HIT IN THE BALL?

An attempt to smuggle a drug-filled tennis ball into a south-east Queensland prison has been foiled.

Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence today told state parliament that the external fence alarm at Borallon Correctional Centre, west of Brisbane, was triggered about 6.45pm (AEST) on Sunday.

The intruder was not found but prison staff found a tennis ball wrapped in yellow electrical tape stuck in the fence, about two metres off the ground.

The ball was stuffed with ecstasy tablets and cannabis.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

T his exhibition match was a curiosity.

Spectacle and a little quality tennis.

The two met only once in an official pro match, like ships passing in the night, with Federer winning a five-setter at Wimbledon in 2001 that sent Sampras toward his 2002 retirement and Federer toward the top. But, as Federer steadily closed in on Sampras' major-title mark and Sampras began playing exhibitions last year, Federer proposed they cross swords in public.

A three-match tour of Asia late last year - Federer won the first two, Sampras the third - left Sampras asking that they meet in the United States and, in a chaotic 90 days, last night's match was cobbled together. Sampras said he was "shocked" to learn their show sold out in two weeks - top ticket $1,000, cheapest $50 - and sports agent Jerry Solomon said he had calls from the likes of Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, tenor Placido Domingo (and Solomon's wife, Nancy Kerrigan) for tickets.

WATCH PETE AND ROGER LIVE

The video will  be streamed live on USTA.com,  TVUNetworks.com and MSG.com at 8 pm tonight.

Following the live webcast, the full match will remain available on-demand on USTA.com for seven days. In addition, USTA.com will produce a highlights package to allow fans to view the key points of the match.

TSN SCHEDULE

SHOOT-OUT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Sampras, the best of his generation, and Federer, the best of his, bring two eras of excellence together Monday night, when they play an exhibition match at a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

Pistol Pete  vs  The Artful Roger.

The past vs. the present: Sampras is 36; Federer is 26.

A total of 26 major singles championships, 14 for Sampras vs. 12 for Federer.

A total of 10 year-end No. 1 finishes in the rankings, a record six for Sampras vs. four for Federer.

Sampras’ serve-and-volley style, something rarely seen these days.

Federer’s all-court brilliance, conjuring up shots rarely if ever seen.

They only played each other once on tour, in the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2001, when Federer beat Sampras in five sets.

That came after Sampras had won the last of his seven titles at the All England Club, and before Federer began his current streak of five consecutive championships there.

They have started to get acquainted with each other’s personality and tennis, having played three exhibitions in Asia in November.

Federer won the first two, and Sampras won the third.

Now comes their first matchup in the United States, a best-of-three-sets encounter on an indoor hard court.

For Federer, Monday’s match might represent an exhibition with no trophy at stake and a guaranteed payday, but it also represents a chance to get in some work.

He’s coming off consecutive losses, in the Australian Open semifinals and the first round of an event in Dubai, so there hasn’t been much activity of late for a guy accustomed to playing all the way to the end of tournament after tournament.

It wasn’t until Friday that word emerged from his camp that Federer was diagnosed last month with mononucleosis, an energy-sapping infection caused by a virus.

“The good news really is to be certain of what has occurred,” Federer said. “The bad news is that I have quite some catching up to do in terms of fitness as I am not in the physical state that I would normally be in at this time of the year.”

RODDICK TAKES DUBAI

Sixth-seeded American Andy Roddick captured his 25th career ATP singles title and second trophy in three weeks with a 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-2 victory over unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in one hour and 55 minutes at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday. Roddick, who didn't lose his serve in five matches this week, hit 22 aces to extend his perfect record to 4-0 against Lopez.

FEDERER HAS MONO

Roger Federer's most intriguing season continues on Monday with a singles match in New York that won't count in the rankings but has still managed to sell out 19,000 seats in Madison Square Garden.

Federer's latest exhibition duel with the now-retired Pete Sampras is just that: an exhibition. But it comes at a particularly sensitive stage of Federer's brilliant career; one where he has looked surprisingly vulnerable to the slings, arrows and energy of the younger generation.

He has played just two tournaments in 2008 and lost twice to 20-year-olds, with Novak Djokovic manhandling him in straight sets in the semifinals of the Australian Open, and Andy Murray upsetting him in a tighter match this week in the first round in Dubai after Federer had taken a five-week break from competition.

In both defeats, Federer looked less fleet and fluid than usual and also less than convincing with his signature forehand.

Crisis? Beginning of the end of his long reign? Perhaps, but Federer, as it turns out, has not been practicing full disclosure until now.

At age 26, he has not only been struggling with young, gifted and hungry opposition, but also his health. Last month, after falling ill for the third time in six weeks, he underwent extensive tests in his native country of Switzerland and his part-time residence of Dubai. According to Federer, the conclusion was that he had contracted mononucleosis.

Federer already had been diagnosed with food poisoning prior to the Australian Open, which severely disrupted his preparation for that tournament, eventually won by Djokovic. But Federer, who complained of feeling sluggish during the Open, said it now appears that the mononucleosis was the more serious issue.

Mononucleosis is an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It can produce flu-like symptoms and extreme, lingering fatigue. Physicians often discourage those with mononucleosis from taking part in intense physical activity because of the risk of rupturing the spleen, which can become enlarged because of the infection.

He was well aware that mononucleosis forced Mario Ancic, a former top 10 player from Croatia, to miss six months of the 2007 season, including Wimbledon.

Federer said he was unable to practice for about 10 days in February and received medical clearance to begin training normally five days before the tournament in Dubai began on Monday.

"They weren't sure I was over it, but now I'm creating antibodies and this really shows you are over it," he said.

Even in perfect health, this season looked like the most challenging of Federer's career with the emergence of Djokovic and with an overstuffed calendar that includes the Olympic tournament in Beijing. He is still on a quest to win his first French Open, the only Grand Slam singles title he lacks, and also will be attempting to break his tie in the record books with Bjorn Borg by winning a sixth straight Wimbledon.

Now, 2008 looks even more challenging, and it should be fine theater to see how a champion accustomed to winning big titles without much adversity will react.

Until now, Federer has been largely spared any major health concerns and has played in 33 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, winning 12 of them: two short of Sampras's all-time record. He won three of the four major titles in 2006 and did the same in 2007, but despite his stuttering start in 2008, he said it is too early to claim that his era of dominance is ending.

RODDICK TRUMPS JOKER

 

Andy Roddick, in his first tournament since splitting with Jimmy Connors as coach, reached Dubai Open final by beating Novak Djokovic.

The former world No1 denied that the separation from Connors had given him any extra motivation, though his form in winning 7-6, 6-3 against the Australian Open champion was even better than when beating Rafael Nadal the previous night.

"I don't know if this week is about Jimmy. I talked to him last night and he had a lot of things to say," said Roddick. "But for a long time it has been John [Roddick's brother], Doug [Spreen] and me on the road."

Roddick served superbly and played some clever rallies, but the match hinged on a forehand miss by Djokovic in the tie-break and one break of serve in the second set.

LOPEZ DOWNS DAVYDENKO

Feliciano Lopez earned a place in the final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday with a nail-biting defeat of fifth seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

The unseeded Spaniard, who also reached the final in 2004 before losing to Roger Federer, took two hours 24-minutes to claim his 6-4 4-6 7-5 victory, recovering from 5-2 down in the final set.

RODDICK - CONNORS PART WAYS

There's no denying the influence Jimmy Connors had on Andy Roddick was considerable and tangible.

Unfortunately for Roddick, the vociferous channeling of Jimbo's on-court spirit didn't have anything to do with winning multiple Grand Slam events.

Only this lasting memory:

Roddick, to chair umpire Emmanuel Joseph: "You're an idiot."

Roddick to the fans: "Stay in school kids, or you'll end up being an umpire."

That all happened at the Australian Open in January, which will go down as the last match of the Roddick-Connors partnership at a Grand Slam tournament. Inauspiciously, the third-round loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber was Roddick's earliest exit in Melbourne since he went out in the second round in 2002.

The official end came last week when Connors resigned as coach, and the public announcement was yesterday in Dubai after beating Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

Coincidence?

Connors was just a part-time coach.

Roddick's older brother, John, seemed to do more of the heavy lifting, handling the daily nuts and bolts, and Connors the broader strokes.

The once-shaky Roddick backhand did improve.

But a moderately improved backhand wasn't enough to compensate for a lack of a Plan B, or the disturbing tendency to keep drifting back behind the baseline, negating his power.

Roddick told reporters in Dubai, describing the split as "amicable."

As it often happens, the best results came after they first started working together when Roddick reached the U.S. Open final in 2006 a few weeks after connecting with Connors, losing to Roger Federer.

Rankings don't lie, though. Pre-Connors, Roddick was mentioned most often as one of the biggest threats to Federer's dominance. But Rafael Nadal made the first move to slide in, on deck, followed by Novak Djokovic (who beat Federer to win the Australian Open in January).

Connors' legacy: a slightly better backhand and an extremely offensive mouth.

The stamp of Connors.

DUBAI - RODDICK BEATS RAFA

6] A Roddick (USA) d [2] R Nadal (ESP) 76(5) 62

F Lopez (ESP) d [4] D Ferrer (ESP) 64 63

[5] N Davydenko (RUS) d A Murray (GBR) 75 64

THE IDES OF MARCH??

In tennis, confidence comes and goes quickly. Remember how things looked in November? Federer dominated his last three matches at the Masters Cup and Djokovic ended the year with five consecutive losses and seemed destined for a slump in 2008. A little more than three months later, Djokovic is the Australian Open champion.

Last year, began with TGF [THE GREAT FEDERER] being beaten twice by Canas.

TGF lost his first match at Indian Wells, in the second round, after winning it the previous three seasons. He stands to gain a lot of ranking points if he does well this year.

TGF could gain a few more in Miami, where he lost in the fourth round. If he wins both tournaments and performs well at Estoril, Portugal, where he didn’t play last year, he’ll have a cushion over Nadal in the rankings that the Spaniard won’t be able to top without a TGF flop at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, or a sensational hard court season from Nadal (which has yet to happen). Djokovic has a lot of points to defend in coming weeks, too, and he’s still 1,300 points behind TGF.

Remember - -  it’s only March.

FLY IN LESSONS

911 callers reported a plane in trouble.

Pilot Bob Kadera was about to land on a golf course at the Marriott Lincolnshire.

His 14-year-old son Isaac in the passenger seat.

When asked if he thought it was a good idea at the time, Isaac said "not entirely."

But his dad put it down perfectly on the 7th fairway.

Pilot Bob Kadera said he wasn't running out of gas and he wasn't experiencing engine trouble.

In fact this was not an emergency. So why does a pilot land on a golf course? Because his son was running late for his tennis lesson at this club across the street.

"No, it's another means of transportation," said Bob. "You know cars, boats, planes, trains. Another means of transportation, way to get around. You know traffic is really terrible."

Kadera says he didn't think anyone would notice, but police were waiting.

Randy Melvin, Lincolnshire Police Chief, says "he had never contacted the Marriott Resort. He had no permission to land the plane. We are in the flight path for the Chicago Executive Airport, which is a private airport down in Wheeling."

By the way, police did not let Isaac make his tennis lesson but he did land a spot on his school's tennis team. And the youngest of 10 children seems to appreciate the dedication of his 65-year-old dad.

Isaac says "he's a good dad. He'll do whatever it takes."

Still Isaac says next time, they'll take the minivan.

STAN SMITH??? I KNOW THE SHOE

Stan Smith can be found - wearing shoes with his name on them - on Hilton Head Island, S.C., where he has lived for 37 years. Since 1971, he has had an endorsement contract with Adidas, and the shoes are consistently among the most popular in tennis circles worldwide, perhaps the biggest seller ever. He never thought it would last this long.

"No way," Smith said. "It was a lucky sort of thing. Most of the people who see the shoe don't know who I am. It's been a nice run."

The shoe in recent years has come in different colors, but the "Adidas Originals" line carries the classic white with a little green or blue trim.

"That's the reason it has lasted so long," Smith said. "You can wear it with anything. I like the basic look."

Smith, 61, basically looks a lot like the rangy 6-foot-4 Californian who was one of the dominant players in men's pro tennis from the late 1960s through the 1970s. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, Smith was the world's No. 1 in 1971 and 1972, and has singles wins at the U.S. Open (1971) and Wimbledon (1972) to his credit.

He was even more of a juggernaut when paired with Bob Lutz, a former teammate at the University of Southern California, where they won two NCAA doubles titles and Smith captured the 1968 singles crown. The duo won the U.S. Open four times and the Australian men's doubles once.

Smith earned 39 singles and 61 doubles pro titles, and $1,774,811 in prize money - or a bit more than the $1.4 million winner's purse in 2007 at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon tournaments. He has played those venues for 40 years, including the senior division.

His first-place prize money at Wimbledon, he recalled, was $14,000 in American dollars, and was $20,000 at the U.S. Open. That's about what winning a first-round match is worth now.

"It was one of the bigger purses," said Smith, acknowledging that time and prize money moves on, and some aspects of the sport have changed.

"It's definitely more of a business now. It's more of an international business," Smith said.

"When I was playing, there were mainly Australians and Americans, and a few Europeans. Now players are from all over Europe, eastern and western. Africa and Asia now have good some players, and we still have Americans and Australians. It's the second-most international sport in the world after soccer."

Tennis also ranks in the top five in terms of popularity in many countries, Smith said, but by his count is only 10th or 11th in the United States.

While the sport will not supplant football, baseball and basketball, it could do more things like the development of Tennis Channel. He pointed to the spectacle of the U.S. Open, and the March 10 exhibition match between No. 1 Roger Federer and retired legend Pete Sampras.

Smith said the top three players, Federer, Spain's Rafael Nadal and Serbia's Novak Djokovic, are personable. They have separated themselves, as of now, from the pack, which is not that much different from other eras, he said.

WOULD YOU BUY A USED CAR FROM THIS MAN?

 

"I think Safin could be a real contender again because I like the way he plays, but he's crazy. He's crazier than I am I think. That's part of the reason why he is so good because he plays so crazy." - Nastase.

Don't flatter him, Ilie.

He's not as crazy as you.

MURRY TAKES OUT ROGER

World number one Roger Federer suffered his first opening-round defeat since 2004 when he lost 6-7 6-3 6-4 to unseeded Briton Andy Murray in the Dubai Championships on Monday.

The 12-times grand slam champion was last beaten in the first round of a tournament at the Cincinnati Masters in August 2004.

“Any time you get to play against someone like that it’s just an honor to be on the same court,” Murray said courtside after recording his second career victory over holder Federer.

“But each time I’ve played him I’ve stepped up my game. I’d been serving well and I don’t think he had a break point the whole match. I’m not sure how often that has happened to him.”

The result condemned Federer to back-to-back defeats, after he was also beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals in January.

Murray, who has won two tournaments this year, squandered a set point in the opening set but that did not seem to faze him.

He produced a series of blistering groundstrokes to break Federer in the sixth game of the second and the top seed struggled to recover.

In the third set Federer failed to halt Murray’s charge and dropped his serve again in the fifth game.

Sensing victory, the Scot unleashed a series of ferocious serves to wrap up victory in one hour 54 minutes.

Monday’s win extended Murray’s head-to-head record against Federer to 2-1.

DUBAI STARTS MONDAY

Defending champion Roger Federer will play 12th-ranked Andy Murray in the opening round of the Dubai Championships.

The draw on Saturday also featured Rafael Nadal against Phillipp Kohlschreiber [who beat Roddick in the Oz Open]. Andy Roddick will make his Dubai debut against Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The tournament, which includes the top six players in the field of 32, starts Monday at the Aviation Club.

Federer, a four-time champion, has lost only two matches in Dubai -- to Rainer Schuettler of Germany in 2002 and Rafael Nadal in the 2006 final.

Federer and Murray are 1-1. The Briton won their last match, in the second round of the 2006 ATP Masters in Cincinnati.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic opens against Marin Cilic. The Serb could then play Mikhail Youzhny, who lost to Federer in the final last year.

1984 WIMBLEDON FINAL

How much did these guys hate one another?

After the match-ending handshake, Connors wipes his hand off on the netcord judge's sleeve!

GREG NORMAN - CHRIS EVERT (part 2)

Golfing great Greg Norman and former tennis great Chris Evert will soon be sharing a 24.66 million Australian dollar beachside Florida love nest.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the 52-room, 2,600 square metre mansion was owned by the widow of publishing tycoon Randolph Hearst and sits on 1.5 hectares of lavish gardens and has spectacular water views.

A lagoon is on the property's west side, and Florida's exclusive Manalapan Beach borders the eastern edge.

New Stream Capital, a property firm, bought the mansion at the auction and Norman reportedly was seen in talks with the company's lawyers after the auction.

The company is expected to sell the estate.

The mansion is known as Villa Venezia and was inspired by the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Norman divorced his wife of 25 years, Laura Andrassy, last year, although some minor legal issues need to be finalised in a Florida court in coming weeks.

The divorce became a bitter legal tussle after Norman and tennis champion Evert went public with their relationship, sparking juicy headlines in the press worldwide.

Evert, 53, left her husband, American ski champion Andy Mill.

Villa Venezia also has a juicy history.

The property had been seized to pay back US 46 million dollars Hearst's widow, Veronica, owed New Stream Secured Capital, which held three mortgages on the property, according to the paper.

GREG NORMAN - CHRIS EVERT (part 1)

15 DECEMBER 2007: Australian golf great Greg Norman has agreed to carve up his $300 million fortune, with a third going to his estranged wife Laura to end their 25-year marriage.

Despite a bitter and public divorce battle, both Norman and Laura were wearing happy faces.

The vast business empire the couple amassed during their marriage has been carved up under the divorce deal.

The agreement divvies up the $US20 million family mansion in Florida's exclusive Jupiter Island estate, the Norman's Estates Wine company, the popular Greg Norman sportswear line and Great White Shark Enterprises, with its golf course design division, the paper said.

The one unresolved issue relates the tax debt on the seven private jets Norman owned during the marriage.

When the couple first announced plans for a divorce a year ago it seemed amicable, but became heated after photos of Norman and 52-year-old Evert holding hands in Sydney were published.

Norman and his former flight attendant wife then fought a public battle that intensified in recent months.

Norman drew worldwide headlines when a petition his lawyers filed attacked the impact his wife had on his golf career, which included two British Open and 20 PGA victories.

"The wife did not teach the husband to swing a golf club," the petition from Norman's lawyers stated.

"The wife did not teach the husband to win.

"All of those teachings were the product of diligent hard work by the husband prior to this marriage."

Norman also argued his contribution to raising the couple's two children, Morgan-Leigh, 24, and Gregory, 20, "were extraordinary and far exceeded the contributions of the wife".

HENIN'S BACKHAND

Mostly everyone raves about Justin Henin's backhand. It is a powerful shot for a woman of her size - which is my next point. Look at her backhand grip - extreme Western. This is the result of a tiny person learning to hit head high balls on clay. Most clay court pros have this grip which we spot more easily on forehand. Another interesting aspect is how far out in front she's contacting the ball. Only there will power, spin, and control be maximized. Lastly, look at her face to see how much she enjoys hitting backhands.

CONNORS VS MCENROE - A STUDY IN DEMONOLOGY

It was hate at first sight when Connors, who had reigned with Bjorn Borg for most of the 1970s, confronted McEnroe, an equally fiery Irish-American. Proud and pugnacious Connors resented the outrageously talented punk who would take attention, money and titles from him. Mac resented the lack of respect he received from Connors. In the 1979 Grand Prix Masters, Connors dismissively predicted, “Remember he’s still a young boy. McEnroe will be good practice for me,” before McEnroe upset him, 7-5, 3-0, retired, to signal the changing of the guard. “That f***face McEnroe” was how Connors described his archrival. The younger (by six years) McEnroe came out on top, 20-13, in their often-controversial head-to-head, although Connors led 8-7 in Grand Slam singles titles. Their verbal volleys were even, though, and always entertaining.

When McEnroe hectored officials during their 1980 Wimbledon semifinal, Connors blasted, “My son is better behaved than you. I’ll bring him to play you.” McEnroe confided: “There were times on court when I wanted to beat Connors so bad, I felt I could easily strangle him.” By 1984, an aging Connors had somewhat mellowed, winning over crowds with quips instead of alienating them with vulgarity, while irascible McEnroe was the bad actor that fans loved to hate. “I don’t know that I changed all that much. They just found somebody worse,” was Connors’s memorable zinger. But McEnroe wasn’t buying the nice-guy image Connors cultivated late in his career and fired back: “I don’t think I could ever be that phony.”

PETE AND ROGER TITLES

Pete Sampras

Record 14 grand slam titles

• Two Australian Open titles: (1994, 1997)

• Seven Wimbledon titles: (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)

• Five US Open titles: (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)

Roger Federer

12 slams so far

• Three Australian Open titles: (2004, 2006, 2007)

• Five Wimbledon titles: (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)

• Four US Open titles (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)

2008 SCHEDULE

RODDICK BEATS RADEK

Andy Roddick arrived at the SAP Open this week not knowing where his game was because he had played so sparingly this season.

He left San Jose with this third title at this event and confidence that he can get on a roll following a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the tournament final Sunday.

"You want to build on this and use it," Roddick said. "If you get through a couple of tough matches like I did this week, it gives you an opportunity to go on a hot streak. I think maybe I got my foot in the door as far as that's concerned and now I need to build on that."

Roddick had played only four competitive matches since winning the Davis Cup late last season, losing in the third round of the Australian Open and winning his only match in this month's Davis Cup tie against Austria.

He was pushed to a third-set tiebreaker in the opening round here against lucky loser Chris Guccione before starting to find his groove. Roddick is stressing this stretch of the season and has accepted a wild-card entry to play in Memphis this upcoming week in order to get more work.

RODDICK AND RADEK

The SAP Open has come down to two players willing to express their emotions on the court - Andy Roddick, the American with the powerful serve and Type A temperament, and Radek Stepanek, the Czech with the unpredictable game and fondness for performing The Worm.

The Worm?

After beating Robby Ginepri 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday, Stepanek flopped to the ground and gyrated every which way on his belly, his routine after winning big matches. He hopes for an encore after today's final with Roddick, who beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (2), 6-1 in Saturday's other semifinal.

Stepanek  couldn't care less that his mannerisms are goofy or that his personality can tick off opponents. After all, we're talking about the guy who once was the future Mr. Martina Hingis and now apparently is the future Mr. Nicole Vaidisova.

At least that's what the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald reported, after the couple recently applied for a marriage license in Florida. Stepanek, 29, is a decade older than Vaidisova, whose occupation and Czech origin are like Stepanek's. He broke off his engagement to Hingis last summer shortly before she announced she tested positive for cocaine and retired from tennis, claiming innocence through it all.

Stepanek avoids discussing his social life, but he's not shy about his tennis game. He's quick and athletic and loves to attack the net, where he beat Ginepri several times with nifty backhands and leaping forehands.

"My advantage is, I can change from game to game," Stepanek said. "I can serve and volley. I can play from the back. I can slice the ball. I can mix it up with some drop shots. I think that's what's dangerous for my opponents."

The better Stepanek did, the wackier his expressions got - tongue flicks followed big points - and then there was The Worm, which he first performed at a party a few years back and was so impressed with himself that he decided to demonstrate it at tournaments.

"I'm being totally serious. That's disgusting," Roddick said. "I don't want to see it."

Stepanek hasn't performed it on Roddick's watch. They've played three matches, and Roddick won them all.

Excuse Stepanek for being so demonstrative. He's genuinely happy to be here after nearly being forced out of the sport with a serious neck injury and temporarily losing feeling in his right arm, coming after he rose to No. 8 in the world in 2006. He's now 34th in the rankings.

"I once tried to play a match without showing one emotion, good or bad," Stepanek said. "I lost.

GINEPRI OUSTS BLAKE

Robby Ginepri is quickly putting the disappointment of 2007 behind him.

Ginepri advanced to his second semifinal in as many tournaments this year, beating James Blake 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the SAP Open on Friday night.

Ginepri lost to Blake in straight sets last week in Florida and will take on fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek here in San Jose. Stepanek beat Lu Yen-hsun 6-2, 7-6 (5) in Friday’s first match.

The other semifinal will feature top-seeded Andy Roddick against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Roddick survived a tough match against good friend Mardy Fish, getting the only break of the third set to win 7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-5.

Ginepri controlled his match from the start. He had slipped from a career-high ranking of 15th in 2005 to 135th coming into this week. After losing to Blake in the third round of the Australian Open last year, Ginepri didn’t win consecutive matches again until June.

But he has started his year with two straight trips to semifinals, ending an eight-match losing streak to top 10 players with the win over Blake.

This match was completely different than the one Blake and Ginepri played last Saturday at Delray Beach. Ginepri frustrated Blake with punishing groundstrokes and rolled to the easy victory. Blake was broken in his first three service games and only held serve twice in eight tries. As the match went on, Blake continually overhit balls, sending them into the net or well past the baseline.

RODDICK DISMISSES NISHIKORI

Top seed Andy Roddick blasted seven aces to beat Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the ATP SAP Open in San Jose , avenging Nishikori's stunning win over American James Blake last weekend.

The 18-year-old Nishikori shocked Blake, who was ranked 12th in the world at the time, in Sunday's final at the Delray Beach tournament, becoming the first player from Japan to win an ATP Tour event since Shuzo Matsuoka at Queen's in June 1992.

But Thursday, American Roddick won four-of-eight break points, ousting Nishikori in an hour and three minutes.

Nishikori managed to win just 54 percent (19-of-35) of first-serve points against Roddick.

He climbed from 244th to 131st in the world rankings after beating Blake and was able to carry that momentum into this event by posting a 7-5, 6-3 first-round victory over Diego Hartfield of Argentina.

EX-SEPPI-TIONAL

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal lost to Andreas Seppi of Italy 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on a day of upsets Thursday, leaving the ABN Amro [Rotterdam] without seeded players entering the quarterfinals.

Beaten earlier in the day were second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, third-seeded David Ferrer of Spain and fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

It is only the third time since 2000 no seeded players are in the quarters of an ATP tournament. It previously happened in 2006 in Nottingham, England, and in 2002 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Seppi, playing on his 24th birthday, eliminated the No. 2-ranked Spaniard and the three-time French Open champion.

“There is no better way to celebrate your birthday,” Seppi said. “This was one of my best matches ever because I served really well.”

Seppi, who beat Lleyton Hewitt in the first round, will now have to change his travel plans—again.

“I had booked a flight for Wednesday night and had to change it yesterday,” he said. “After this win I’ll wait to rebook my flight home.”

O-KEI

Japanese teen star Kei Nishikori won his 10th straight ATP Tour match Wednesday, beating Argentina’s Diego Hartfield 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the SAP Open.

The 18-year-old Nishikori, 131st in the world rankings following his victory over James Blake on Sunday in Delray Beach, Fla., will face top-seeded Andy Roddick, a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5) winner over Chris Guccione.

Nishikori, the first Japanese player to win an ATP Tour title since Shuzo Matsuoka in Seoul in 1992, was looking forward to a match against Roddick who was in the stands.

“I think I’m ready,” Nishikori said. “I’ll be facing another top 10 player. His serve is a big thing. He’ll be the highest ranked player I’ve ever played.”

HOW TO MAKE A SUPER ATHLETE

Here's a link on one aspect of the making of a WORLD CLASS ATHLETE.

The function of myelin is to insulate and speed the nerve impulses.

DO YOU REMEMBER -- GORAN IVANISEVIC

Goran Ivanisevic will be questioned by police after a photographer claimed the former Wimbledon champion attacked him and smashed his camera with a baton [Baton???].

"After talking to (Ivanisevic), police will decide whether to press charges," police spokeswoman Aleksandra Ljuba said Tuesday.

She said Boris Beribak, a photographer for local tabloid Story, told police that Ivanisevic assaulted him on Monday.

Beribak and other photographers were waiting in front of Ivanisevic's Zagreb home following rumors that his wife, Tatjana Dragovic, would evict him after another tabloid alleged that the former tennis star was having an affair.

Ljuba said Ivanisevic has agreed to be questioned when he returns from a trip.

Ivanisevic, who retired soon after winning Wimbledon in 2001 as a wild card, is one of the organizers of an ATP Tour indoor tournament that will start in Zagreb later this week. He could not immediately be contacted for comment.

RE-PETE SAMPRAS

Pete Sampras hit back-to-back aces to close out the second game of the second set and draw a plea from Tommy Haas.

“Show some mercy, Pete” Haas yelled across the court.

Sampras began to hand his racket over to a ball boy before taking it back. Just as he did so often during his brilliant career, Sampras closed out the match with ease, b eating Haas 6-4, 6-2 in an exhibition at the SAP Open in San Jose on Monday night.

It was Sampras’ second straight exhibition win against an active tour player, following November’s straight-set victory over Roger Federer. Yet it’s still not enough to bring Sampras back to the tour after retiring more than five years ago at age 31 with a record 14 Grand Slam titles.

Sampras is clearly taking the relevance of these contests a lot less seriously than many of those watching, particularly in terms of what they mean to the players facing him. "Tommy has more important things to do this week than worry about me. It's an opportunity for him to get used to the court. It's tough to get practice time here."

The comeback talk may continue, but his stance makes it unlikely that it'll actually happen. "There's a lot to lose and not a lot to gain," he said firmly. "There's got to be a reason to come out of retirement. Some people miss the limelight, some people want to make more money, some people don't have anything else to do in their lives. And there's no reason for me to come back.

Haas, who is battling back from shoulder surgery, enjoyed the opportunity to play against Sampras and get used to the surroundings at the tournament.

Next up for Sampras is another exhibition against Federer on March 10 at Madison Square Garden. The two greats played three times in Asia in November, with Federer winning the first two matches in straight sets and Sampras winning the final one 7-6 (8), 6-4 on the fast indoor surface at the Venetian Macao arena.

ROGER'S GOALS

Roger Federer has warned his rivals that he plans to go on for another 10 years as he looks to add to his growing number of Grand Slam titles.

Federer has 12 Grand Slams to his name and is determined to surpass Pete Sampras' record of 14.

"My goal is to play for as long as possible, hopefully until I'm 35," said 26-year-old Federer.

"I was hoping to break his record this year but it looks a tough task now after losing the Australian Open." 

Federer exited the season-opening Slam at the semi-final stages in January, losing to eventual winner Novak Djokovic.

It has made his attempt to surpass Sampras' record this year extremely difficult, but the Swiss star still feels he can draw level with the American legend.

"I think it would be a good result for me if I tie it this year," he said.

"Obviously, (the French Open) is a big goal for me. I hope it's not the one that will elude me.

"I've heard people say that this is probably my last chance, but I totally disagree. I think I have a few more years ahead of me if I can't do it this year."

Earlier in the week British number one Andy Murray suggested that Federer would look to "taper down" in the next four or five years, but Federer is determined to dominate for years to come.

The Swiss admitted to being devastated after he was beaten in Melbourne but is refreshed and ready for his assault on the French Open in May.

"The first moment it hits you hard, you really are disappointed," he said. "Then the next day when you wake up, you feel a bit better if you think that you had given your all.

"But I feel refreshed and relaxed now as I haven't been practising at all."

FEDERER'S SCHEDULE

The matter of scheduling is topical because Roger Federer revealed last week that he will play in Stockholm in October, which means that, back-to-back over four weeks, he intends to play ATP tournaments in Stockholm, Madrid, Basel (his hometown) and Paris [These are all year end, indoor tournaments].

Federer is automatically entered in Madrid and Paris because they are Masters Series events and must play both to be eligible for year-end bonus pool money. In 2007, for finishing No. 1, that amounted to $1.5 million (U.S.), a sum that even Federer would not want to refuse.

SUMMER SCHEDULE

Currently on a five-week break after losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals on January 25, Federer will return to action in two weeks in Dubai.

He has a residence there, which partly explains why he plays the event.

That will begin a period of intense activity, which includes an exhibition match against Pete Sampras at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 10 (two days after the final in Dubai) and then the Pacific Life Open starting later that same week in Indian Wells, Calif., followed by the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami five or six days after the final in Indian Wells.

Federer has also added a clay-court event, Estoril, Portugal, to his usual run-up (Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg) to the French Open. That means that in the 17 weeks between Dubai and the end of Wimbledon on July 7, he plans to take off only four weeks.

RISING SON SHINES

Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori stunned American top seed James Blake 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to win the ATP title here.

The 18-year-old, ranked 244 in the world, claimed his first career crown and became the first Japanese man to win a tour event since Shuzo Matsuoka in Seoul in April 1992.

Nishikori, who had to qualify to get into the main draw of the 411,000-dollar hardcourt tournament, was playing in his first ATP final.

He has been based in Florida since he began training at the Bollitierri Academy at the age of 14.

Nishikori, who was playing in his first ATP tournament of 2008, had saved four match points en route to victory over third-seeded American Sam Querrey in the semi-finals.

Prior to Delray Beach, he had played in just five ATP events, posting a 3-5 record in 2007.

This season he had been battling to find his form on the Challenger development circuit.

He reached the semi-finals of the Miami Challenger in January, and four weeks ago lost in the qualifying rounds of the Dallas Challenger.

With his triumph, Nishikori is projected to rise to around No. 122 when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday.

DO YOU REMEMBER -- GUILLERMO CORIA

To an extent, Guillermo Coria is honest about his current problem: He admits it's all in his head, claiming that he is fine in practice and lousy in competition. Once a kind of Rafael Nadal forerunner, the 2004 Roland Garros finalist also won Monte Carlo and Buenos Aires and made the final of Miami that year. But he didn't even play in 2007 thanks to a combination of mental and physical problems.

The slide began in April 2006, when he lost his opening match at seven of eight events and stopped playing after the US Open. His big victory since had come in a different kind of court – he won a large settlement from the supplement makers whose contaminated product led to his positive doping test in 2001.

After delaying his comeback several times because of a string of small injuries, Coria finally returned last November at the Belo Horizonte challenger in Brazil and also played the Asuncion challenger in Paraguay, losing in the first round both times. He also lost his opening match at Vina del Mar in his first event this year, but did win a set and managed to avoid getting hurt. He still has a long way to go, but perhaps this was the first step.

At the Brasil Open at Costa Do Sauipe, he got to the quarters

RISING SON

Teenager Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese to reach an ATP final in nearly 16 years after a 4-6 6-2 7-6 victory over American Sam Querrey at the Delray Beach International on Saturday.

The unseeded Nishikori, who had to qualify for the main draw, came back from 6-3 down in the third set tiebreak to win it 9-7.

Having saved four match points in an exciting climax, he next meets top seed James Blake or Robby Ginepri who play their all-American semi-final later on Saturday.

Both players broke serve in the third set but it was the 18-year-old Nishikori, in his first ATP semi, who went on to triumph over third seed Querrey with some inspired tennis.

Shuzo Matsuoka was the last Japanese to reach an ATP final when he lost at Queen's Club, London in June 1992.

Matsuoka was also the last Japanese to land an ATP singles title, winning in Seoul in April 1992.

DO YOU REMEMBER -- MONICA SELES

Former world number one Monica Seles has announced her official retirement from tennis.

The 34-year-old won nine Grand Slam singles titles in her career, but has not played competitively since June 2003 because of a foot injury.

Seles won her first Grand Slam title in 1990 at the age of just 17 and topped the world rankings the following year.

In a horrifying event in April 1993 she was stabbed on court in Germany and spent 28 months away from the sport.

After returning in 1995 Seles managed to win one final Grand Slam title, the Australian Open in 1996, finishing with a major haul of four Australian, three French and two US Open titles.

DO YOU REMEMBER -- MARIO ANCIC

 

Mario Ancic was the last player to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, and two years ago seemed finally to be finding more in his game than just a big serve. He reached the top ten with a string of solid results in 2006 – Auckland final, Marseille final, Miami and Rome quarterfinals, Hamburg semifinals, French Open quarters, and a title at 's-Hertogenbosch. A Wimbledon quarterfinal took him to his career high. Then – he didn't play again until Beijing. He made the final there, and went on to win Saint Petersburg and make the Paris quarterfinal.

The beginning of 2007 saw him back in the Top Ten again -- but he managed to play only three events before he came down sick with one of those strength-draining bugs. He wasn't able to play again until the Canadian Open, and he missed the U. S. Open, and fell out of the Top Fifty after Saint Petersburg.

It's ironic to note that, even as Ancic's ranking began to drop dramatically, he began returning to form. His record in his last four events of 2007 was 7-4, and be beat Blake once and Mathieu twice in that time. The only question is, can he stay healthy enough to make those results stand up over a full year? Things don’t look too good thus far – he pulled out of both Auckland and the Australian Open with a stomach illness. He made his comeback in Marseille this week by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

DO YOU REMEMBER --- PARADORN SRICHAPHAN

As long ago as the end of 2005, Paradorn Srichaphan seemed to be on a downward slide: He burst into prominence in 2002 with an upset of Andre Agassi Wimbledon, and ended 2003 at No. 11 thanks to titles in Chennai and Long Island as well as fourth-round finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open. But he fell to No. 27 in 2004, and was just clinging to the Top Fifty at the end of 2005. In 2006, he managed briefly to get back up to No. 35, but again was down around No. 50 at year-end.
Last year started in brutal fashion. He won one match at the beginning of the year and was then hit by a wrist injury that has kept him off the tour since Miami. At 28, it's not clear how much of a comeback he can make. On the other hand, he did use the off season to marry a former Miss Universe, and a comeback is expected in the next few months.

BEACH TENNIS

Looks like fun!

Click on the picture to view a video of beach tennis action.

Here are the basic rules of beach tennis:

• Court - similar in size to a beach volleyball court, 16m long x 8m wide; a sand surface.


• Net - like beach volleyball the net is high, between 1.7m and 1.85m.


• Equipment - paddle bats (no strings) are used with a depressurized tennis ball.


• Scoring - exactly the same scoring system is used as for regular tennis, except with the permanent use of no-Advantage (after Deuce), no second service and no service let.


• Playing the game - the game is predominantly played between doubles teams, although singles can be played on a smaller court; under and overarm serves are permitted and either member of the receiving team my receive the service; a point is won if the ball hits the ground in the opponents' court or if the opponents hit (or serve) the ball out or into the net.

APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR

We're all familiar with the scenario of a high profile player entering a low profile tournament and inexplicably suffering a 'bad' loss the first round.

Some enter because they have to fulfill their quota of tournaments specified by the ATP or WTA. But, sometimes financial inducements [out of sight to mere mortals] are given just to enter the tournament.

Shortly after securing the appearance of Rafael Nadal at the Stella Artois Championships in 2007 and 2008, tournament director Ian Wight recently conceded: "We are killing our game. It is the economics of the madhouse that a player can receive more than three times the prize money not for winning a tournament but just for turning up."

HAAS-BEEN????

Haas, who had his third career shoulder surgery in November and had not played since October, fell to Argentine Diego Hartfield 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the Delray Beach tournament. Hartfield had never won an ATP Tour-level match on hard courts.

A semifinalist at the Australian Open and quarterfinalist at the U.S. Open last year, Haas hoped he would be ready after surgery. But Hartfield, 27 years old and 0-4 lifetime on hard courts, took advantage when Haas lost steam in his serve.

"I thought I was close enough to maybe get a win, but it didn't happen," Haas said. "He fought hard and played well."

Hartfield has advanced to a world rank of 99 mainly by concentrating on clay courts.

Haas, who turns 30 in April, served 110 mph or slower most of the match, compared to his normal serve that peaks in the mid-120s. He managed five aces, but connected on just 53 percent of his first serves and double faulted four times. Haas tried to overcome his weaknesses by forcing the issue at net, but Hartfield enjoyed considerable success by knocking shots past Haas or putting them at his feet.

Afterward, Haas wore an ice pack on his right shoulder, which he said did not cause him sharp pain but simply didn't provide the strength he needed to win.

Haas, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, and lives in Bradenton, hopes he will return to something close to full strength in a couple of months. He is ranked 27th in the world.

100 DECIBEL SHRIEKY

Action against the grunt has been rare. Among the exceptions was the 2003 Wimbledon warm-up event at Birmingham, when Sharapova was warned by officials after her opponent, Nathalie Dechy — and players on an adjacent court — complained about the noise.

At Wimbledon, the London tabloids' famous grunt-o-meter has recorded Sharapova's noise level at 101.2 decibels — the equivalent, apparently, of a police siren at close range or a small aircraft landing nearby.

Former Australian great John Newcombe has previously described it as "cheating".

"It's actually what I consider legalised cheating, because one of your great senses that you have on a tennis court is your ability to hear the ball come off your opponent's strings," Newcombe said last year. The player who can't hear the ball is effectively flying blind.

Sharapova and others, including the ur-grunter, Monica Seles, have always argued that the noises are involuntary.

Under the rules of tennis, the chair umpire must be convinced that they are excessive and intentional. If so, "any continual distraction of regular play, such as grunting, shall be dealt with as follows: for the first offence, a let should be called and the player should be told that any such hindrance thereafter will be ruled deliberate. Any hindrance caused by a player that is ruled deliberate will result in the loss of a point."

Two years ago at Wimbledon, more than a decade after Nathalie Tauziat's sensational complaint against Seles, tournament referee Alan Mills accused quieter players of trying to out-psyche noisy opponents by copying their behaviour.

"Many of the non-grunting players are unhappy about the noise pollution and a kind of counter-grunt culture has emerged in recent years whereby offended parties ape their opponent's noises."

Australian Open referee Wayne McKewen confirmed that a chair umpire would only consider taking action if a complaint was made by an opponent or if it was thought that the grunting was intentional to hinder the other player. In that case, he said, the umpire would speak to the player involved.

SAMPRAS - NO COMING BACK

Pete Sampras said he has no plan for a comeback and doesn't regret retiring. But six years after he stepped away from competing at tennis' highest level, he sure does enjoy picking up a racket and playing exhibitions against select competition.

Aside from playing World Team Tennis events the past two summers and a spell on the senior circuit, Sampras played three exhibitions against Roger Federer in November and will face the No. 1-ranked player in another exhibition at New York's Madison Square Garden on March 10.

It's last decade's top player vs. this decade's, the grand slam record holder vs. the guy who's chasing him, a 36-year-old retiree vs. a 26-year-old in his prime - two world heavyweights at the world's most famous arena.

In their three-match Asian swing in November, Federer beat Sampras in Seoul (6-4, 6-3) and Kuala Lumpur (7-6, 7-6), but Sampras rebounded with an eye-opening win in Macau (7-6, 6-4).

Not good enough to consider a comeback, however.

"Not at all," Sampras said. "I could still play at a pretty high level a little bit, but coming back is a whole different ballgame, whole different lifestyle, a lot of work. Even in my prime, it was a lot of work staying on top. The day-in, day-out grind of tennis isn't in me anymore."

KUERTEN'S FAREWELL TOUR

Former French Open champion Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten will begin his farewell tour in professional tennis at the Brazil Open on Monday. He will face the current No. 75 in the world, the Argentine, Berlocq in the first round. "I love to play on this court. The climate is humid, just like I like it, and I have many special memories from here. I am happy to be here. After weeks of training, I am ready to enjoy this tournament," said the three-time French Open champion in 1997, 2000 and 2001. The groups of the tournament were drawn on Saturday. Guga, the winner of the 2002 and 2004 tournaments, entered the main draw directly due to a personal invitation from the organizers. The No.677 in the world will be the only Brazilian in his group.

COLLEGE TO PROS

Player

School(s)

College Highlights

Prakash Amritraj

Southern California

Most Outstanding Player of 2002 NCAA Tournament, helped USC to program's 16th NCAA team title

Prakash is the nephew of Vijay Amritraj [who had a part in a James Bond film- Octopussy]

Simon Aspelin

Pepperdine

A three-time ITA All-American from 1995-97, was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year in '97

Benjamin Becker

Baylor

2004 NCAA singles champion, helped Bears to NCAA team title that same year

Mahesh Bhupathi

Mississippi

NCAA doubles champion for Ole Miss in 1995

James Blake

Harvard

1999 NCAA singles finalist and ITA National Player of the Year

Bob Bryan

Stanford

1998 NCAA "triple crown" winner - swept team, singles and doubles titles

Mike Bryan

Stanford

1998 NCAA doubles champion; part of Stanford's unbeaten '98 team considered one of the best of modern era

Eric Butorac

Gustavus Adolphus

2003 NCAA Division III singles and doubles champion; perhaps the most successful Division III player ever on ATP Tour

Amer Delic

Illinois

2003 NCAA singles champion, led UI to national title that

season

Benedikt Dorsch

Baylor

2005 NCAA singles champion, helped Baylor to '04 NCAA team crown

Zack Fleishman

UCLA

Played two seasons for Bruins and helped UCLA to 1999 NCAA final

Caitlin Gard

Mississippi

Topped Stanford's Sam Warburg in 2004 final at ITA All-American Championships

Paul Goldstein

Stanford

Only player to play on 4 NCAA championship teams; '98 NCAA singles finalist

John Isner

Georgia

2005 NCAA doubles champion, ranked No. 1 in singles during much of senior season when he led UGA to NCAA title

Robert Kendrick

Washington & Pepperdine

Two-time ITA All-American for Huskies and Waves; lost to James Blake in '99 ITA National Indoor final

Kevin Kim

UCLA

1997 ITA National Indoor doubles champion

Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor's former doubles partner

UCLA

Earned ITA All-America honors for Bruins in 1990-91

Jesse Levine

Florida

2007 ITA National Rookie of the Year; went unbeaten during regular season

Robert Lindstedt

Fresno State & Pepperdine

Lost to Bryan bros in 1998 NCAA doubles final (with Kelly Gullett)

Peter Luczak

Fresno State

2001 Farnsworth/ITA National Senior Player of the Year; went unbeaten during regular season in '01

Marcin Matkowski

UCLA

Captured doubles title at ITA All-American Championships in 2002, Pac-10 Player of the Year in '03

Wesley Moodie

Auburn-Montgomery & Boise State

An ITA All-American in NAIA and NCAA tennis, reached doubles final at '99 ITA All-American Championships

Frederic Niemeyer

Middle Tennessee

Reached singles final at 1997 ITA National Indoor Championships, falling to Miami's Mike Russell

Rajeev Ram

Illinois

2003 NCAA doubles champion, helped Illinois to '03 NCAA title

Bobby Reynolds

Vanderbilt

Named Most Outstanding Player of 2003 NCAA Tournament when he led Vandy to NCAA final

Michael Russell

Miami (Fla.)

1997 ITA National Indoor singles champion and ITA National Rookie of the Year

Ryan Sweeting

Florida

Helped Florida achieve No. 1 team ranking early in 2006 season

Jim Thomas

Stanford

ITA All-American in 1996, helped Cardinal to '95 and '96 NCAA team crowns

Izak Van der Merwe

Old Dominion

Two-time ITA All-American; reach doubles finals in 2002-03 at ITA National Indoor Championships

Sam Warburg

Stanford

2004 NCAA doubles champion and '03 ITA National Player to Watch

Alexander Waske

San Diego State

Earned ITA All-America honors for Aztecs and helped SDSU to NCAA Sweet 16 in 2000

Todd Widom

Miami (Fla.)

Earned ITA All-America honors in both of his seasons at Miami in 2002-03

Brian Wilson

Illinois

2003 NCAA doubles champion during Illinois' perfect season

Jesse Witten

Kentucky

2002 NCAA singles finalist as a freshman and 4-time ITA All-American

My daughter, Leigh, played for Kentucky with Jesse's sister.

RODDICK AT CROSSROADS

But it's not easy to overhaul a game based on certain techniques -- particularly at the highest levels. While Roddick's serve and forehand open up the court for him, his transition tools -- approach shots and volleys, as well as service returns -- are not as powerful.

Opponents often float back service returns, confident that Roddick will rarely serve and volley or effectively penetrate with his second shot. Serves to his backhand seldom are returned for winners.

Given Roddick's massive serve -- he won 91 percent of his service games last year, second on the tour -- he could well consider playing his return games as boldly as possibly.

The mindset would be to take big cuts at returns, drive balls hard and deep, follow a few into the net -- in short: more or less take the racket out of the server's hands in the pursuit of one break to win the set. This was the approach Pete Sampras often took, a tactic Jim Courier called "pure offense."

ROGER'S SECRET COACH

In the third set of the 2004 Wimbledon final, Roger Federer found himself tied at one set all, but down 2-4 to an in-the-zone Andy Roddick. That's when rain forced the players off the court. Roddick huddled with his coach, Brad Gilbert.

Who did Federer seek out? A proprietary trader at Credit Suisse named Reto Staubli, a good friend who, as the world No. 1 put it after the match, “also used to play tennis a bit.” Staubli’s advice: Start charging the net.

It was a turning point. Federer won in four sets. A banker helped save Federer that day. In fact, he’s been supporting Federer as a friend and informal advisor for the last four years.

Staubli, 37, met 14-year-old Federer in 1995. Back then, Staubli, who played at a club in Basel, was one of the best players in Switzerland, he says. “Roger wanted to watch the elders play,” Staubli says.

Who was better? “We never had an official match, but in practice I was much better than him,” says Staubli. “But two years later, he was already better.”

Fast forward to the end of 2003: Federer was about to part ways with his coach, Peter Lundgren, but was concerned about traveling to the 2004 Australian Open without an adviser. He gave Staubli a call. “We were close, even back then, and Roger was just 22, not as mature as he is now,” Staubli says. “He knew I was a good player, [and that I] knew the game.”

Staubli ended up traveling to 10 events that year and watching Federer win three Slams. While he wasn’t paid for his efforts, Staubli says, “It was an unbelievable collaboration . . . the most amazing experience.”

Federer hired Tony Roche as a part-time advisor in 2005 but has again been coachless since the two split last May.

Staubli has curtailed his travel, but he gets time off to attend big events, such as Miami and the U.S. Open. At tournaments, Staubli and Federer discuss his opponents. “It helps for him to talk things through,” says Staubli, who also attends many of Federer's weekend matches in Europe.

“Reto is a great friend,” Federer says, “and has been extremely helpful to me during the most difficult times in my career.” While not much rattles Federer, Staubli says that his buddy was clearly nervous before last year's Wimbledon final. He also says that Federer could have a second career as a coach. “He knows all about the players, why certain grips and techniques might be wrong, all the strategies,” Staubli says. “He could be an unbelievable coach.”

THE GREAT FEDERER

It was Feb. 2, 2004 when the Swiss superstar claimed the top position in men's tennis after winning his second Grand Slam title at the Australian
Open.

During Federer's incredible streak at No. 1, the longest in professional tennis,
he has won 41 titles, including 13 ATP Masters Series and 10 Grand Slam crowns. Only two other players have won at least 10 titles in the last four years -- rival Rafael Nadal (23) and Roddick (12).

Federer has compiled a 313-25 (.926) match record (41-9 in finals) while at No. 1 and he previously was 243-110 (.688) with 12 titles in 20 finals.

At 26 years old, Federer has his sights on three other players to have each spent more than 200 weeks at the top of the ATP Rankings: Pete Sampras (286 weeks), Ivan Lendl (270) and Jimmy Connors (268). Sampras led the ATP circuit with a record six year-end No. 1 finishes from 1993-98.

MIGHTY MOUSE

U.S. scientists have used muscle-bound mice to show how weight training may be just as effective as aerobic exercise in melting away fat.

While the mice did not actually pump iron, their genetically modified muscles were made to resemble those found in bodybuilders.

And while that type of "brawny" muscle was thought to have little capacity to burn fat, the study suggested its presence in the body could melt away pounds as readily as aerobic activities.

The mice, obese to begin with, were expected to grow into sumo wrestler-like rodents. Instead, they experienced weight loss of some 40 per cent within three weeks of developing bodybuilder-type muscles.

Researchers manipulated the mice into bulking up by switching on a gene that promotes type II muscle growth, but not its aerobic counterpart, type I.

Although they looked only slightly more muscular than your average rodent, most of the muscle they did have was of the fast-twitch variety.

Both scientists say the weight-training muscle may also help control diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart ailments.