©”DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”

Andy Murray has voiced his displeasure over the state of Davis Cup participation and ATP ranking points. As a member of a nation living in the junior zonal ranks of the international team competition, the Scot would not have earned any ranking points had he played last weekend when Britain got past Slovakia.

But players from World group nations are awarded the points, which sits badly with the Scot. Murray voiced his complaints to the Foxsports website. “It is, basically, unfair. Not everyone has the luxury of playing in the World group.

“I didn’t like the decision when it was made but it has never really come up for discussion in our player meetings because there has been so much else going on.”

The No. 4, currently training in Florida for the upcoming March hardcourt season in the US, insisted that the points issue is not a factor in how he makes his schedule: “It’s not something I think about when I make a decision whether or not to play.”

“But that doesn’t alter my opinion. We had a young player, Dan Evans, who did really well and won both his singles but has a low ATP ranking. He really could have done with some points. But the system doesn’t allow for that. It needs to be looked at.”

Murray is due to make long-distance dash from his base in Miami to Dubai for the ATP event there before returning in time to start at Indian Wells in the California desert followed by Miami. he will be preparing to hopefully overcome his embarrassing run of two opening-match losses at the pair of Masters events.

©”DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”

Article Sources: Murray Wants More Points for Davis Cup Play

BATTER UP—Three-year-old Christian Haupt loves to play baseball. Last summer, his parents posted a video of him playing baseball on YouTube. A week later, Christian was cast in a small baseballplaying role in a movie with Adam Sandler due out this summer. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers Three-year-old Christian Haupt imagines the day when fans at Dodger Stadium will chant his name. He imagines hitting a home run and rounding the bases; he even predicts a selection to the All-Star game.

While his dream may be typical for a young boy, his passion for America’s pastime is not.

Baseball is all the Thousand Oaks preschooler can think about, says his mom, Cathy Byrd. When Christian’s not talking about it, he’s playing the game with the skill of a child twice, even three times his age, she says.

Last summer, Byrd and her husband, Michael Haupt, recorded their then-2-year-old son in an oversize Dodger jersey swinging and twirling his small bat. They posted the video on YouTube, and a week later it was spotted by a casting director looking for a young ballplayer to appear in the Adam Sandler film “That’s My Boy.”

DEDICATED—Christian Haupt, 3, battles his big sister, Charlotte, 6, for a ground ball during a practice at Colina Middle School last week. “He’ll play in the morning, take a nap, play baseball again, and then we’ll play in the house with him all night,” his mother, Cathy Byrd, said. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers The movie, set for release on June 15, includes a small scene where Christian appears to play baseball better than the adults he’s competing against.

Christian filmed his part in Cape Cod, Mass., last August.

The youngster, who attends Hillcrest Christian School in T.O., fell in love with baseball after seeing Thousand Oaks Little League games when he was 1, his parents say.

He started playing as soon as he could hold a ball in his hand.

Christian’s German-born dad played tennis in college and was at one time a tennis instructor.

He’d hoped his son would follow in his footsteps and even bought him a tennis ball machine. But Haupt said he supports Christian’s devotion to baseball.

“I think it’s great. It’s really important to concentrate on one thing,” Haupt said. “All the great players have always had a passion for the game.”

While most boys his age play with trains and watch cartoons, Christian is interested just in his bat, ball and glove and will sit in front of the television only for baseball. Before he was 2, he was already mesmerized by blackand white films highlighting the American sport’s iconic moments.

Bedtime stories are about baseball greats Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

“He wants to know all about the old baseball players,” Byrd said.

At night, he’ll yell “baseball!” while he sleeps. In the morning, he’ll tell his mom he had a dream about cleats.

The young aficionado wears the bottom-studded shoes and his white uniform every day, even to school.

In the Sandler movie, about a father who reconnects with his estranged son before his marriage to a wealthy woman, Christian was forced to abandon his baseball clothes and wear a polo shirt and shorts.

“He cried so hard,” his mother said.

After school three days a week, Christian and his mom head to the baseball field next door at Colina Middle School. In the car, he and his 6-year-old sister, Charlotte, sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Just as he controls his daily practice schedule, the tiny titan is in charge on the field.

“This is the last one, then I’m not pitching anymore,” he tells Byrd. “I want to be in the outfield.”

Hours pass as Christian instructs his mom to pitch to him. He swings and hits the ball into a long arc. After each hit, Byrd chases the ball and Christian darts to the four white bases he asked his parents to buy him for Christmas. The squishy squares and a 50-pound bag of chalk for drawing baselines were his only requests.

Then he switches to catcher, squatting close to the ground with one hand behind his back and the other ready to grab the ball. A few times, he falls backward as he tries to reach a high pitch.

When the sun goes down, Byrd guides her tearful son to the parking lot. He doesn’t want to stop.

The routine continues the next day. On Sundays, he’ll play for more than eight hours.

“He’ll play in the morning, take a nap, play baseball again, and then we’ll play in the house with him all night,” Byrd said.

Family friend and former Major League pitcher Richard Rodriguez, who played for the Angels and Giants, trains with Christian every other week at his All Stars Athletics batting cages in Newbury Park.

The Camarillo resident helps his pupil develop healthy techniques by demonstrating the proper posture and body positioning.

“At the pace he’s going, by the age of 10 he’ll have more hours worked up than someone who’s 25,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a joy (to work with him). He’s so young and enthusiastic.”

His ambitious student may be a prodigy, he added.

“He’s got the passion, drive, intuition and natural talent.”

Christian looks forward to joining a T.O. Little League team this year.

His dad, who did not grow up with baseball, plans to join the league’s board of directors and help coach the team to learn more about his son’s favorite game.

“I just want to play baseball,” Christian says.

To watch Christian in action, go to YouTube and search for “baseball boy Adam Sandler.”

Article Sources: Preschooler’s love of baseball lands him film role

Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 8:15 am , filed under Other Tournaments by Peter Johnson

The Croatian top seed Ivan Ljubicic will clash against Jesse Huta Galung of Netherlands in the 2012 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament first round, schedule to begin on 13th February at 18:35 GMT in Rotterdam.

World No. 33 Ivan Ljubicic Ivan Ljubicic has been struggling with his form, as he open the 2012 season at 2012 Australian Open championship. Croatian star has showed tight fight in the Australian Open first round, but felt before Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in five sets with a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6 score line.

26-year-old Netherlands qualifier Jesse Huta Galung, who has lost most of the opening round matches on ATP tour, he is going to meet veteran tennis champion in the first round. Jesse Huta Galung had played first singles match at 2012 Australian Open, since losing 2011 US Open championship in August.

Ivan Ljubicic and Jesse Huta Galung have never played each other and both the players are meeting for the first time in their career. As per the predictions, Croatian veteran star is looking big favorite to win the first round and move to 2012 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament second round, being played on indoor hard courts in Rotterdam.

In the other matches, Alexandr Dolgopolov will face Lukasz Kubot of Poland, while Italian star Flavio Cipolla will take on Richard Gasquet of France in Rotterdam opening round.

Tags: 2012 Rotterdam Open, Ivan Ljubičić, Jesse Huta Galung

Article Sources: Ivan Ljubicic Vs Jesse Huta Galung in Rotterdam Open

VANCOUVER — You won’t hear anyone on Canada’s Davis Cup team call it a lucky break, because that would be . . . well, an insult to the French, and we’re all gentlemen here.

But when Gael Monfils, the 13th-ranked tennis player in the world, was provisionally left out — always subject to a captain’s change of mind, of course — of the visitors’ lineup for this weekend’s Canada-France tilt at the University of British Columbia, whatever slugger’s chance the host country brought into the competition got fractionally better.

Julien Benneteau, who drew in when venerable captain Guy Forget’s opening gambit for France left the sore-kneed Monfils out of the three-day Davis Cup grind, is No. 35 in the world.

Notwithstanding Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau’s contention that “you can throw the rankings out the window in matches like these,” those ATP ratings do serve, in normal times, to separate the men from the, er, less accomplished men.

And there is only one scenario that looks do-able if Canada is to have any chance of winning the best-of-five matches and advancing to the second stage of World Group play: split the two singles matches Friday, win the doubles Saturday, and hope Canada’s 21-year-old aces, Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil, have more left in the tank than their older opponents for the reverse singles on Sunday.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 6-ranked French star — which puts him outside the Djokovic-Nadal-Federer firmament but not all that far outside — ought to be, by rights, too big a handful for Pospisil, no matter how great the kid from Vernon, B.C., was last September against Israel in getting Canada promoted to the Davis Cup big league.

So barring an enormous upset by the 115th-ranked Pospisil in Friday’s opening match, the task of creating some weekend drama will fall to Raonic in a meeting of No. 29 and No. 35.

From the Canadian perspective, that beats facing No. 13, even if Benneteau — who was ranked 54th at the time — ended 2011 by beating the big-hitting Raonic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 on a hard court in Paris last November.

Forget watched the match, and liked what he saw.

“It was a tough one, three tight sets,” said the 30-year-old Benneteau, who’s in his 13th season as a pro. “We know how Milos can serve, he’s one of the best servers on the Tour, but I return well. When I was very aggressive, I gave him some problems, and I will try to do that [Friday].”

“Taking all the factors, I really thought Julien had a better chance (to beat Raonic),” said Forget. “I mean, he’s done it in the past. Julien is not a 19-year-old player who’s just coming out on the Tour, he’s been there a long time, he’s won big matches, especially in doubles, he’s been really good in singles lately, so I think he’s on a roll. I think Julien is reliable and I know he will play a really good match.

“And then, you know . . . we will see, after the matches on Friday, how everybody’s standing.”

Raonic sounded unsurprised by the change in opponents, given that Monfils’s knee pain is not exactly news, though the 25-year-old with the short dreadlocks did make it all the way to the final of the South of France Open last Sunday on that knee.

“I was aware of the situation, and also, you have to be aware of Julien, who’s really had a great end of last year and great beginning to this year, so he’s definitely earned his mark on the team,” Raonic said Thursday.

“I didn’t come out on the right end of things (in Paris), but I think I’ve improved, I’m playing a lot better this year, considering everything I was dealing with last year [including mid-season hip surgery].

“So I really look forward to it. I know what I need to do. I have to try to dictate control, and impose myself on them, and really try to make them feel uncomfortable — that’s my game style, and it really doesn’t matter who I play.”

Sore knee or not, Laurendeau is guessing there’s a good chance Monfils will play Sunday if the score is close, and especially if the French need both singles matches to win.

“Gamesmanship? Could be,” said the Canadian captain. “Forget is a wily veteran. He was pretty wily as a player.

“He [Forget] has up to an hour before the match to make a change. We’ll just deal with whoever they throw at us. We’ll take care of business.”

“I’m not disappointed,” Monfils said. “With a few days of rest, I expect to play Sunday, if it’s necessary. I could play Sunday instead of Benneteau. I think that’s his (Forget’s) plan.”

Forget said “with a few days more to prepare, it will be easier for him [Monfils] to play. [But] we hope there won’t be a fifth match.”Benneteau probably hopes the same thing. He’s also playing doubles on Saturday.

Three matches in three days, at age 30? You might want to take that Sunday singles assignment under advisement.

Article Sources: Cam Cole: Missing Gael Monfils improves Canada’s Davis Cup chances

Article Sources: Shoes and Children with Down Syndrome

Josh examines this week’s new ATP and WTA Tour rankings and recaps last week’s events in San Jose, Rotterdam, Sao Paolo, Doha and Bogota.

Last week offered quite the variety on both the men’s and women’s circuits, with events on clay and hard courts and at all levels of competition. The first ATP 500 series tournament on the calendar was held on the hard courts of Rotterdam, Netherlands. Roger Federer bounced back from an abysmal showing against John Isner in last week’s Davis Cup first round to clinch the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament title. Also on indoor hard, the SAP Open in San Jose, California, was won for a second consecutive year by Canadian youngster Milos Raonic. It was the third title of Raonic’s career. Additionally, the Golden Swing continued in South America with Nicolas Almagro lifting the Brasil Open trophy after a rather easy week without facing a top-40 opponent.

On the WTA Tour, the first Premier 5 event on the calendar, the Qatar Total Open was contested in Doha. Victoria Azarenka continued her perfect 2012 campaign with yet another title. She did not drop a set all week, including in the semis and final against top-10 talents Radwanska and Stosur. Meanwhile, the ladies’ version of the South American Golden Swing commenced in Bogota, Colombia, with the Copa BBVA Colsanitas. The field greatly lacked star power with the highest ranked player being No. 56 Marina Erakovic. All eight seeds fell by the second round and 174th-ranked Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino took advantage in her first career final.

Who’s Hot

(1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)…Azarenka is playing so well this year she deserves comparison to her men’s number one counterpart, Novak Djokovic. She already has three titles (Sydney, Melbourne and Doha) under her belt and is 17-0. She dominated the field last week in Doha, not dropping a set, and has her sights set on another Premier title this week in Dubai.

(2) Milos Raonic (CAN)…The 2011 Rookie of the Year has two titles to his name in 2012, in Chennai and San Jose, and he successfully defended his first career title last week in the latter. The Canadian has not dropped a set since the Australian Open, going 11-0 in sets won since.

(3) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)…Five titleholders emerged from the tennis world this weekend and I have a semifinalist here? Let’s see, I can’t give Federer this honor after such a disappointing Davis Cup performance last week. That’s not exactly “hot” in my book. Almagro is on a six match winning streak but hasn’t beaten anyone in the top-40 in that span. That leaves Arruabarrena-Vecino. Who? My point exactly. Radwanska is undefeated in 2012 against ladies not named Azarenka (10-0), having lost three times to the world number one in three tournaments entered. She reached the semis in Sydney and last week in Doha as well as the quarters at the Aussie.

Who’s Not

(1) Francesca Schiavone (ITA)…Schiavone has claimed this top “not” spot in back-to-back weeks following a first round exit to Yanina Wickmayer in Doha. Additionally, a couple weeks ago she was crushed 6-1 6-2 at the hands of 111th-ranked Lesya Tsurenko in Italy’s Fed Cup tie with the Ukraine. That came a week after being dispatched in the second round of the Australian Open to countrywoman Romina Oprandi. The dirt cannot come fast enough on the calendar for the 2010 French Open champ.

(2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS)…Dating back to a second round loss in the China Open, last October, the former world number two is 7-9 (4-4 in 2012), including demoralizing defeats to Romanians Sorana Cirstea and Monica Niculescu this year. She was also bounced in the first round in Sydney to countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova, with whom she ironically won the Australian Open doubles title the following week. To all fairness, the Russian has been suffering from a left hip injury which forced her to retire from her two previous tournaments.

(3) Gilles Simon (FRA)…Andy Roddick, you’re lucky I didn’t put you here after an early loss to Denis Istomin in San Jose. Instead, I’ll continue to pick on the Frenchman. Simon made this list the final three weeks of 2011, going 1-5 to finish the year, and has not improved thus far in 2012. He fell to David Nalbandian in the Brasil Open first round last week and is on the cusp of a free fall in the rankings.

Top-10 ATP Rankings (2/20/12)

(1) Novak Djokovic (SRB)…DNP, no change

(2) Rafael Nadal (ESP)…DNP, no change

(3) Roger Federer (SUI)…won Rotterdam title, no change 

 (4) Andy Murray (GBR)…DNP, no change

(5) David Ferrer (ESP)…DNP, no change

(6) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)…DNP, no change

(7) Tomas Berdych (CZE)…lost in Rotterdam semifinals, no change

(8) Mardy Fish (USA)…DNP, no change

(9) Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)…DNP, no change

(10) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)…lost in Rotterdam final, no change

**Status quo yet again. Federer, Berdych and Del Potro were the only top-10 tenants in action last week, with all making deep runs in Rotterdam. The biggest movers outside the top-10 were Robin Soderling, who continues to be MIA due to a bout with mono, falling to No. 24 and Andy Roddick dropping ten spots to No. 27.**

Top-10 WTA Rankings (2/20/12)

(1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)…won Doha title, no change

(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS)…DNP, no change

(3) Petra Kvitova (CZE)…DNP, no change

(4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)…lost in Doha second round, no change

(5) Sam Stosur (AUS)…lost in Doha final, no change

(6) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)…lost in Doha semifinals, no change

(7) Marion Bartoli (FRA)…lost in Doha semifinals, no change

(8) Vera Zvonareva (RUS)…lost in Doha second round, no change

(9) Li Na (CHN)…DNP, no change

(10) Andrea Petkovic (GER)…DNP, no change

**For the first time in a while there were no changes among the top-10 for the women.**

Article Sources: ATP and WTA Tours Week in Review: February 13-19, 2012

Peter Bodo’s Tennis World

SportsIllustrated News – Tennis

Straight Sets-Tennis Blog of the New York Times

Tennis-X.comUSA Today

ZooTennis.com

Article Sources: WTA Monterrey Monday Schedule

Day 10 at Australian Open 2012 features the conclusion of the quarterfinal matches. Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic attempt to join Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the men’s semis, while Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova attempt to keep pace in the race for the new women’s No. 1.

Jan 24, 2012 – After well over a year at No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki’s reign atop the women’s rankings came to an end when she fell to Kim Clijsters in the Aussie Open quarterfinals. Now, we are basically facing a series of elimination matches to see who the new No. 1 will be. If Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova or Petra Kvitova win this weekend, the top spot is theirs.

Wozniacki was a controversial No. 1 because of her goose-egg in the “career slam titles” department. And to be sure, she was never truly the best player in the world. The problem was, there was complete randomness when it came to who was actually better. Serena Williams was better, then got hurt, then got hurt again. Kim Clijsters was better, but she has been incredibly injury-prone as well. Petra Kvitova looks unbelievable one week, then incredibly beatable the next. Someone has always been better than Wozniacki, but nobody has been as consistently good. Plenty of people could have caught her in the rankings before now, but they faltered, and that’s not Wozniacki’s fault. Regardless, she was handed a tougher draw than a No. 1 should face this fortnight, and it caught up to her. And if the favorites win today, the women’s semis could be incredible … just like the men’s will probably be.

MENNo. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 5 David Ferrer

Rod Laver Arena, Match No. 4

It is funny to step back and realize just how dominant Novak Djokovic has been in the last 12 months. He has attained 13,630 points in the ATP rankings, 4,035 more than No. 2 Rafael Nadal. How much is 4,035 points? More than Andy Roddick and John Isner have earned, combined (3,680). Or to put it another way, the gap between Djokovic and Nadal would rank seventh in the world.

Of course, he has set the ball high enough that, should he falter even slightly in a given tournament this year, his advantage will begin to shrink quickly. Anything less than a win in the Aussie Open will make the point total disappear a bit. And to make even the semis, he must get past a man who has taken six of the past ten sets against him. Despite the fact that they each won plenty of matches in 2011, Djokovic and David Ferrer only played twice on tour in 2011; Djokovic beat the Spaniard on clay in Madrid (6-4, 4-6, 6-3), but in November at the ATP World Tour Finals, where Djokovic looked a bit fatigued, Ferrer swept him (6-3, 6-1).

With his stature (5-foot-9, 160 pounds), one would expect Ferrer to be all speed and defense. And while he is certainly fast, and his defensive game is top-notch, the 29-year old remains a Top Five fixture because his footwork and ability to disguise shots give him a nice offensive game as well. He won 84 percent of his service games on hard courts last year, and like Djokovic, he is great at the body blows. He chases every thing down and runs you from side to side; you may feel you are in control of a given point, but the odds are good that a) you’re going to lose that point anyway, and b) after two sets you are going to wonder where your legs went.

All that said, Djokovic still has to be considered the favorite here, simply because of his overall level of play. Ferrer has fared well versus the world No. 1 in a small sample size, but he has still advanced to only one slam semifinal in the last four years (last year’s Aussie). He is a grinder, but he can be overpowered if Djokovic is playing his A-game.

No. 4 Andy Murray vs. No. 24 Kei Nishikori

Rod Laver Arena, Match No. 3

If you are a fan of the underdog, you are down to one option in the men’s draw: Kei Nishikori. The 22-year old from Japan ranks 26th in the world and has logged his share of miles in the last week. After beating Stephane Robert in straight sets in the first round (the second set was a 9-7 tiebreaker), he needed five to beat Matthew Ebden, four to beat Julien Benneteau (including two tie-breakers) and five to upset No. 6 Jo-Wilifried Tsonga in the fourth round. He is 5-1 so far in 2012, but he has won just 14 of 22 sets in the process and was swept by Marcos Baghdatis in the second round at Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. In his one meeting with No. 4 Andy Murray (Shanghai 2011), he won just three games (6-3, 6-0). He is, to say the least, unlikely to make the semis in Melbourne; of course, he was unlikely to make the quarterfinals, too.

Nishikori has mastered the tie-breaker in Melbourne, and to upset Murray, he may have no choice but to go the same route because, quite simply, he might not be able to touch Murray’s serve. In their first meeting, Murray won an incredible 82 percent of his service points; he won a ridiculous 22 of 23 first-serve points as well. While he generated nine break points on Nishikori’s serve, he did not face a single one on his own. Nishikori has an average return game (he won 24 percent of his return games on hard courts in 2011), and he certainly can’t do much worse in that regard against Murray, but let’s just say his focus should probably be on holding his own serve. The breaks aren’t likely to flow in at a high rate.

WOMENNo. 2 Petra Kvitova vs. Sara Errani

Rod Laver Arena, Match No. 1

On the women’s side, you’ve got your choice of a couple of underdogs: Sara Errani and Ekaterina Makarova. Of course, neither has played much like an underdog thus far. Errani lost four of her final five matches in 2011 and got thumped by Angelique Kerber (6-1, 6-2) in her final Aussie Open tune-up, but she has been incredible in Melbourne. The draw has helped (she’s played only one seeded opponent, No. 29 Nadia Petrova), but she has lost more than two games just once in nine sets. She lost a first-set tie-breaker against Sorana Cirstea in the third round, then rallied, 6-0, 6-2. In the fourth round versus Jie Zheng, she lost just three games. And now she takes on Petra Kvitova at what might be the perfect time. The world No. 1 is up for grabs, and a player like Kvitova, who has been incredibly loose and devastating for much of the Aussie Open, might (might) tighten up a bit with that much more on the line.

As good as Errani has looked over the past week, however, her track record versus top players certainly doesn’t offer a lot of encouragement. Victoria Azarenka allowed her just six games in two matches last year, and Vera Zvonareva pummeled her, 6-0, 6-2, in the Fed Cup. Sam Stosur almost bageled her, 6-0, 6-1, in Dubai, and Venus Williams had little trouble (6-3, 6-2) in last year’s Aussie Open. Perhaps her single most encouraging match was a three-set loss to Kim Clijsters (6-3, 2-6, 6-4) at Indian Wells. The good news is, she is clearly peaking this week; the bad news is, Kvitova may be peaking as well. Barring one glitchy set versus Carla Suarez-Navarro in the second round (she lost the second, 6-2), she has been magnificent. She has played two seeded opponents and won 20 of 28 games against them.

No. 4 Maria Sharapova vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Rod Laver Arena, Match No. 2

One thought came to mind watching Ekaterina Makarova completely and totally pick apart Serena Williams a couple of days ago: wait, this women is ranked 56th?? Makarova has faced a brutal draw thus far and has emerged mostly unscathed. She drew No. 25 Kaia Kanepi in the second round and dropped just seven games. She demoralized No. 7 Vera Zvonareva with a tight win in a first-set tie-breaker, then blew her off the court in the second set (6-1), to the point that Zvonareva was fighting off tears in the final game. Then, in the fourth round, she preempted a much discussed Williams-Sharapova quarterfinal match by whipping Serena, 6-3, 6-2. She has looked magnificent thus far, just like she did last year at the Aussie Open, when she took out two seeded opponents before Kim Clijsters got the best of her in the fourth round.

So how is the 23-year old from Moscow ranked 56th? Because she really doesn’t show well at non-slams. She made the fourth round at the French as well (she defeated Kanepi there, as well), and she took Maria Kirilenko to a third-set tie-breaker in the first round at the U.S. Open, but she dropped her final seven tour matches of 2011 and didn’t advance past the third round of a non-slam all year. She is the anti-Wozniacki, in other words. She also doesn’t have a very good record against Sharapova; the two met twice last year, and while Makarova did take a set, Sharapova lost just six games in the other four sets combined.

What an accomplishment it would be for Sharapova to regain the No. 1 ranking after six years of ups and downs. She was No. 1 as late as Spring 2008, toward the end of a span of eight semifinal appearances in 10 slams, but she tore her rotator cuff and missed a good portion of a year; then, she completely lost both her serve and her confidence. She had rebounded to 18th by the end of 2010, but her true comeback began in earnest last year, when she made the French Open semis and Wimbledon finals. She has looked good at the Aussie Open, and a win over Makarova might set up a heavyweight duel versus Kvitova in the semis.

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Article Sources: Australian Open 2012 Schedule, Preview For Tuesday’s Matches: Epic Semis And A New No. 1

For anyone who follows the sport, or who has followed the career of American Andy Roddick, the omission is glaring.

Glance at the year-end, top 10 world rankings for professional men’s tennis players and Roddick, a fixture there since 2002 when he was a brash, hard-serving 20-year-old, isn’t there. The No. 1 player in the world in 2003 after winning his first, and only, Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open, Roddick ended 2011 ranked 14th.

Roddick, 29, wasn’t the top-ranked American in 2011, either, surrendering that spot to Mardy Fish, who finished No. 8 overall. As he enters next week’s Regions Morgan Keegan Championships at The Racquet Club, Roddick, the defending champ, will be No. 3 seed, the first time the perennial Memphis participant has played the RMKC as anything other than the top seed since 2002, when he was second behind Tommy Haas.

Frenchman Gael Monfils, the world’s 13th-ranked player, will be the top seed and 6-9 American John Isner, who defeated Roger Federer in Davis Cup play last weekend, will be the No. 2 seed. Isner is ranked 14th, a career high, and Roddick is ranked 17th.

With the gradual fall in the rankings, Roddick is finding questions regarding his future, and possible retirement, both frequent and annoying.

”I don’t think I’m going to get in the habit of addressing that every time I’m at a tournament,” Roddick said during a press conference advancing this week’s San Jose stop and next week’s Memphis event. ”That seems to be a no-win situation for any athlete.”

Despite the lone Grand Slam tournament win — and the unfortunate timing of having his career parallel those of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — Roddick said he doesn’t feel a sense of urgency. There are no major feats in the sport he’s rushing to achieve.

He’s been No. 1 in the world, he’s won a Grand Slam tournament, he’s been a member of a winning Davis Cup team, he’s captured 30 career titles and nearly 600 match wins. He’s also been a two-time Wimbledon runnerup, including losing to Federer, 16-14, in the fifth set in 2009, the longest decisive set in Grand Slam final history.

”Honestly, at this point, I feel like I’m almost starting over,” Roddick said. ”I’m not really protecting any (rankings points besides Memphis). My streak of top 10 years is over.

”There are a couple of short-term goals. I’d love to win a tournament, keep that (streak of 11 consecutive years with at least one tournament win) going. And I’d love to get 600 wins sooner than later.”

At The Racquet Club next week, Roddick will be returning to the event he has played annually since 2001. The three-time Memphis champion defeated Milos Raonic in last year’s final with, arguably, the best winning shot in the event’s 35-year history. Roddick smashed a forehand winner on match point after making a headlong dive to reach a Raonic volley.

Roddick called the shot ”10 percent skill, 90 percent luck.”

”I used all 90 percent of that luck,” he said. ”It was a shot I certainly couldn’t believe at the time.”

Roddick nearly didn’t get the opportunity to finish the week in such dramatic fashion. He recalled telling tournament director Peter Lebedevs 20 minutes before the final he might not be able to play because of flulike symptoms and a pinched nerve in his neck.

”I didn’t feel great, but with the history I’ve had there (at the RMKC), there was going to be no further harm with me going out and giving it a go. Two-and-a-half hours later, it proved to be worth it.”

As Roddick enters the final years of his career, he’s quick to loathe retirement talk, but equally as quick to recall the accomplishments he cherishes in the sport.

”The thing I’m most proud of is the body of work,” he said. ”A lot of people have won a Slam and been No. 1. But a lot of times it’s been a four-year or five-year window. Mine has been a 10-year window.

”I’m thankful for all of it. I certainly have tried not to take any of it for granted.”

Memphis tennis

What: The men’s Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and women’s Memphis International

When: Men’s tournament, Monday through Feb. 26; women’s tournament, Sunday through Feb. 25

Where: The Racquet Club of Memphis

Tickets: Call (901) 765-4401 or go to memphistennis.com

– Phil Stukenborg: (901) 529-2543

Article Sources: Andy Roddick’s rank slips, but not his motivation

CHICAGO (AP) — Nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have artificial knees, or more than 4 million people, according to the first national estimate showing how common these replacement joints have become in an aging population.

Doctors know the number of knee replacement operations has surged in the past decade, especially in baby boomers. But until now, there was no good fix on the total number of people living with them.

The estimate is important because it shows that a big segment of the population might need future knee-related care, said Dr. Daniel Berry, president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was not involved in the research.

People with knee replacements sometimes develop knee infections or scar tissue that require additional treatment. But also, even artificial knees wear out, so as the operations are increasingly done on younger people, many will live long enough to almost certainly need a second or even third knee replacement.

The new estimate comes in an analysis being presented Friday at the academy’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

“These data are sobering because we didn’t know what an army of people we’ve created over the last decade,” said Elena Losina, lead author of the analysis and co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “The numbers will only increase, based on current trends.”

Replacement joints can greatly improve quality of life for people with worn-out knees, but they’re not risk-free and it’s a major operation that people should not take lightly, she said.

Modern knee replacements in the United States date back to the 1970s. Since then, advances in materials and techniques, including imaging scans to create better-fitting joints, have made the implants more durable and lifelike, surgeons say.

Losina and colleagues came up with their estimate by analyzing national data on the number of knee replacements done from 1998-2009, U.S. census data, death statistics and national health surveys.

For example, in 2009, more than 600,000 knee replacement operations were done nationwide. The study estimate includes people who had knee replacement operations that year and in previous years who are still living.

Overall, 4.5 million Americans are living with artificial knees. That includes an estimated 500,000 who have had at least two replacement operations on the same knee.

Knee replacements are most common in people older than 80 — 1 in 10 people in this age range have them, the study found. Though they’re less prevalent in people younger than that, there are still more than half a million Americans in their 50s with the artificial joints, and based on current trends, operations in that age group are expected to increase.

According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, knee replacements tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009.

Doctors think two trends have contributed to that increase: the nation’s obesity epidemic and amateur athletes who don’t adjust workouts to spare aging or even injured joints. Both can lead to or worsen arthritis, the main reason for replacing knees.

Donna Brent, 63, is in the latter category. The Deerfield, Ill., administrative assistant says decades of racket ball, tennis, softball and other sports took a toll on her knees, but she got used to living with the pain, even when she became bowlegged and developed a limp. When pain “started getting in the way of some of my sports,” she gave in to her doctor’s advice and had the operation last June on her right knee. She said she feels better than ever, is back to exercising and plans to resume tennis and softball when the weather warms up.

During knee replacement operations, surgeons slice off a small portion of the worn-out surface on the ends of both leg bones that meet at the knee, then implant an artificial joint usually made of plastic or metal. Typical operations last about two hours, require a few days in the hospital, and cost roughly $40,000.

Artificial knees generally last 15 to 20 years. While some are promoted as lasting 30 years, these estimates are generally based on use among older people more sedentary than baby boomers who expect new knees to let them be as active as they were before surgery. Sometimes that’s possible, though doctors often discourage knee replacement patients from engaging in high-impact sports including jogging.

The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases paid for the study.

Knee problems and replacements: 1.usa.gov/xeWHqG

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: aaos.org

Article Sources: Nearly 1 in 20 US adults over 50 have fake knees