Police charge tennis great Connors

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Tennis great Jimmy Connors has been charged with a misdemeanour for an altercation last week before a basketball game between UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina. Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, was charged Wednesday in Santa Barbara Superior Court with disrupting campus activities and refusing to leave a university facility. His business manager, Karen Scott, says a man tried to pick a fight with Connors and his son before Friday night's game and police asked him to leave. Scott says Connors was arrested after he said he wanted to wait for his son to finish watching the game. She says he was "extremely disappointed and embarrassed" about the incident. Connors was ranked No. 1 for five consecutive years in the 1970s, and had a fiery temperament on the court. Earlier this year, he resigned as Andy Roddick's coach after working together for nearly two years.

Nadal, Federer to play at Qatar

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DOHA, Qatar -- Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will open the 2009 ATP season by playing at the Qatar Open.

Qatar tennis federation president Nasser al-Kholiafi says Andy Murray and Andy Roddick will also take part in the hard-court tournament, which begins Jan. 5.

The tournament in Doha is one of three to start the 2009 tennis season, along with the Brisbane International in Australia, and the Chennai Open in India.

Sharapova will return early in '09

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Maria Sharapova expects to be back on the tennis tour at the start of 2009 and defend her Australian Open title after being sidelined since July with an injured right shoulder.

Sharapova's agent, Max Eisenbud, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she is "on track" to return to action at the Jan. 7-10 exhibition in Hong Kong that she usually enters.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner then plans to head to the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 19 in Melbourne.

"She's doing good," Eisenbud said in a telephone interview. "Everything's on track."

Sharapova has not played competitively since pulling out of a tournament in Montreal in late July after winning a nearly three-hour match in which she double-faulted 17 times.

The right-hander was examined by a trainer midway through the three-set victory, and she withdrew from the event before her next match.

Medical tests later found a torn rotator cuff tendon in the 21-year-old Russian's shoulder.

Sharapova missed the rest of the just-concluded season, including the Beijing Olympics and the U.S. Open, ending her streak of 23 consecutive major tournaments.

She hadn't missed a major since her Grand Slam debut at the 2003 Australian Open. Sharapova won the singles championships at Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.

While she briefly held the No. 1 spot this year, the time away led her to slide in the rankings and she finished the season at No. 9.

Sharapova went 32-4 with three titles in 2008, earning nearly US$2 million in tour prize money.

Triumphant Spain returns home

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID, Spain -- Spain's winning Davis Cup team returned home on Tuesday looking worn out from a night of celebrations followed by a long flight from Argentina.

Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Marcel Granollers and captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario arrived at Madrid's international airport at 5 a.m. local time. Due to the early hour, there was little fanfare to greet the team.

"I think in the next few days we'll finally realize what we have achieved," Ferrer told reporters.

The Davis Cup trophy wasn't on the flight but will arrive at the Spanish tennis federation's headquarters in Barcelona next week. The trophy's nationwide tour begins next year at tournaments in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.

"It's a dream come true," said Verdasco, who clinched the winning point in the 3-1 triumph with a five-set victory Sunday over Jose Acasuso in Mar del Plata. "Since I started hitting my first shots with a racket, I dreamed of experiencing such a moment. I still can't believe it."

Spain went into the indoor hard court final against Argentina as an overwhelming underdog after top-ranked Rafael Nadal withdrew due to knee tendinitis.

"We were convinced we could win and, after Rafa's withdrawal, we carried less pressure with us so we could play even more relaxed despite the harassment of the Argentine fans," Verdasco said.

Spain's title defence begins against Serbia in March, although Sanchez Vicario won't be on the bench after stepping down following the win. He pushed for Lopez's coach, Albert Costa, to take over as captain.

"I think he's my natural successor. He's very close to this group of players who are integrated into the nucleus of the team and he's demonstrated his qualities as a coach by leading Feliciano, who has shown notable progression in the last while," Sanchez Vicario said after holding up his replica trophy for photographers.

Spain's third Davis Cup triumph capped an incredible year for Spanish tennis.

Nadal's fourth straight French Open trophy and first Wimbledon title led the way as Spanish players won 16 titles in 2008. Nadal, who also won Olympic gold, surpassed Roger Federer after a record 237 weeks to finish the season as No. 1.

Nalbandian: 'terrible weekend'

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- David Nalbandian confirmed Monday he will play for Argentina in the Davis Cup next year, setting aside the possibility he would step down following a painful loss to Spain in the final.

"It bothers me that people have questioned whether I'm continuing with the Davis Cup or not. For me, representing my country is really an honour," Nalbandian said Monday during a televised news conference in Mar del Plata, the site of Spain's 3-1 victory over Argentina last weekend. "I'm going to continue -- like I've done until this point -- defending Argentina's flag the best way possible."

A sullen-looking Nalbandian said he was devastated by the loss at home.

"Understand the pain of a player not being able to score a point in an important series," Nalbandian said. "Understand the anguish and unease right now.

"Things went badly, but the terrible weekend is over," he said.

Nalbandian gave Argentina its only point in the best-of-five series, beating David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the first singles match Friday. Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri lost the doubles Saturday to Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, which left Argentina with the nearly impossible task of winning both reverse singles Sunday to win the title. Top player Juan Martin Del Potro was injured Friday and did not play Sunday.

Nalbandian, upset by the doubles loss, skipped the mandatory news conference after the match and was fined US$5,000. Argentina Coach Alberto Mancini said Nalbandian left the Islas Malvinas Stadium because he was not feeling well emotionally.

Nalbandian apologized to reporters for missing the Saturday news conference but accused them of spreading rumours that he argued with Calleri following the doubles loss.

"It really hurts the players when people say things that aren't true," Nalbandian said, sitting alone in front of a room full of reporters.

Despite his disappointment, Nalbandian questioned those who are pessimistic about Argentina's future chances in the Davis Cup.

"We made it to two finals in three years. Why aren't we going to continue having the possibility of reaching our goal (of winning the Davis Cup)?" he said.

Argentina reached the finals in 1981 and 2006, losing to the United States and Russia.

Meanwhile, Argentine Tennis Association vice-president Arturo Grimaldi said Monday that Mancini's replacement will be announced within the next month after the team captain announced Sunday he would be stepping down.

Nalbandian's trainer Martin Jaite is being tipped as a contender for the post.

"He's one of the best and without a doubt he's got a chance," Grimaldi told Buenos Aires-based La Red radio station.

Spain stuns Argentina at Davis Cup

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina -- Fernando Verdasco defeated Jose Acasuso 6-3, 6-7 (3), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 Sunday, giving Spain its third Davis Cup title after upsetting Argentina in the final.

The Spaniards overcame the absence of injured No. 1 Rafael Nadal to win the best-of-five final 3-1 in front of a boisterous Argentine crowd at Islas Malvinas Stadium.

Verdasco, replacing David Ferrer in Sunday's reverse singles, overcame nine double-faults to beat a shaky Acasuso in 3 hours, 56 minutes. The 48th-ranked Acasuso was a late replacement for injured Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina's top-ranked player at No. 9.

It is Spain's first away Davis Cup title, adding to its home victories in 2000 and 2004. The result snapped a 10-year unbeaten home streak for Argentina.

Spain takes surprise lead in Davis Cup

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina -- Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco sent a chill through Argentine tennis Saturday, winning their doubles match to give Spain a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup final.

Lopez and Verdasco defeated David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-3, boosting Spain's hopes of winning the best-of-five championship on the road despite the absence of an ailing Rafael Nadal.

Spain could be in good position for its third Davis Cup crown if Argentina's leading player, Juan Martin del Potro, cannot play reverse singles Sunday because of a leg injury.

"This was an important victory; it gives us life," Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. "We need one more game."

Sunday's schedule tentatively has del Potro meeting David Ferrer, then Nalbandian playing Lopez at Islas Malvinas Stadium. On Friday, Nalbandian defeated Ferrer in straight sets and del Potro fell to Lopez in four.

"We have to keep fighting, there are still two points to play," Argentina coach Alberto Mancini said. "We know it's hard, but we can do it. We have to overcome this difficult moment and get our hopes up."

Mancini said his choices for Sunday will depend in part on del Potro's injury. Sanchez Vicario said he was expected to stick with Ferrer and Lopez.

Nalbandian left the stadium without talking to reporters. Mancini said he was not feeling well, but discounted any injuries.

Spain has never won the Davis Cup away from home. Argentina, unbeaten at home since 1998, has to sweep both for its first Davis Cup triumph. But it's hopes became bleaker Saturday, with Potro undergoing treatment on his right thigh after hurting it in Friday's singles. If he cannot play, he could be replaced by Calleri or Jose Acasuso.

"It's not over yet," Calleri said. "We are not happy right now because we wanted a victory, but we still have chances tomorrow (Sunday) and we remain confident."

Calleri and Nalbandian, playing their first Davis Cup doubles since the 2006 final, won the first set, but couldn't hold back the veteran Spanish pair over three hours, 18 minutes.

The Spaniards had 86 winners and only 30 unforced errors. The Argentines struggled on serve and were broken six times. But they came through first, breaking Verdasco for 6-5. then erasing a 0-40 deficit for Nalbandian to hold and win the first set.

The rally pumped up the crowd, and the nearly 10,000 fans chanted constantly between games. A small group of Spaniards tried to keep up, at times managing to make some noise.

Argentina saved three break points on Nalbandian's serve in the eighth game of the second set to stay even at 4-4. But after Spain went up 6-5, Nalbandian could not hold again. Calleri's backhand volley flew long to even the set score.

In the third set, Nalbandian and Calleri were broken in successive games to trail 5-1, but Argentina came back to make it 5-5.

With the crowd growing louder, the Argentines seemed ready to prevail in the tiebreaker after jumping ahead 4-0. But Spain won six straight points to win the tiebreaker 7-5 and hush the crowd.

"The third set was full of different emotions," Sanchez Vicario said. "It was an incredible finish and gave us confidence to keep going."

The match was stopped for a few minutes during the tiebreaker because of fans from both nations provoking each other and making noise during points. Sanchez Vicario later said his players were insulted during the match.

In the final set, the Spaniards bolted to a 5-2 lead and cruised to their fourth win in seven Davis Cup doubles, and by far their most important.

"These are very special matches, when you are playing for your country," Lopez said. "I didn't expect to win yesterday and didn't expect to win today."