Month: November 2013

BANGKOK (AP) — Serena Williams will play Victoria Azarenka in an exhibition match in Thailand next month in a matchup of the world’s top two women’s players.

Surprise 2009 U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin (oo-DAN) says she has a muscle-damaging condition that may be caused by intense exertion. Oudin has written on her Twitter feed that her ”off season is a little paused at the moment” because of the ailment, called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-uh-sis), and she is ”doing everything possible for a speedy” recovery. Her agent, Sam Duvall, confirms to The Associated Press on Monday that Oudin sent the tweets. At 17, she pulled off a series of upsets, including against Maria Sharapova, to reach the U.S. Open’s final eight.

International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti says critics of Viktor Troicki’s doping suspension have misunderstood the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Troicki’s ban for missing a doping test in April was reduced on appeal from 18 months to 12, and CAS said his ”fault was not significant.” Ricci Bitti told The Associated Press at an Olympic meeting on Saturday the CAS decision doesn’t mean Troicki was free of fault. Troicki claimed he was told by the doping officer to write to the ITF explaining he was ill and could not give a blood sample. Troicki’s fellow… Read More

MIAMI (AP) — Gardnar Mulloy, who helped the United States win the Davis Cup three times in the 1940s, is celebrating his 100th birthday.

Serena Williams has warned the rest of women’s tennis there is more to come from her after she was chosen WTA player of the year for the second year running and the fifth time overall. Williams enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in WTA history.

Maria Sharapova has hired Sven Groeneveld as her coach, three months after splitting from Jimmy Connors following one match.

With the Davis Cup on the line, Radek Stepanek delivered again. Stepanek gave the Czech Republic its second straight Davis Cup title Sunday, sweeping past Dusan Lajovic in straight sets in the fifth and decisive match to secure a 3-2 win over Serbia in the final. The 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 win over 117th-ranked Lajovic made Stepanek the first player in the history of the tournament to decide consecutive finals in the fifth match. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic had tied the series 2-2 in the opening singles match Sunday by beating Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

The Czech Republic retained the Davis Cup title by beating Serbia 3-2 in the final Sunday after Radek Stepanek swept past Dusan Lajovic in the decisive singles match. The Czech veteran beat the 117th-ranked Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, converting his first match point with a volley. Stepanek spread his hands on the court as Tomas Berdych and other Czech teammates mobbed him. Serbia won its only crown in 2010, beating France in Belgrade.

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Czech Republic retained the Davis Cup title by beating Serbia 3-2 in the final Sunday after Radek Stepanek swept past Dusan Lajovic in the decisive singles match.

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Novak Djokovic kept alive Serbia’s hopes of winning its second Davis Cup title in four years by beating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic on Sunday to even the final at 2-2.