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Schnyder doubles up in Hungary
Szavay keep home hopes alive in Budape

Top seed Patty Schnyder will face fourth-ranked Agnes Szavay in the final of the WTA GDF Suez Grand Prix in Budapest on Sunday.

Schnyder overcame Edina Gallovits of Romania 6-2 6-4 in the semi-finals, while Szavay defeated sixth-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-1 6-2.

It was the second victory of the day for the former, who completed a 5-7 7-5 6-2 quarter-final win over Russia's Alisa Kleybanova after the match was suspended in the first set Friday because of rain.

But the Swiss showed little sign of fatigue in brushing Gallovits aside, never looking back after breaking her opponent in the very first game.

Hungarian Szavay raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first set, and broke Bondarenko again to start the second.

"I believe I played the way she doesn't like," said the local heroine. "That is why she made a lot of errors and could not play tennis the way she likes, a game of low shots."
 

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Wozniacki loses Bastad final
Martinez Sanchez claims second career win

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez claimed her second WTA title with victory in the Swedish Open in Bastad.

The Spaniard defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki 7-5 6-4 in a tightly-fought final to add to her maiden win in Bogota earlier in the year.

Martinez Sanchez earned the decisive break to lead 5-4 in the opening set, before wasting her first two set points having led 40-15 in the next game, but Wozniacki netted a forehand to hand her opponent the set.

However, the Dane rallied well at the start of the second set, surging into a 4-1 lead before the world number 54 hit back in style.

The Spaniard reeled off the next five games with some commanding play at the net, and she rounded off the win with a superb stop volley that typified her play.

"This was the most enjoyable tournament for me so far this season," Martinez Sanchez said. "I felt right at home here and I hope to come back next year.

"I played very well today and I'm happy I played my own game."

Wozniacki went into the match as hot favourite to claim a sixth title on her 19th birthday, but admitted she did not deserve to win.

"Maria played better than me, she played smart and it was difficult to get a rhythm with her stop volleys," she said. "But I'm still happy to have reached the final."
 

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Szavay eases into Suez semis
Fourth seed to face Bondarenko in last four in Budapest

Agnes Szavay will meet Alona Bondarenko in the semi-finals of the WTA GDF Suez Grand Prix after both seeds won through their last eight ties on Friday.

Hungarian Szavay defeated Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 6-3, while sixth-seeded Bondarenko of Ukraine came back from 5-1 down in the first set to oust Israel's Shahar Peer 7-5 6-1.

"I played better and in a more balanced way than Thursday and I also made fewer unforced errors," Szavay said after her straight sets triumph. "That is why I had a comfortable win."

Romania's Edina Gallovits also advanced by beating Petra Martic of Croatia 6-3 7-6 (8-6), while the last quarter-final was suspended because of rain.

Top seed Patty Schnyder had been leading fifth-seeded Alisa Kleybanova of Russia 4-3 in the first set before the inclement weather intervened.
 

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Ferrero puts champions through
Veteran wins deciding rubber for Spain in Marbella

Juan Carlos Ferrero won Spain a place in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup with victory over Germany's Andreas Beck in the deciding rubber in Marbella.

Ferrero was handed the task of winning the final reverse singles match in favour of Tommy Robredo and the veteran repaid captain Alberto Costa's faith with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 success.

The defending champions will again have home advantage in the semi-finals against surprise package Israel, who completed a 4-1 victory over Russia on Sunday.

The resurgent Ferrero was only called into the squad following his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Andy Murray, when David Ferrer pulled out with an injury.

Philipp Kohlschreiber earlier overcame a dramatic fightback from Fernando Verdasco to win 6-4 6-2 1-6 2-6 8-6 and level the tie.

The German dominated the first two sets before Verdasco turned the match on its head by taking the next two comfortably.

Kohlschreiber got a crucial break in the deciding set but the Spaniard saved a match point at 3-5 before breaking back, but the fightback was in vain as the German converted his second with a forehand winner down the line.
 

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Woodbridge set for new role
Australia appoint new coach for Davis Cup and national men's

Australia have appointed Todd Woodbridge as their head coach for the Davis Cup and national men's programs.

Woodbridge won 16 grand Slam men's doubles titles, including 11 with fellow Australian Mark Woodforde.

He also featured in 32 Davis Cup ties, more than any other Australian.

"I am excited by the challenge ahead. This job appealed to me because of the breadth of the scope and the chance to make a difference," Woodbridge said.

"It goes way beyond the Davis Cup and allows me to work with top players and coaches at various levels of development."

Australia only have Lleyton Hewitt inside the men's top-100. Hewitt recently bolstered his ranking to No.44 after making it to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

Tennis Australia's Craig Tiley said: "Todd has a wealth of recent playing experience at the elite level, has been a national coach, tournament director and is a terrific communicator on and off the court.

"Even in his role in the media he has been analyzing the very best in the game from close quarters. We are delighted to have him in this role."
 

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Breakthrough title for Ram
World number 181 triumphs in all-American final in Newport

Lucky loser Rajeev Ram claimed his first ATP title with victory over third seed Sam Querrey in the Hall of Fame Championships on Sunday.

The 25-year-old American only qualified for the tournament by virtue of Mardy Fish's withdrawal to replace Andy Roddick on the United States Davis Cup team.

But he was not overawed by the occasion - despite playing in his first ATP final - as he came from behind to became the lowest ranked player to win an event this year with a 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-3 triumph.

"These days don't come around very often unless you're Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal," Ram said.

"There was definitely pressure. I tried to play tennis instead of thinking about what the moment was.

"Winning tournaments is not normal on the tour for 99 per cent of us."

Querrey, 21, had looked on course for his second career title after claiming the first set tiebreaker, but Ram then decided to change his approach.

By attacking his opponent's the second serve more, Ram broke in the 12th game of the second set to level the tie.

He then broke in the eighth game of the last set to go 5-3 up and served out successfully for the match when Querrey hit a forehand long in what was Newport's first all-American final in seven years.
 

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Czechs bounce Argentina out
Stepanek beats Monaco in final rubber


Last year's Davis Cup finalists Argentina were dumped out by the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals after Radek Stepanek defeated Juan Monaco in the deciding rubber.

Stepanek, who was brought in for the final match in favour of Ivo Minar, dropped his serve in the ninth game of the first set but immediately broke back, won the ensuing tie-break and never looked back, winning 7-6 6-3 6-2.

He broke Monaco in the first game of the second set and cruised from there.

The Argentine had a chance to get back in the match after breaking for a 2-1 lead in the third, but immediately lost his serve and was then broken again to trail 4-2.

Stepanek converted his first match point when Monaco send a forehand volley wide.

"It's unbelievable," Stepanek said. "And this is not the end. We'll do all we can to get even further."
Del Potro forces decider

Earlier, Juan Martin Del Potro ensured the tie would go down to the wire when he defeated Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4 6-4.

The Czechs took a 2-1 lead into the final day after victory in doubles but the world number five levelled the scores for the second time with a comfortable win.

Del Potro immediately took control, breaking Berdych to love in the opening game and served the set out by converting the first set point with an ace.

He gained two early breaks in the second set before Berdych got one of them back, but the Argentine was again able to serve it out with ease.

The third set was a more closely fought affair until Del Potro broke the deadlock in the ninth game, before converting the first of three match points in the next with another ace.

Berdych was only able to break his opponent's serve once in the match and he paid tribute to Del Potro, saying: "I really expected a very difficult match. I wanted to try something and break his rhythm but I did not make it. He played an outstanding game."

The Czechs face a visit to Croatia after the Balkan country defeated the United States 3-2 in Porec.

James Blake needed to win the fourth rubber against Marin Cilic after the Bryan brothers had kept the tie alive in Saturday's doubles, but Cilic held his nerve to come through 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2.
 

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Kiefer books Chardy date
German continues to sparkle in Stuttgart

Nicolas Kiefer marched into the semi finals of the Stuttgart Open with a 6-2 6-1 demolition on Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot on Saturday.

Awaiting the local favourite in the last four is Frenchman Jeremy Chardy after he ousted Germany's Mischa Zverev 7-6 6-1.

Kiefer, who has not won a singles title in nine years, and Chardy will play their semi-final later on Saturday after heavy rain forced the postponement of their quarter-finals the previous day.

Kiefer, 32, had little trouble against Kubot, ranked 127 in the world, powering through the first set in just 33 minutes.

Rain interrupted play after the first game in the second set but the 40-minute break failed to halt the world number 40 who romped into a 5-0 lead before reaching his first semi-final of the season in 63 minutes.

World number 43 Chardy was made to work hard in the first set of his last eight clash with left-hander Zverev before prevailing in the tie-break 7-4.

Two quick breaks in the second then proved decisive as the 22-year-old Frenchman eased past the world number 45.
 

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Soderling one step away
Swede through to Bastad final as he chases a fourth career title

French Open finalist Robin Soderling will meet Juan Monaco in the final of the Swedish Open after both cruised through their semi-finals on Saturday.

Soderling outclassed wildcard Andreas Vinciguerra to win 6-1 7-6 (8-6) and paid tribute to his opponent's fight after being outplayed in the first set.

"Maybe unconsciously I was feeling that I was controlling the match but 'Vinc' played damn good in the second set," said Soderling, whose three ATP titles to date have all come indoors.

Argentine Monaco had earlier ousted holder Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-2 to reach his second final of the year.

The 25-year-old Argentine avenged his defeat against Robredo in this year's Buenos Aires final by crushing the third seed in one hour and five minutes.

Monaco produced some excellent serving in the first set and hardly made a mistake while Robredo produced a string of unforced errors.

The second set was almost as easy for the 61st-ranked Argentine, who ended Robredo's dreams of a third title on Swedish clay.
 

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CHARDY CLAIMS STUTTGART GLORY

Jeremy Chardy battled back from a set down to defeat fourth seed Victor Hanescu and claim his first ATP Tour title at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

The 22-year-old prevailed 1-6 6-3 6-4 against his Romanian opponent to become the first Frenchman to triumph at the event since Henri Leconte in 1984.

The pair headed into Sunday's final with one win apiece from their previous two meetings and things looked to be going Hanescu's way when he romped through the first set.

But a break of serve in the sixth game of the second set helped Chardy get back on level terms and he continued the momentum by racing into a 4-0 lead in the third.

Hanescu fought back but a fourth break of serve late in the third set saw Chardy clinch the title.
 

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CHARDY CLAIMS STUTTGART GLORY

Jeremy Chardy battled back from a set down to defeat fourth seed Victor Hanescu and claim his first ATP Tour title at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

The 22-year-old prevailed 1-6 6-3 6-4 against his Romanian opponent to become the first Frenchman to triumph at the event since Henri Leconte in 1984.

The pair headed into Sunday's final with one win apiece from their previous two meetings and things looked to be going Hanescu's way when he romped through the first set.

But a break of serve in the sixth game of the second set helped Chardy get back on level terms and he continued the momentum by racing into a 4-0 lead in the third.

Hanescu fought back but a fourth break of serve late in the third set saw Chardy clinch the title.
 

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CHARDY CLAIMS STUTTGART GLORY

Jeremy Chardy battled back from a set down to defeat fourth seed Victor Hanescu and claim his first ATP Tour title at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

The 22-year-old prevailed 1-6 6-3 6-4 against his Romanian opponent to become the first Frenchman to triumph at the event since Henri Leconte in 1984.

The pair headed into Sunday's final with one win apiece from their previous two meetings and things looked to be going Hanescu's way when he romped through the first set.

But a break of serve in the sixth game of the second set helped Chardy get back on level terms and he continued the momentum by racing into a 4-0 lead in the third.

Hanescu fought back but a fourth break of serve late in the third set saw Chardy clinch the title.
 

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GASQUET: JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE

Richard Gasquet insists "justice has been done" after he was cleared to return to the courts, despite being found guilty of a doping offence.

The 23-year-old was handed a two-and-a-half-month ban after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, at a Masters Series event in Miami in March.

He was provisionally suspended in May but an independent anti-doping tribunal accepted Gasquet's explanation that the drug "entered his system through inadvertent contamination in a nightclub" - the tribunal accepted Gasquet's explantion that a mouth-to-mouth kiss was responsible - and he was given a lighter punishment.

With the suspension having come into effect on May 1, the International Tennis Federation confirmed it ended on Wednesday, meaning the world number 32 is free to play again.

A relieved Gasquet told TV station France 2: "I am happy, to put it simply, to be going back on court. It's an enormous joy.

"I accept that I have the right to play tennis again, and that justice has been done.

"For two and a half months, it was terrible, an extraordinary suffering."

Gasquet, who retains his results, ranking points and prize money from events subsequent to Miami, denies ever knowingly taking the drug.

"Richard has been punished but in reasonable proportions," said Patrice Dominguez, France's national technical director.

"The ITF accepted the small quantity (of cocaine) and the lack of evidence."
 

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GASQUET FREE TO PLAY ON

Richard Gasquet is free to resume his tennis career, a doping tribunal has ruled.

The French star tested positive for cocaine earlier this season but an independent anti-doping tribunal accepted Gasquet's explanation that the drug had entered his system via "inadvertent contamination in a nightclub".

A ban of two months and 15 days was imposed, but it ended on Wednesday, so Gasquet, who always denied taking the drug advertently, is free to play on.

The 23-year-old tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Miami in March.

The panel ruled he had committed a doping offence but accepted his plea of "no significant fault or negligence".

Gasquet's explantion centred upon a night out in Miami when he visited a nightclub, Set, to see French DJ Bob Sinclar.

He told the tribunal that during the evening he kissed a woman named Pamela he had met that night several times.

The next day, when he visited the tournament venue to withdraw due to a shoulder injury, he was called in by doping officials and gave a urine sample.

This tested positive for cocaine and Gasquet was told in late April of the result.

Soon after he gave a hair sample. This did not test positive for cocaine and expert witnesses told the tribunal it would have been expected to had Gasquet ingested 10mg or more in the four-month period leading up to the test.

The International Tennis Federation contested Gasquet's defence and said the player could not prove "no significant fault or negligence". It added the suggestion that the cocaine entered his system through kissing was "speculative".

However, the panel said the player was able to demonstrate "on the balance of probabilities" that the contamination had taken place in the nightclub and, despite denials in the press from Pamela that she had taken the drug that night, said it was "more likely than not" that the kisses were the entry point of the drug.

It ruled he was at fault in exposing himself to the risk of such contamination, but said that fault was "not significant". It added there was no suggestion Gasquet had deliberately taken cocaine.

It further ruled that, in the exceptional and "probably unique" circumstances of the case, it would be unjust and disproportionate to impose a 12-month suspension.

The ITF warned against reducing the ban, saying loosening the 'strict liability' rule could "open the floodgates" for others, but the tribunal ruled: "We accept the player's submission that if we were to impose a one-year period of ineligibility, applying the rules rigidly, we would be penalising a person whom the rule was not intended to catch."

Instead the two-and-a-half month ban was imposed, lasting from May 1 - when the player was provisionally suspended - until July 15.

The tribunal's decision read: "He is neither a cheat nor a user of drugs for recreational purposes. His inadvertent ingestion of cocaine occurred in circumstances in which the degree of his fault was very small, as small as the miniscule quantity consumed.

"Standing back and looking at the totality of the evidence, we have reached the conclusion that a very serious injustice and infringement of the player's right to practise his profession would be done if we were to impose a one-year period of ineligibility."

It also ruled that his results, ranking points and prize money from events subsequent to Miami should be kept by the Frenchman.

Gasquet, once rated the seventh best player in the world, was ranked 23rd at the time the positive test came to light. He has since slipped to 32nd.
 

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SERENA'S WILL TO WIN NEVER SATED

For those of you who didn't know, new Wimbledon champion Serena Williams once played a cameo role in the American TV drama, ER.

Williams played a mother whose children had been caught up in the aftermath of a plane crash.

Carrying her daughter in her arms, she rushed for help. No sooner had she found it than she wanted to head back to the burning building in which her son had last been seen.

The heroic nature of the character she played is unlikely to have been co-incidental.

The hero theme is one which Serena regularly mentions - and, in tennis terms, certainly lives up to.

Anyone who saw a BBC interview during the Championships would have discovered she wants to star in a "superhero" film after her tennis career is finally over.

And in her winner's press conference immediately following the final, she spoke of how she told herself to "try to do something like a hero" during the contest against sister Venus.

Whether you consider Serena's route from the crime-riddled streets of south-central LA to 11-time Grand Slam singles champion, heroic or not it's certainly some story.

But, just like the comic books teach you, special powers - or in her case special talent - have to be used correctly.

I don't think that many people out there would claim that Serena has the most natural talent on the WTA Tour.

But what she does have is an incredible will to win - one second to none in this pundit's opinion.

Rarely do you see the level of determination in any sporting arena that Serena possesses.

Many have criticised her over the years for not giving tennis her full attention - the ER cameo just one stick with which to beat her - but once on court, Williams will not give an inch.

It really is a never-say-die attitude she has and a remarkable statistic shows just what rewards her mental approach has reaped over the years.

No less than three times has Williams come from match point down in a Grand Slam tournament before going on to win the title, the latest example coming at this year's Wimbledon where Elena Dementieva played the match of her life against her but still lost.

No other player has even done this twice in the Open era.

The will to win should be held up as a shining example for aspiring players not only in tennis, but sport as a whole.

To hammer home the point, show them Williams' Grand Slam record too.

She's now onto 11 singles titles (and don't forget the nine doubles ones and two mixed) putting her seventh on the all-time list and just one behind the legendary Billie Jean King.

The title of Wonder Woman may already have been claimed.

Instead Serena will just have to settle for being known as the best player of her generation.

We want to know your views on Serena Williams. Do you agree with Andy? Is she the best player of her generation? Send us your comments to: [email protected].
 

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DEFEAT FOR O'BRIEN

British player Katie O'Brien fell at the first hurdle at the Banka Koper Slovenia Open on Monday with a 6-4 6-4 defeat to Lucie Safarova.

The Czech wrapped up victory in one hour 21 minutes against the 23-year-old from East Yorkshire.

O'Brien is the British number two behind Anne Keothavong.
 

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DEFEAT FOR O'BRIEN

British player Katie O'Brien fell at the first hurdle at the Banka Koper Slovenia Open on Monday with a 6-4 6-4 defeat to Lucie Safarova.

The Czech wrapped up victory in one hour 21 minutes against the 23-year-old from East Yorkshire.

O'Brien is the British number two behind Anne Keothavong.
 

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MALEK UPSETS THE ODDS

Germany's Tatjana Malek was a surprise first-round winner in the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies in Bad Gastein on Monday as she disposed of fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro.

The Spaniard had gone into the match confident after reaching the quarter-finals in Prague last week and looked set for a comfortable route to round two after taking the first set 6-2.

But Malek, the world number 77, hit back strongly to score a 2-6 6-2 6-4 victory and ensured Suarez Navarro would be the first seeded casualty of the tournament.

Also on the opening day of action Romania's Ioana Olaru defeated Marta Domachowska 5-7 6-4 6-3 and there was a good win for Germany-based Bosnian Andrea Petkovic over Sandra Kloesel 6-4 6-3.
 

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BRANDS SETS UP SIMON MEETING

German wild card Daniel Brands gave the host nation something to cheer as he booked a second-round meeting with Gilles Simon at the International Open in Hamburg on Monday.

The world number 120 defeated Romanian qualifier Victor Crivoi 4-6 6-4 6-1 and was joined in the next stage by compatriot Philipp Petzschner, a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 winner over Florent Serra.

Another wild card, Simon Greul, was a third German winner after battling to a 2-6 6-3 6-3 success over Janko Tipsarevic. But 17-year-old Kevin Krawietz was beaten 6-0 4-6 6-3 by Czech Jan Hernych.

With no seeds in action on the opening day, other notable winners included Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili, who hammered Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-1, and four qualifiers, including Pablo Cuevas and Potito Starace.
 

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SAFINA BACK ON SONG

Dinara Safina went a small way towards erasing the memory of her Wimbledon semi-final hammering by Venus Williams with a first-round win in the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz on Monday.

The world number one eased past local wild-card Tadeja Majeric 6-0 6-4 in her first match since her All-England Club ambitions were so ruthlessly exposed on Centre Court.

Sixth seed Lucie Safarova beat Great Britain's Katie O'Brien 6-4 6-4 but third seed Kaia Kanepi was a surprise loser, going down 6-1 6-2 to the impressive Olga Govortseva of Belarus.
 
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