Djokovic to play Ferrer in Dubai final

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Top-seeded Novak Djokovic rallied to beat third-seeded Gilles Simon of France 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 Friday in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The third-ranked Serb reached his first final of the season and will next face David Ferrer of Spain, who beat Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 6-2. Djokovic was broken early in the deciding set, but he broke back in the sixth game and then closed out the match with another break in the final game. "I feel a bit lucky, but I think you have to work for luck," Djokovic said. "It doesn't just fall through the sky. I think I fought my way through in the match, really believed until the end, and mentally, this is a very important win for me." Djokovic won the Australian Open in 2008, and added the Masters Cup title at the end of last season. At this year's Australian Open, he retired against Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals. "If I want to stay on top of the men's game, I have to win these matches," Djokovic said. "I made a lot of unforced errors in the first set and at the start of the second set. He was playing kind of solid, but only one style of tennis throughout the whole match. "I needed to change something in my game so I could start winning the games and points, and that's what I did. I became more patient and played more from the baseline to give myself opportunities." Ferrer looked good throughout his win over Gasquet. "This was the best match of the season for me," the 26-year-old Spaniard said. "I was very consistent and very focused. But even though the score reads 6-2, 6-2, it was a tough match and I think I was a bit lucky as well, because I saved a few break points during the match." From his side of the court, Gasquet could do little. "He played really well. That's the worst guy for me to play against," Gasquet said. "His game is the worst for me because he has no faults in his game he has a big backhand, big forehand and he runs everywhere, so that's really hard for me."

Murray sick, withdraws from Dubai

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Andy Murray withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday because of a viral infection, just hours before a quarter-final match against Richard Gasquet. Murray, also bothered by an ankle injury, said he's been feeling poorly since the Australian Open last month. "I got it first down in Australia, and I haven't been the same really since," Murray said. "I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. I got some anti-viral (medication) from the doctor ... but it didn't help so much." Murray's withdrawal gave Gasquet a walkover into the semifinals, where he will face David Ferrer. On Wednesday, the second-seeded Murray defeated Arnaud Clement 6-2, 6-3. "In between the sets, I felt so tired, really weak," Murray said. "When the adrenaline sort of wore off, (I) felt just very cold and sort of shivery. So obviously, felt my temperature was up. My body was just aching a little bit. I need to take some time off." Murray is uncertain for Britain's Davis Cup match against Ukraine next week. His doctor advised him to rest for a week to 10 days. "I don't know. I obviously want to try and play," Murray said. "Ill see how I feel and give it my best shot to get ready." Murray's withdrawal is another blow for an event already hit by controversy and a spate of injury-related absences. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer pulled out with injuries. Andy Roddick declined to defend his title, saying he disagreed with the Emirates' decision to deny Israeli Shahar Peer a visa to play in the women's tournament.

Ram falls in Dubai doubles match

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Protected by two bodyguards as he walked on the court Wednesday, Andy Ram became the first Israeli to play in this Gulf state. He lost a doubles match a week after Israel's Shahar Peer was denied a visa for the women's tournament.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, meanwhile, led the top six seeds into the quarter-finals of the US$2.23 million Dubai Tennis Championships.

Second-seeded Murray, the winner of two titles this year in Doha and Rotterdam, scored a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 victory over Arnaud Clement of France, but top-seeded Djokovic had to fight hard to beat Jan Hernych of Czech Republic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Murray will meet another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, for a place in Friday's semifinals, while Djokovic faces Croatia's Marin Cilic, winner of this year's tournaments in Chennai and Zagreb.

Seeds three to six, Frenchman Gilles Simon, Spain's David Ferrer, Cilic and Russian Igor Andreev also were winners.

Ram appeared relaxed and focused once he and partner Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe began the first-round match against Marat Safin of Russia and Spain's David Ferrer. Ram and Ullyet, the fourth seeds, lost 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.

Spectators had to leave their belongings outside, and metal detectors were set up outside the court. There were no protests or incidents, with about 100 spectators watching the match on an outside court.

Ram did not hold a news conference afterward, but organizers issued a transcript of comments made to a pool reporter.

"It was obviously something big, history here, what's been done, the first Israeli coming to play sport in Dubai," Ram said. "I fought for something really, really big and coming here was something big because it showed that we should not involve sports with politics."

Ram was granted special permission late last week to play in Dubai after Peer was barred from entering the country for her tournament.

At the time, organizers cited security concerns, prompting widespread protests and pressure to allow Ram to compete.

"It was different. It was an experience for me," Ram said. "They did everything possible to secure me ... Coming to the court, obviously with a couple of bodyguards, was nice. I felt like, OK, as soon as we start the match, hitting the first shot to warm up, I was thinking tactics and concentrating to win the match, but it did not happen today."

Ram said he was well received in Dubai, encountering no hostility.

United Arab Emirates has no diplomatic relationship with Israel, but Israelis with dual citizenship have entered for international sports and business events using second-country passports.

On some occasions, Israeli passport holders have been allowed entry for meetings held by the United Nations or other international agencies.

Dubai tournament organizers said Peer was denied an opportunity to play in the women's event because they feared fan anger over Israel's recent military offensive in Gaza. The WTA fined organizers a record $300,000 last week and the UAE granted a permit to Ram to play this week.

.Ram's next brush with politics is not far away. The Davis Cup series between Sweden and Israel next week will be played in Malmo without spectators. Swedish organizers said they anticipated anti-Israeli demonstrations.

"When I heard about the decision playing without crowd, that freaked me out," Ram said. "This is really something bad I think, and there's nothing I can do about it."

In other matches, Simon was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia, while Ferrer also scored a quick 6-4, 6-2 win over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Cilic was stretched to three sets by Frenchman Julien Benneteau before winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 and Andreev also went the distance before beating fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Murray who had lost both his previous matches with Clement in 2006, including a final in Washington, broke early when Clement double faulted in the third game, and then again on the seventh to win the first set in just 39 minutes.

He then converted his third break point to go 2-1 up in the second and had three chances in the fifth, but Clement saved them all. In the ninth game, Clement saved one match point with an ace, but Murray had the advantage again after a stunning forehand cross-court return, before closing the match in just one hour 23 minutes.

"The last couple of times we played, I was very young and he was a very experienced player," said the 21 year-old Murray. "But I am happy that I played much better than my first round.

"I served a whole lot better and didn't give him any chance to break. I think I adjusted well tonight."

Djokovic into second round at Dubai

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Top-seeded Novak Djokovic struggled with his serve before beating Italian qualifier Flavio Cipolla 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Serb broke Cipolla in the second game of the first set, but the Italian broke back in the fifth game. Djokovic found his form after that, however, and was rarely troubled. "I'm happy that I'm through in straight sets, but certainly it wasn't the performance I was looking for," Djokovic said. "I didn't expect him to play so many short balls, and with a change of pace, and that's probably what didn't give me a lot of rhythm. But it's my first match here, and I didn't have a lot of practice and arrived just two days ago from Europe." Djokovic, who retired from the Australian Open quarter-finals because of the heat, reached the Open 13 semifinals in Marseille, France, last week. "I think it is difficult to adjust when you play outdoors after indoors, because outdoors, you have elements that affect most wind, heat, sun, things like that. Indoors, you can get more still conditions and get into rhythm much faster than outdoors," Djokovic said. "But as I said, you always need a couple of days, which I didn't have. That's probably the reason why I had a little weaker performance today." Third-seeded Gilles Simon of France also struggled before advancing, defeating Kuwaiti wild card Mohammed Ghareeb 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, and eighth-seeded Marat Safin of Russia lost to Richard Gasquet of France 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Ghareeb is ranked 469th by the ATP, and his good play left the eighth-ranked Simon questioning his own abilities. "I have just been more consistent lately, but even this year, at the moment, there is not one match when I was feeling very good on the court. Even here, I win the first match and don't know if I can win more matches," Simon said. "I think it is mental. When you are playing a match like this, it's really not easy. The guy has a strange ranking, 400 or so, with his game, it's just unbelievable. "But you know that you are playing against the wild card, and you are losing, so you just have to fight. But it's hard to say, Come on, I am in the top 10 and I play a guy 400 and I don't know, and I have to give everything to win. ... I just have to accept that there is no easy match. Never, never. And every match can be really hard to win, even if you don't expect that." Safin, a former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, played well but couldn't get by Gasquet. "I struggled in the beginning with the serve, especially, and returns from the baseline, but I started to get used to it and I started to get better and better," Safin said. "But unfortunately, it's a lack of confidence and I didn't play for a long time after Australia. I played in Marseille, and it's my second match." Israeli player Andy Ram, who was given a special permit to play after Shahar Peer was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates for last week's women's tournament, plays his first doubles match Wednesday. Ram and partner Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe will face Safin and David Ferrer of Spain.

ATP: Dancevic qualifies at Delray

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DELRAY BEACH, Florida -- Austrian Stefan Koubek's return from injury continued to gain momentum as he beat American Bobby Reynolds 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships on Monday. "In general, I'm very happy because it was quite easy," said Koubek, who was sidelined for six months after surgery to repair a spinal disk last May. "It was a very solid match." The 266th-ranked Koubek, who won the tournament in 2000, broke serve twice in the first set and once in the second set to secure the win. "I only won three tournaments in my career so if I come back to one of those it's always something special," Koubek said. "It feels kind of strange because it was nine years ago. "I must be an old guy on the tour." Meanwhile Frank Dancevic on Niagara Falls, Ont., qualified for the main draw with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 win over American Wayne Odesnik. Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., failed to qualify after falling 6-4, 6-2 to Russia's Evgeny Korolev. In other first round matches, fifth-seeded Steve Darcis of Belgium was upset by Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, 6-3, 6-3, in the opening match of the day. Also, sixth-seeded Florent Serra of France beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-3, 7-6 (5). Taylor Dent, also on the comeback trail following two back surgeries in 2007, joined Dancevic, Korolev and American Ryan Sweeting for main draw spots on Monday. Dent, who thought he'd never play again and was out of action from February 2006 to May 2008, captured a 6-3, 6-3 win over Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador to qualify. Dent will play Mischa Zverev of Germany in the first round on Tuesday.

Venus looking for more hardware

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Venus Williams is ready to add to her collection of singles titles at the Acapulco Open.

The fifth-ranked American, who won her 40th title on Saturday at the Dubai Tennis Championships, is already feeling at home in Mexico.

"I have never been here before, but I grew up in California, so I got to know a lot from the Mexican culture and I kind of like it," Williams said.

"This is my first time here and I hope to keep the momentum from last week and get the 41st title. I'm excited to be here."

The seven-time Grand Slam champion is also looking forward to eating some Mexican food while in the country.

"I love spicy foods," Williams said. "Just today we were sitting thinking that is great to be here. I really enjoy Mexico. I have not even played yet, but it's great."

The 28-year-old Williams, the top-seeded player in Acapulco, opens against Nuria Llagostera of Spain on Tuesday. Defending champion Flavia Pennetta is also in the field.

"Flavia is a great player. I would love to play against her in Mexico," Williams said. "I know I'm the big favourite but I don't feel the pressure.

"I know I have to go out and do it well, for me, but also for the fans."

Murray wins opening match at Dubai

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Andy Murray got off to a winning start Monday at the Dubai Tennis Championships, a tournament missing many top players who are either boycotting or injured. Andy Roddick, who won at Memphis on Sunday, withdrew to protest the Emirates' decision not to grant Israeli player Shahar Peer a visa to compete in last week's women's event. Israeli Andy Ram was granted a visa and is scheduled to play doubles this week. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the top two players in the world, pulled out with injuries, and Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco aren't playing, either. Murray advanced when Sergiy Stakhovsky retired while trailing 6-7 (3), 6-3, 5-3. Both players were bothered by ankle injuries, but Stakhovsky could not finish the match. He called it quits with the fourth-ranked Murray leading 30-0 in the ninth game. "It was a bit strange with both of us struggling with our ankles toward the end of the match, but he was aggressive, fought very well and hit some unbelievable volleys," Murray said. "I think I tweaked my ankle about an hour and a half into the match. I have got to see the physio now. The ankle was feeling a lot better during practice, but I was wearing braces then." Qualifier Marco Chiudenelli of Switzerland also advanced, beating seventh-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (7). Fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and fifth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia rallied to beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Roddick wins 1st '09 title in Memphis

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Andy Roddick won his first title of 2009 and the 27th of his career Sunday, beating Czech Radek Stepanek 7-5, 7-5 in the finals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

Only Roger Federer (57) and Rafael Nadal (32) have won more titles among active players.

Roddick got a bit of revenge for losing to Stepanek in the semifinals in San Jose last week and improved to 5-1 all-time against the man trying to become the first Czech to win in Memphis since Ivan Lendl in 1991.

Roddick survived a tight match with lots of long rallies by breaking Stepanek in the 12th game of each set.

Roddick extended his streak of years with at least one title to nine, though Federer could match him with a victory this year.

The world's sixth-ranked player took home the US$300,000 winner's cheque and 500 ranking points for the ATP World Tour. He improved to 17-3 in match play this year. Of his 27 titles, 19 have come in North America, and this is Roddick's second at Memphis.

The American, with his fiancee, model Brooklyn Decker, cheering him on at courtside, was coming into the final off the longest match of the tournament. He needed two hours, 11 minutes to beat Lleyton Hewitt compared to the 57 minutes Stepanek breezed past qualifier Dudi Sela.

Stepanek came in enjoying the best start to a year in his career with two titles already to his credit and trying to win for the second straight week. He had won nine consecutive matches but started slowly.

Roddick broke him in the second game to go up 2-0. Stepanek trailed 3-1 when he broke Roddick and then held serve to even the first set at 3-3.

They appeared headed toward a tiebreaker when Stepanek trailed 30-40 and hit a forehand long to give Roddick the first set.

Tied at four in the second set, Stepanek had a chance to break Roddick at 15-40. The American fought back to force deuce, served up one of his eight aces with a 130 m.p.h., before Stepanek hit a forehand wide after a long rally.

Stepanek kept the match entertaining, at one point using his head to knock a ball back to a ball girl and then hitting a ball over to a ball boy through his legs.

When needing to hold serve to force a second-set tiebreaker, Stepanek won only one point off a forehand Roddick hit long up 0-40. Roddick then closed out the title with a forehand passing shot, celebrating by raising both arms in the air.

Roddick advances to Memphis final

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Andy Roddick struggled through two sets against Lleyton Hewitt before pulling out a 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory in the semifinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships on Saturday.

Hewitt won two more points than Roddick, trying to cap a week in which he started by upsetting No. 3 seed James Blake with a spot in the finals.

"I was lucky to get through," Roddick said. "He had me up against it for the better part of the match. I kind of just snuck out of the tiebreaker there, and I played my best tennis in the third set."

Roddick advanced to his second final this year and his fourth overall in Memphis where his lone win came in 2002. He will play Czech Radek Stepanek, who breezed past qualifier Dudi Sela of Israel 6-3, 6-1 to reach his second straight ATP World Tour final.

"I'd love to win this tournament again. It's been a long time," Roddick said.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won the Cellular South Cup championship Saturday night for her second career title, beating friend Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-1, 6-3 in a match that lasted 70 minutes only because the Dane talked with her coach twice and needed a trainer to bandage the inside of her right ankle.

Azarenka, who will be ranked 11th in the world Monday, also won in Brisbane earlier this year. She improved to 13-1 this year and 2-4 in finals.

"It feels really good because what can feel better than winning another title, especially the second one ... in the three tournaments I've played. I feel confident, and I want to keep going the same way. I think I deserve it because I worked really hard," Azarenka said.

Wozniacki had been 3-1 in finals, winning all three of her titles last year. But she struggled repeatedly with unforced errors after long rallies and was broken in the first game to start the match. Azarenka won 10 straight points before Wozniacki scored off her serve.

Azarenka followed up by taking 12 of 14 points and a 4-1 lead in the second before Wozniacki called for the trainer. When Wozniacki hit a forehand long on a second championship point, Azarenka dropped her racket and covered her face with both hands before meeting her friend at the net.

"She was just playing great," Wozniacki said. "I didn't feel like I was playing badly. We had a lot of long rallies, and I felt like whatever I did was just coming even faster back."

The duo then teamed up to play Yuliana Fedak and Michaela Krajicek in the doubles' final.

In the semifinal between former world No. 1s, Hewitt, working his way back from major hip surgery last August, was playing in his first ATP World Tour semifinal since August 2007.

The Aussie broke Roddick in the first game and again in Game 5 while cruising through the first set in 31 minutes.

The second set took an hour as Hewitt fought off six break points and Roddick two in forcing the tiebreaker. Roddick took control by winning four of the first five points, shaking off an overruling that pulled Hewitt within 4-2 after the American passed on a shot right in front of him because he saw it as out.

Roddick won three of the next four to win the tiebreak and the set.

"I played pretty well, served well for the majority of the first set. I returned especially well in the first set and gave myself some opportunities in the second set and couldn't quite take the couple of break points I did have the opportunities. He came up with a couple of big shots at the right time," Hewitt said.

The men currently tied with 26 ATP titles apiece, third behind Roger Federer (57) and Rafael Nadal (32) among active players, cruised through the first six games of the third set before Roddick got a chance at break point following a nice back and forth at the net. He said he guessed right and broke at the last second to hit a crosscourt winner.

Hewitt then hit a forehand into the net as Roddick went up 4-3 and served out for match.

Roddick said he settled down in the third set.

"I started hitting my forehand a lot better. That let me down a lot early especially in the first service game of the first set. I definitely donated a couple forehands there. I just kind of stuck around until I started hitting the ball better," he said.

Stepanek, trying to become the ATP Tour's first three-time winner this year, needed just 57 minutes to get into the finals for the second straight week. He is off to a career-best 16-2 start that includes wins at Brisbane and San Jose.

The Czech didn't win his 16th match until May last year.

"I'm feeling great on the court," Stepanek said. "With every match, the confidence grows and grows. I'm very happy for that. I'm healthy, I'm not having problems with my body, which is very important for me, and I can build on that."

Sela was trying to become the first qualifier to reach the final in Memphis. He won two qualifying matches to play his way into the tournament this week. But Stepanek handled Sela with his accurate serve, losing only eight points. He closed out the second set in just 25 minutes with his eighth ace.

Venus wins 40th singles title

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Venus Williams won her 40th singles title Saturday, defeating Virginie Razzano of France 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championship.

During the trophy presentation, Williams spoke about Shahar Peer, the Israeli player who was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates for the tournament because of what organizers called security concerns.

"I felt like I had to talk about her," Williams said. "I thought it was brave of her to come here and try and play despite knowing that it is not going to be easy for her. My dad grew up in an area where if you spoke too much, it was your life. So I felt I had a small opportunity to say something where everyone will listen."

Peer was denied entry into the country a week ago. The WTA fined organizers of the tournament a record US$300,000 Friday, saying it will compensate Peer and ensure other Israeli players aren't shut out of future events.

."I am not here to rock any boat or upset people, I am just here to do things that are right," Williams said. "And I think right things are already happening next week and right things will happen next year."

Israeli player Andy Ram was granted a visa Thursday for the upcoming men's tournament in Dubai. On Saturday, organizers said Ram would have the security needed to play.

"Obviously, Andy Ram got his visa, so I'll be happy to come and defend next year," Williams said. "If everyone is not given the equal opportunity to play, I'd rethink. But I love this tournament. They really care about the players."

.Williams, who reached the semifinals in Dubai in 2002, got her only break of the first set against Razzano in the 10th game.

"I think she definitely had a much better week than I had, even though I won the tournament," Williams said. "She played a great game and she came with a great game plan to come out and attack. She'd have been in trouble if she had let me take control of the match.

"But I am pretty used to players coming against me and playing aggressive tennis. I can't really control that, so I just try and play my side of the court."

Williams will improve to No. 5 in the WTA rankings when they are released Monday.

Razzano, who upset second-seeded Dinara Safina and fifth-seeded Vera Zvonareva in Dubai, said her performance was the best of her career.

"I am very happy," said the 58th-ranked Frenchwoman, who needed a medical time-out for her back. "I am happy for Venus, who played great and deserved to win. And I am feeling happy for myself because I played so well throughout the week. I know I can challenge the top players."

Withdrawals hit Dubai tournament

RelatedWTA fines Dubai tennisRoddick out in protest THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The Dubai Tennis Championships will start next week without five of the top seven men's players scheduled to compete at the ATP Tour event, mostly because of injuries.

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal (knee) and second-ranked Roger Federer (back) withdrew earlier this week. The tournament has since lost defending champion Andy Roddick of the United States, No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (undisclosed injury) and No. 9 Fernando Verdasco (ankle).

That leaves No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and No. 4 Andy Murray of Britain as the top two seeds in the draw announced Saturday for the US$2 million tournament.

Roddick said Friday he won't attend because he doesn't agree with the United Arab Emirates' decision to deny Israeli Shahar Peer a visa to play in the women's tournament this week. But Dubai tournament officials said if Roddick reaches Sunday's final in Memphis, Tenn., it would be impossible for him to arrive in Dubai for his expected opening-round match on Monday.

Israeli player Andy Ram was granted a visa for the tournament on Thursday. Peer was denied entry into the country a week ago, with tournament organizers citing security concerns. On Saturday, organizers said Ram would have security needed to play.

Last year, Murray knocked out Federer in the first round of the tournament. He'll face No. 79 Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

"The draw is definitely a bit different from last year, but we were not expecting it," Murray said. "They (the organizers) obviously had a great field lined up and some of the guys got injured. But it is certainly nice that I don't have to play a first round against Federer."

Top-seeded Djokovic, who is playing in France this week, will play a qualifier in the opening round.

Third-seeded Giles Simon of France faces Kuwaiti wild card Mohammed Ghareeb and fourth-seeded David Ferrer will face Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.

Marat Safin, Nicolas Kiefer and Ghareeb were added as wild cards.

Venus wins showdown with sister

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Venus Williams beat younger sister Serena 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (3) Friday to reach the final of the Dubai Tennis Championship.

The sixth-seeded Venus dominated the first set at the Aviation Club as Serena struggled with her serves.

"I loved the way the first set went," said Venus, who will face Virginie Razzano of France in Saturday's final. "I just had two second serves in the (entire) first set."

Venus now leads the career series between the American sisters 10-9.

"I think my serve has gone somewhere on vacation and I need to go there and catch up with it," said Serena, the Australian Open champion. "Venus played well, and served really well, which was the difference,"

Serena hit her first ace in the second game of the second set to save a break point, and then hit another to make it 1-1 before breaking her sister twice.

"She fought back well after that, and I was still trying to finish the points quickly in the second set," Venus said. "But when I saw that she was playing better, I had to change my game a bit."

The sisters traded breaks in the third set.

"I was pleased with the win, but I would have been more pleased if it was the final," Venus said. "It definitely was a final-quality match. After all, she is the No. 1 player in the world and we are the best players in the world. She is one player I respect most on the tour, so it feels very satisfying."

Serena appeared to be bothered by a lingering knee injury which forced her to pull out of last week's Open GDF Suez semifinals.

"I am looking forward to a break before I play Miami," Serena said. "I really need it and I think it will be good for my knee. I have never played so much tennis in my whole career."

Razzano beat 16th-seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-1, 6-2. The 58th-ranked Frenchwoman had already upset second-seeded Dinara Safina and fifth-seeded Vera Zvonareva in Dubai.

"I am not surprised at my results here," Razzano said. "I know I have the tennis in me to beat the top-ranked players. And I worked very hard on my game during the winter break and I am feeling good about it."

Down a break in the first game of the second set, Kanepi rallied to get to 2-2 but then faded again.

"After a few good matches, I was really looking forward to this one, but nothing worked for me," Kanepi said. "I struggled with my serve, my returns and my overall game."

The Dubai Tennis Championship attracted a quality field this year, with nine of the WTA Tour's top 10 players in the draw. But it was overshadowed by the refusal to allow Israeli player Shahar Peer into the country. Organizers said they feared fan anger over Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip would spill into riots in the Arab country if Peer were to play.

On Thursday, however, the country said it was issuing a special permit for Israeli tennis player Andy Ram so he can play in next week's men's tournament.

Serena, Venus to battle at Dubai

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- American Serena Williams will face older sister Venus in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championship after both advanced with straight-set wins Thursday.

Top-seeded Serena Williams beat eighth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals while Venus Williams defeated defending champion Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-3.

"We are both the best players on the tour right now," said Serena, who is 9-9 against her older sister. "Obviously, we both are also playing our best tennis right now, which definitely makes our matches more exciting."

Ivanovic, a former top-ranked player, tried to unsettle Serena with an attacking game at the Aviation Club.

"She was really trying to hit hard," said Serena Williams, who won the Australian Open last month. "I think her goal was to go for broke.

"I was feeling as bit tired at the start of the second set, but wasn't too worried about her going 3-0 up as I knew I was just a break down. I knew I could pull it off."

Venus Williams raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set, and in the second broke her opponent again when the fourth-seeded Russian double-faulted in the seventh game.

"She has been playing great this year and she is a great player," Venus Williams said. "She likes to control the match, and I also like doing the same.

"So, I am pleased that I was able to do that."

Also, Virginie Razzano of France upset fifth-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia 7-6 (7), 7-5, and 16th-seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina 6-3, 7-5.

Israeli player gets Dubai visa

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Israeli tennis player Andy Ram will be allowed to play in a premier Dubai tennis tournament after officials said they would permit the seventh-ranked doubles player to enter the country.

The Persian Gulf country banned Israeli woman's tennis star Shahar Peer earlier this week from entering the UAE to participate in the lucrative Dubai Tennis Championships. Organizers said they feared fan anger over Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip would spill into riots in the Arab country if Peer were to play.

After Peer was barred, the tennis world harshly criticized the UAE for its ban of Israelis, and top past and present women players also came to Peer's defence -- including Americans Billie Jean King and Venus and Serena Williams.

Tennis governing officials warned that holding future tennis events in Dubai could be in doubt if the Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, continued to ban Israelis. And the ATP, which runs the men's tournament, gave the United Arab Emirates a Friday evening deadline to decide whether to grant Ram a visa.

ATP President Adam Helfant described the Emirates decision at the "right" one.

"No player, who qualifies to play an ATP World Tour event, should be denied their right to compete on the basis of ethnicity, nationality or religion and we are happy that the Dubai Tennis Championships and the UAE have shown that they share that view," he said in a statement.

Ram's lawyer, Amit Naor, said the Israeli was playing in France and had not yet been notified about the decision.

"I hope that this is a breakthrough and marks the end to these types of things. Obviously, we battled to get a player into a tournament. I'm glad that we succeeded," Naor said.

The head of the Emirates consular affairs department said a "special permit" had been granted. But Sultan al-Qurtasi stressed the decision should not be interpreted as a political one and would not change the fact that the Emirates does not have relations with Israel.

"This comes as part of UAE's commitment to organize international sport, educational and economic events and activities without putting any boundaries in front of the participation of individuals from states represented in the United Nations," al-Qurtasi was quoted by the country's state news agency, WAM.

.The controversy over the Israeli players could undermine the UAE's desire to host big-time global sporting events. The Tennis Channel cancelled plans to televise the women's tournament, which is currently under way, and the Wall Street Journal Europe withdrew as one of its sponsors.

A prominent group of Jewish American leaders also urged the Women's Tennis Association to punish the UAE for banning Peer and it had called on international tennis authorities to cancel the men's tournament if Ram was not given permission to participate.

The ban on Israeli athletes is just the latest fallout for Israel from its three-week-long offensive against militants in Gaza. Nearly 1,300 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed in the fighting. The operation was heavily criticized around the world, and Peer had faced protests over it during a recent tournament in New Zealand.

Bad back derails Federer Express

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Roger Federer pulled out of Switzerland's Davis Cup series against the United States next month and a tournament in Dubai next week because of a back problem that has bothered him since last year.

The 13-time Grand Slam singles champion had announced in October he would play for his country against the U.S. team led by Andy Roddick in Birmingham, Ala., on March 6-8. It would have been the first time since 2004 that Federer played in first-round Davis Cup matches.

"As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season," Federer said in a statement posted on his website Tuesday.

He has not played a competitive match since Feb. 1, when he lost to top-ranked Rafael Nadal in five sets in the Australian Open final. A victory over Nadal in that match would have allowed Federer to tie Pete Sampras' career record of 14 majors.

A right leg injury could force Nadal to miss the Feb. 23-28 Dubai tournament, too, but he said Monday he hopes to play for Spain in the Davis Cup.

"This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favourite events on tour in Dubai, but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup," Federer said.

Tickets for all three days of the Switzerland-U.S. contest at the 16,000-seat Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena sold out in less than an hour last month.

"I'm kind of disappointed, to be honest. Obviously, it changes the complexion of the match, in that it makes us a pretty significant favourite," U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe said in a telephone interview.

"He's a big part of the reason we sold out. I'm kind of disappointed for tennis," McEnroe said.

Without the No. 2-ranked Federer, Switzerland probably will rely heavily on No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka against the United States. Wawrinka teamed with Federer to win the gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Olympics.

The U.S. team is expected to include No. 6 Roddick, No. 13 Blake and the doubles pairing of twins Bob and Mike Bryan.

Serena needs just 59 mins. in final

RelatedWilliams: 6-0, 6-3
Men's draw:Instant classic: Nadal's five-setterPistol Pete on Federer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams always selects a special outfit to bring to Australia for a victory celebration. Every second year, she gets to wear it.

Williams' 6-0, 6-3 rout of Dinara Safina on Saturday earned her a 10th Grand Slam title, a fourth Australian title -- coming each odd-numbered year since 2003 -- and the No. 1-ranking.

"I actually forgot until the end when I was saying hi to my box. They're like, 'Hey, you're No. 1.' I was like, 'Oh, yeah,"' she said.

Not that a number means everything.

"I always believe I'm the best, whether I'm No. 1 or 100," she said. "Just having that extra bonus is pretty cool."

Williams set aside a stylish black top to wear for the big occasion this time. In between the match, doping tests and media commitments, she changed into it.

"I always bring an outfit for the championships," she said. "I always try to think positive, and I think it helps me be able to win."

Williams was so dominant that Safina, a 22-year-old Russian playing in her second major final, didn't feel worthy of being on the same court.

"It was first time for me to play not only for the Grand Slam, but also for No. 1 spot," said Safina, the 2008 French Open runner-up. "I never been through this situation, and she was already.

"Serena was too good ... I was just a ballboy on the court today," added Safina, apologizing to the Rod Laver Arena crowd after the 59-minute match.

After Melbourne's hottest three-day heat wave on record, conditions were a relatively mild 26 degrees for the tournament's first women's final at night.

Safina had been hoping to emulate two feats her brother, Marat Safin, achieved. He won the 2005 Australian Open -- the day after Serena won her second title here -- and held the No. 1 ranking.

"She played exactly the way she had to play and she was much more aggressive and she just was taking time out of me," Safina said.

"She didn't give me a chance."

Williams' win at the U.S. Open in September gave her the No. 1 ranking for the following four weeks, her first stint at the top since a 57-week stretch from July 2002.

She started this year at No. 2 and slowly worked her way through the tournament. She was struggling with her serve at times and had to fend off Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals when the Russian was serving for the match.

"I was playing lazy tennis in the beginning and I was doubting myself," she said. "I'll thank my mom for hanging in there this week. The first week was tough, but we got through it."

She lifted herself in the semis to snap Olympic champion Elena Dementieva's 15-match winning streak and was overpowering from the first game of the final, losing only eight points and winning 18 of the last 20 in the 22-minute first set.

Williams finished with 23 winners and just seven unforced errors, winning more than twice as many points as Safina..

In '07, when Williams was ranked No. 81, she beat six seeded players en route to the final, where she beat top-ranked Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.

In her two earlier runs to the Australian title, she'd had to save at least two match points in the semifinals. This was more straightforward.

"It was definitely one of my most dominant performances, especially considering it was a final," Williams said. "I was able to just lift the level of my game."

The first set was only the third 6-0 scoreline in the Australian Open final in 47 years. On the court after the match, Williams commended Safina for never giving up and being a good advertisement for women's tennis.

In a news conference later, she was asked if fans should be surprised or worried about a 6-0 set in a final.

"Uhm, hmm. I don't know ... You should never be surprised by anything that I do."

Williams' win here gave her back-to-back majors for the first time since winning the Australian title in 2003 to complete her "Serena Slam" of four consecutive majors. The only other woman since then to win back-to-back majors was now-retired Justine Henin, who won the 2003 U.S. Open and 2004 Australian title.

Williams still remains far away from the women's record for Grand Slam singles titles. Margaret Court Smith had 24 and Steffi Graf 22.

But by making the singles and doubles finals, she already had become the all-time leading money winner in women's sports. And her US$1.3 million for the singles title lifted her career earnings above $23.5 million..

She planned to spend a little of it in a double celebration with men's doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan. She and sister Venus won the women's doubles final Friday -- their eighth Grand Slam doubles title.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their seventh title Saturday, beating Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 to regain the No. 1 ranking.

"All I know is Serena usually picks up the bill," Mike Bryan said of the impending, co-celebrations.

.Williams took less than one-fifth of the time to beat Safina than top-ranked Rafael Nadal needed to fend off fellow Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco to reach the men's final.

Nadal won 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4 in five hours 14 minutes Friday, the longest match in the tournament's history, to reach Sunday's final against Roger Federer..

Federer, seeking to equal Pete Sampras' record 14 Grand Slam singles titles, beat American Andy Roddick in straight sets on Thursday.

On Sunday, they'll be meeting for the seventh time to decide a Grand Slam. Nadal, the four-time French Open champion, has a 4-2 edge highlighted by last year's epic five-set win at Wimbledon. He also ended Federer's 237-week stretch at No. 1 last August.

"This is where I won the Grand Slam to become No. 1 in the world, back in 2004," Federer said. "The stage is set for a great match. I hope we can live up to them.

"Hopefully, (I'll) equal Pete's record."

Venus to play in showdown at MSG

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- Venus Williams and women's tennis are returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time in nearly nine years. Williams will join her top-ranked sister, Serena, and Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic on March 2 in the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup. They will compete for US$1.2 million in prize money. The Garden last hosted the WTA season-ending championships in 2000. The single-elimination showdown will feature three players who won Grand Slam titles in 2008. Ivanovic won her first major at the French Open, Venus won Wimbledon and Serena won the U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open. They will compete in a one-set, no-ad scoring semifinal. The winners will play a best-of-three final.

WTA: Dubai event bars Israel's Peer

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS -- The lucrative Dubai tournament risks being struck from the women's tennis calendar after the United Arab Emirates refused a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer, the head of the WTA tour said Monday.

Larry Scott said barring entry to Peer could have ramifications beyond tennis because it threatens the principle that sports and politics should not mix.

Speaking in a telephone interview, he said the WTA will consider "what types of sanctions are going to be deemed to be appropriate in light of what has happened, including whether or not the tournament has a slot on the calendar next year."

Asked if there is a risk that the tournament could be dropped if Peer does not get redress, Scott replied: "You could say that, yes."

"There's two things we need to consider: what's the future fate of the Dubai tournament and what sanctions apply and the second thing is how does Shahar get treated fairly, how does her situation get redressed?" Scott, the WTA tour's chairman and CEO, told The Associated Press.

The UAE rejected Peer's visa request a day before she was to arrive for the US$2 million Dubai Tennis Championships, which includes all the top-10 women's players.

Peer, 21, is ranked 48th, had qualified and was already placed in the woman's draw. She was scheduled to play Monday against 15th-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

Organizers gave Peer no reason for the rejection, but it appeared to be due to anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state, particularly after last month's three-week war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.

"There are some very important principles at stake here," Scott said. "Sports and politics should not mix and the fundamental principles upon which the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are founded include open and fair competition to all, regardless of nationality, creed, race, religion, etc.

"That's not just a principle that our Tour is founded upon but I think it is the underlying spirit of international sports in general and therefore I think the ramifications of what happened here ripple well beyond tennis.

"We will think deeply about this in making our decision on what our final response is."

Scott said the WTA decided to continue with the tournament to avoid hurting the other players who are already in Dubai. That decision was taken in consultation with Peer, he said.

"She didn't want to see her fellow players harmed the same way she was being harmed," Scott said.

He said UAE officials did not give an exact reason why the visa was refused, "but it can really only be related to her nationality and political and security-related issues."

Pressure rising on Dubai tourney

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Security worries led authorities to bar an Israeli woman from playing in a Dubai tennis tournament, organizers said Tuesday, as a new showdown loomed between the Emirates' hunger for big-time sports events and its stance on Mideast political tensions.

The statement from the Dubai Tennis Championships -- citing fan anger over Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip -- was its first detailed defence since a visa was denied at the last minute for Shahar Peer, the 48th-ranked women's player in the world.

But it also raised the potential for further uproar, since Israeli doubles player Andy Ram is seeking to compete in the men's rounds next week.

The overseers of world tennis tours seemed determined not to ease up in their outage at the United Arab Emirates over the snub of Peer just before the tournament began Sunday.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, which runs the men's tour, said the UAE must "make the right decision." The Women's Tennis Association warned that the fallout could include dropping Dubai from its calendar.

The Wall Street Journal Europe, meanwhile, announced it had withdrawn as one of the sponsors of the Dubai Tennis Championships. It said the rejection of Peer ran counter to the newspaper's editorial philosophy of "free markets and free people."

Peer's rejection is raising questions about the Emirates' credibility as a high-profile sports host if regional issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict can intrude.

For the UAE, it's a serious and potentially costly dilemma.

Its main centres, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have used sports to enhance their image as more than just places of skyscraper forests and headline-catching projects such as artificial islands and indoor skiing. The world's top athletes -- from Tiger Woods to marathoner Haile Gebrselassie -- are now regulars.

Yet the UAE also portrays itself as a champion of the Palestinians. It even cancelled lavish New Year's celebrations in Dubai in solidarity with the Gazans during the recent combat.

"We do not wish to politicize sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region and not alienate or put at risk the players and the many tennis fans of different nationalities that we have here in the UAE," according to the tournament statement read to reporters by director Salah Tahlak.

It said the organizer, Dubai Duty Free, feared Peer's "presence would have antagonized our fans" because of the fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza.

Three weeks of violence killed about 1,300 Palestinians, at least half of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Thirteen Israelis died, including three civilians, before a tentative cease-fire halted fighting Jan. 18.

The tournament statement expressed concern that Peer's presence might lead to protests, boycotts and threats to the players' "well being."

Such demonstrations or security threats are rare in the UAE, but the statement suggested there were particular worries of unrest by conservative groups or the many imported Muslim labourers from Pakistan and elsewhere.

Tennis groups are now waiting to see whether the Emirates reverses course and allows in Ram, who is ranked No. 7 in the world in doubles.

Ram's lawyer, Amit Naor, told The Associated Press that the player is in Marseilles, France, and awaiting word if he will be allowed in by Dubai.

"Andy wants to play. He's not interested in all the other stuff," Naor said. "He's not looking for trouble, he's looking to play ... We thought politics was already out of sports."

The ATP said it also was awaiting "an official decision" on Ram's visa. His doubles partner is Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe.

Ben Nichols, a marketing official for the Dubai tournament, said organizers did not know Ram's visa status.

Peer, in a written statement, noted the "tremendous outpouring of support and empathy" after she was denied a visa.

"Going forward, I am confident that the tour will take appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future ... There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport," she said.

The world's No. 1 female player, Serena Williams of the United States, a member of the WTA's players committee, said there had been no talk of a boycott in Dubai, but the group was taking Peer's absence "very seriously."

The WTA tour has one of its last events of the season this fall in Qatar, which has been open to Israeli competitors in the past and has led Persian Gulf outreach to Israeli political and business leaders.

But anger over the Gaza conflict brought an abrupt change in January, when Qatari officials hosted a leader of Hamas and expelled an Israeli trade office.

On Monday, the president of the International Tennis Federation, the sport's governing body, said he planned to remind UAE authorities that the organization "does not permit discrimination on any grounds."

"The ITF believes that sport should not be used as a political tool but rather as a unifying element between athletes and nations," Francesco Ricci Bitti said.

------

Associated Press writer Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Mauresmo battling back into form

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS -- After struggling through a pair of injury-plagued seasons, two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo looks like she is getting back to her best.

The former top-ranked Frenchwoman, who has beaten four top 10 players already this year, won the Open GDF Suez on Sunday for her first WTA Tour title since February 2007.

"There were times when I doubted myself. I had moments when I asked myself if it was worth it," the 29-year-old Mauresmo said after her win. "But each time I told myself 'maybe you should quit,' I didn't feel it at all."

Mauresmo won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2006, but she was hit by a string of injuries over the last two years. After an emergency appendectomy in March 2007, she strained her right adductor and then injured her left thigh and her right rib muscle in 2008.

Those injuries certainly contributed to the tears that streamed down Mauresmo's face after winning her 25th title Sunday.

"There was a lot of emotion," Mauresmo said. "I had to let it go. I chased all the doubts, all the tough moments I went through those last two years."

Part of the change in fortunes may be attributed to a change in coach. Mauresmo ended her partnership with Loic Courteau last September and hired Hugo Lecoq in November.

"When you make a change, there's a new momentum that is created, a new motivation, a new way of working," Mauresmo said. "It was quite a lot of changes for me. Maybe that's what I needed."

Mauresmo also noticed that 16 years playing at the highest level in women's tennis takes its toll, which is why she decided to skip this week's Dubai Tennis Championships.

"I have to stop dreaming," Mauresmo said. "Physically, it's not anymore like it was 10 years ago. ... If I were to depart for Dubai, it'd be a night flight. And then playing on Tuesday would not be possible."

After finishing in the top 10 seven times between 1999 and 2006, Mauresmo fell in the rankings to 18th in 2007 and 24th in 2008. But the victory in Paris put her back in the top 20, at No. 19.

"The ranking is not the goal," Mauresmo said. "You have to play a lot to be among the very best in the rankings. If I'm ranked 30th but win tournaments like this one, it doesn't bother me."

Dubai tournament risks sanctions

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS -- The lucrative Dubai tournament risks being struck from the women's tennis calendar after the United Arab Emirates refused a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer, the head of the WTA tour said Monday.

Larry Scott said barring entry to Peer could have ramifications beyond tennis because it threatens the principle that sports and politics should not mix.

Speaking in a telephone interview, he said the WTA will consider "what types of sanctions are going to be deemed to be appropriate in light of what has happened, including whether or not the tournament has a slot on the calendar next year."

Asked if there is a risk that the tournament could be dropped if Peer does not get redress, Scott replied: "You could say that, yes."

"There's two things we need to consider: what's the future fate of the Dubai tournament and what sanctions apply and the second thing is how does Shahar get treated fairly, how does her situation get redressed?" Scott, the WTA tour's chairman and CEO, told The Associated Press.

The UAE rejected Peer's visa request a day before she was to arrive for the US$2 million Dubai Tennis Championships, which includes all the top-10 women's players.

Peer, 21, is ranked 48th, had qualified and was already placed in the woman's draw. She was scheduled to play Monday against 15th-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

Organizers gave Peer no reason for the rejection, but it appeared to be due to anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state, particularly after last month's three-week war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.

"There are some very important principles at stake here," Scott said. "Sports and politics should not mix and the fundamental principles upon which the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are founded include open and fair competition to all, regardless of nationality, creed, race, religion, etc.

"That's not just a principle that our Tour is founded upon but I think it is the underlying spirit of international sports in general and therefore I think the ramifications of what happened here ripple well beyond tennis.

"We will think deeply about this in making our decision on what our final response is."

Scott said the WTA decided to continue with the tournament to avoid hurting the other players who are already in Dubai. That decision was taken in consultation with Peer, he said.

"She didn't want to see her fellow players harmed the same way she was being harmed," Scott said.

He said UAE officials did not give an exact reason why the visa was refused, "but it can really only be related to her nationality and political and security-related issues."

Nadal could skip Dubai tournament

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID, Spain -- A leg injury could force Rafael Nadal to skip the next ATP tournament in Dubai, but the top-ranked Spaniard said Monday he should be back in time to play for Spain next month in the first round of the Davis Cup.

Nadal received treatment on his right leg Sunday in the final of the ABN Amro, which he lost to Andy Murray. Although many believed the injury to be linked with the right knee injury that forced him to skip last year's Davis Cup final, Nadal said otherwise.

"It's not the knee, so there's no worry about that," Nadal said at a sponsors event. "I'm sure I will recover quickly. It's nothing similar to last year. It's a lot less worrisome, let's hope."

Nadal said he would play for defending champion Spain against Serbia in the Davis Cup from March 6-8 -- barring injury -- but couldn't confirm he would participate in the Dubai Tennis Championships, which start next Monday.

Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, the Spain team doctor, said Nadal had strained a ligament below the knee against Murray but that the injury was not severe and that he should recover quickly.

"It's a result of a combination of things, from fatigue to the change of playing surface," Ruiz-Cotorro said. "There are few tennis players who don't go out onto the court without some kind of nag, or problem."

Ruiz-Cotorro said that Nadal's off-season regimen meant he was better prepared for this season then in the past when a lengthy calendar often left the 22-year-old battered at the end of the season.

"He's taken a longer break coming in. He's better prepared than ever," Ruiz-Cotorro said.

Nadal became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open, beating Roger Federer in a gripping final last month.

Bjorn Bjorg is the only other player to have won six majors by his 22nd birthday, and Nadal can become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a Grand Slam by sweeping all four majors in the same year.

"The season has started well, but it's a long year," said Nadal, who has also won four French Opens and one Wimbledon title. "It's still too early to evaluate anything."

Kuznetsova bounced from Dubai

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova became the biggest casualty on the second day of the US$2 million Dubai Tennis Championship as she was dumped from the tournament by compatriot Elena Vesnina.

However, on court play was overshadowed by the Emirates refusal to grant a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer, with WTA tour head Larry Scott saying Monday the lucrative tournament risks being struck from the calendar for violating the principle that sports and politics should not mix.

Struggling to find her rhythm throughout the second-round match, Kuznetsova lost to Vesnina 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 in one hour 41 minutes.

Also making a quick exit were ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, and No. 15 Anna Chakvedatze of Russia, who both lost their first-round matches. Radwanska lost to younger sister, Urszula, 6-4, 6-3, while Chakvedatze fell in straight sets to Ayumi Morita of Japan 7-5, 6-2.

Eighth seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the reigning French Open champion and a former No. 1, advanced to the third round with a laboured 7-5, 6-4 win in one hour 53 minutes over Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.

Vesnina, ranked 75th in the world and a qualifier here, was thrilled with her victory.

"I'm very happy with the way I played today," the 22-year-old Russian said, who reached the final in Auckland earlier this year. "She's (Kuznetsova) obviously a top-10 player, so it's even more special. I think I really troubled her today. She wasn't comfortable at all and I feel she was totally lost in the third set. She kept looking at her coach."

Kuznetsova, who lost to Elena Dementieva in the final here last year, said the speed of the court was a factor, but praised Vesnina's game.

"She really played well. The court was fast, and I just could not get the feel of the ball throughout the match. I am now off to Moscow, and I really need to work hard on my game," said the 2004 US Open champion.

Meanwhile, France's Amelie Mauresmo, winner of last week's Paris Open, withdrew from the tournament at the last minute and was been fined $7,500 by the WTA Tour.

Stepanek rallies to win SAP Open

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek won his second ATP title this year, rallying to beat fifth seed Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the SAP Open on Sunday afternoon.

A day after rallying from a set down to beat 2008 champion Andy Roddick in the semifinals, Stepanek was forced to do the same against Fish while becoming the first Czech player to win the San Jose event since Ivan Lendl in 1983.

Stepanek got some help from his 27-year-old American opponent. Fish lost 10 straight points during one stretch in the third set, nine by unforced error.

It's Stepanek's fourth career title. The 30-year-old also won in Brisbane in January.

Nestor, Zimonjic win first 2009 title

THE CANADIAN PRESS

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- The third time was indeed the charm for Canadian Daniel Nestor and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic.

Nestor, of Toronto, and Zimonjic earned their first doubles title of the season Sunday, defeating Czech Lukas Dlouhy and India's Leander Paes 6-2, 7-5 at the Rotterdam Open.

Nestor and Zimonjic had lost in previous tournament finals appearances in Doha and Sydney last month before exiting in the second round of the Australian Open.

But Sunday's victory was the sixth career title for the pair since they started playing doubles together in 2008. For Nestor it was his 56th tournament victory overall while the 24th for his partner.

"This is the best I've played here since 2002," said Nestor, who lost in a final to Roger Federer and Max Mirnyi seven years ago. "It good to get that first title of the season. Hopefully this is just the start for us now.

"We were very displeased with our performance in Melbourne and maybe this helps make up for that just a bit. I've never really played well in Rotterdam over the past years, so I'm happy we could win this one."

Second-seeded Andy Murray of Scotland beat injured Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to become the first British winner of the singles crown.

The top-ranked Nadal was bothered by a right knee injury and had to call a medical timeout in the second set, before deciding to continue the match.

"Rafael was hurt at the beginning of the second set," Murray said. "On one leg he could still go on. That's how good he is."

Murray took the first set after breaking Nadal in the sixth game, but the Spaniard fought back in the second. He struggled, however, with his serve in the third set because of his knee and Murray was able to seal the win with an ace.

Britain's Tim Henman was runner-up here three times, losing the 1999, 2000 and 2002 finals.

Zimonjic's serve set the pace in the doubles final on the fast indoor hardcourt, with the top seeds starting with an early break for a 3-1 lead.

Nestor salvaged a pair of break points to give his squad a 5-2 lead before they took the opening set in 28 minutes with a second break of Paes.

The second set was tighter but Nestor again was forced to salvage serve for a 4-3 lead, a game which ended with the Canadian registering an ace.

But there would be no comeback for second seeds Dlouhy and Paes as Nestor and Zimonjic went on to take the second set and finals sweep.

Nestor is expected to return to Toronto on Monday before leaving for a tournament in Dubai on Thursday.

"It's a lot of flying but it's worth it for a quick visit," he said. "We want to be ready for Dubai and try and continue this new momentum."

Robredo captures Brazil Open

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil -- Thomas Robredo of Spain earned his eighth career title when he overcame Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and a partisan crowd in the Brazil Open final on Saturday.

Second-seeded Robredo was broken when serving for the match at 5-3 in the third set, but immediately returned the favour to unseeded Bellucci to finish the two-hour 13-minute match on clay.

Bellucci, Brazil's top player, hadn't reached an ATP quarter-finals until this week, and was trying to become the first home champion since Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. Backed by 2,000 raucous home fans, he gave Robredo a better match than expected in their first clash.

Robredo's break in the second game decided the first set. He hadn't dropped a set or lost a service game in the tournament, but after winning 41 successive service games, he was broken by Bellucci for 5-3 in the second, and the Brazilian hung on to force a deciding set.

Robredo made the first break for 4-2, but Bellucci cancelled it in the ninth game. Robredo pulled out a third break in the last game and celebrated his first title since last July.

Seven of his eight titles have been won on clay.

Nestor-Zimonjic into ABN final

THE CANADIAN PRESS ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Daniel Nestor of Toronto and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic advanced to their third final of the season by defeating Czech Tomas Berdych and Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 Saturday at the Rotterdam Open. The top-seeded duo will seek their first title of 2009 against second seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes. "It's been a great week for us," said Nestor. "We've been playing solid. It's good to get back to a final, finally we would like to win one. ... "I think we're starting to show the potential that we know we have. We've just had some back luck this year but hopefully that's changing now." Top-seeded Rafael Nadal will play Andy Murray in the singles final after beating Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4. Nadal broke Monfils in the fifth game of the second set and, despite the Frenchman's 10 aces, went on to earn his first two-set win this week. Second-seeded Briton Murray advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Mario Ancic of Croatia earlier. The biggest disappointment of the year for Nestor and Zimojic was a second-round loss at the Australian Open to Poland's Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach of Austria. They've been putting that behind them this week. Zimonjic began and ended the 28-minute first set with solid service games, a break of Berdych making the early difference. But the Berdych-Melzer combination refused to roll over, with the Austrian saving a pair of break points in the third game to stay competitive. Zimonjic kept up the pressure in the second, serving out the decisive victory in 53 quick minutes as the team broke three times and saved the only break point they faced. "Nenad served great and really helped us take control and keep it," said Nestor. "After some close calls so far, we're really ready to win our first title this season." Nestor and Zimonjic won the doubles title at Wimbledon just months after they got together and ended 2009 with a victory at the Masters Cup in Shanghai. Dlouhy and Paes advanced with a 6-2, 2-6 (4) victory over No. 4 pair Julien Knowle and Andy Ram. Despite nursing a minor injury to his right foot, Murray dispatched two-time ABN Amro champion Ancic in just over an hour. He broke the Croat's serve authoritatively in the second game of the first set, after running the score to 0-40 and then held serve and broke Ancic again in the sixth game. Ancic played poorly in the second set and Murray broke him in the first game. Ancic had a single breakpoint in the second game, but Murray levelled the score and went on to win with an ace. The dejected Ancic then surrendered the following game as well, hitting a smash into the bottom of the net on the first of three break points against him. The most telling statistic of the match was points won on first return of serve -- 4 out of 26 for Ancic and 12 out of 22 for Murray. "I hope I end up facing Rafael Nadal in the final," Murray said. "Our matches are usually guaranteed to be a spectacle." -- With files from The Associated Press

Roddick struggles in San Jose win

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Andy Roddick struggled and James Blake made it look easy as they advanced to the quarter-finals at the SAP Open on Thursday.

Roddick had his hands full as he defeated Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 7-6 (3). Last year, Gulbis gave Roddick trouble at the U.S. Open when he took the first set before the American rallied to win the next three to take the match.

"I guess I started off pretty well," said Roddick. "But I thought he started serving really well in the second set."

The Latvian didn't seem flustered by the hard-serving defending champion. Roddick is trying to win the tournament for a record fourth time.

Roddick used serves clocked at 241, 236, and 228 km/h to easily win the first set. But Gulbis almost turned the tables on Roddick in the second set, matching him point for point until the losing the tiebreaker.

Although Gulbis had six double faults, he constantly flustered Roddick with his strong serves and return game. At one point after being aced, Roddick tossed his racket to the side in disbelief.

Roddick's unforced errors gave Gulbis the opportunity he needed to challenge.

It was a little frustrating to not be able to get into a rhythm at all," said Roddick. "And then he started hitting first serves for second serves. If he's making it there isn't much I can do. A lot of the time he plays pretty high-risk so you are kind of at his mercy."

Blake beat Florent Serra 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the quarter-finals of a tournament he's never won. However, this is the fourth time he's reached the quarter-finals. The third-seeded Blake last reached the semifinals in the tournament in 2003.

"I thought I played really well again," said Blake. "I served well. It was a slightly different matchup; he's not going to hit so many cold winners off returns but he will put a lot of balls into play, and I got a lot balls out of his reach."

After the match, Blake exchanged words with the Frenchman because of some on-court antics. "He's was doing some stuff we used to do in juniors. He's too good for that. He's a very good player and I have a lot of respect for his game.

"He was moving when I was looking at him or when I'm tossing the ball. These are things I think don't really have a place on the pro tour."

Blake will face 21-year-old Sam Querrey in the quarters. Blake is 3-1 against Querrey.

The sixth-seeded Querrey knocked off Denis Gremelmayr 6-3, 6-2 to advance. Earlier this year, he lost in the finals of the Auckland Open to Juan del Potro.

"I played really well," said Querrey. "The first five games were close. We were at 2-2 and I came back and held there.

"After I won the first set and broke the first game of the second set I had all the momentum. I looked at my serving percentage it was in the 70s. You aren't going to lose many matches if you are serving that well."

Querrey had 12 aces in the match to run his total to 28 for the first two rounds.

No. 2 seed del Potro made short work of Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-2 to make it the quarter-finals.

Former finalist Mardy Fish reached his first quarter-finals since the U.S. Open last September when he struggled past John Isner 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5. Fifth-seeded Fish hit 13 aces to Isner's 15. Fish will face del Potro in his next match.

Also, qualifier Todd Widom made it to his first ATP quarter-finals when he overcame Taylor Dent 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 in another all American match

Widom hadn't won on the tour since 2006 until this week and was ranked 270th. He earned a match with fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

Serena rips new tennis drug-testing

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS -- Serena Williams has joined the chorus of top tennis players who believe new anti-doping measures on athletes are too strong. The top-ranked American said the rules implemented by the International Tennis Federation and World Anti-Doping Agency were "over the top." "I think it's too much," the Australian Open champion said after beating Karolina Sprem 6-1, 6-2 on Thursday in the second round at the Open GDF Suez in Paris. "It's very invasive. . . . Basically, they show up at your house on any day." Under the latest WADA code, athletes must specify one hour each day when and where they can be located for testing. Athletes must also tell anti-doping authorities where they will be over the next three months, but they can update this by e-mail or phone message at short notice if it changes. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal has been one of the most outspoken critics, insisting that forcing top athletes to be available one hour a day for testing amounted to intolerable harassment. In Belgium, 65 athletes even filed a court challenge. At the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, this week, Nadal said players feel like "criminals" because of the new measures, which were ratified last year by the ITF board of directors. Fourth-ranked Andy Murray has also spoken out against the rule, but No. 2-ranked Roger Federer said he was fine with it when he was at the Australian Open. The 13-time Grand Slam champion admitted it was a tough system, but added "I know it's a pain, but I would like it to be a clean sport, and that's why I'm OK with it." Williams also said the new measures were going to be tough to follow. "I jump from city to city all the time. First of all, I never tell people where I am because I like to do my own thing," Williams said. "It's definitely the purest sport, that's the only upside to it," Williams added. "We won't have problems in tennis that we have in other sports."

Serena easily advances in Paris

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS -- Top-ranked American Serena Williams defeated Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to move into the second round of the Open GDF Suez.

Williams was ill after winning the Australian Open and wasn't able to practise until Monday.

"I was in bed. I was really sick until I came here," Williams said. "It was like a week. I couldn't do anything."

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, Elena Dementieva of Russia, Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Amelie Mauresmo of France also advanced at the indoor hard court tournament.

Williams saved two break points on her first service game before winning six straight games to take the first set on an unforced error from Benesova. She will face Croatian qualifier Karolina Sprem.

"I wasn't great. I was so glad to win," Williams said. "As the tournament goes on, I'll do a little better."

Williams, who recently bought an apartment in Paris, playfully answered some questions in French.

"I feel so-so. I'm tired right now. I'd like to sleep," she said in French.

Jankovic defeated Francesca Schiavone of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (2), winning the first set on a double-fault before saving a set point at 5-4 to force a tiebreaker.

"It's a relief to finish in two sets," the third-ranked Serb said. "After the first set and 3-0, I really lost my energy and my game went down.

"I let my opponent come back into the match. Until then, I was completely in control."

Schnyder beat Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (3) while Mauresmo avenged her Fed Cup loss last weekend to Sara Errani by routing the Italian 6-2, 6-0. Dementieva ousted Aravane Rezai of France 6-4, 6-3.

"I had some problems with my serve," said Dementieva, whose landed only 47 per cent of her first serves in the first set. "It didn't work well today, especially in the first set.

"She put a lot of pressure on my second serve."

French qualifier Emilie Loit outlasted Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, becoming the first to move into the quarter-finals.

In the second round, Jankovic will face Li Na of China and Schnyder will meet French wild card Nathalie Dechy.

Nadal rallies to win at ABN Amro

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain rallied from a set down to beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 and advance to the second round at the ABM Amro on Wednesday. Bolelli broke the Australian Open champion at 2-2 and dominated much of the first set, but Nadal hit back in the second set, twice breaking the Italian and holding his nerve. "He's a very good player," Nadal said. "He played big shots from the baseline. "He improves every year. I want to congratulate him." Nadal will next face Bulgarian teenager Grigor Dimitrov. Earlier on Wednesday, Mikhail Youzhny of Russia upset sixth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals. "The magic isn't back yet," said Youzhny, who won the event in 2007 but hadn't had a victory over a top-20 player since January 2008. "I can do better. "Especially when things get tense, I play too cramped." Youzhny won on the strength of a clever backhand, keeping Ferrer off balance with sudden changes of speed and spin. The Spaniard was the first seeded player knocked out of the tournament at Rotterdam's Ahoy Stadium. Also, seventh-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France beat local favourite Jesse Huta Galung 7-6 (4) 7-6 (4), and defending champion Michael Llodra defeated Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Karlovic served 25 aces and Llodra was plagued by double-faults in the first set. Fourth-seeded Gilles Simon of France beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 7-5, 7-6 (1), and Mario Ancic of Croatia defeated Rainer Schuettler of Germany 7-5, 6-2.

Venus Williams to play in tennis showdown in New York

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- Venus Williams and women's tennis are returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time in nearly nine years. Williams will join her top-ranked sister, Serena, and Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic on March 2 in the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup. They will compete for US$1.2 million in prize money. The Garden last hosted the WTA season-ending championships in 2000. The single-elimination showdown will feature three players who won Grand Slam titles in 2008. Ivanovic won her first major at the French Open, Venus won Wimbledon and Serena won the U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open. They will compete in a one-set, no-ad scoring semifinal. The winners will play a best-of-three final.

Fed Cup: Canada vs. Belgium

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- Canada will travel to Belgium for a Fed Cup World Group II playoff tie in April, the International Tennis Federation announced Tuesday.

Belgium and Canada have never met in Fed Cup play during its current head-to-head format. Choice of surface, venue and team nominations for the April 25-26 tie will be decided at a later date.

"We've had to wait almost two years to get back to this spot and we're going to work very hard to return to World Group status," said Canadian team captain Rene Collins. "We are looking forward to playing Belgium in April. Our team will be as prepared as possible in order to give ourselves the best chance to win."

Canada locked up a spot in the World Group II playoff by sweeping Paraguay last Saturday in Montreal.

That team consisted of Stephanie Dubois of Laval, Que., Toronto's Sharon Fichman, Valerie Tetreault of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que.

The squad from Belgium lost 4-1 to Slovakia in its World Group II tie this past weekend, setting up the match against Canada.

.The Canadians, who reached World Group II status in 2007, are currently ranked 17th in the world, while the Belgians finished second in the 2006 tournament and now sit at No. 8 on the ITF list.

Canada and Belgium have met twice in Fed Cup in the old tournament format. Belgium won 3-0 in 1981 when the competition was held in Japan and defeated Canada 2-1 in 1969 when the tournament was hosted by Greece.

The four winning nations will qualify for World Group II in 2010, while the four losers will start in Zonal Group I in 2010.

.In the other best-of-five World Group II matchups, Israel takes on Estonia, Japan meets Poland and Australia faces Switzerland.

In the playoffs to determine which teams will participate in the elite eight-nation World Group I next year, Spain will host the Serbs, which used Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic to beat Japan in World Group II. France hosts Slovakia, China hosts Germany and Argentina hosts Ukraine.

The United States, which has won 17 Fed Cup titles, visits the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup semifinals while defending champion Russia takes on Italy

Robredo moves on at Brazil Open

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil -- Second-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain made short work of his first Brazil Open match in seven years, beating local wild card Thiago Alves 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday.

Robredo broke Alves three times and didn't face a break point.

Third-seeded Albert Montanes was not as fortunate, losing an all-Spanish first-rounder against Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2. Ferrero, the world's top-ranked player in September 2003 and the runner-up in Brazil in 2007, broke Montanes seven times, including twice in the decisive set.

Montanes, who hit in less than half of his first serves, dropped to 0-4 against Ferrero.

In other results, Vina del Mar semifinalist Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay passed Oscar Hernandez of Spain 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, Argentina's Brian Dabul advanced when Chile's Paul Capdeville retired with an abdominal strain after losing the first set, and Portuguese pair Frederico Gil and Rui Machado won their openers.

Davydenko advances at ABN Amro

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Nikolay Davydenko advanced to the second round at the ABN Amro on Monday by beating fellow Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-2.

The third-seeded Davydenko, who missed the Australian Open with a foot injury, needed just over an hour to dispatch Andreev.

Two other Russians, Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny, also advanced by beating two Frenchmen. Tursunov beat Arnaud Clement 6-0, 6-3 while Youzhny overcame Laurent Recouderc 6-4, 6-4.

"The first round is always difficult," the 26-year-old Tursunov said. "You always have to find your rhythm and get accustomed to a new surface."

Julien Benneteau of France also advanced, defeating Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 at the Ahoy stadium.

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain was set to play his first singles match since winning the Australian Open on Wednesday against Simone Bolelli of Italy, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain will play Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia on Tuesday.

Three nations reach Fed Cup semis

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON -- Defending champion Russia, Italy and the Czech Republic advanced to the semifinals of the Fed Cup on Sunday, all completing their wins in reverse singles. Russia, which has won four of the last five Fed Cup titles, routed China 5-0 with Anna Chakvetadze and Alisa Kleybanova both winning before the doubles team of Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova finished it off on indoor hard courts in Moscow. Italy eliminated France, taking an unbeatable lead when Flavia Pennetta defeated a crying Alize Cornet, and the Czechs knocked out 2008 runner-up Spain 4-1. Later Sunday, the United States was to play Argentina in Surprise, Ariz., with the score in the best-of-five series even at 1-1. Chakvetadze played the first reverse singles match in place of Dementieva and improved her Fed Cup record to 7-2 by beating Yan Zi of China 6-1, 6-2. "I was a bit nervous because it was very important for me today to win, to support my teammates' success on Saturday," Chakvetadze said. "And I also had problems with my serve." Kleybanova, who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeated Sun Tiantian 6-1, 6-1, and Dementieva and Kuznetsova teamed to beat Yan and Sun 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. In the semifinals, set for April 25-26, the Russians will face Italy. Cornet, a 19-year-old Frenchwoman who is ranked No. 14 by the WTA Tour, broke down crying in the second set of her loss to Pennetta when a ball that landed beyond the baseline was not called out. Pennetta won 6-2, 6-2. In the second reverse singles match on indoor hard courts in Orleans, France, Sara Errani defeated two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-4. The Czechs won all three matches Sunday on indoor carpet in Brno, with Lucie Safarova beating Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 6-3, Petra Kvitova defeating Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-4, 7-5, and Iveta Benesova and Kveta Peschke teaming to beat Lourdes Dominguez-Lino and Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-4, 6-2.

Fed Cup: Canada drubs Puerto Rico

By Bill Beacon THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL -- It has been almost too easy for Canada in their Fed Cup Americas Zone I event at Uniprix Stadium. For a second night in a row, Stephanie Dubois and Aleksandra Wozniak steamrolled their opponents in singles to clinch their best-of-three tie with Puerto Rico and reach the final of the six-country competition. Dubois, of Laval, Que., beat Monica Puig 6-2, 6-1 while Wozniak, of Blainville, Que., by far the top-ranked player in the field at No. 32 in the world, won 6-3, 6-1 over Jessica Roland Rosario. That gave Canada an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three tie, and Dubois and Sharon Fichman of Toronto completed the sweep with a 6-0, 6-0 doubles win over Puig and Roland Rosario. In the final on Saturday afternoon, Canada will meet Paraguay, a surprise winner over Colombia. The winner advances to the playoffs for World Group II, which includes the ninth-to-16th-ranked countries in the world. If they stick in Group II, they will have a shot at advancing to World Group I next year. Paraguay drew first blood as 17-year-old Veronica Cepede Royg, the world's 16th ranked junior, upset Catalina Castano 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 on the quick hardcourt surface. Then 33-year-old Rossana de los Rios edged Mariana Duque Marino 7-6 (4), 7-5. The Canadian side scored a 3-0 romp over the Bahamas in their opening match on Thursday night. Dubois didn't lose a game against her Bahamian opponent on Thursday, but was up against a somewhat stronger foe in Puig, a 15-year-old junior who managed to hold service to 2-2 before Dubois took over with superior pace. "She's a junior, but she hits well," said Dubois, ranked 118th in the world. "I think I was even more aggressive this time and I served better and was taking balls earlier, so that's encouraging for the final." Wozniak, who lost only two games against the Bahamas, was hammering her serve and groundstrokes against the 26-year-old Roland Rosario and looked to be rounding into form after a recent hamstring injury. "I feel I played even better, tactically," she said. "I need more matches to get back my rhythm, so I thought it was a good match. I'm ready." Canada knew it had the easier of the two three-team round robin groups, but it remains to be seen if their one-sided wins won't work against them in the final against the winner of the more difficult group, whose matches were longer and more closely contested. "These matches were a bit challenging for us because we thought we would win and we've been trying not to think ahead to Saturday, so I'm just glad to have them done and we can start concentrating on the final," said Canadian team captain Rene Collins. "The positive thing is we're well rested. We had a great training camp coming into it. I just look at it that these were a couple of practice matches. I think the girls did well. I think we'll be ready." De los Rios, ranked 95th in the world, called her win over Duque Marino "lucky, because it was so tight. "In the first match, Veronica is a junior and she played really well -- that was a big win." De Los Rios said she's comfortable on hardcourts, but grants that Canada will be the favourite on its home court. The main court only seats 700, but it was full of home country supporters. "I know everyone on their team from the tour, but we'll do our best and just keep thinking about our goal," she said.

Fed Cup: Canada downs Bahamas

THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL -- Stephanie Dubois and Aleksandra Wozniak breezed through their opening matches to lift Canada over the Bahamas in BNP Paribas Fed Cup women's tennis play on Thursday night at Uniprix Stadium.

Dubois, of Laval, Que., lost only five points in the second set of a quick, 45-minute 6-0, 6-0 victory over 16-year-old Kerrie Cartwright in the first singles match.

Blainville, Que., native Wozniak, Canada's top-ranked player at 32nd in the world, was marginally more challenged in a 6-0, 6-2 victory over harder-serving Nikkita Fountain.

And the doubles team of Dubois and Sharon Fichman of Toronto made it a sweep of the best-of-three tie with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cartwright and Fountain.

Fountain, who is not part of any regular tour, broke Wozniak's service to open the second set and then held service for 2-2, but the Canadian recovered and closed out the match with pace.

"She started being more aggressive, and I'm playing indoors here after the Australian Open, so it's a new surface, but I think I picked it up," said Wozniak, who has been nursing a hamstring injury. "I just needed to give it all I can on court. I need more matches under my belt to get my rhythm back."

Canada is 1-0 in round robin play in its three-team group and needs a win over Puerto Rico on Friday night to book a spot in the final of the Fed Cup Americas Zone I event on Saturday afternoon.

The Bahamas, beaten by Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, dropped to 0-2 and next will face the third-place team from the second group. The loser will drop to Americas Zone II for next year's Fed Cup.

Fountain was happy to give Wozniak close games.

"I just cracked a joke with my coach that I'm ready to quit my job and go on tour -- I was only one point away each game or it could have been a different match," said the former Florida International University player. "But I had fun because I don't play any more, I just teach tennis."

In the other group, Colombia defeated Brazil 2-1 with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 doubles victory. In singles play, Catalina Castano downed Maria Fernanda Alves 6-3, 6-4, but Brazil tied it when Vivian Segnini upset Mariana Duque Marino 6-2, 6-3.

The small grandstand holds only 700 and it was full for Canada's easy win.

Dubois showed no mercy to her young opponent.

"I didn't know her, but some girls are coming on -- they're playing tournaments and they may move up the rankings," said Dubois, ranked 118th in the world. "Every opponent is tough, so you need to focus on your own game and do your stuff."

Team captain Rene Collins called it a good first day of competition.

"I know it's a fairly weak team we played, but these matches are still difficult to play in front of your fans because they really want to do well and they put pressure on themselves," she said. "So I was really happy with the way it went."

Puerto Rico should be another clear victory. Like the Bahamas, it has no players ranked by the WTA.

"I expect them to be a little bit better, but not exceptionally so," said Collins. "It's a matter of getting through the nerves and expectations of playing at home. Every match is a challenge."

The winner of the event advances to the playoffs in April for World Group II, which has the ninth to the 16th top teams in the world. A country must get there to have a chance to break into World Group I, which has the top eight teams.

Canada is currently ranked 21st.