David Lloyd wants improved Andy Murray image

Former Davis Cup captain David Lloyd believes Andy Murray's chances of winning a major will improve if he works on his serve and his image.

The Englishman also says Murray should prioritise participation in the Davis Cup to build a sense of achievement.

"If you look at Nadal, Djokovic and Federer when they come on the court, they have a demeanour," said Lloyd.

"They are exceptionally well-dressed and clean-shaven. Andy doesn't come on like that."

Murray lost out in this year's Wimbledon semi-final to Rafael Nadal and was runner-up in the Australian Open final, but Lloyd felt the criticism of the British number one was unjustified.

He pointed to Murray's serve as a weakness in his game but refused to concede that the Scotsman had let the nation down.

"I think the criticism is unfair," said Lloyd. "Andy is a very good tennis player.

"He is definitely the third or fourth best in the world, but he's not quite as good as those three guys really.

"It's not that he played badly - I think what happened was his serve, his first serve, when that goes in, he can beat Nadal.

"If Andy is going to become that slightly better player - number two or number one in the world - he has to get more percentage of first serves. Then he can win a major. Otherwise, he's not quite good enough.

"He hasn't let us down - he played to the best of his ability - and it's a pretty good thing."

Lloyd also feels Murray's image sends the wrong message to his opponents and makes him seem weaker in crunch matches - and he should seek out a coach that is equal to the Scotsman's stoical personality.

"I know it's a silly thing, but mental stuff in tennis is so important," said the former Wimbledon doubles semi-finalist.

"It's a one-to-one game. If he could change his image a ilttle bit and go on with a little bit more fight. When players get to the third of fourth set of a five-setter, he's not going to be as tough mentally as them.

"He has great shots in him - one of the best back-hands in the world.

"I think he just needs a mental change and a change in his attitude. I would concentrate on finding a coach of real power who is not going to bow down to Andy and stand up to him."

Ahead of Friday's Davis Cup match against Luxembourg in Glasgow's Braehead Arena, Lloyd feels Murray should place a bigger emphasis on the premier international men's team event in the way Wimbledon champion Djokovic did as he inspired Serbia to a 3-2 win against France.

He also rejected any notion that Luxembourg would be an easy tie for Britain.

"If you would have thought of Luxembourg a year ago, it would have seemed easy," said Lloyd.

"But they've got Gilles Muller, who is a good player. It's not a slam-dunk.

"I think the Davis Cup should be one of the top things on Andy's list to play the Davis Cup. Put it up the calendar.

"If you ask Djokovic what his second-best moment was, I think you'll find it was winning the Davis Cup for his country.

"But I think he'll do great. It's great to be playing in Scotland, but it's not an easy match."

Clijsters, Henin: Next year will be like old times

U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters and newly un-retired Justine Henin have doubled up to make sure that tennis talk includes the word "Belgian" again.

"And don't forget Yanina," Clijsters said of Yanina Wickmayer, a teenager who seemingly came out of nowhere to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Open. "The hype of Belgian tennis was created a little bit again."

Winning the U.S. Open barely three tournaments into her comeback has shot Clijsters up to No. 17 in the rankings, with Wickmayer racing up to No. 22. If Henin, who announced her return Tuesday after a 16-month retirement, plays somewhat to the form that made her a seven-time Grand Slam champion, she'll also be heading toward No. 1 soon enough.

"It'd be great to have three Belgian girls in the top 20," Clijsters said in an interview with The Associated Press.

And the groundswell of support is there again. Once Clijsters retired in 2007, and Henin followed one year later, tennis fell back to its typical place in Belgium , way behind soccer and cycling in the hearts of fans.

"It is absolutely super. All this is alive again," said Billie Hernalsteens, a recreational player in Buizingen who was often glued to the television set when Clijsters and Henin dominated Grand Slam events over the past decade. "Those are the kind of matches I would not miss for the world. When the Belgians play, I'll watch again."

With Henin at 27 and Clijsters only 26, the rivalry could last for years to come.

Henin's announcement to return had been anticipated for weeks, and took hold of the front pages as more rumors surfaced that she had started training hard again, much harder than for the exhibition matches she was ostensibly preparing for.

Then, Henin found her tongue tied early this month, when Clijsters and Wickmayer kept on winning in Flushing Meadows.

"I decided to postpone everything when I saw the results of Kim and Yanina coming in," she said, preferring not to take the spotlight during their moment of glory.

Now that everything is official, Clijsters only has one message for Henin: "Bring it on, I would say. She is obviously a great player and I think for women's tennis and for Belgian tennis, it is great."

Even though Henin leads 12-10 in their head-to-heads overall, when it comes to Grand Slams, Henin dominates 5-2 and has won the last five. And before Clijsters made her successful Grand Slam return in New York, Henin led 7-1 in Grand Slam titles won.

"Just too bad she was often the better when it came to Grand Slams," Clijsters said.

Clijsters' former coach Marc Dehous is convinced their rivalry might be renewed as soon as the Jan. 18-30 Australian Open, telling VRT network "the fans can look forward toward another golden era. ... And why not start with a final during the Australian Open."

Clijsters realizes Henin might have recovered her touch and stamina as quickly as she has.

"I don't think she will need months to find her groove," Clijsters added. "She'll produce great tennis again when she gets to Australia."

An all-Belgian Grand Slam final would have sounded preposterous earlier this year, when both players were still slumbering in retirement. Now, the rivalry between these ever-so-different personalities is heating up again.

It all started a decade ago when Henin won the first one between rookie teenagers. Soon, they were playing in the 2001 French Open semifinals.

"It was as if a bomb had exploded," Clijsters said of the massive media and fan interest, as Belgian flags swarmed the stands in Paris. Two years later, even King Albert II traveled to Paris when Henin beat Clijsters in the final at Roland Garros.

Clijsters was always the happy-go-lucky player, a mix of mirth and mastery whose smile was just as wide after losing a final as winning one. Henin was always the complicated one, having to recover from losing her mother at an early age and single-mindedly pursuing victory at almost any cost.

The same traits still come through so many years later. Happy in motherhood, Clijsters said she would now take her career "one season at a time." Henin, meanwhile, is already looking at the 2012 Olympics with a determination that has marked her entire career.

And while the stars fight it out, Wickmayer will be able to develop in their shadows with none of the media hype Clijsters and Henin had to endure.

"It is perhaps a positive thing for her," Clijsters said. "There is only talk about me and Justine, but Yanina has performed great."

Roger Federer pulls out of Japan Open, Shanghai Masters

Roger Federer withdrew from the Japan Open and Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 on Friday, citing the need to rest after a physically challenging year.

The Japan Tennis Association said the top-ranked Federer was withdrawing from the Oct. 5-11 Japan Open, along with the Shanghai tournament the following week.

"After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments," Federer said in a statement. "This will allow me a chance to give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and recover from a physically challenging year."

Federer reached the final of all four Grand Slams this year, winning the French Open for the first time in his career, then breaking Pete Sampras' record with his 15th major title at Wimbledon.

He also earned two points for Switzerland last weekend during a 3-2 victory over Italy in the playoffs to remain in the top-tier World Group of the Davis Cup.

It is the second time Federer has pulled out of the Japan Open just before the start of the tournament. He also cited fatigue as his reason for withdrawing from the 2007 event.

"I'm disappointed that I have to withdraw from Tokyo and Shanghai as they are two of my favorite cities," Federer said. "The fans have been great to me over the years."

U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and third-ranked Andy Murray are scheduled to take part in the Japan Open.

For Serena Wiliams, the Pique of a Fine Career

If Serena Williams is genuinely contrite, she won't fight further disciplinary action from tennis authorities, even a six-figure fine or a suspension. The integrity of the sport demands a heavier penalty, and her acceptance of that fact would show that the code of conduct means something to her. For years, Williams has treated the game as a means to an end, but whether she actually gives a four-letter word about the greater good of it remains in question. This is her chance to answer.

It's sometimes hard to know what Williams believes in between her public facetiousness and canny media manipulations. She can seem to be just passing through tennis on her way to more fascinating things, such as clothing design or acting or MTV. She comes on like a bad Audrey Hepburn pose, batting her eyes and feigning vapidity as she chatters shop-til-you-drop sound bite nonsense. The awful irony of her threat to shove a ball down a lineswoman's throat in the U.S. Open was that at least it was a sincere expression of who she really is: a competitor of roaring fury. It was far more genuine than her tardy apology and offer to give the lineswoman "a big old hug" or her continual rationalizations that the lineswoman had it coming for making a bad call.

The only word we need to hear from Williams is "inexcusable." The only gesture we need from her is acquiescence to a suspension, the standard punishment in any sport for menacing an official. The International Tennis Federation is currently "reviewing" the tirade, but what is there to review? This isn't the Zapruder film, her lips were readable and her words were audible over the courtside microphones: She cursed and threatened physical violence. Thus far she has suffered a mere $10,000 fine. She has handbags that cost more. Williams should help the ITF out: She should call Bill Babcock, the man in charge of her review, and volunteer for a suspension because she wishes not just to apologize, but to atone, in the best interest of the game.

You don't win nearly a dozen Grand Slam titles without some kind of fierce commitment. But it's unclear whether Williams's commitment extends beyond herself. Does she subscribe to the underlying values of tennis? Does she care about the overall health of the game, does she wish for it to grow, recommend that others play it, and respect its admittedly hushed, old-fashioned standards of civility?

Williams and her defenders argue her conduct was no worse than that of some the sport's infamous others. But John McEnroe at his worst never crossed the line that she did, though he came close at the 1987 U.S. Open when he intimidated and cussed officials -- after which he was rightly suspended for two months -- and at the 1990 Australian Open, when he was tossed for similar offenses. As McEnroe himself said of such behavior, "I can't defend the indefensible."

There is a lot of dry-rotted old junk in tennis, and it's been a pleasure to watch Williams invigorate it. She has challenged its bigotry and conventional way of doing things and poked a finger in the eye of its stuffier pretensions, particularly its dress code.

But its code of conduct is not outdated junk. To the people who love it, tennis is an ethic. The relationship between muscles and morality in the sport is very clear, and it fosters exemplary sportsmanship, despite the occasional presence of a John McEnroe. That's because personal responsibility and culpability are part and parcel of the game. Junior players call their own lines "in" or "out" and act as their own judges. This grassroots honor system relies on the good behavior of stars such as Williams.

The game teaches command of yourself -- and it teaches that self-control is not just about you but about respect for others. It's why those words from Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" are engraved above the door at Wimbledon, about treating "triumph and disaster just the same." There are even better lines in the poem. How about, "If you can keep your head when all about you/are losing theirs and blaming it on you" Or, "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue."

Williams has always played the game on her own terms, and for the most part admirably. She gives her all on the court, which is the ultimate form of respect. At times she's lost her focus, but that's because she insists on maintaining her outside interests and cultivating a career beyond tennis. You have to respect that too. There is something deeply interesting about her refusal to buy into the traditional myopia of a tennis champ. She declines to be obliged to the game. Her tennis ambition comes and goes like a huge gust of weather. That's just who she is. She's like a hurricane season.

The only trouble with Williams's fierce individuality is that it can come perilously close to selfishness. Her Open tantrum occurred in the heat of the moment, but it took her two days to properly apologize to the woman she humiliated. If you really care about the game beyond your own self-interest, shouldn't you watch the women's final and help promote it? Instead of doing a cameo at a music awards show, and Twittering your fans to tune in?

Anyone who struggles with his or her temper -- and you're talking to someone who's thrown her share of profane tantrums -- sympathizes with what happened to Williams and knows that her meltdown was an aberration, a brief personal failure in what Kipling calls "the unforgiving minute." But anyone with a temper also knows that it was a failure based in a kind of selfishness. People who lose their temper let their emotions, their urgency, their needs, trump everyone else's.

No one mattered in that moment to Williams -- not the lineswoman, not her opponent. It was an act of self-absorption. Williams is not wholly selfish -- her charitable efforts prove that -- and the episode was surely not a total reflection of who she is. But up to this point, she has seemed to think that what happened at the Open was all about her. This is a perfect opportunity for her to show she understands it's about others, too, and to give something back to the game.

Del Potro's Open win a new chapter for tennis

Twenty-year-old Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro, aka "The Tower of Tandil," won his first major title on Monday at the U.S. Open, where he defeated Roger Federer in five sets. Here are five reasons why his victory changes the tennis landscape more than any win since Rafael Nadal's first French Open title in 2005.

1. He wasn't in awe of Federer. Most of Federer's opponents can't handle the pressure of playing a tennis legend. Pretty much every player on the ATP Tour considers Federer the greatest player of all time, and he's a nice guy, too. Everyone likes him and looks up to him. Not many players, unfortunately, seem to think they are worthy of beating him (Nadal being the exception). Del Potro looked feeble against Federer at the Australian Open earlier this year, when he lost two love sets to him in the quarterfinals, and he started out in similar fashion in the U.S. Open final. By the middle of the match, though, del Potro was playing with confidence and aggressiveness. Few men have been able to do this against Federer, never mind at the U.S. Open, which Federer had won five years in a row.

2. He came from behind. The last man to defeat Federer in a major tournament after trailing two sets to one was Marat Safin in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals. Only two other men have done this against Federer, according to ATPWorldTour.com: Tommy Haas at the 2002 Australian Open and Jiri Novak at Wimbledon in 1999, when the 17-year-old Federer was ranked outside the Top 100. To do it on a stage this large shows how tough del Potro can be.

3. He won without his A-game. The U.S. Open final is the toughest major final in the sport. It's held the day after the semifinals, so the players are a bit more tired than usual. It begins in late-afternoon shadows, and often ends under the lights. This year, the wind was strong. Del Potro hadn't played at night the entire tournament and he plays a riskier game than Federer, which is more dangerous in difficult conditions. He missed far more easy shots in this match than he did against Nadal in the semifinals or, for that matter, in any other round of the tournament. Yet he kept his composure and made adjustments to his tactics when necessary. That's the sign of a champion.

4. He showed off a new weapon. Great players introduce something new to the sport. John McEnroe reinvented touch. Pete Sampras redefined the serve. Ivan Lendl brought fitness to a new level. Federer has super-charged the all-court game of yesteryear; Nadal makes the topspin of the 1980s look like slice. Del Potro's contribution is the hardest forehand in the history of the game (one was clocked at 110 mph). I've never seen a player who could consistently hit winners from four feet behind the baseline and wide of the doubles alley. If del Potro can continue to hit that shot, and even improve it, he'll be a threat to win every tournament he plays.

5. He can get a lot better. Del Potro is 20 years old and hardly in extraordinary condition. He can add muscle to his lanky frame and improve his stamina. He can refine his volley technique and his slice backhand. If he has the desire to do these things, he's going to be a great player for years to come.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro dethrones Roger Federer in US

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro ended Roger Federer's five-year unbeaten reign at the US Open in five dramatic sets to win his first Grand Slam title.

The 20-year-old sixth seed twice fought back from a set down to win 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

Del Potro is the first man other than Rafael Nadal to beat Federer in the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

Swiss star Federer, 28, had been going for a record-equalling sixth consecutive title at Flushing Meadows.

American Bill Tilden achieved the feat in 1925.

But Federer found Del Potro, in a Grand Slam final for the first time, in determined mood as he became the second Argentine to win the US title after Guillermo Vilas, who was in the Arthur Ashes Stadium to witness his compatriot's victory.

"I had two dreams this week," said Del Potro. "One was to win the US Open and the other one is to be like Roger.

"One is done, but I need to improve a lot to be like you," he said, looking at the five-time champion.

"You fought until the final point. You are a great champion. I'm very happy to be here with this crown, with these people, on this court. This will be in my mind forever."

After a final that lasted four hours and six minutes, Federer said: "I would like to congratulate Juan Martin on an unbelievable tournament. I had a great one but he was the best.

"I would have never believed I could win five in a row here. It has been an amazing run for me."

He added: "I was two points from the match today. That's the way it goes sometimes. But I've had an unbelievable run this year. Being in all major finals and winning two of those.

"Sure, I would have loved to win those two as well. But the year has been amazing already. Got married and had kids, don't know how much more I want."

Federer went into the match on a 40-match unbeaten run in New York, his last defeat coming against another Argentine, David Nalbandian, in the fourth round in 2003.

He also held a 6-0 career record against Del Potro and was playing in his 22nd Grand Slam final, targeting a 16th major win.

However, Del Potro has rocketed up the rankings over the last year and pushed Federer desperately close over five sets in the French Open semi-finals in June.

His 6-2 6-2 6-2 demolition of Nadal in the semi-finals also left no-one in any doubt that he posed a real threat to Federer.

The question was whether he could handle the weight of expectation in a final that Federer has dominated since 2004.

The signs were not good early on as Federer converted his fifth break point of a lengthy second game with a beautiful forehand pass and went on to serve out the set.

Del Potro then double-faulted twice in succession at the start of the second set to hand over another break, and the 23,000 spectators groaned as one as it appeared the younger man was crumbling under the pressure.

It was not until the fourth game of the second set that Del Potro finally made some impression, but Federer saved three break points and looked poised for a two-set lead when serving at 5-4.

The match turned at 30-30 when Del Potro hit a magnificent forehand down the line that was called 'out' but overturned by Hawkeye.

A furious Federer protested to the umpire but there was to be no overruling the computer, and Del Potro then cracked another forehand winner to break back.

From 3-3 in the tie-break, Federer mishit a forehand return before Del Potro came up with two blistering winners and converted his third set point with another.

The sixth seed was now hitting the ball as he had done in his semi-final against Nadal, the power and depth constantly troubling Federer, but after breaking in game seven he allowed his opponent to level at 4-4 by dropping his own serve.

Federer served his way out of trouble in game nine, despite an angry exchange with the umpire over how long Del Potro was taking to challenge with Hawkeye.

Del Potro then appeared to hand the match to Federer in game 10, serving two double-faults in a row to give the world number one a two-sets-to-one lead.

Del Potro's fitness and ability to last five sets at the highest level had remained about the only question mark hanging over his game going into the final, and he was about to dismiss it for good.

Staring down the barrel at 15-40 early in the fourth set, he found two huge forehand winners to save, then broke to love for a 3-2 lead, only to see Federer level at 4-4 with some brave attacking play.

Federer was just two points away from the title in game 10 before Del Potro came storming back to earn break points in game 11.

But a pulsating encounter would require another tie-break.

There was more bad feeling over the use of Hawkeye but it was two missed forehands from Federer that allowed Del Potro to take the match into a fifth set.

It was the first time since Andre Agassi beat Todd Martin 10 years ago that the US Open final had gone to a decider, and the experience and fitness of Federer suggested he would start favourite.

However, the Swiss paid the price for playing to Del Potro's fearsome forehand too often, the Argentine breaking for 2-0 with yet another huge winner.

Federer had one chance in the next game to get back on serve but put a backhand long, and from then on Del Potro played nervelessly.

He reached two championship points on the Federer serve in game eight, converting the second when Federer hit a backhand long.

Watson similar to Hingis - Sears

British teenager Heather Watson has been compared to former world number one Martina Hingis following her triumph in the US Open girls' singles.

The 17-year-old beat Yana Buchina to win her first junior Grand Slam title.

"Heather reminds me of Martina Hingis at that age," said head coach of women's tennis Nigel Sears.

"She is a well-balanced player who anticipates well, has great footwork and instinct for the game. She's a very complete, all-round player."

Although Hingis had already won four Grand Slam singles titles by the time she was the age Watson is now, the Swiss was considered a rare exception and Watson looks capable of going far in the women's game.

The British number one reached the last eight at the Australian Open junior event in January and won her first senior title at a $10k tournament in Frinton in July.

Watson, seeded 11th at Flushing Meadows, claimed a 6-4 6-1 victory over Germany's Buchina in one hour and 25 minutes, breaking serve on six occasions and making 58% of first serves en route to a commanding triumph.

She also beat number two seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand, the 2009 Wimbledon girls' singles champion, in the quarter-finals.

"I'm so pleased for Heather, she's been a good player for a while," said Sears. "This win - and the $10,000 event she won in the summer - will really help her to believe that she has so much more success to come."

Sears has overseen a steady rise in British women's tennis since joining the Lawn Tennis Association in 2006.

Anne Keothavong climbed to number 48 in the world before dropping back to 70th, Elena Baltatcha and Katie O'Brien sit on the cusp of the top 100 and Mel South is 151st.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Laura Robson won the Wimbledon girls' singles in 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the most promising young female players around.

Watson's victory makes her the third British player in the last five years to hold a junior Grand Slam title after Andy Murray lifted the US Open boys' singles title in 2004 and Robson - a beaten semi-finalist in New York on Saturday - triumphed at the All England Club.

The right-hander from Guernsey has developed her game at the renowned Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida, which has produced world number ones such as Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova.

"At 12 I decided, because I live on a small island and there aren't many places to train, that I'd go to a tennis school, and we started to look around in England and France and Spain, and also we went to Bollettieri," stated Watson.

"When we went there, I decided that's where I wanted to go. The weather is very convenient. I like that there were a lot of people, a lot of competition, and just the structure of how things worked."

Watson is sure to now attract growing expectations, particularly given that at the age of 17 she will be expected to make an impact on the WTA Tour before long, even though she is presently ranked outside the world's top 700.

Watson's said she plans to play "mainly women's tournaments and maybe a couple of juniors", with a tournament in Canada first on her agenda before she returns to the UK for a $50,000 event in Barnstaple, starting on 5 October.

Clijsters seals dream US Open win

Kim Clijsters completed an incredible return to Grand Slam tennis with a 7-5 6-3 win over Dane Caroline Wozniacki to claim her second US Open title.

The Belgian, 26, was a wildcard into her first Grand Slam tournament since 2007 after coming out of a two-and-a-half year retirement in August.

In that time she gave birth to a daughter, and so becomes the first mother since 1980 to win a Grand Slam.

She is also the first woman to win a major as a wildcard.

"This has been so exciting for me," said Clijsters. "This was not really our plan.

"I just wanted to start three tournaments just to get back into the rhythm of playing tennis and get used to the surroundings. So I have to thank the USTA for giving me the wild card to come back here."

Clijsters was playing only her 14th match and third tournament since ending her 27-month retirement.

As players need to have competed in three tournaments to gain a world ranking, the new US Open champion is without a ranking until Monday when she is expected to arrive inside the world's top 20.

And the fairytale nature of her victory was compounded when her 18-month old daughter, Jada, was brought down to the court to see her mother lift the trophy.

Not since Evonne Goolagong Cawley beat Chris Evert to win Wimbledon in 1980 has a mother won one of the sport's four major titles.

The match itself was an entertaining contest despite windy conditions that led to more errors than either player would have expected.

Clijsters' story had overshadowed her opponent, especially as the Belgian had beaten American hopes Venus and Serena Williams on her way to the final, but it was also a landmark day for Wozniacki.

The teenager, seeded ninth, was playing in her first Grand Slam final, having never previously been past the fourth round, and hoped to become Denmark's first major winner.

And after dropping her first service game it was the Dane who had the edge in the first set, twice moving a break clear as her measured retrieving game proved more effective in the wind.

Clijsters struggled to control her attacking instincts, making regular errors, and looked in trouble when she slipped 5-4 down, throwing a ball away in disgust as she did so.

But the 2005 champion, playing at Flushing Meadows this year for the first time since that triumph, managed to claw back the deficit and broke to love in game 12 to win the opening set.

That seemed to calm any nerves in a player who had lost four of her five previous Grand Slam finals, and Clijsters got the decisive break with a brilliant returning game to lead 4-2 in the second set.

The Belgian had suffered from nerves in big moments during the early part of her career but this time around she remained steady, battling back from 0-30 down in both her remaining service games before taking the win with a smash at the net.

A tearful Clijsters sank to her knees in celebration before heading into the stands moments later to celebrate with family and friends.

"I don't have words for how I'm feeling - I'm just glad I got to come back to defend my title from 2005!" she said afterwards.

"It's been so exciting for me, I just wanted to get back to playing tennis. The support I've received has been crazy.

"Even from the first round, how warmly everyone welcomed and embraced me. It helped me keep fighting and stay focused."

And she added: "We tried to plan Jada's nap time a little bit later today so she could be here. It's the greatest joy in the world.

"I can't wait to spend the next few weeks with her."

Wozniacki said: "She's such a great girl and I'm so excited that she came back.

"Unfortunately she beat me today but she played a great match and deserved this trophy."

Andy Murray slips to third in rankings

Britain's Andy Murray has fallen one place in the world rankings to third after being overtaken by Rafael Nadal following the results at the US Open.

Murray was beaten by Marin Cilic in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, while Nadal reached the semi-finals.

The Spaniard was knocked out by Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who went on to win his first Grand Slam.

But Nadal's performance ensured he regained his world number two spot, behind beaten finalist Roger Federer.

Del Potro moved up one place to fifth in the rankings after his victory against Federer.

Motherhood: a boon for the body?

Kim Clijsters made a fairytale comeback by winning the US Open on her return to Grand Slam tennis after giving birth to her daughter. Could child bearing actually be good for both body and mind, and should all new mothers be reaching for their rackets?

Clijsters' success has been seen as adding fresh credence to the theory that pregnancy can in fact enhance sporting prowess, at least among those who had some to start with.

She joins a short, but growing list of elite sportswomen who have pulled off impressive athletic feats not long after becoming mothers.

Few doubt that the demands of motherhood focus the mind as priorities are juggled.

But there is an increasing body of evidence that the biological changes of pregnancy may improve both physical and mental performance.

Blood supply

Pregnancy is itself a physical test.

Almost every organ of the mother's body works harder to accommodate the needs of the growing baby, and blood volume increases dramatically to carry oxygen to the womb.

Once the baby is born, the red blood cells created - rich in haemoglobin - remain in the woman's body for some time, potentially improving oxygen flow to the muscles.

This, in theory, could improve her stamina and the ability to train for longer.

At the same time, the hormone relaxin loosens the hips in preparation for childbirth, but may also give the athlete added flexibility, according to Dr James Pivarnik of Michigan University, who has studied pregnant athletes.

While the exact mechanisms and their impact are still the subject of investigation, the suggestion that pregnancy may have this effect is not new.

In 1988, the First Permanent World Conference on Anti-Doping in Sport included 'abortion doping' on its agenda.

This followed allegations - never substantiated - that East European athletes were being encouraged to get pregnant and abort their foetuses to improve their performance.

The ethics and anti-doping section of UK sport has also raised the issue of pregnancy as a means to legally increase the level of performance-enhancing hormones.

Mental manouevres

There is also the suggestion that the agony of childbirth increases the pain threshold, boosting the mind's ability to cope amid intense physical adversity.

This sounds plausible, although the jury is still very much out in this area. Some research has found that while the threshold may increase dramatically during labour, it returns to original levels in the aftermath.

A study from Bath University found women were wimpier than men when it came to pain. Females felt it sooner, and were able to withstand it for a shorter period.

Indeed it has even been suggested that it may be motherhood itself which makes women more attuned to pain, acutely conscious of any impending problem which could compromise their ability to care.

But on a similar note, it has been suggested that motherhood sharpens mental agility, making a woman more vigilant and alert - key skills on the court.

'Baby brain' or 'preg head' may be a convenient excuse for forgetting names and numbers, but in fact the hormone fluctuations during birth and breastfeeding appear to increase the size of cells in some areas of the brain.

Becoming Kim

For some new mothers feeling fatigued and fat, the suggestion that their bodies are now supercharged may seem risible.

A major review of studies published this summer found - at least when it came to losing weight - sensible eating rather than regular jogging was the key to getting back into shape.

But the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation says it hopes all mothers can draw some inspiration from Ms Clijsters.

"Our research shows that it's time pressures that stop women taking the exercise they want to," said Harriet Foxwell.

"At one level we need more sports facilities to provide child care. But we also need to find more activities to do with our children - swimming for instance is a good example.

"What was particularly moving was seeing Kim on court with her daughter. Exercise is something we should be able to do together."

Serena, Clijsters set for huge semifinal clash

It's easy to feel good about Kim Clijsters' comeback to prominence. The 26-year-old has always been one of the friendliest players on tour, and it's difficult in the modern age not to pull for a new mom on one of sport's highest stages.

But even though her foe in the U.S. Open semifinals, Serena Williams, calls the Belgian and sometimes New Jersey resident a "good-hearted individual," she's not going to be pushing Clijsters' 18-month-old daughter, Jada, around in a stroller in Central Park on the morning of their Friday clash.

Serena has put on a happy face when discussing the Belgian's amazing comeback, but she had to sit through Clijsters' fourth-round takedown of her sister Venus. Serena has always been purposeful in getting a measure of revenge for her family.

"I'm a really good actress," she said when asked whether she's holding any grudges.

It's highly unlikely that Serena has any real hate in her heart for Clijsters, but she's quite determined to defend her U.S. Open crown and not have the bubbly blonde from Bree walk away with her crown.

She's all about winning, not just being a familiar foil in a soap opera loss. So don't expect her to jump up and down if Clijsters upsets her on Friday.

"I'm really excited to just have gotten this far, but I'm never the one to be happy to lose," Serena said. "I've had classic matches (where I lost) before, and I can't say that I'm excited about them. But hopefully I'll keep going forward."

Clijsters has played Williams tough in the past, but she owns a 1-7 record against her foe, registering her sole victory over Serena in the 2002 WTA Championships final. She's lost in many other places, including at the 1999 U.S. Open, at Indian Wells in 2001 (during their infamous final when the crowd taunted Williams) and at the 2003 Aussie Open, when Clijsters had Serena on the ropes and blew it.

It would take the Belgian almost three more years to win her first major at the 2005 U.S. Open, and in the time between she suffered a number of high-level losses, especially to her in-country rival Justine Henin. Clijsters' athleticism was never in question, nor was her stroke production for the most part, just her decision-making and her ability to step on the other elite players when the world's eyes were watching.

Back before she scored her only win over Serena in 2002, Clijsters was saying that the only way she could beat a Williams was on one of their off days, which is no way for a super-elite player to approach matches against the world's best. Mind you, Serena was on an incredible run then, having won the French, Wimbledon and U.S. titles that year. Still, Clijsters' defense was a near match for Serena's offense, and if the 19-year-old Belgian was able to mix it up enough and catch Serena a little tired, the opportunity was there for victory.

So on the day Clijsters upset her, she showed up aggressive, played more intelligently and stuck to her gameplan even when Serena let out one of her ear-piercing screams. Clijsters won 7-5, 6-3, stopping Serena's 18-match winning streak.

Today, Clijsters is a whole lot more mature and appears more self-aware. She's a better analyst of her own game and of her opponents. But she says much the same things about Serena's game that she did back then, in that there's no way she can steamroll the 11-time Grand Slam champion.

"I think she's always been able to step it up at the Grand Slams," Clijsters said. "Serena has that face where she's like, 'Okay, I'm here to do business.' But that doesn't mean that you don't get chances when you get to play her. So that's something that I'm going to be really focused on is (to) play aggressive tennis and try to dominate a lot of points. ... You really have to try to just step it up when you feel that things are really like twisting your way a little bit."

There are sure to be a couple of those curving moments in their match, but Clijsters has to make sure not to let Serena get on top of her early. Serena has a much better serve, returns more aggressively and is just as powerful and usually more consistent. Clijsters is faster and a better defensive player, but the way to get on top of Serena on hardcourts when she's motivated — and Williams is always motivated at the majors — is to yank her around from the backcourt and then go for winners. Just trying to out-steady her is not enough, nor is trying to simply overpower her. It has to be the right concoction. And while Clijsters' defense-to-offense skills have been on full display in her wins over Marion Bartoli, Venus and Li Na, she hasn't had to turn points around against the best player of her generation.

Clijsters recalled their first clash, back in 1999 in the third round of the U.S. Open, when she was just 16 and Serena only 17. It was Williams who would will her way to victory and go on to grab her first major title

"She was missing a few more shots," said Clijsters, who has lost all four of their three-set clashes. "I was bringing a lot of balls back and she was missing them. But then at 5-2 in the third set where I was up, she just, bang, started going for aces, started hitting winners. Like something switched in her head. That's something great players can do, and she definitely has it."

Serena will be the favorite in the pair's first match since 2003 in Miami, but there will be a bit of a wild card thrown into the contest: It's very possible that the well-liked Clijsters and her super-mom story will make her the crowd favorite, which will be a very unusual position for Serena to be in while playing at home.

Serena is sure to have her fans, but Americans love a comeback story and aren't as celebratory when it comes to pulling for dominant players.

In this instance, Clijsters has little to lose as long as she competes well, because it's only her third tournament back after more than two and a half years off. Serena has a lot more to lose, especially her U.S. Open title.

Whoever wins this match will be a substantial favorite in the final against either No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki, who stopped American Melanie Oudin's Cinderella run, or Belgian teen Yanina Wickmayer.

But the heat is on the world No. 2, even if she won't cop to it.

"I have no pressure on me," Serena said. "I don't put pressure on myself. Maybe the pressure is on her, but it's definitely not on me."

Melanie Oudin gives U.S. tennis a big hope for the future

Melanie Oudin ran out of Russians to play and lost.

Beating a Danish 19-year-old who is closer to her age group was always going to be a different task and, as it turned out, a more difficult one.

To the disappointment of the vast crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium and everyone down there in Marietta, Ga., Oudin's fantastic run at this year's U.S. Open came to a fairly abrupt end Wednesday night at the hands of No. 9 seed Caroline Wozniacki, who employed just the right kind of tactics to beat the 17-year-old starlet 6-2, 6-2.

"I knew she was going to be tough and I knew she was going to fight to the last point," said Wozniacki afterwards. "So I was like, I have to get as many balls back as possible and try to make her run. Keep her on her backhand and make her run on her forehand. That was my goal and I think it was a good way to play the match today."

Unfortunately for Oudin — the feisty teen with the word "BELIEVE" stamped across the heel of her shoe — Wozniacki was absolutely right. Moreso than those three famous Russians that Oudin had outfought from a set down, the Dane had the perfect game to outplay an opponent who, unsurprisingly, didn't move with quite the same alacrity as she had done in her previous encounters.

"I think I started off slow," Oudin admitted. "I wasn't able to come back. She's such a strong player. She doesn't give you anything for free. She plays incredible defense. Makes me hit a thousand balls so I don't know what else I could have done."

Oudin admitted that, being a perfectionist, losing was a disappointment. But she is a bright, level-headed girl and added, "The whole experience here is going to take me a long way, I think. I've gained a lot of confidence and I think I can only get better. I've played with top 10, former No. 1 players in this tournament and I've been able to do well. I mean, I got to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, so I know that hopefully I can do it again and again."


There is no reason why not because Oudin has the mind for the game — a maturity to stay calm, focused and determined in the heat of battle that is rare in one so young. She has been the story of the championships and women's tennis in America is a lot healthier after what she has achieved.

Another great story on the women's side

The WTA will be delighted with the way in which new, attractive stars have burst through to grab headlines at this U.S. Open. Oudin and Wozniacki are not the only ones. The other quarterfinal pitted Yanina Wickmayer from Belgium against the Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko, and it was the tall, powerful Wickmayer who came through 7-5, 6-4.

Ranked just two places higher than Bondarenko at No. 50 coming into the tournament, the 19-year-old Wickmayer made that gap look a little too small as she took charge of the match from the start with solid serving and backcourt hitting.

"She didn't give me any chance to win it," Bondarenko said. "She just played unbelievable today."

Like Maria Sharapova, Wickmayer was taken to Florida by her father at the age of 9 but the circumstances were rather different. Yanina's mother had just died of cancer and, wanting to get away and concentrate on the game she loved, she settled at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy.

"I guess I just decided as a little girl to get away from home and put my memories and thoughts to something else," she said. "To focus on other things in life and try to move on. ... It's been a really tough time for me but I see now it's one of the best decisions I've ever made."

It appears that it was very much Yanina's wish to try the Florida experiment, and her father went along with it just to try and bring some happiness into his daughter's life.

"He was just a normal guy in Belgium and he just gave up his whole life for me," Wickmayer said. "He listened to a little girl who was 9 years old and gave up his life, his dreams. I guess I'm always going to respect him for that. He's just a great guy."

You think he's a proud Dad, or what?

Federer-Djokovic clash set

In the first of the day's men's quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic had to hang tough before finally getting the better of that talented Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco, winning 7-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Djokovic seems at ease again in New York this year, following his strained relationship with the crowd 12 months ago, and thoroughly enjoyed his little hit with John McEnroe after his victory over Radek Stepanek in the previous round.

"It feels like 2007, you know, when I played finals here and did all those crazy things, impersonating players," he said. "So it was really a lot of enjoyment playing with McEnroe the other night. You know, it was unexpected. I promise it wasn't planned. It just came out. It was good."

Even better is the fact that Djokovic, who knows what it is like to live in a city that is being attacked, has been hosting the children of 9/11 victims in his box. He hasn't publicized it but was asked to verify the fact in press conference.

"I don't really want to talk about it," he said. "I've been meeting four different guys in these past two weeks. I have been giving them presents. ... I know what it feels like so I just try to bring some smiles and make them enjoy. I hope that's what I did."

After he had lost to Roger Federer for the 11th straight time in the final of the French Open in June, Robin Soderling was very honest about the problems he has with the great Swiss.

"I can't play him," he said simply. "He plays too fast for me. I can never get into the match."

That seemed to be holding true as Federer raced away to a 6-0, 6-3 lead and then went 4-0 up in the third-set tiebreak. But suddenly, Soderling found the extra gear and decided to go for everything. A couple of great forehand winners, backed up by some great serves, enabled the big Swede to claw his way back and take that breaker 8-6 and then push Federer all the way into another one.

The reigning champion needed consecutive aces to keep level with a suddenly rampant opponent, but when he reached set point at 6-5, nerves clutched at Soderling's arm and he hit a forehand wide. A backhand error cost him on the next point and Federer closed it out, again at 8-6.

The victory extends Federer's astonishing run in Grand Slams to 22 consecutive semi-final appearances or better. He thinks it is one of his greatest achievements and his peers will agree. When other players talk about it, they just shake their heads in disbelief.

Federer & Djokovic into quarters

Reigning champion Roger Federer booked a US Open quarter-final clash against Robin Soderling with a 7-5 6-2 6-2 win over Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

The world number one broke Robredo in the 11th game to clinch a tight first set before breaking twice more in a far more comfortable second.

An aggressive Federer wrapped up victory in the third set with an ace.

Novak Djokovic remains on course for a semi-final against Federer after beating Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-3 6-3.

Djokovic, seeded fourth, had a surprisingly easy time in the final night-session match as he eased past the 16th seed in one hour and 46 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium to set up a quarter-final against Fernando Verdasco.

Soderling became the first man into the quarters when Nikolay Davydenko retired in the third set of their match.

The Swede, who lost to Federer in the French Open final, was 7-5 3-6 6-2 ahead when the Russian quit.

"He's got a big game and we had the final of the French Open - one of the most important matches of my career - so it's nice to play him again," Federer said of his forthcoming clash.

"He has got some great shots and is strong off the baseline."

Federer beat Soderling with ease at Roland Garros and will be expected to perform another demolition job on the 12th seed, following a straightforward win over Robredo.

The Swiss superstar played in third gear for much of the first set but then began to dictate the play in the second, breaking in the third game and then securing another break to move to 4-1 up before serving out for a two-set cushion.

Federer then began coming to the net with more frequency as he became more comfortable. Robredo looked more and more ragged and was broken in the opening game of the third set, and again in the third.

The Spaniard held serve for 4-1 but it only delayed the inevitable.

"I tried to figure him out a little bit, the way he played me," Federer said of a cautious first set. "I thought he really played my backhand a lot.


"I expected him to open it up sometimes towards my forehand but he didn't. I was a little unsure there for a while, how I should play him. He was doing a good job of keeping me off balance and being intense from the baseline.

"Once I got the lead I could also hit a bit more freely. That didn't allow him to play his game any more. I got on top of him and played good tennis."

Soderling was in confident mood ahead of the rematch, saying: "I have improved my game in every aspect and I just need to do it in majors.

"I have been beating good players and that has boosted my confidence. I think I have a chance to do well on hard courts."

A disappointed Davydenko, who was seeded eighth, seemed unsure as to what caused his pain.

"Just some muscle problem, like groin muscle maybe," he said. "In the middle of second set I felt something painful in the muscle, and every point I have more and more pain.

"I called physio as I was thinking, 'What is wrong?' I really don't know if it was a big injury or small injury. And physios also cannot tell me anything. I need some MRI scan to check my muscle."

Spanish 10th seed Verdasco beat John Isner 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4, leaving no American men in the last eight for the first time since the Open era began in 1968.

"We got a lot of people to the round of 32 then I played Andy (Roddick) and one of us moved on," said Isner. "But after that we didn't do too well. But we had tough draws.

"I wanted to go further, but I just got outplayed today. It was a good tournament and I can build on this for the rest of the year."

The Day After: Oudin a Celebrity in Times Square

Melanie Oudin visited Times Square on Sunday a day after upsetting Maria Sharapova

Melanie Oudin stepped out of a United Sates Open van in Times Square on Sunday morning and got a glimpse of the future: She is a celebrity.

At first, Oudin, the 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga, who defeated Maria Sharapova on Saturday, looked a bit startled. She tugged at strands of her hair and seemed to blanch at the prospect of being recognized.

Photographers (alerted by women’s tennis tour officials) crowded around to snap her picture with a tennis racket. Bystanders smiled and pointed cameras and cellphones. “She beat Sharapova,” said a pedestrian to his companions.

A caterer had delivered a cake that said “NYC Loves Oudin Believe!” (Believe is her mantra). She stood beside the confection for more picture taking.

It all happened pretty much wordlessly — until she was asked the inevitable question: “How do you feel?”

“Excited,” she said, smiling and stepping back into the van before it pulled away to return to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Serena Williams still awaiting true test at Open

Serena Williams is still waiting for her first true test of this US Open.

The defending champion's fourth-round match was competitive for all of four games yesterday, before Williams took 10 in a row to beat No. 22-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-0.

Williams has reached the quarterfinals at 11 of the last 12 major tournaments and won the title at three of the last four.

With the score two-all against Hantuchova, Williams hit three aces to hold for a 3-2 lead - and she wouldn't lose a game the rest of the way.

She has won all eight sets she's played this year at Flushing Meadows.

"I tried to relax," Williams said after improving to 8-1 against Hantuchova over their careers.

"Sometimes I'm such a perfectionist I place too much stress on myself. I was like, 'Serena, relax!"'

She finished with eight aces and a 27-9 advantage in winners in yesterday's first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Highest-ranked woman

Her older sister Venus, the 2000-01 US Open champion, was scheduled to face 2005 champion Kim Clijsters in a fourth-round match later yesterday.

No. 1 Dinara Safina was upset in the third round Saturday night, meaning No. 2 Williams is the highest-ranked woman left in the field.

Safina will remain atop the rankings, though, even if Williams were to win a second consecutive US Open title and fourth overall.

Safina was disappointed by her loss - and angry about her court assignment. Bumped out of Ashe for her late-night match on Saturday because of time concerns, Safina was beaten by 72nd-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

Ahead 6-5 in the third set, Safina had three match points but lost them all.

She blamed herself for that. But she also complained about the court change - both because she felt disrespected by the move and because she thought organisers could have handled the situation better.

"From my side, I can say, I'm No. 1 player in the world, why did they move me?" Safina said.

Her match was shifted from Arthur Ashe Stadium to the smaller Louis Armstrong Stadium because of a late-running afternoon session.

Night session

The original schedule called for Safina-Kvitova to open the night session in Ashe, followed by a men's match between Tommy Robredo and James Blake. But because things were running late, organisers opted to play those matches simultaneously.

"They just told us, 'We're switching you to Armstrong'. And basically that's it," Safina said. "And I think it's very unfair."

Kvitova didn't seem to mind. Asked after her victory about the court change, she said: "Yeah, doesn't matter for me. I'm not (a) star, so ..."

Her win over Safina ended at 12:50 a.m., about 10 minutes before Robredo wrapped up his three-set victory over Blake next door.

Venus Williams Joins Women’s Seeds Exodus at U.S. Open Tennis

Venus Williams became the latest women’s seed to be eliminated from the U.S. Open, losing in three sets to former champion Kim Clijsters after sister Serena advanced to the quarterfinals.

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal avoided any mishaps in the men’s draw yesterday, winning in straight sets to reach the fourth round of the year’s final Grand Slam tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in New York.

Wildcard entrant Clijsters, in her first major since ending a two-year retirement last month, won 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 to send Williams to her earliest exit in five years at the tournament she won in 2000 and 2001. Only six of 32 women’s seeds remain.

“I feel I’m at a point where, if I play good and if I stay consistent, I can make it tough for the other girls,” Clijsters told reporters.

It was the first meeting between Williams and Clijsters since the Belgian beat the American in the quarterfinals four years ago en route to the title. Clijsters, who has won 34 singles titles and spent 19 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world, returned after a 28-month break during which she got married and had a daughter.

Clijsters will play China’s Li Na, the No. 18 seed, for a place in the final four, where she could face Serena Williams. The defending champion cruised past Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-0 to set up a quarterfinal with 10th-seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who defeated No. 7 Vera Zvonareva of Russia 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0.

“I just want to keep this level and just stay focused,” said the second-seeded Williams, who’s seeking a 12th Grand Slam singles title.

Oudin Upsets

The next highest-seeded woman remaining is No. 6 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who seeks a spot in the quarterfinals today against No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. American Melanie Oudin, who upset former champion Maria Sharapova and 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva her past two matches, is also in action against another Russian in No. 13 Nadia Petrova.

The top four men are all into the round of 16 after second- seeded Murray raced to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over American Taylor Dent and No. 3 Nadal beat fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

Britain’s Murray next faces 16th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia, while Nadal meets No. 13 Gael Monfils of France.

Also moving into the fourth round yesterday were No. 6 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and No. 24 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

Federer Streak

Five-time defending champion Roger Federer is back in action today against Spanish No. 14 seed Tommy Robredo.

The top-seeded Swiss hasn’t lost a match at the U.S. Open since 2003 and is trying to become the first man to win six consecutive titles since tennis turned professional in 1968.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, plays in today’s final scheduled match against No. 15 Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic. Elsewhere in the men’s draw, No. 8 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia takes on No. 12 Robin Soderling of Sweden and No. 10 Fernando Verdasco of Spain faces unseeded American John Isner.

The 6-foot-9 Isner was a five-set winner in his third-round match against Andy Roddick, who was the last American man to win a major at the 2003 U.S. Open. This is the just the second time in seven Grand Slam appearances that Isner got past the first round. Roddick, at No. 5, is the highest men’s seed to be eliminated so far, as only two of the top 10 have lost.

On Tennis: Nadal-Federer topped a year of great matches

The 2008 tennis season didn't disappoint. Au contraire. It was one of the most memorable in years.

Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer's reign at the top, the two gave fans probably the best match of all time, women's great Justine Henin unexpectedly quit, and the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, rekindled their rivalry with four dramatic encounters. They each played all four majors, too, the first time in seven years that happened.

To boot, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic became Grand Slam champions, while Jelena Jankovic capped Serbia's emergence by ending the campaign as the women's No. 1. Andy Roddick endured a frustrating time thanks to injuries, though his U.S. Open performance and stellar spring brought respite.

Here's a closer look at some of the finest matches, and moments, of 2008:

That classic: Nadal's five-set win over Federer in a pulsating five hours in the Wimbledon final fascinated on numerous fronts.

Wary of his opponent's forehand, Nadal almost exclusively served to Federer's backhand in the first three sets; Federer went 1-for-13 on break points, with most chances squandered early; and for the first time in memory, Nadal choked briefly, delivering a feeble double fault leading 5-2 in the fourth-set tiebreak.

There was so much more. A few points after Nadal delivered a stunning forehand pass down the line to set up a match point in the fourth-set tiebreak, Federer went one better by saving a second match point with an outrageous backhand down the line. Undaunted, Nadal kept it together in the fifth, serving second, cleverly springing his first serve-and-volley in the final game. Adding to the drama were two rain delays that stretched proceedings into the evening; if Nadal hadn't ended matters in the 16th game of the fifth amid fading light, a Monday resumption beckoned.

The other Wimbledon final: Due to Nadal and Federer showing off, many forgot about the women's final at the All England Club between Venus and Serena Williams. That was, however, also a spectacle.

The pre-match hype intensified courtesy of losing semifinalist Elena Dementieva, who, not for the first time, suggested the winner was predetermined. "For sure it's going to be a family decision," Dementieva uttered when asked about the finale. Prodded by the women's tour, she later changed her opinion.

In any case, it didn't take long to figure out there was no fix and sisterly love was on hold. Early in the first set with Venus a lame duck at the net, Serena hammered a passing shot straight at her. She didn't apologize, either.

Serena tossed her racket to the ground in disgust and refused to give her victorious opponent too much credit afterward.

"For me there's nothing to be satisfied about," a glum looking Serena said in her postmatch news conference.

Serena got her revenge in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

A-Rod's spring: Cutting ties with coach Jimmy Connors, Roddick played like a man unburdened at the Dubai Tennis Championships in March. In a strategy sadly gone missing since, Roddick let rip from the baseline -- rather than relying on defense -- and downed Nadal and Djokovic on back-to-back days. The big serve also came in handy.

About a month later, things got even better.

Roddick ended his 11-match losing streak to Federer, dating to 2003, at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

"I came in knowing that no one has beaten me 12 times in a row," Roddick deadpanned. "I figured I was due. He hadn't missed a ball in a crucial moment for about six years against me."

An ankle injury forced Roddick to skip their rematch at the Masters Cup last month.

The late, late show: Late endings at the U.S. Open aren't unusual, with matches routinely finishing past midnight.

Lleyton Hewitt's third-round win over engaging Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the Australian Open beat that by a mile. They only stepped on court about midnight, thanks to a backlog created by Federer's unexpected marathon against Janko Tipsarevic, an enigmatic Serb.

And wouldn't you know, Hewitt and Baghdatis went five exhilarating sets. Carrying the hopes of a nation on his small shoulders, Hewitt took a two sets-to-one lead by overturning a 5-3 deficit in the third; in the fourth, Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, smiled his way back from 5-1 down to force a fifth.

Hewitt finally prevailed at 4:33 a.m., the latest finish in Grand Slam history.

"It wasn't easy for both of us," Hewitt said. "It was tough for everybody, but we just tried to put this behind us on court."

Spain's miracle: No one gave Spain a chance against Argentina in the Davis Cup final, which made sense given Nadal couldn't play because of a bad knee and the South Americans were hosting the series.

Here's what happened next: Underachieving lefties Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco surprisingly won their singles matches and combined to take the doubles, helped by an injury to Argentine No. 1 Juan Martin Del Potro and the antics of teammate David Nalbandian. Nalbandian, according to reports in South America, was a major problem in the dressing room.

The last three matches of Spain's 3-1 victory had tons of drama, especially the doubles. The turning point of the series came when Lopez and Verdasco rallied from 5-1 down in the third-set tiebreak after blowing a 5-1 lead in the set. They clinched it in four.

Sampras backs Murray to win major

Tennis legend Pete Sampras believes British number one Andy Murray is on the cusp of winning a Grand Slam title.

Murray enjoyed a superb 2008, reaching his first major final at the US Open and climbing to fourth in the rankings.

"He is one notch below Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal," said 14-time Grand Slam winner Sampras.

"He's right on the edge of breaking through and winning a major. He's got the game. He'll do it, I really believe that. He's the real deal."

Murray's maiden Grand Slam final ended in defeat by Federer, but Sampras - a five-time winner in New York - said all the 21-year-old lacked was belief.

"He needs a bit more self-belief and confidence that he can win a major," said Sampras.

"Watching the US Open, I could sense that he didn't really believe he could win that match.

"But he's right there ready to break through and he's only 21 so he's got many years to keep it together."

Sampras was speaking ahead of the BlackRock Masters event at London's Albert Hall where he will compete against the likes of John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg and Greg Rusedski.

Since his retirement in 2003 following a glittering career, the American has forged a close friendship with Federer, whose US Open win left him a tantalising two short of breaking Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles.

However, Federer's fifth consecutive win at Flushing Meadows was a rare highlight in an otherwise disappointing season which saw the 27-year-old lose his world number one ranking to Nadal.

Sampras, though, remains confident that Federer will break the record, and has cast doubt on whether Nadal is equipped for a prolonged stay at the top of the rankings.

"It will be interesting to see what happens with Nadal next year," said the 37-year-old.

"The amount of work he has to do to stay on top and stay healthy... I think that's where Roger has a bit of an advantage because he it takes a lot less energy for him to stay on top than Nadal.

"Rafa puts so much effort into each point that eventually something will break."

Federer suffered 15 defeats in 2008 having picked up less than 10 in each of the previous four seasons.

He lost his Wimbledon crown to Nadal, his first loss on grass since 2002, and failed to win a Masters Series title, all of which has led some to suggest that he could be in permanent decline.

Sampras, though, disagrees.

"There's a lot left in him," he said.

"I think he'd like to get back to number one and he's looking forward to breaking my record soon. He can win as many Wimbledons as he wants - he's got the game.

"Roger's probably going to break it over the next couple of years. I've been pretty accepting that he'll break it.

"He's a credit to the game, he's a friend and there's nothing I can do about it apart from sit back and watch him do it and respect it."

From on-court training to lung-bursting sprints, gym and yoga studio work - Andy Murray

Andy Murray has added four kilograms of muscle in the past 12 months. He put his body through hellishly punishing twists, tweaks and bends inside the exercise equivalent of a kiln. And the results are showing, as he is challenging the top players for the top prize.

From on-court training to lung-bursting sprints, gym and yoga studio work, Andy Murray has worked tirelessly with his dedicated team over the past 12 months to transform himself from tour danger man to a genuine contender for the top spot in world tennis.

Perhaps the most symbolic of his rise was his second round performance in the US Open (he reached the final). Andy Murray had beaten Jurgen Melzer of Austria in five exhilarating sets, having been within two points of a defeat that would have rendered so much of his back-breaking effort of the previous nine months more than a touch wasteful.

Perhaps as he stepped up to serve, at 5-5 in the third set tie-break on the Grandstand court at Flushing Meadows, trailing by two sets to love, what flashed through Murray’s mind were those 400-metre interval sessions (75 seconds on the track, 75 seconds recovery time), all that core work, the Bikram yoga sessions when he put his body through hellishly punishing twists, tweaks and bends inside the exercise equivalent of a kiln. With a guttural roar, he unleashed a 138 mph serve. Melzer was rocked back on his heels; the match had turned. Murray would go on to win in the fifth.

At match’s end, he flashed his right bicep, something he had done at Wimbledon after his fourth-round victory over the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, the most momentous recovery from two sets down he had achieved before his triumph over Melzer. It was meant as a gesture not to torment the already tormented but to show to the team he had assembled to take care of his physical welfare that he had done all they had demanded of him, and more.

Golf-Heavy rain halts play in Volvo Masters second round

Heavy rain caused the second round of the Volvo Masters to be suspended on Friday.

Dane Soren Kjeldsen, who has yet to start his round, leads by three strokes on six-under-par from Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

Order of merit contenders Robert Karlsson, the money-list leader by 297,425 euro ($380,000), Padraig Harrington and Miguel Jimenez all had to battle with the bad weather before the suspension came at 11.10 GMT.

Karlsson is three-over after four holes, Harrington, second in the money-list, is five-over after 13 and Jimenez, fourth in the merit standings, nine-over after four holes.