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Last updated on 11/7/2009 10:37:36 AM
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by Kamakshi Tandon

Down triple match point at 4-5 in the second set, Novak Djokovic comes back to win 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2 against Radek Stepanek to reach the Basel final.

The Ticker

Marion Bartoli and Aravane Rezai will meet in the final of Bali after Bartoli defeated Kimiko Date 6-1, 6-3 and Rezai defeated Mari Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals.

The Ticker

Kim Clijsters, via Twitter, on the suspensions given to compatriots Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse:

"It[']s very unfortunate what’s happened to Yanina and Xavier this week... While they may not have followed correct administration, they did not register a positive doping offense either... To receive a one year ban because of this seems extremely harsh and is potentially career-ending for both of them... I hope the authorities and athletes can work together on finding better solutions to keep our sports clean."

The Ticker

The ITF has announced and the WTA has indicated it will honor the suspensions given to Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse by NADO Flanders, the Belgian anti-doping body on whose behalf the suspensions were given. The ITF and NADO Flanders are both signatories to the WADA Code and expected to observe each other's sanctions.

The Ticker

Sam Querrey will resume practicing next week. "Just finished my last rehab session and my arm feels great," Querrey said via Twitter. "I can finally hit Monday."

Querrey has been sidelined since a freak accident at Bangkok in early October, when he sat on a glass table that gave way and cut his arm.

The Ticker

Andy Roddick has pulled out of next week's Paris Masters. Roddick has not played since hurting his knee at the Shanghai Masters. Richard Gasquet is also not taking part because of his hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport is scheduled for November 10.

The Ticker

The draw for the Paris Masters can be found here. Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro are together in the second quarter, with a potential semifinal against Roger Federer ahead. At the bottom of the draw, Rafael Nadal could meet defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling are in the third quarter.

Marat Safin will begin his farewell event against a qualifier, while Fabrice Santoro faces James Blake in what may be Santoro's final event. Tommy Haas, meanwhile, makes his tournament return after catching swine flu.

The Ticker

Draw for the Fed Cup final:

Saturday:

Flavia Pennetta (ITA) vs. Alexa Glatch (USA)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) vs. Melanie Oudin (USA)

Sunday:

Flavia Pennetta (ITA) vs. Melanie Oudin (USA)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) vs. Alexa Glatch (USA)
Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci (ITA) vs. Liezel Huber/Vania King (USA)

The Ticker A tearful Xavier Malisse says his career is likely over after receiving a one-year suspension from a Belgian doping tribunal for not fulfilling his whereabouts requirements.

"I think it's the end of my career," said the 29-year-old Malisse. "A proceeding before CAS is very costly and lasts very long. I don't have the financial means to get into this fight.

"I don't know yet how we'll proceed but if the suspension is upheld, it means the end of my career."

The Ticker Yanina Wickmayer's sometimes coach, Ann Devries, tells Belgian TV that Wickmayer "sounded shattered and hysterical and was in tears when I spoke to her over the phone."

"Just like that she will lose all that she has gained from several years of hard work. In a year's time she will have lost all her WTA points and will have to start again from zero," said Devries.

Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse both received one-year suspensions from a Flemish doping tribunal for not fulfilling whereabouts provisions. The provisions require athletes to give anti-doping authorities advance information about their location each day. Three violations of the rule constitute an antidoping violation.

Wickmayer and Malisse's lawyer said any appeal would have to be made to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). "The rules call for a suspension ranging from one to two years. My clients have received the minimum and there is no possible appeal," said Johnny Maeschalck. "The only appeal must be made in Lausanne [ where CAS is based], in another country in another language."

The Ticker USTA president Lucy Garvin says a ruling on Serena Williams' outburst on the US Open is expected within two weeks, reports AP.

Andy Murray, on his offseason plans: "[Last year] I was coming back from [the heat in] Miami and going to Scotland for a few days over Christmas... it's cold; go to Doha, it's cold. It's like two weeks of bad weather and you go to Australia and you've got basically four or five days to get used to the heat again.

"I am looking forward to going to Australia early and making sure I'm over the jet lag and fully ready.

" I think doing it this way will work much better. I am going to spend Christmas in the States and then go straight over to Australia from there."

The Ticker The Bali semifinals are as follows: Marion Bartoli vs. Kimiko Date Krumm and Aravane Rezai vs. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Date advanced when Yanina Wickmayer withdrew from the competition after receiving a one-year ban from Belgian anti-doping authorities on Thursday. Bartoli andvanced by beating Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-2 in round robin play on Friday, and Martinez Sanchez clinched her spot with a 7-6(4), 7-5 win over Samantha Stosur.

The Ticker Two players save match points to advance Thursday at Basel.

Marin Cilic, trying to make up ground in the race for the London year-end finals, squeezed past Viktor Troicki 7-6(7), 6-7(8) 7-6(6), and Richard Gasquet defeated John Isner 4-6, 7-6(9), 6-2.

Novak Djokovic had no such trouble, shutting out Jan Hernych 6-0, 6-0.

The Ticker With her one-year suspension taking force with immediate effect, it appears Yanina Wickmayer will not be able to continue playing this week at Bali. Vera Dushevina will replace Wickmayer for the round robin stage of the event.

Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse have been given one-year suspensions by a Belgian anti-doping tribunal for not complying with whereabouts requirements, reports Belgian news agency Belga. An appeal is allowed.

Wickmayer had been set to become the top-ranked Belgian in the WTA-rankings next week, overtaking Kim Clijsters. She is currently playing the WTA championships in Bali.

Earlier, the prosecution in the case had indicated that a suspension was unlikely because it intended to only ask the tribunal to deliver a warning. Wickmayer three times did not report her whereabouts to anti-doping authorities while Malisse twice did not report his whereabouts and also missed an unannounced test.

The Ticker Melanie Oudin, who will be leading the U.S. team in the Fed Cup final against Italy this weekend, has won the inaugural Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award. The prize is awarded for courage and commitment in Fed Cup competition, and includes a $5,000 donation to a charity chosen by the winner. "[I]t is really wonderful to be able to donate $5,000 to Children’s at Egleston – an organization that helped save my little sister’s life," said Oudin.

The Ticker Yet more reaction to Andre Agassi:

Gilbert Ysern, French federation technical director and former ATP executive: "It’s shocking... it is not good for the image of the game."

Ysern said Agassi would "probably not" have been asked to do the trophy presentation at the French Open this year had the relevations of meth use come out beforehand.

Fernando Verdasco, in Valencia: "He was my idol, all my life when I was a kid, and he will still be my idol.

"Everyone can make mistakes. My thoughts about Andre will not change because of this. He is a great person, he is always trying to help me and that for me is more important."

Joachim Johansson, writing on his blog: When I started playing on tour full-time in 2004, almost everyone said that the ATP concealed 'some' Agassi test... [I] encourage all readers not to buy Agassi's book because I think this was a cheap PR stunt and a way for him to no longer have to bear this burden."

James Blake, speaking to Tages Anzeiger (translated from German translation): "Yes, definitely [will read Agassi's book]. He is an inspirational figure and always treated me very well, so I want to know more about him and his life. The things which have officially become public suggest it's a fascinating book... I don't know any details [about the drugs-taking] and I don't know what was going through his head... I judge hin by the way he's treated me and the good things he's done for people." More >>

The Ticker Aravane Rezai is the Group D semifinalist in Bali after winning her first two round robin Group D matches, while Magdalena Rybarikova and Agnes Szavay have lost their first two round robin matches. Bali round-robin results from Thursday:

Group A: Shahar Peer d. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 7-6(4)
Group B: María José Martínez Sánchez d Agnes Szavay 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Group C: (WC) Kimiko Date Krumm d. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-3
Group D: Aravane Rezai d. Melinda Czink 6-3, 7-5

The Ticker The lineup for the Hopman Cup mixed team competition next January is as follows:

AUS: Samantha Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
ESP: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Tommy Robredo
ROM: Sorana Cirstea, Victor Hanescu
USA: Melanie Oudin. John Isner
RUS: Elena Dementieva, Igor Andreev
GBR: Laura Robson, Andy Murray
GER: Sabine Lisicki, Philipp Kohlschreiber
+ winners of the Asian wildcard playoffs

The Ticker Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stops with a wrist problem down 6-7(3), 6-0, 3-0 to Mikhail Youzhny in Valencia. The injury puts Tsonga in some doubt for the Paris Masters, where he is the defending champion.

James Blake loses 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 6-4 to Jeremy Chardy in the first round of Basel.

Vina del Mar will move to Santiago next year, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Chilean independence.

The Ticker Results of Wednesday round-robin play in Bali:

Group A: Marion Bartoli d. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-4
Group B: Samantha Stosur d. Agnes Szavay 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Group C: Yanina Wickmayer d. Kimiko Date Krumm 7-6(5), 6-3
Group D: Aravane Rezai d. Sabine Lisicki 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

Andy Murray has signed a five-year deal with adidas worth about £2-3 million annually, replacing current clothing sponsor Fred Perry. Murray will begin wearing adidas at the beginning of next season.

The Ticker Juan Carlos Ferrero, part-owner of his hometown event in Valencia, loses 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 to Pablo Cuevas in the first round of the tournament.

After being sidelined with a wrist injury, Andy Murray returns to competition with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Daniel Gimeno-Traver in Valencia.

Maria Sharapova is now dating NBA basketballer Sasha Vujacic of the LA Lakers, reports tennisreporters.net.

The Ticker French Open officials have again said that they will consider moving the tournament if their expansion project for the grounds is not given the go-ahead by the Paris city council.

"It seems that the mayor's entourage has become more hostile to our project," said FFT general director Gilbert Ysern. "Add to that the opposition of the residents and we are now forced to look for other options, including that of leaving the premises."

Reports in September indicated that a site near EuroDisney was being considered.

The Ticker Marat Safin, Sebastien Grosjean and Lyon finalist Michael Llodra have received wildcards for the Paris Masters. This will be Safin's last tournament before retirement.

More reaction to Andre Agassi:

Andy Murray, in Valencia: "I don't think any of the players expected it but you've just got to move on.

" I loved Andre, met him numerous times. He was unbelievably nice to me. I practised with him quite a lot.

"I didn't play in those times [ so I don't know what it was like. There are even cases now where guys get off, with failed tests and contaminations, mistakes, like with the [Richard] Gasquet case. Sometimes things like that happen. People get away with it sometimes but I just don't think drugs in tennis is a big problem like it is in other sports."

Roger Federer, in Basel: "I'm sure he had his reasons... for sure it's a dark cloud over the ATP. But we will survive it."

Brad Gilbert, speaking to the New York Times: "Maybe it was me being naïve, but I had no clue... That was a small offense right? He would have been suspended for what, three months? The rest of 1997, he basically played a couple of challengers. It would have been a big thing, but it would still have been a blip on the radar.”

Boris Becker, speaking to Bild: "You could forget about it if he had had too many beers or smoked a joint. But we are talking about one of the worst drugs: crystal meth is a synthetic stimulant and one of the most dangerous drugs... I feel disappointed as an athlete. He has won many Grand Slams, some of them against me. If he won those because he was on speed it's simply unfair." [Note: Agassi has said his father once gave him what he believed to be speed at a national tournament in Chicago.] More >>

The Ticker Sam Querrey has signed a seven-figure deal with K-Swiss, reports Sportsbusiness Journal.

Tommy Haas says he has caught swine flu. "Naturally it was a shock," he told Bild. "I had a test because I thought I had swine flu. The test was positive... it's a tough form of flu but if you're in good shape like me you can overcome it relatively quickly."

Haas, who had pulled out of Stockholm with illness, says he is now recovering.

The Ticker Roger Federer has announced his full planned schedule for next season:

• Doha
• Melbourne
• Dubai
• Indian Wells
• Miami
• Rome
• Estoril
• Madrid
• French Open
• Halle
• Wimbledon
• Toronto
• Cincinnati
• U.S. Open
• Shanghai
• Basel
• Paris
• London World Tour Finals

The Ticker Roger Federer makes a winning return to competition following the U.S. Open, defeating Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-4 in Federer's hometown event at Basel.

Serena Williams has broken the WTA record or prize money earned in a single season, netting $6,545,586 this year to eclipse Justine Henin's 2007 record of just over $5.4 million. Williams won only three titles but took three of the five biggest -- the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the year-ending championships in Doha.

Williams became the all-time WTA prize money record holder earlier this year.

The Ticker Bali round-robin groups are as follows:

Group A: Marion Bartoli, Shahar Peer, Magdalena Rybarikova
Group B: Samantha Stosur, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Agnes Szavay
Group C: Yanina Wickmayer, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Kimiko Date Krumm
Group D: Sabine Lisicki, Melinda Czink, Aravane Rezai

The Ticker Roger Federer has hired former ATP physio Stephane Vivier to be his travelling physiotherapist, reports Blick.

Roger Federer has signed up to play the sping claycourt event in Estoril next year, organizers have announced. It will be the only non-Masters event on clay played by Federer, who won the tournament in 2008 but did not play it this year.

The Ticker The exhibition match between Maria Sharapova and Gisela Dulko in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 4 has been cancelled for "commercial reasons," organizers said.

The two players were originally scheduled for a three-stop South American tour in San Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires between November 29 and December 4.

The Ticker Sergiy Stakhovsky wins St. Petersburg as a qualifer, defeating Horacio Zeballos 2-6, 7-6(8), 7-6(7). Stakhovsky also defeated Marat Safin in Safin's last ATP match on home soil, winning their semifinal encounter in three sets.

Ivan Ljubicic wins his first title in two years, defeating Michael Llodra 7-5, 6-3 to take Lyon. "It's a special place for me. I won my first title here in 2001 and here is my first title as a father," said Ljubicic, who was the only non-Frenchman in the quarterfinals.

The Ticker Serena Williams wins the WTA year-end championships in Doha with a 6-2, 7-6(4) defeat of sister Venus Williams in the final. Serena did not lose a match during the event, going 3-0 in round-robin play.

The win marks her first WTA-level title since Charleston in April 2008. "It's nice to finally win a tournament other than a Grand Slam," said Serena.

The Ticker Local favorite Jurgen Melzer delights the crowds by defeating Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4 to win the Vienna title. Melzer is the first Austrian to win the tournament since Horst Skoff defeated Thomas Muster in an all-Austrian final in 1988.

Andre Agassi was given amphetamines by his father before a national tournament in Chicago, according to a new extract from his autobiography that were published in German tabloid Bild earlier this week and picked up by British press. The reports did not indicate his age at the time.

"One night, Philly asked me to promise him something... 'Next time you go to the nationals and Paps gives you pills, don't take them," wrote Agassi. "'He always gives me [Excedrin], Philly... '[T]he pills I'm talking about are something else. They are really tiny, white and round... 'Okay, but what kind of pills are they, Philly?' 'Speed'.

"As predicted by Philly, my father gives me a pill at the national tournament in Chicago... Tiny. White. Round. I swallow it and I feel good. Not much different. A bit more alert."

Agasi has also admitted that he wore a hairpiece in the 1990s, saying his performance in the 1990 French Open final was affected by worries that the toupee would fall off after being damaged the night before. Extracts from his forthcoming book, Open, have attracted the most attention for his disclosure that he used crystal meth for "about a year or so" starting in mid-1997, and escaped a potential three-month anti-doping ban after telling officials that he had ingested a friend's "spiked soda."

The Ticker Cara Black and Liezel Huber will end as the season's top-ranked WTA doubles team despite not winning a Grand Slam this year.

Serena and Venus Williams took the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open crowns, while Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual won the French Open. Black and Huber reached the U.S. Open final and the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon, also winning six WTA titles including Madrid and Cincinnati.

The Ticker Juan Carlos Ferrero was the victim of telephone harrassment during Shanghai, Ferrero's coach has told Spanish press, with more 300 calls that left him unable to sleep for 48 hours. The incident is being investigated by police.

Serena and Venus Williams will meet in the Doha final after Serena received a retirement from Caroline Wozniacki at 6-4, 0-1 and Venus defeated Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. The sisters also met in the round robin portion of the tournament, with Serena winning 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4).

Wozniacki's retirement marks the third time during the event that a player has not been able to complete her match.

The Ticker Venus Williams is into the Doha final after defeating Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Fed Cup final, reports AP.

Andy Murray, sidelined since the U.S. Open with a wrist injury, will return in Valencia next week.

Agnieszka Radwanska will have a finger operation next week to fix a problem that has been bothering her since the U.S. Open, according to a Eurosport broadcast.

The Ticker The Doha semifinals are Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic vs. Venus Williams.

Caroline Wozniacki becomes the fourth Doha semifinalist after Victoria Azarenka retires at 4-6, 7-5, 4-1 down against Agnieszka Radwanska in round robin play.

With Wozniacki watching her two friends courtside, Azarenka led 6-4, 5-2 but Radwanska won five straight games to even the match. Azarenka then suffered a hip injury and cramps in the third set and retired in tears.

The Ticker Venus Williams is through to the semifinals of Doha following Svetlana Kuznetsova's 6-3, 6-2 win over Elena Dementieva in round robin play. Serena and Venus Williams are the two semifinalists from the Maroon Group.

Jelena Jankovic is through to the semifinals of Doha after defeating a spent Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2. The second semifinalist from the White Group, which has been severely hit by injury, will be determined by the winner of the match between Victoria Azarenka and Agniezska Radwanska.

If Radwanska defeats Azarenka, Wozniacki will also progress to the semifinals. If Azarenka defeats Radwanska, Azarenka will be the second semifinalist from the White Group.

Second alternate Radwanska is playing as the replacement for first alternate Vera Zvonareva, who was replacing Dinara Safina. Safina pulled out with a back injury and Zvonareva with an ankle injury.

The Ticker Elena Dementieva has won the WTA Tour's Diamond ACES award for off-court contributions to the game.

Venus Williams stays in contention for the Doha semifinals, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4. If Kuznetsova defeats Elena Dementieva in round robin play, Dementieva will join Serena Williams in the semifinals. If Dementieva loses, Venus will go through to the semifinals.

The Ticker

Reactions to Andre Agassi (updated):

Roger Federer: "It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future... He has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being. Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for children."

Rafael Nadal: "If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that's terrible... The only thing I can say is that if they covered at that moment for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen... Now that he is retired [he] comes out and says this -- it's a senseless way of damaging the sport."

Andy Roddick (via Twitter): "andre is and always will be my idol. i will judge him on how he's treated me, and how he has changed the world for better... if anything we [top players] are subjected to way more testing and attention.. thats just a fact.. and to be fair when andre wrote the reported letter, he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out."

Then-ATP CEO Mark Miles, speaking to the Times: "There has never been a time when an ATP executive decided the outcome of any doping case,” he said. “Each one of those that took place in my period of office at the ATP was heard by a properly appointed independent panel.”

Serena Williams: "I don't even know what crystal meth is, so, you know, that's what my reaction to it is... I haven't read anything about Andre Agassi's book. All I know is I have a book coming out. It's called On The Line."

Venus Williams: "His book will probably sell. It seems really very interesting, to say the least. But, I mean, what am I supposed to say about Andre's life? I can't say anything."

Martina Navratilova, speaking to AP: "Shocking, not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with
Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned."

Mary Joe Fernandez, speaking to AFP: "You know obviously I was disappointed to hear something like that but you know it takes a lot of guts and courage to come out and say something that you know nobody would have really known about."

Mary Carillo, speaking to ESPN: "It would be a much bigger story in this day and age if he had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs."

Justin Gimelstob, speaking to ESPN: "It's refreshing to finally see an athlete write a memoir that's actually revealing. This is completely in line with who Andre is. When he does something, he does it all the way."

Amer Delic (via Twitter): "...if that's the worst he has done than, it doesn't take anything away from his career... He had to have the balls to come out with the truth when there was no reason other than his guilty conscience."

Anne Keothavong (via Twitter): "Is Agassi's story really that surprising?"

Melanie South (via Twitter): "just heard on news about agassi!!!!!! such a shame."

Somdev Devvarman (via Twitter): "Andre is the man, anyone criticizing is full of [expletive] cause we've all lived a lie in some way or the other..facing it isnt easy..he's the man."

The Ticker

Statement from the ATP on Andre Agassi: "It has always been ATP policy not to comment on anti-doping test results unless and until an anti-doping violation has occurred. Under the tennis anti-doping program it is, and has always been, an independent panel that makes a decision on whether a doping violation has been found. The ATP has always followed this rule and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter."

Serena Williams is into the Doha semifinals after a 6-2, 6-4 win over Elena Dementieva that puts her at 3-0 in round-robin play.

The Ticker

Robin Soderling has pulled out of Valencia with an existing elbow injury.

The Ticker

Caroline Wozniacki defeats Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-4 to go up 2-0 in round-robin play at Doha. Wozniacki, who held match point in the second set, needed treatment for her existing hamstring injury early in the third. She then fell to the floor with cramps at 5-4 30-30, but managed to pull out the dramatic contest before hobbling off court.

Zvonareva, for her part, suffered a nose bleed in the second set.

The Ticker

After pulling out of Doha, Dinara Safina says her injury may force her to miss the Australian Open. "My low back, I have inflammation there in the bone," she said. "I've been playing on in pain, on anti-inflammatories, on everything. It's been about three months.

"It's possible that I might not be 100 percent fit for the Australian Open. Maybe I'll have to skip it."

The Ticker

Serena Williams has secured the year-end No. 1 ranking, announces the WTA. Current No. 1 Dinara Safina lost her opening round robin match in Doha through retirement and pulled out of the tournament, while Serena has won both her contests so far.

The Ticker

Serena Williams narrowly edges past Venus Williams 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4) in Doha, putting her up 2-0 in round robin play.

The Ticker

Dinara Safina retires at 1-1 against Jelena Jankovic in her opening match at Doha with a back injury.

Caroline Wozniacki wins her year-end championships debut by defeating Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, saving two match points in the third set.

Azarenka smashed two racquets in frustration after failing to convert her chances. The Dane won fewer points in the match and hit fewer winners (32 to 39) and more unforced errors (47 to 43) but still came through in a three-hour match that included a 10-minute heat break.

The Ticker

The WTA has announced the field for the Bali 'International Series' Championships, intended for the top finishers who did not qualify for Doha and won a lower-tier International event:

Marion Bartoli
Samantha Stosur
Yanina Wickmayer
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez
Shahar Peer
Melinda Czink
Agnes Szavay
Aravane Rezai
Magdalena Rybarikova
Sabine Lisicki (wildcard)
Kimiko Date Krumm (wildcard)
[Vera Dushevina (alternate)]

The Ticker

Following Andre Agassi's revelation that he was let off by the ATP after testing positive for crystal meth in 1997, WADA chief John Fahey tells AP he expects the ATP "to shed light on this allegation"

The Ticker

Statement from the ITF on Andre Agassi's crystal meth use admission: "The ITF is surprised and disappointed by the remarks made by Andre Agassi in his biography admitting substance abuse in 1997. Such comments in no way reflect the fact that the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is currently regarded as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive anti-doping programmes in sport. The events in question occurred before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded in 1999 and during the formative years of anti-doping in tennis when the programme was managed by individual governing bodies.

"The ITF first signed the WADA Code in 2004, and the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme undergoes constant review and improvement. In 2006, the ITF assumed responsibility for administration of the anti-doping programme on behalf of the ATP and then, in 2007, also on behalf of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

"The ITF, Grand Slams, ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are now unified in their efforts to keep tennis free of drug use, and this should not be overshadowed by an incident that took place over 12 years ago. The statements by Mr. Agassi do, however, provide confirmation that a tough Anti-Doping Programme is needed.”

The Ticker

Excerpts from Andre Agassi's book "Open," relating to his 1997 use of crystal meth, are being run in The Times and will appear shortly by various magazines.

"Slim [an unidentified assistant] dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed," wrote Agassi in quotes published by The Times.

"There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head."

About learning that he had tested positive for recreational drugs, Agassi wrote, "My name, my career, everything is now on the line... I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP... I say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs."

The Ticker

Serena Williams will play for the United States in the Fed Cup final against Italy next week, joining Melanie Oudin, Alexa Glatch and Liezel Huber.

The Ticker

Serena Williams wins her opening round robin match at Doha, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6(6), 7-5.

The Ticker

Fabrice Santoro has confirmed he is considering playing the Australian Open so he can become the first player to compete in Grand Slams across four decades.

"Since a Canadian reporter told me I would be the first to achieve such a feat, I keep on saying to myself that it would be nice, it would be an unusual record," he said in Lyon. "But if I want to be able to play five-set matches in Melbourne, I must not go skiing in December. I won't make that decision thoughtlessly."

Santoro played his first major at the French Open in 1989.

The Ticker

Elena Dementieva battles back from being a set down, a break down twice in the second set, and a mini-break down in the second-set tiebreak to win her round robin match against Venus Williams 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.

The Ticker

Andre Agassi's forthcoming autobiography includes the revelation that he used crystal meth when he was a tennis player, the New York Daily News has confirmed.

Feliciano Lopez, on his new short-hair, scruffy-beard look: "I was losing so much that I just had to do something about it. I didn't know what else, so I cut my hair. All of a sudden I started to win, so I don't want to change a thing now."

The Ticker

Juan Martin del Potro has pulled out of next week's event in Basel with the wrist problem he experienced in Shanghai.

The Ticker

Caroline Wozniacki's coach and and father Piotr says she is still suffering from the hamstring injury that caused her now-controversial pullout in Luxembourg. "It's hard to see her being 100% ready before Wednesday's match [in Doha]," he was quoted saying in Ekstra Bladet.

The Ticker

Serena Williams, speaking to the Times, on the U.S. Open incident: "It was out of character and I really regret it.

"I am a passionate person and I just lost it because it was an iffy call at a key moment. I wrote the line judge a really long letter of apology and she understood."

The Ticker

Victoria Azarenka wins her year-end championships debut, defeating Jelena Jankovic in the first White Group round-robin match.

Azarenka converted five of nine breakpoints, while Jankovic went 1/2.

The Ticker

Robin Soderling, in the chase for a spot at the ATP year-end event at London, says he hopes to "at least" be fit for the Paris Indoors in two weeks' time. He is also signed up for Valencia next week.

Soderling pulled out of the Stockholm semifinals last week with the recurrence of an elbow injury.

The Ticker

Novak Djokovic, speaking to the Independent, on co-coach Todd Martin: "When I get frustrated I throw my racket. Then I look at Todd and I'm kind of scared about what his reaction might be, what he's going to say. But he always says: 'The shot you made before the mistake was good. So keep it going.'"

The Ticker

Shamil Tarpishchev has been re-elected as head of the Russian tennis federation for another four-year term. Tarpishchev said he received the votes of 140 of the 143 delagates, with three abstaining.

The Ticker

Mercedes-Benz has signed a four-year agreement to replace Lexus as a sponsor of the U.S. Open. Mercedes had opted not to renew its sponsorship of the ATP tour when it expired at the end of 2008.

This latest deal is worth $35 million, reports Sportsbusiness Journal, with the company's VP of marketing telling the publication, "[M]ajors are a different animal than a tour stop."

The Ticker

Dinara Safina has reclaimed the top spot in the WTA rankings from Serena Williams. Whoever does better at the year-end Sony Ericsson championships will finish as the year-end No. 1

The Ticker

Donald Young wins the Calabasas challenger, defeating Michael Russell 7-6(4), 6-1 in the final. Young also scored a win over Taylor Dent along the way.

The Ticker

Geoff Pollard has been re-elected as the president of Tennis Australia in the face of a strong challenge from former Australian Open tournament director Paul McNamee. Pollard, who has held the post for 20 years, reiterated that he only is planning to serve one more year in order to finalize plans for the revamping of Melbourne Park.

The Ticker

Round robin groups for the Sony Ericsson year-end championships:

WHITE GROUP
Dinara Safina
Caroline Wozniacki
Victoria Azarenka
Jelena Jankovic

MAROON GROUP
Serena Williams
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Elena Dementieva
Venus Williams

The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals, where each first-placed player will face the second-placed player from the other group.

The Ticker

Marcos Baghdatis wins his first ATP title since 2007, kissing the floor after defeating Olivier Rochus 6-1, 7-5 in the final of Stockholm. "Last year was really hard for me, so it's great to have this win today," Baghdatis said.

The Ticker

The men's event in Moscow marks its sixth straight home champion, with Mikhail Youzhny defeating Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-4 to take the title.

The Ticker

Timea Bacsinszky wins her first WTA title, defeating Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 7-5 to win Luxembourg. "There's no tournament in Zurich anymore so I guess now Luxembourg is my tournament," said the 20-year-old Swiss.

The Ticker

Francesca Schiavone has won her second career title by defeating Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-0 in Moscow, marginally improving her career record in finals to 2-10.

The Ticker

Pete Sampras has defeated Andre Agassi 3-6, 6-3, (10-8) in their exhibition match in Macau.

The Ticker

Roger Federer and Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprungli will announce a sponsorship deal next week, according to Swiss tabloid Blick.

The Ticker

Over 500 'eminent health experts' have sent a letter to Roger Federer asking him not to participate in his hometown event in Basel because it is sponsored by tobacco brand Davidoff, according to The Observer.

Controversy over Basel's sponsorship has arisen in past years as well. Switzerland still allows tobacco signage at sporting events while the EU has banned such advertising.

The Ticker

Marcos Baghdatis is into the Stockholm final after receiving a walkover from home favorite Robin Soderling, who pulled out with an elbow injury.

Baghdatis will face Olivier Rochus in the final. Both were playing the minor leagues last week, with Baghdatis winning the Tashkent challenger and Rochus losing in the quarterfinals of the Kolding challenger to Alex Bogdanovic

The Ticker

First Lady Michelle Obama, on the Jay Leno Show, on the President's most annoying habit: "When he beats me at tennis.

"He beats me quite often... that gets to be pretty annoying."

The Ticker

Facebook update from Roger Federer: "I have been back practicing and training now for some time and all is going well. I feel much better. I am looking forward to playing my hometown tournament in Basel . I have also had a chance to spend some amazing time with my family. Myla and Charlene are doing great. After training yesterday, Mirka and I took them for a walk along Lake Zurich. I am always excited to be back in Switzerland!"

The Ticker

Jelena Jankovic falls to Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-3 in the Moscow quarterfinals, having secured a spot at the year-end championships in Doha the previous day.

"I can't say I was holding myself back having already qualified for Doha, but sometimes you try and it just doesn't work out," said Jankovic, who double-faulted on the last two points and has now lost to Kleybanova in both their career meetings.

The Ticker

Delivering the keynote speech at the Up2Us conference for youth-based sports development, Monica Seles emphasizes the importance of maintaining funding for such programs.

"Tennis gave me the leadership skills and life skills that I have carried with me throughout my career," said Seles. "Cuts to these programs mean that more children will lose out on the ability to discover a sport that they love and develop the skills that come along with this."

The Ticker

Thomas Enqvist will be the new Swedish Davis Cup captain.

The Ticker

The anti-doping prosecutor investigating Yanina Wickmayer's case has only asked the anti-doping tribunal to give the Belgian a warning. That means Wickmayer is unlikely to receive a suspension after allegedly failing to fufill her whereabouts requirements three times.

The Ticker

Kim Clijsters loses her first match since the start of the U.S. Open, with Patty Schnyder edging out their second-round contest in Luxembourg 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6).

The Ticker

Evgeny Korolev ends Marat Safin's Russian farewell, defeating the former No. 1 in the second round of Moscow 6-4, 7-6(4).

Marcos Baghdatis, on his recent run of form: "When you wake up in the morning and you don't feel any pain, it's easier to play good tennis. I'm having a good run now and enjoying myself on the court. I'm hungry to do well and I want to come back stronger than before."

The Ticker

U.S.-based seniors tour InsideOut Champions Series is suing its Palisades location complex in South Carolina, reports the Charlotte Observer. The tour is asking for about $350,000 in unpaid fees for running the tournament as well as other contract obligations.

The Ticker

Vera Zvonareva says knee problems contributed to her lopsided loss in the second round of Moscow, which put her out of the running for Doha.

The Ticker

Tommy Haas' withdrawal from Stockholm is due to the flu, the German told tournament organizers, not the shoulder injury that caused him to retire in Shanghai.

The Ticker

Jelena Jankovic has qualified for Doha following Vera Zvonareva's 6-0, 6-2 loss to qualifier Tszvetana Pironkova in the second round of Moscow.

The eight-player field for the WTA year-end event in Doha is as follows: Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Jankovic. Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwanska will be the alternates.

The WTA has confirmed that Safina will return to No. 1 before the tournament begins.

The Ticker

Caroline Wozniacki has admitted she retired during her first round match in Luxembourg because she knew she would not be able to play her second-round match if she won. Wozniaki's retirement, which came one game away from victory at 7-5, 5-0 up, allowed home favorite Anne Kremer to advance.

Wozniacki received treatment for a hamstring strain during the match.

"I could possibly have finished the match, but felt there was no way I could get ready for the second round on Thursday, so I chose the sporting way and let her go through. She's also [playing] at home," Wozniacki told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

The WTA has said it will review a tape of the match and added that Wozniacki chose to remain in Luxembourg to fulfill off-court obligations after her loss.

Wozniacki's coach and father, Piotr, expressed amazement at the attention the move received. He was heard on television discussing a retirement with Caroline during a miked on-court coaching visit at 3-0 in the second set. "I said to her, 'Caroline, whether it is 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2 at the next change of ends, you have to decide if you will be able to play the next match. Then make the right decision," he told Ekstra Bladet. "I have spoken to the tournament director, who spoke to the WTA, who was also at the match. They all said Caroline showed a lot of sportsmanship."

About $2.5 million was wagered on Wozniacki on Betfair, according to Danish reports. Accounts also indicated that Piotr's conversation with Caroline was quickly posted online and may have prompted some to put money on Kremer towards the end of the match.

On the bettors who lost money on the match, Piotr said, "That can never be Caroline's or my responsiblity... [It's like] Lotto. You take the risk."

The Ticker

In his farewell Russian event, Marat Safin begins by defeating Russian No. 1 Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of Moscow. Davydenko came into the tournament having won last week's Masters in Shanghai.

The Ticker

Feliciano Lopez has defeated Ernests Gulbis 6-2, 6-4 in Stockholm. Gulbis, whose name has been linked to the sex solicitation arrests made by Swedish police over the weekend, did not give a press conference after the match, according to the ATP.

The Ticker

With Agnieszka Radwanska falling 6-3, 6-3 to Maria Kirilenko in Moscow, the competition for the last spot at the year-end WTA championships in Doha is now between Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic.

The Ticker

David Nalbandian will make his ATP return from hip surgery at Auckland next January. The Argentine is first planning to play some exhibition matches in December.

The Ticker

Justine Henin has confirmed she will start her comeback in Brisbane next January, say tournament organizers.

The Ticker

Andreas Vinciguerra, who retired in both his Davis Cup singles matches in September, loses his return to ATP competition 6-3, 6-2 to Olivier Rochus.

The Ticker

Kim Clijsters makes a winning return to competition following her victory at the U.S. Open, defeating Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2, 6-2 at Luxembourg.

The Ticker

One game away from victory, Caroline Wozniacki retires at 7-5, 5-0 up against local favorite Anne Kremer in Luxembourg.

Wozniacki, who was playing her 25th tournament of the season, said she had a hamstring injury.

After receiving a wildcard into qualifying, Kremer won two matches but lost her last qualifying match before getting into the main draw as a lucky loser. She is now into the second round without having won a match point in her two previous contests.

The Ticker

Melanie Oudin has pulled out of Luxembourg with gastro-intestinal illness.

The Ticker

Jelena Jankovic is unhappy that WTA Tour Roadmap rules prevented her from playing in Linz last week and made it more difficult for her to qualify for the year-end event in Doha.

Linz is an 'International' WTA event and only allowed to have a limited number of top players.

The Ticker

Robin Soderling says he missed an unannnounced doping test at the French Open. "I had said I would stay at the Hilton but changed hotels and forgot to announce it," Soderling said at Stockholm this week. "I realized after a few days but it was too late because the doping inspectors had already searched for me for a test."

Missing three such tests during an 18-month period is considered a doping violation. The anti-doping whereabouts program requires all Top 50 players to specify a location and hour each day when they will be available for an unannounced doping test.

The Ticker

Jelena Jankovic struggles but wins 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in Moscow against Yaroslava Shevdova, who knocked the Serb out of the U.S. Open.

Jankovic is attempting to qualify for the WTA year-end championships in Doha by outperforming Vera Zvonareva at Moscow this week. The only other player with an outside shot at securing the last remaining spot in Doha is Agnieszka Radwanska.

The Ticker

Andy Roddick has qualified for the year-end ATP world tour final in London, becoming the sixth player to secure a spot in the eight-player field. The current ATP standings are:

1. Roger Federer
2. Rafael Nadal
3. Novak Djokovic
4. Andy Murray
5. Juan Martin del Potro
6. Andy Roddick
7. Nikolay Davydenko
8. Fernando Verdasco
9. Robin Soderling
10. Fernando Gonzalez
11. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
12. Marin Cilic

9,855 points

8,845 points

6,410 points

6,040 points

5,815 points

4,330 points

3,450 points*

3,030 points
2,830 points*

2,780 points

2,640 points

2,205 points

already qualified
* playing this week

The Ticker

Mats Wilander has quit his post as Swedish Davis Cup captain. Thomas Enqvist appears to be the leading candidate to take over the position.

The Ticker

Playing her first event since suffering a rib injury in Toronto, Dominika Cibulkova loses 6-2, 6-2 to Maria Jose Martinez in Moscow.

The Ticker

Joachim Johansson wins his second match in as many tournaments, defeating Peter Luczak 7-6, 6-2 in Stockholm. On the comeback trail after an injury-induced retirement, Johansson has played only sparingly in the past year.

The Ticker

Nikolay Davydenko has moved into the seventh spot in the race to qualify for the ATP year-end event in London.

The Ticker

The ATP has been denied $17.9 million in legal fees from the German and Qatari federations over the Hamburg lawsuit, reports SportsBusinessJournal.

The federations took the ATP to court last year over the move to downgrade the Hamburg Masters event and change its position in the calendar. The ATP won the suit, but a federal court judge on Monday rejected its attempt to recover legal fees relating to the case.

The Ticker

An ATP player competing at Stockholm has been fined 2,500 Swedish krona for attempted sex solicitation, according to Swedish press. Reports said two players were arrested on Saturday night after being found in the company of two prostitutes at a hotel room. There were conflicting reports about whether both or only one of the players were entered in the Stockholm event.

The Ticker

Marcos Baghdatis has won his third challenger in a row, defeating Denis Istomin 6-3 1-6, 6-3 to take Tashkent. After dropping to No. 151 in July, Baghdatis' ranking is back up to No. 66 as a result, even though he has won only two ATP main draw matches during this period.

The Ticker

One of the seven men charged during a clash between Serbian and Bosnian fans at the Australian Open this year has been fined AU$500 but has not received a criminal conviction, report Australian media. Others have received similar sentences, while one is fighting the charges and another failed to appear in court last week.

The clash took place on the Australian Open grounds during a match between Serb Novak Djokovic and Bosnian-American Amer Delic, with some fans hit by chairs thrown during the incident.

The Ticker

Playing her first match since the US Open because of a foot injury, Anna Chakvetadze loses 6-4, 6-3 to Alona Bondarenko in Moscow.

The Ticker

Four of the six Russians who received direct entry into the ATP event in Moscow have ended up at the very top of the draw. Nikolay Davydenko will play Marat Safin in the first round, with the winner to meet Igor Kunitsyn or Evgeny Korolev.

The Ticker

ATP medical timeouts rules will be changed next year so players cannot receive mid-game treatments for cramps, reports Times Online. Players will have to wait till the end of the game.

The Ticker

Yanina Wickmayer will make her Top 20 debut after winning Linz 6-3, 6-4 against Petra Kvitova.

The Ticker

Sam Stosur wins the first WTA title of her career, defeating Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 6-1 in Osaka.

"I’m very, very pleased to win my first title after losing five previous finals. It has been a personal goal for a while, so I am glad to have achieved that and it’s the perfect way to finish my year in singles," said Stosur.

The Ticker

Nikolay Davydenko, on being the last man standing in Shanghai amid a spate of injuries: "It's good for me if everybody gets injured at the end of the year, because I didn't play the first three months of the year and everybody played already.

"Maybe I have more chance coming to [qualify for the year-end event in] London. Maybe everybody will retire in London and I can win London!"

The Ticker

Nikolay Davydenko wins Shanghai, defeating Rafael Nadal 7-6(3), 6-3.

The Ticker

Flavia Pennetta is out of the running for the WTA year-end championships in Doha, having fallen 7-6(5), 6-3 to Yanina Wickmayer in the semifinals of Linz. The contest for the last spot in the eight-player year-end field is now between Jelena Jankovic, Vera Zvonareva and longshot Agnieszka Radwanska.

The Ticker

Novak Djokovic's Asian run comes to an end but Nikolay Davydenko's continues after the Russian won their Shanghai semifinal 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1) in three hours. "I was lucky, he was lucky. In the tiebreak, I was more lucky," said Davydenko.

Djokovic was coming off a title in Beijing last week while Davydenko had won in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago.

The Ticker

Feliciano Lopez brings the retirement count in Shanghai to nine, stopping at 6-1, 3-0 down against Rafael Nadal with an ankle problem.

Nadal, who is through to his first final since returning to the tour after a mid-season knee injury, also received a retirement from Ivan Ljubicic in the quarterfinals. "I was a little bit lucky yesterday," said Nadal, who lost the first set against Ljubicic before the Croat stopped at the end of the second set. "Today, I was winning but it's never nice to win like this, especially against a close friend like Feliciano."

The Ticker

Novak Djokovic, on enjoying a match: "The only enjoyment I have is when I'm up a match point and I see the guy cannot reach my ball when I win."

The Ticker

Rafael Nadal, on whether he was worried after losing the first set to Ivan Ljubicic: "If I not worried, probably I am crazy, no?"

The Ticker

Feliciano Lopez, on losing in Beijing qualifying a week ago and making the Shanghai semifinals this week: "I was talking to my coach right now after the match, and he just said, 'Did you remember playing against [Donald] Young in the qualies in Beijing?' And I said, 'Better not remember, no?'

He just wanted me to realize the difference that I made between this match last week and the match I played today. But unfortunately I'm this kind of player. I can play very good one week and terrible the next week, but I was convinced that sooner or later it's going to come, and this week I'm playing really, really good."

The Ticker

Rafael Nadal is listed fourth on an E-poll Market Research survey of most well-liked athletes, finding favor with 68% of the respondants. Gymnast Shawn Johnson topped the poll with 75%.

The Ticker

Tim Phillips, chairman of the All England Club, will step down from his post at the end of next year. He will be replaced by Philip Brook, who has been a member of the Wimbledon management committee for 12 years.

The Ticker

Ivan Ljubicic stops with a thigh injury at 6-3, 3-6 against Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai quarterfinals, becoming the eighth player to retire during the event.

Novak Djokovic defeats Gilles Simon 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the Shanghai semifinals. Djokovic has won 17 of his last 19 matches, with both losses coming to Roger Federer.

The Ticker

Marion Bartoli retires down 6-4, 2-0 with a right shoulder injury in Osaka, sending Sania Mirza through to her first WTA semifinal since Birmingham.

The Ticker

Caroline Wozniacki defeats near-namesake Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-2 in the Osaka quarterfinals. Wozniacki has won four of their five meetings this year and five of six career meetings.

The Ticker

MRIs show Andy Roddick has a ligament sprain in his left knee, reports his official website, and is "expected to start activity in 2 to 3 weeks."

The Ticker

Bernard Tomic's controversial father, John, deliberately ran two coaches and a junior female player off the road following a junior tournament in 2006, reports the Melbourne Herald Sun. No one was hurt. Tennis Australia carried out an investigation at the time but told the newspaper it could not discuss the incident because a minor was involved.

The Ticker

Andre Agassi on the tennis calendar, advocating the impossible: "I would like to see everyone come to the table and work out a schedule that suits everyone."

Agassi, who was speaking ahead of his exhibition in Macau against Pete Sampras next week, also said, "I think the tour should tighten up the schedule, so the top players can play more often in a shorter time."

"It's a great time for tennis," he added. "Rafa is struggling with a knee injury but he can overcome it. Federer winning 15 Grand Slams and the French Open and his rivalry with Nadal is great for the game.

"Now we have possibly the changing of the guard. You have those top two who are now losing ground to the likes of [Novak] Djokovic and [Andy] Murray and [Juan Martin] del Potro."

The Ticker

Andy Roddick, via Twitter, on quick fixes for shortening the season: "if u would combine palm/springs and miami to three[] weeks combined, and cancel the off week between paris and masters, you would eliminate two weeks without cancelling any tournament

"...it would take some cooperation from those tournaments which might be the problem at this point

"... plus if u had monday and tuesday night finals in palms springs u wou[ldn']t be going against march madness on the weekends there which would make for better tv."

The Ticker

Gael Monfils (back injury) and Stanislas Wawrinka (abdominal) both quit in their third-round matches at Shanghai, bringing the total number of retirements at the tournament to seven.

The Ticker

Robin Soderling defeats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Shanghai quarterfinals.

The Ticker

Tommy Haas describes his retirement in Shanghai with a right shoulder injury as a "precautionary measure" and still plans to play in Stockholm next week.

The 31-year-old Haas has already had three shoulder operations and the recurrence of serious problems with the joint would probably prompt his retirement.

The Ticker

The Paris Court of Appeal has upheld the ban on Unibet offering wagers on French Open matches, which was imposed by the French tennis federation. Unibet has also been ordered to pay €1.2 million in infringment damages.

The Ticker

Kim Clijsters' sister Elke, who also competed at the professional level, has given birth to a son, Cruz Leo.

The Ticker

Ivo Minar has received an anti-doping suspension of eight months for testing positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine. Minar did not receive a full two-year ban after showing a nutritional supplement was the source of the banned substance.

The Ticker

Marat Safin, on the calendar: "In 2004 we had this discussion in Olympic Games with Roddick about it and they were blaming me that I'm playing too much.

"And I was saying that the season is too long, we should make it shorter. And the guys, they jumped on me like I was the one who was wrong.

"So look at all of them -- everybody is falling apart. Everybody is getting injured left and right, and everybody is complaining the season is long. It takes six years to realise that something is wrong?

"They just have to deal with that, not when they are 21 and ambitious and want to make money. They have to think a little bit with their brains and to make the career a little bit longer."

The Ticker Marat Safin, after losing to an apparently injured Tomas Berdych in Shanghai: "Just come on, just grow up a little bit -- 26 years old, just deal with that. If you're losing, just be a man, be a man and lose as a man.

"Don't pretend that you are injured and then you start running around and start to hit winners and then all of a sudden you pull the hands up in the air after winning the match?

"Of course he will find 10,000 excuses. Still, it's not enough. You're playing or you're not playing. If you're playing, so just shut...up and play."

The Ticker Juan Martin del Potro retires with a wrist injury down 7-5. 2-1 against Jurgen Melzer in Shanghai. "I had this injury in Miami this year and I don't want to risk for the end of the season," said del Potro, who has not won a match since winning the U.S. Open.

Gael Monfils defeats Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in Shanghai.

The Ticker Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ends local favorite Shau Xuan Zeng's hopes 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of Shanghai. Zeng, the top-ranked Chinese man at No. 396, defeated Dudi Sela in the first round.

Rafael Nadal defeats James Blake for the second week in a row, winning their second-round match in Shanghai 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4.

The Ticker In an interview with L'Equipe, Tatiana Golovin says her chances of playing again are slim. She has been diagnosed with spondylitis of the back, an arthritic-like condition.

"Learning my condition was a big shock, but now I know what I have and what I have, you can't cure," she said. "Do I have any chance to play again? It's not advised, but I'm still young. The pain may suddenly disappear.

"If I do have to give up tennis, it will be for launching into humanitarian work, to find something meaningful, where I can see something big.

"Tennis was for me like a baby, who I carried and who grows up at some time or another; you're proud of him, like I was proud of my tennis."

The Ticker Tamira Paszek has resumed training and hopes to return to the tour for the Australian Open in January.

In an interview with LAOLA1, Paszek indicated she was not given any penalties by the Austrian anti-doping agency for undergoing back treatment that may have been in violation of blood-doping rules.

"It's over and in the past," said the 18-year-old, who referred her case to the agency after learning of the situation and decided not to play for the rest of the season to rest the injury. "It was a stupid affair, but what can you do?... It was not intentional."

The Ticker

Mark Philippoussis is looking to sell the rights to his engagement and wedding to an Australian women's managazine for as much as AU$200,000, reports the Sydney Daily Telegraph. The former top 10 player is reportedly engaged to American actress Jennifer Esposito.

Philipoussis, whose life has been regular fodder for the tabloids, recently faced having to sell his family home in Australia to pay off mortgage debts.

The Ticker

Lleyton Hewitt is backing Paul McNamee over Geoff Pollard in the upcoming election for Tennis Australia president, a post which Pollard has held for 20 years.

"I get on well personally with Geoff," wrote Hewitt on his official website. "However I strongly believe that change is needed at Tennis Australia and what better place to start than right at the top!!"

In my opinion tennis in Australia and the way it is being administered needs addressing, as we are falling behind many other nations in the world, as well as other sports in our own country... Geoff has been in this position for 20 years and I for one have to question his strength and passion at this crucial time, when he has been the person 'in charge' whilst the sport has been declining into its current position.

Paul McNamee, on the other hand, I believe has the attributes needed to change things around."

The Ticker In first-round matches at Shanghai on Tuesday, Lleyton Hewitt defeats John Isner 6-2, 6-4 and Tomas Berdych sends home Tokyo finalist Marin Cilic 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-4. Berdych next plays Marat Safin, who won against Chinese wildcard Xin-Mao Gong.

On Monday in Shanghai, Radek Stepanek defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-0 and David Ferrer moved past Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3.

The Ticker A day after giving an extended critique on the length of the tennis season, Andy Roddick retires up 4-3 against Stanislaw Wawrinka in his opening match at Shanghai after hurting his left knee. "It was enough to make me stop a tennis match," said roddick of the injury. "Beyond that I don't know, that's not my profession."

The Ticker Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will being next year by playing at the Abu Dhabi exhibition event. If Federer then does not make his usual stop at the Kooyong exhibition event the week before the Australian Open, Juan Martin del Potro is scheduled to fill in.

Akiko Morigami plans to retire after the Japanese national championships in November. "I have fluid that has built up in my knee and I am no longer able to train the way I want to," she said.

The Ticker Andy Roddick, on the calendar: "We've been talking about this forever, and now we get slapped with mandatory tournaments... We don't really have a whole lot of choices in the matter, which I don't think is the right way to go about it."

Tommy Robredo, on the calendar: "I think if we will have tournaments every week it will be perfect, no? Because then anyone has the chance to play the weeks he wants.

"The problem now is that we have the obligation to play certain tournaments... we have to play the Masters 1000, the Grand Slams, and that's an obligation. Sometimes it's in a time that maybe you would like to rest a little bit."

The Ticker James Blake, on why he chose Kelly Jones as his new coach: "I've been asked the question many times throughout my career, If there was no Brian Barker, who would your coach be? And the answer for me every time is Kelly Jones.

"As soon as Brian and I came to that decision [to stop working together] around the Open, my mind just went to Kelly Jones. I'm lucky that he dropped everything to start working with me... He's great, and he's helping me already. He was a great doubles player. He knows how to help me move forward, and I'm working with my volleys a little bit already.

"He's not going to change anything drastic, I'm sure, in the next couple of weeks, but when we have time to work together in the off‑season, hopefully we'll have plenty of time to work on whatever he thinks needs to be addressed."

The Ticker The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear the ITF-Richard Gasquet case next November, reports L'Equipe.fr. the ITF is appealing the reduced suspension given to Gasquet for testing positive for cocaine in Miami.

Serena Williams is officially back at No. 1 in the rankings, holding a five point lead over Dinara Safina.

The Ticker The doubles field for the year-end championships in Doha is officially complete, with Rennae Stubbs/Samantha Stosur joining the already qualified teams of Cara Black/Liezel Huber, Venus Williams/Serena Williams and Nuria Llagostera Vives/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

One spot remains open in the singles competition. Jelena Jankovic and Vera Zvonareva are the top contenders, followed by Agnieszka Radwanska, Flavia Pennetta and Marion Bartoli.

The Ticker Yanina Wickmayer and Anabel Medina Garrigues have qualified for the second-level year-end championships in Bali and committed to the event, the WTA has announced.

Doha contenders Jelena Jankovic and Flavia Pennetta have indicated they would not play Bali if eligible, in Pennetta's case because she will be playing the Fed Cup final the same week.

The Ticker Tennis Australia suffered a loss of about AU$7 million last year because of the economy, reports the Melbourne Age.

16-year-old American prospect Sloane Stephens has signed with BEST.

Justine Henin has been officially granted a wildcard into the Australian Open. "I spoke to Justine's team over the weekend and was happy to grant her request," said tournament director Craig Tiley.

The Ticker Alicia Molik should re-enter the rankings in the mid-300s after completing the first three events of her comeback. Molik, a former top 10 player who resumed playing in September after retiring a year earlier, won a $25,000 futures event in Darwin in her first event back and lost in the semifinals and final of her next two futures, both times to Sacha Jones.

The Ticker The Shanghai draw can be found here. Top seed Rafael Nadal will open against the winner of a first-round match between Ivo Karlovic and James Blake, and could meet U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals.

The injured Fernando Verdasco, Lleyton Hewitt and Gael Monfils are also in Nadal's quarter, while del Potro's section contains Tokyo champ Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Robin Soderling.

The bottom half of the draw features Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko, with a rematch of the Beijing final between Djokovic and Marin Cilic possible in the quarterfinals.

The Ticker Mark Philippoussis is engaged to actress Jennifer Esposito, according to press reports. Neither has confirmed the engagement, but at the seniors event in Arizona this week, Philippoussis was quoted as saying, "Her name is Jennifer and we met in the Hamptons. I'm very excited."

The Beijing women's doubles was won by a Taiwan-China combination, Su-Wei Hsieh and Shuai Peng taking their fourth doubles title as a team.

The Ticker Svetlana Kuznetsova wins her first title since the French Open, defeating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-4 to win Beijing. "I like the tournament very much, especially that the prize money is higher than the men's, I think we deserve it," said Kuznetsova. "Until this morning I didn’t realize it was such a high category tournament with so much prize money."

The WTA tournament in Beijing is a top-tier Premier Mandatory, while the men's tournament is a second-level ATP 500 event.

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Pro Rankings: November 2
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ATP Tour 1. R. Federer 2. R. Nadal 3. N. Djokovic 4. A. Murray 5. J. del Potro 6. A. Roddick 7. N. Davydenko 8. F. Verdasco 9. J. Tsonga 10. R. Soderling More		WTA Tour 1. S. Williams 2. D. Safina 3. S. Kuznetsova 4. C. Wozniacki 5. E. Dementieva 6. V. Williams 7. V. Azarenka 8. J. Jankovic 9. V. Zvonareva 10. A. Radwanska More

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