Ana defeats Daniela 
From correspondents in Luxembourg City
Former Australian Captain October 01, 2007
ANA Ivanovic defeated Daniela Hantuchova 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the WTA Tour FORTIS Championships final in Luxembourg today.
Ivanovic, the No.2 seed from Serbia, has now won three titles this season after enjoting success in Berlin and Los Angeles.
Ivanovic struggled with her serve, which she dropped three times to concede the first set in 40 minutes.
Hantuchova, the
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Bernard Tomic … rising star in Australian tennis. Pic: Getty Images Australia wins Junior Davis Cup 
Former Australian Captain October 01, 2007
AUSTRALIA has won both the Junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
The junior boys team wrapped up a 2-0 result against Argentina, with Bernard Tomic and Mark Verrith winning their singles matches.
The junior girls
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Gasquet’s victory in India is his fifth overall on the ATP Tour The world number 14 built on an early break to win an opening set that featured long baseline battles.Belgian Rochus, playing in his first ATP Tour final of the season, traded breaks with his French opponent as the second set reached 3-3.But Gasquet, 21, broke again in the seventh game before serving out to win the match in just 86 minutes.
Gasquet too good for Rochus 
From correspondents in Mumbai, India
Former Australian Captain October 01, 2007
RICHARD Gasquet capped a spectacular run in the Mumbai Open with a 6-3 6-4 victory against Olivier Rochus in the final overnight.
Gasquet, the No.1 seed from France, faced a brief resistance in the second set before winning his first ATP Tour title of the season in an hour and 26 minutes on another hot and humid day.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist maintained pressure on Rochus, the No.8 seed from belgium, from the get-go with his steady and powerful backhand.
Comfortable win…Dmitry Tursunov returns against Benjamin BeckerPic: AP Tursunov wins in Thailand 
From Martin Petty in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
SIXTH-SEED Dmitry Tursunov breezed past unseeded German Benjamin Becker 6-2 6-1 to win his second title of the year at the Thailand Open today. Tursunov outclassed Becker with a combination of lethal serving and
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Williams wins in Korea 
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
IT was much tougher than she had bargained for but Venus Williams got the job done in the end, beating Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-3 1-6 6-4 in today’s final of the WTA Korea Open in Seoul. It was the third singles title in 2007 for Williams.
Forced to three sets for the first time in the tournament, she outlasted a resilient Kirilenko in a game that lasted two hours and 21 minutes, by far the longest one for either player.
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Venus committed 11 double-faults on her serve The American, whose right calf was heavily bandaged, had few problems in the first set in Seoul.But she lost her way in the second and was broken three times and double- faulted five times.However, Williams broke world number 29 Kirilenko in the seventh game of the third and went on to claim the title.
Aussie juniors shine 
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
THE Australia junior Davis and Fed Cup teams have won through to the final of their respective events in Italy.
Fed Cup team members Sally Peers and Isabella Holland both saved match points to win their semi-final against home nation Italy.
Victorian Peers defeated Nastassya Burnett 6-2 6-7 (7-6) 8-6, while Queenslander Isabella Holland overcame Vivienne Vierin 6-7 (7-4) 7-5 6-3.
The passage was a little easier for Australia’s junior Davis Cup team in its semi-final win over Taiwan.
Gasquet to clash with Rochus 
From correspondents in Mumbai, India
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
RICHARD Gasquet showed no mercy to his French compatriot Fabrice Santoro as he raced to the Mumbai Open final with a crushing 6-0 6-3 victory overnight.
The No.1 seed, 21, will next play No.8 eight seed Olivier Rochus, who stopped seed-slayer Rainer Schuettler from Germany 6-4 6-4 in the second semi-final.
Gasquet gave no chance to fifth-seeded Santoro, earning three breaks in the opening set and one in the second to run out a comfortable winner.
Hantuchova to meet Ivanovic 
From correspondents in Luxembourg City
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
ANA Ivanovic set up a meeting with Daniela Hantuchova in the WTA Tour FORTIS Championships final in Luxembourg.
Ivanovic, the No.2 seed from Serbia, eased past Vera Zvonereva from Russia 6-4 6-2 after Hantuchova, the No.4 seed from Slovakia, had defeated Marion Bartoli from France 6-2 6-2.
Hantuchova won the only previous meeting between the players, winning 6-3 6-1 on grass at ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands earlier this year.
Becker reaches first ATP final 
From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 30, 2007
BENJAMIN Becker will play the first ATP Tour final of his career, the Thailand Open title match against Dmitry Tursunov, after shocking Tomas Berdych in bangkok overnight.
The world No.79 from German dominated the final set and a half against the No.3 seed from the Czech Republic to win 3-6 6-4 6-4.
Berdych took two bouts of on-court treatment over the course of the last three games, for his back and his left knee.
Venus storms into Korean final 
Former Australian Captain September 29, 2007
WIMBLEDON champion Venus Williams advanced to the final of the Korea Open today after dismantling Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-2 6-2 in the semi-finals. Tournament top seed Williams will face Maria Kirilenko in the final of the $US145,000 ($A165,000) event.
Williams, who got stronger as the match wore on, was sublime at the net and fizzed serves of more than 200 kph past her world No.62 opponent.
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Hewitt was left to rue letting his first-set lead slip The German world number 143 outslugged the Aussie second seed and former world number one in one hour 36 minutes.Schuettler faces Belgian eighth seed Olivier Rochus on Saturday, while top seed Richard Gasquet takes on fellow Frenchman Fabrice Santoro, seeded five.”I felt a bit flat after playing two matches yesterday,” admitted Hewitt after his defeat at the rain-hit event.The 26-year-old said he was also feeling the effects
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Bartoli into Luxembourg semi-finals 
Former Australian Captain September 29, 2007
MARION Bartoli defeated No.1 seed Anna Chakvetadze to reach the FORTIS Championships semi-finals in Luxembourge overnight.
Bartoli, the No.5 seed and Wimbledon runner-up from France, defeated Chakvetadze 6-4 4-6 6-4 in two hours 20 minutes.
She next plays Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia, who defeated Patty Schnyder from Switzerland 6-3 5-7 7-5.
AAP
Hewitt crashes to unseeded German 
From correspondents in Mumbai, India
Former Australian Captain September 29, 2007
LLEYTON Hewitt has crashed to a shock defeat in the Mumbai Open quarter-finals, losing 6-3 7-5 to Rainer Schuettler.
Hewitt, the No.2 seed who won two matches yesterday, had a chance to stay in contention after losing the opening set when he led 5-2 in the second, but he failed to capitalise on the advantage.
Schuettler saved two set points in the eighth game of the second set and then reeled off three games in a row before wrapping up the match.
Berdych, Tursunov into Bangkok semis 
From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 29, 2007
TOMAS Berdych defeated No.7 seed Ivo Karlovic 7-5 6-4 in the Thailand Open quarter-finals last night to remain in the hunt for a second ATP Tour title of the year.
The No.3 seed from the Czech Republic, who played in a Davis Cup victory last over Switzerland weekend, will play Benjamin Becker for a place in the Bangkok final.
Becker, the
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Williams reaches semi-finals 
Former Australian Captain September 28, 2007
VENUS Williams reached the Korea Open semi-finals by beating Marta Domachowska of Poland 6-2 6-3.
The top-seeded Williams didn’t have everything her own way, trailing 3-1 in the second set, before reeling off five straight games.
“I wasn’t at my best,” Williams said. “There is no specific problem, I just feel a little tired. Now it is time to get ready for the semi-final.”
Williams will face Flavia Pennetta in the semi-finals. The Italian defeated Ayumi Morita of Japan 6-1 6-2.
Federer has won his fourth successive US Open title Federer, who won the Tokyo title in 2006, cited fatigue after winning his fourth consecutive US Open title earlier this month.He said: “I have not physically recovered 100% from the U.S. Open and Davis Cup.”The tournament starts on 1 October and Federer has been ordered by doctors not to play for 10 days.Federer defeated Britain’s Tim Henman 6-3, 6-3 in last year’s final.Organisers have said that Spain’s David Ferrer and
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Australia faces ‘tough away tie’ 
By Robert Grant
Former Australian Captain September 28, 2007
AUSTRALIA cannot count on strolling back into the Davis Cup World Group, according to Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley. The Australians’ crushing 4-1 loss to Serbia in Belgrade last week relegated the team to zonal play-off status.
Australia will meet Taiwan in an away tie in their Asia/Oceania Zone Group I first round match in February.
Tiley said that appeared straightforward on paper but Australia would be wary of any country playing away from home.
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Hewitt into quarter-finals 
From correspondents in Mumbai, India
Former Australian Captain September 28, 2007
LLEYTON Hewitt has defeated Boris Pashanski 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to storm into the ATP Tour Mumbai Open quarter-finals in India.
The No.2 seed from Australia saved three break points in the 11th game of the opening set before racing to victory in style, giving no chance to his Serbian opponent in the second set to complete his second win of the day.
Hewitt, 26,
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There have been a number of stories concerning corruption and match-fixing in tennis in recent weeks, although no cases have yet been confirmed.”We need to talk to people who’ve been in this world for a while and have a lot to share with us,” ITF committee member Bill Babcock told BBC Sport.”Do I think tennis is unclean? No, but we have a chance to stay ahead of it.”
Lindahl suffers Bangkok blues 
From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 28, 2007
AUSTRALIAN qualifier Nick Lindahl has been knocked out f the Thailand Open in the second round, losing 6-3 6-3 loss to Taiwanese qualifier Wang Yeu-tzuoo.
Wang, 22, has won two ATP Challenger titles this season defeated the world No.333 to set up a quarter-final date with No.6 seed Dmitry Tursunov from Russia.
Tursenov shrugged off exhaustion to defeat Michael Llodra from France 6-4 6-4 in just 62 minutes.
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Belgian offered Wimbledon bribe 
By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain September 28, 2007
THE tennis gambling scandal widened yesterday with revelations Belgian Gilles Elseneer was offered money to throw a match at Wimbledon. And Elseneer’s compatriot Dick Norman said he had been asked to provide locker room information on player injuries in return for cash from punters.
News of the approaches follows an illegal $255,000 incentive offered to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to deliberately lose in St Petersburg last year. He bypassed the tournament.
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Australia face Taiwan in Davis Cup 
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
Australia will begin its quest to return to the Davis Cup World Group with a tie against Taiwan in February.
The Australians will face the Asian minnows in Taiwan with the winners to play-off for re-entry to the World Group. The Taiwanese feature top 100-ranked Lu Yen-Hsun.
Winner of the Davis Cup 28 times, Australia dropped out of the World Group for the first time since when it lost to Serbia 4-1 last week.
Bangkok - German fourth seed Tommy Haas exited the depleted Thailand Open in a 6-4, 6-4 second-round upset loss to surprising Frenchman Nicolas Mahut on Thursday.
Mahut, ranked 71st, won his first match since July after making a run to the Newport semi-finals on grass. He then spent a month out with a foot injury but regained confidence after winning a European Challenger last week. ‘When it’s working then the rest of my game will be fine. My serve is my best weapon,’ said the 71st-ranked winner who struck nine aces. Haas,
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Hewitt makes winning start 
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
FORMER world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt beat Taiwan’s Ti Chen 6-3 6-3 today to reach the second round of the Mumbai Open.
The Australian took an hour and 18 minutes to dismantle his opponent who is ranked 300 places lower in a match that was called off due to rain.
Second-seeded Hewitt was scheduled to play his second round match later today after intermittent rain over the past two days had led
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Where to for Australian tennis? 
By Martin Gibbes
FOXSPORTS.com.au
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
I DON’T profess to be a tennis expert. But I am a fan of Lleyton Hewitt, and the sight of Australia’s Davis Cup team depending so heavily on him leaves me fearing the worst.
Doubles specialist Paul Hanley said before last weekend’s tie in Serbia that someone needed to stand-up and take the pressure off Hewitt. The result was a fairly predictable
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Hewitt return delayed by rain 
From correspondents in Mumbai, India
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
LLEYTON Hewitt’s return to action at the ATP Tour Mumbai Open was put on hold when his first-round match against Chinese Taipei’s Ti Chen was called off today due to rain.
The former world No.1 was due to play after pulling out of his reverse Davis Cup singles rubber against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with a virus as Australia, winner of 28 Davis Cup titles, was relegated from the world group.
Lindahl … a fresh face in Australian tennis. Pic: Associated Press Lindahl provides ray of light 
From staff reporters with wire services
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
NICK Lindahl cast a chink of light on the future of Australian tennis when he shocked Sam Querrey in the opening round of the ATP Tour Thailand Open in Bangkok overnight.
Just as a fresh wave of doom and gloom
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Sharapova has been plagued by shoulder problems Sharapova, 20, has been hampered by shoulder problems since March and has not played in a tournament since the US Open earlier this month.She is now expected to make a comeback at the WTA event in Madrid in November.”I was really looking forward to the Stuttgart tournament and I’m very sorry my injury hasn’t cleared up in time,” said the 2004 Wimbledon champion.”I’ll do everything I can to return to the tour as quickly as possible.”Sharapova,
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Britain will rely heavily on 20-year-old Andy Murray John Lloyd’s team qualified for the 16-country World Group for the first time since 2003 with a 4-1 win over Croatia at the weekend.Britain are unseeded and could face trips to Argentina, Spain or the USA.Following Tim Henman’s retirement, Britain will rely heavily on Andy Murray in the tie on 8-10 February.British number one Murray has promised to make himself available for the tie despite his scheduling concerns about
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To readers of this tennis guide, here is a little background information about yours truly.
I have been playing tennis for a long time, and have become fairly competitive.
In the beginning, I taught myself how to play, but I skipped out on researching techniques and play-styles.
In my third tournament I sprained my wrist,
The doctors told me it was because the ligaments were stretched beyond their normal limits; Upon further research I found out that these ligaments are quite tough.
So why did I really sprain my wrist?
I must have been swinging around my racquet really hard? Wrong!
Roddick has returned to the United States for treatment Roddick explained: “I hurt the bottom of my foot. When I practised, I hurt it again and I had to stop.”The American is the latest leading player to withdraw from the tournament.Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Joachim Johansson, Asian number one Lee Hyung-taik and home favourite Paradorn Srichaphan have already pulled out.Czech Tomas Berdych is now the only top-10 player left in the competition. Roddick arrived in Bangkok
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Sharapova shouldered from Stuttgart 
From correspondents in Stuttgart, Germany
Former Australian Captain September 27, 2007
MARIA Sharapova will miss the WTA Tour Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart next week due to a shoulder injury.
The world No.4 has had problems with her right shoulder since the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in March, and she has recently suffered a lot of pain when serving.
The Russian, 20, who has not played a tournament since the US Open,
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Bjorn Borg is looking forward to his first visit to Belfast The Swede will play alongside old rival John McEnroe and last year’s finalist Henri Leconte in the BlackRock Tour of Champions event, from 21-24 February.”This will be my first time in Belfast and I always love to visit cities for the first time,” said Borg.”I spoke with Anders Jarryd, who won the title last year in Belfast, and he said it was an unbelievable event.”Borg won five straight Wimbledon titles and beat
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Moya upset in Bangkok 
From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 26, 2007
UNSEEDED Benjamin Becker upset No.5 seed Carlos Moya in the first round of the Thailand Open last night.
Becker, the world No.79, snapped a run of seven consecutive first-round defeats stretching back to Wimbledon with his 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over the former world No.1.
In other matches, No.7 seed Ivo Karlovic from Croatia moved into the second round by defeating Feliciano Lopez from Spain 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
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Bangkok - Andy Roddick rode to the rescue of the star-short Thailand open on Tuesday, arriving as scheduled after injury pullouts from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic over the past two days. The American ranked fourth in the world came in from Sweden where his nation booked into the Davis Cup final at home with a win in Gothenburg. He will start on Wednesday night against Wang Yeu-Tzuoo. ‘It’s not easy coming with the time difference, admitted the American, a 2004 Bangkok finalist. ‘That’s what makes tennis hectic. But it also shows how global
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Kiefer, Schuettler earn upset wins 
Former Australian Captain September 26, 2007
GERMAN veterans Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler sent two seeded French players crashing out of the ATP Tour Mumbai Open in the opening round overnight.
Kiefer, a former world No.4, made the most of his wild card into the main draw by defeating No.3 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-3, while Schuettler ousted No.7 seed Julien Benneteau 7-5 6-3.
Kiefer, 30, who returned to the tour
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Roddick reaches Bangkok 
From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain September 26, 2007
ANDY Roddick showed up in Bangkok on schedule overnight, ready to play at the Thailand Open, after the top two seeds withdrew due to injury.
The now No.1-seeded American begins play against Taiwan’s Wang Yeu-Tzuoo tonight after arriving from Swedenm where he helped the US record a Davis Cup victory to reach a home December final against holder Russia.
“We’re very excited,” Roddick said.
Djokovic snubbed match-fixers 
By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain September 26, 2007
AUSTRALIA’S Davis Cup nemesis Novak Djokovic was reputedly offered $255,000 to throw a first-round match in St Petersburg last year.
According to European reports, the US Open finalist said he rejected the offer and did not play the Russian tournament.
The claim has emerged as the ATP continues to investigate the circumstances of a match involving Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland in July.
