FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP)—Given a supremely tough draw in the Davis Cup, the United States is off to an exhilarating start. It swept Roger Federer and Switzerland in the first round, with Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan winning the doubles match on clay, a surface selected by Federer to exploit what

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Rafael Nadal outlasted Roger Federer 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in an Australian Open semifinal on Thursday night, the longtime rivals playing with the intensity normally displayed when meeting in a Grand Slam final. The stars who met in eight Grand Slam finals were on the same

NEW YORK (AP)—Andy Murray ended marathon man John Isner’s best run at a Grand Slam tournament. The No. 4-seeded Murray dealt with No. 28 Isner’s big serve and used a variety of lobs and pinpoint passing shots to win 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2) at the U.S. Open on Friday,

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final. The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending

NEW YORK (AP)—Fernando Verdasco sprinted toward the drop shot, slid on the concrete and barely got to the ball—then whipped it around the net post and back inside the sideline. For a clean winner. On match point. In a fifth-set tiebreaker. What a way to celebrate “Spain Day” at the

Howdy, Tribe. Well, I had thought I was going to see Unstrung with El Jon Wertheim last night, but it didn't really work out for us. Check out the impressive website for the movie; two of the "stars" (Sam Querrey and Donald Young) are pictured here. The theater was crowded

In the corridors of power at the O2 Arena—home of the approaching ATP World Tour Finals—and hotels in central London, there is chatter going on about changing the method of calculating the men's rankings, going from a one-year/12-month cycle of results to a two-year/24-month cycle. Rafael Nadal, along with other

I can’t wait to see the new chick flick Leap Year, starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode. Sure, only 13 percent of the reviews have been positive, but I’m willing to spend $12 on dreamy Mr. Goode, who first grabbed my attention five years ago when he played the tennis

The 2009 season is finished, and so is Andy Murray’s four-year romance with his girlfriend. Here’s a round-up of the latest gossip and happenings going on in tennis. Goodwill FundingDuring the off-season, players have time on their hands to relax, regroup and reassess. Some, like Andy Roddick and James

PARIS (AP)—Novak Djokovic’s perfect season is still intact, his winning streak is still alive and his clay-court form still looks devastating after he reached the third round of the French Open when Victor Hanescu retired Wednesday because of injury. The second-seeded Serb, who joined 2009 champion Roger Federer in the

SANTIAGO, Chile—The transcendent and sometimes charged poetry of Pablo Neruda it was not. The U.S. Davis Cup team opted for a different page from the career of Chile’s famed Nobel laureate—stubborn defiance—and emerged from the weekend’s tie against Chile with a hard-fought 4-1 victory. Credit Andy Roddick, who won both

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—Thanks to a bit of advice from her big sister and a bunch of aces from her big serve, Serena Williams is back in the Wimbledon semifinals. With two more victories, Williams will be holding a Grand Slam trophy for the first time in two years. The thud

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—Kei Nishikori sits placidly in a straight-back chair, his hands clasped together, fingers gently intertwined, dark hair spiking skyward, a confident smile creeping across his still-baby face. The Japanese cameraman has been peppering Nishikori with questions and the 21-year-old is politely doing his best to oblige with cogent

Phpk1rgpbam Last Week's Tournaments BCR Open Romania (ATP - Clay - Bucharest, Romania) - Singles Final: Gilles Simon def. Victor Hanescu 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. - Singles Semifinal: Gilles Simon def. Carlos Berlocq 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. - Singles Semifinal: Victor Hanescu def. Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-3. - Singles Bracket - Doubles

NEW YORK (AP)—Rafael Nadal’s first match as defending U.S. Open champion was hardly a tour de force. He would fall behind in a set, then come back. Fall behind, then come back. His serve was broken six times; that happened a total of five times in seven matches during his

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—Count `em: 7 seconds. That's how long French Open runner-up Sara Errani ``played'' at Wimbledon on Wednesday against qualifier CoCo Vandeweghe of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. - enough time to wrap up a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the first round. How's that possible? Because action was suspended by

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Rafael Nadal has a new injury scare—a tendon problem in his right knee that nearly forced him to forfeit a first-round match at the Australian Open that he managed to win easily. Roger Federer, defending champion Kim Clijsters and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, also bothered by injuries coming into

MADRID (AP)—Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal on clay for the first time in 10 tries, beating the top-ranked Spaniard 7-5, 6-4 to win the Madrid Open on Sunday and extend his unbeaten start to the season to 32 matches. The second-ranked Djokovic squandered a 4-0 lead in the first set,

PARIS (AP)—Serena Williams lost in the first round of a major tournament for the first time, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 Tuesday at the French Open. The fifth-seeded Williams was two points from victory nine times in the second set, including leading 5-1 in the

These health-care specialists keep tennis stars playing at their peak. For every five-set marathon match, give credit not just to the players holding the racquets, but also to the health and fitness pros who help them achieve peak performance. “The behind-the-scenes professionals—from the sports nutritionist who recommends the right foods