Cup first round match on February 6, 2011 in Antwerp. Belgium won the tie.



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Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (L) is congatulated by her former teammate Anastasia Myskina (R) as they celebrate a victory over the French duo of Alize Cornet and Julie Coin during their doubles match of the Fed Cup tennis match in Moscow on February 6, 2011. Russia won the tie.

Li Na Makes History

by Craig Hickman


AP

Li Na became the first Chinese player to win a Premier event on the WTA tour. The first Chinese player to ever break into the Top 10 and the first to compete in a Slam quarterfinal (Wimbledon 2006), the independent and spirited fighter is poised to make more waves at the Australian Open next week. Last year, she and compatriot Zheng Jie both advanced to the semifinals Down Under. Surely Li will be looking to go at least one step further. She has a draw she can work with, to be sure.

She looked down and out against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals but fought through. In a blink, she was facing a 0-5 deficit in the finals. Then, almost like clockwork, Kim Clijsters performed one of her characteristic disappearing acts, stinking up the joint with error after error, and in another blink, the set was level at 5-5.

The rest is history.

"I've played here many years. Every time I saw the name of the champion and I would think, 'Oh, when will my name be there?'" Li said. "Also, when you walk to center court, you can see many pictures of champions over there. So after today I talked to me team, saying we will come next year and see my picture.

"But now Sydney is over and I have to focus on Melbourne. After these two hours, I just have to forget everything and start the next day."

The week's other winners.


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Gilles Simon of France holds the trophy after beating Viktor Troicki of Serbia 7-5, 7-6(4) in the 2011 Medibank International final at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre on January 15, 2011 in Sydney, Australia.


AP

David Ferrer of Spain celebrates with his trophy after his 6-3, 6-2 victory over David Nalbandian of Argentina at the final of the Heineken Open men's tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011.

Does the Spanish David play the flute?

AP

Jarmila Groth of Australia celebrates her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States at the Hobart International women's tennis tournament in Hobart, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011.

Is that a trophy, a splay of organ pipes, or some dried driftwood with a shield affixed?

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On to Melbourne....

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USA Wins Sixth Hopman Cup

by Craig Hickman



I couldn't stay awake after Sister Beth gave Justine the first set.

THE United States remains well and truly the most successful Hyundai Hopman Cup nation with the team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner claiming their sixth victory inside Perth's Burswood Dome in front of a crowd of 8564 people.

The USA team came into Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIII unseeded but played outstanding tennis all week dominating Group B beating France's Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut 3-0, Italy's Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace 2-1 and Great Britain's Laura Robson and Andy Murray 3-0 [sic].

Mattek-Sands and Isner took on the Belgium team of Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans in the Final after they replaced the Serbian team of Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic when Ivanovic suffered a slight stomach tear.

Belgium had put together a strong week in their own right, though, bouncing back from losing to Australia's Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt to beat Kazakhstan's Sesil Karatantcheva and Andrey Golubev 3-0 and then Serbia 2-1.

Henin, a winner of seven Grand Slam titles, gave Belgium a winning start by beating Mattek-Sands 7-6 (6), 6-3. Isner bounced back to even the Final at one rubber apiece after he downed Bemelmans 6-3, 6-4.

It was then the deciding mixed doubles to determine the Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIII winner and the USA dominated winning 6-3, 6-4. Mattek-Sands and Isner now join five other representatives for the United States to have won at the Hopman Cup.

The first victory came in 1997 with Chanda Rubin and Justin Gimelstob opening America's account. It took until 2003 for the next win when Serena Williams and James Blake were successful with Blake back the following year to win with Lindsay Davenport.

Lisa Raymond and Taylor Dent then teamed to win in 2006 and the fifth title came in 2008 when Williams returned to be victorious alongside Mardy Fish.

Mattek-Sands and Isner now join them after an outstanding week that has seen a total attendance figure of 78,242 attend. It is the biggest figure since the Cup has been an 11 Session event. Mattek-Sands was delighted in how the week in Perth unfolded.

''It’s been an amazing week. It’s my first time in Perth and I've really enjoyed myself. It’s funny, I saw this (diamond tennis ball trophy) actually when I first got here and I thought it was the best trophy in sports,'' Mattek-Sands said.

''This is one of the best run events of the WTA Tour of the year. It’s fantastic. There was a really strong field this year, there was great players; Ana, Justine, Djokovic, Hewitt. I hope everyone enjoyed watching some great tennis this week.''

Isner made his debut at last year's Hopman Cup and was delighted to return, and to partner Mattek-Sands to form a winning team. He was also happy to bounce back from a tough loss to Murray.

''I’ve got to thank Bethanie; her back’s got to be hurting from carrying me all week. She was rock solid all week long,'' Isner said.

''I kind of got a whooping yesterday (against Murray), but I regrouped and played very well today which is really, really encouraging. Also I want to say congrats to the Belgium team. It’s a great team we beat today.''

Read the rest....

Fed Cup Open Thread

AP

From left, United States tennis players Christina McHale, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Melanie Oudin before their Fed Cup World Group first round tennis match in Lievin, northern France, Saturday Feb. 6, 2010.

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FRANCE v USA
Venue: Stade Couvert Regional Lievin, Lievin, FRA (clay – indoors)

France
Alize Cornet
Julie Coin
Pauline Parmentier
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro
Captain: Nicolas Escude

USA
Melanie Oudin
Shenay Perry
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Liezel Huber
Captain: Mary Joe Fernandez

UKRAINE v ITALY
Venue: Palace of Sports "Lokomotiv", Kharkiv, UKR (hard – indoors)

Ukraine
Alona Bondarenko
Kateryna Bondarenko
Viktoria Kutuzova
Mariya Koryttseva
Captain: Vlodymyr Bogdanov

Italy
Flavia Pennetta
Francesca Schiavone
Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

CZECH REPUBLIC v GERMANY
Venue: Brno Exhibition Centre (Hall B), Brno, CZE (hard – indoors)

Czech Republic
Lucie Safarova
Lucie Hradecka
Petra Kvitova
Kveta Peschke
Captain: Petr Pala

Germany
Andrea Petkovic
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Tatjana Malek
Kristina Barrois
Captain: Barbara Rittner

SERBIA v RUSSIA
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (hard – indoors)

Serbia
Jelena Jankovic
Ana Ivanovic
Bojana Jovanovski
Ana Jovanovic
Captain: Dejan Vranes

Russia
Alisa Kleybanova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Vera Dushevina
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

Drought Over

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Eight consecutive finals lost. Five last year alone. But Svetlana Kuznetsova's title drought is over. She waxed world No. 1 Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 to win the Porsche Grand Prix and receive an injection of confidence that will serve her well in the lead up to Paris, a place where she can play her best tennis if she gets out of her own way. Today she was cool as the spring soil in dismantling her compatriot from everywhere on the court. Nice to see a champion return to form. Here's wishing her the best going forward.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Nadia Petrova won their second consecutive doubles title.

Face Of The Day

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American Bethanie Mattek-Sands celebrates breaking Tathiana Garbin of Italy in the second set during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden March 12, 2009 in Indian Wells, California. Bethanie won 6-4, 6-4.

American qualifier Angela Haynes (remember her?) also advanced. The three American men who played yesterday were ousted.