U.S., Russia Advance to Fed Cup Meeting; Nadal, Roddick Win Clay Titles

"I'm delighted and feel incredibly happy with what have been an amazing two months," said the 18-year-old Nadal, who was broken only once over three sets. "It's brilliant to be ranked No. 7 in the world as early as April and it's been a dream come true to win here and in Monte Carlo. It's been a fantastic two weeks."

As once-ruler of the red dirt, Ferrero said he knows the feeling.

"He is living an unbelievable moment," Ferrero said. "He has no fear and when you're facing him on court he has that confidence -- he's playing in the zone. He doesn't give you a lot of options and he never looks tired. I tried everything and it didn't work."

Nadal did not lose a set en route to his fourth title of 2005 in five finals, and holds a 25-2 record on clay this season, the best on tour.

Nadal came up short of a sweep in the doubles final, losing 6-3, 6-3 with countryman Feliciano Lopez as an unseeded pair to No. 2 seeds Leander Paes and Nenad Zimonjic. It was the second consecutive title for Paes/Zimonjic after the Masters Series-Monte Carlo.

Rested Roddick Rocks Grosjean for Another ATP Houston Title

Andy Roddick has yet to find success on the European red clay during his career, but that didn't stop him this week at the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston where Sunday he defeated Sebastien Grosjean 6-2, 6-2 for his third Houston title in five consecutive finals.

"I'm probably as confident as I've ever felt making that (European) trip," Roddick said. "I'm excited."

Roddick's success in Houston over the last five years is in stark contrast to his clay record in Europe. Roddick first win Houston in 2001-2002, but his lone highlights on the European red since then have been a semifinal at the Masters Series-Rome in 2002, and a win at the small St. Poelten event in 2003. Last year the American former No. 1 played one European pre-French event, losing first round at Rome, before bowing out in the second round at Roland Garros.

"One of the reasons I've struggled on clay the last couple of years is because I was a little heavy for the surface," said a slimmed-down Roddick. "That doesn't bode well when you're having to move and slide and get back. It takes a toll. So I definitely made a conscious effort to fix that this year."

This year Roddick will take a bit more confidence into Roland Garros along with his trademark fierce forehand and serve after overwhelming Grosjean for another Houston trophy, with little going wrong during Sunday's final.

"That was better than normal," Roddick said. "I controlled the match with my forehand. I was putting constant pressure on him. Sebastien's the kind of guy you don't want him to get his feet in the trenches, because he starts getting real tricky. You don't want him to get confidence."

It was the second title of the year for Roddick after San Jose.

In the doubles final, top seeds Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor stopped Martin Garcia/Luis Horna 6-3, 6-4 for their second title of the year.

"There aren't many events where the doubles are as popular as they are here," Knowles said. "We have a huge following (in Houston). It's awesome the way the McIngvales care about the doubles. We're treated well. We'll be back."

U.S., Russia Advance to Fed Cup Semifinal Meeting

The U.S. and Russia advanced to a dream semifinal meeting, while France and Spain also won through to set up their semifinal match-up in July. Here are the results from this past weekend's quarterfinal play:

Russia d. Italy 4-1

Russia recovering from their stumble on day one, with Elena Dementieva (d. Francesca Schiavone, saving four match points before a bagel in the third) and Elena Bovina (d. Maria-Elena Camerin in three) grinding through wins on Sunday to set up a powerhouse semifinal meeting with the U.S. in July.

U.S. d. Belgium 5-0

Lindsay Davenport beats Els Callens 6-4, 6-0, Venus Williams tops Leslie Butkiewicz, 6-1, 6-4, and in the doubles Davenport and partner Corina Morariu post a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens/Eveline Vanhyfte to complete the sweep.

Spain d. Argentina 3-2

Argentina mounts a comeback from 0-2 down to level the tie with wins by Gisela Dulko (d. Marta Marrero, bagel in the first set) and Mariana Diaz-Olivia (d. Nuria Llagostera Vives), but the Spanish doubles team of Llagostera Vives and Anabel Medina Garrigues stopped the bleeding to seal the tie with a 6-4, 6-4 win Dulko and Maria-Elena Salerni.

France d. Austria 4-1

The French team also recovered from their stumble on day one, Sunday rolling to victory in the first two matches with Virginie Razzano (d. Meusburger) and Nathalie Dechy (d. Paszek) filling in for the "Dream Team" of Amelie Mauresmo (ab injury) and Mary Pierce (benched). In the dead-rubber doubles, Dechy/Razzano beat the Klemenschits sisters in straight sets.

World Group II Results:
Switzerland d. Slovak Republic 3-2
Germany d. Indonesia 4-1
Croatia d. Thailand 3-2
Czech Republic d. Japan 3-2

Wildcard Nalbandian Leads Field at ATP Munich

Argentine David Nalbandian heads the field this week in Munich after his late entry, attempting a return from illness after pulling out of events at the Masters Series-Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

While suffering from what was thought to be hepatitis, then an unknown virus in his liver, the Argentine is still thought to be struggling with his fitness level but is keen to get some matches under his belt before defending his runner-up points the week after Munich at the Masters Series-Rome.

"David Nalbandian is one of the top players in the world and I am sure he will prove that in Munich," said hopeful tournament director Rudi Berger. "We tried to get Australia's Lleyton Hewitt too but it looks like he will play here next year instead."

Nalbandian will be tested right from the start in Munich, opening against the hot-handed Nicolas Lapentti who reached the semifinals last week in Houston, if the Ecuadorian can shake off the jet lag and fatigue.

Nalbandian is joined among the seeds in Munich by Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Croatian Mario Ancic, Germany's own Tommy Haas, Romanian Andrei Pavel, Russian Igor Andreev, Thai Paradorn Srichaphan, and another German hope in Rainer Schuettler.

Other tough openers include the clay-challenged (7) Srichaphan vs. rising Dutchman Peter Wessels, (3) Ancic vs. Argentine Jose Acasuso who recorded a win over Marat Safin last week, and (4) Haas vs. hungry Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

Other wildcards went to Germany's Alexander Waske and Tobias Summerer.

In last year's final the unseeded Davydenko, the lone returning champ in this year's field, defeated No. 4 seed Martin Verkerk, who is still out in 2005 with a shoulder injury.

Scheduled for Monday in Munich are Juan "The Principality" Monaco vs. Burgsmuller, (5) Pavel vs. (WC) Waske, (WC) Summerer vs. Schalken, Arthurs vs. Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze, and Zib vs. "Everybody Love" Raemon Sluiter.

Moya Leads 5 Roland Garros Finalists at ATP Estoril

Carlos Moya heads a field containing five players who have won or reached the final at Roland Garros this week at the Estoril Open.

Joining the former No. 1 among the seeds are current Roland Garros holder Gaston Gaudio, the shoulder-injury-challenged Joachim Johansson, the back-from-a-shoulder-injury Tommy Robredo, the back-from-a-toe-injury Nicolas Massu, last week's Barcelona semifinalist Radek Stepanek, his Czech mate Jiri Novak, and Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

As always on the dirt the dangerous floaters abound, with opening-round match-ups of note including (1) Moya vs. Spanish countryman Felix Mantilla (winner to likely face unseeded former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero), (7) Novak vs. the sporadically-dangerous Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, (5) Massu vs. former French winner Al Costa, and (3) J.Johansson vs. Spanish grinder Alex Calatrava.

Returning champions in the field are Juan Ignacio Chela (d. Safin in the 2004 final), Ferrero (2001), Moya (2000), and Costa (1999).

On court Monday on the dirt are Hernych vs. (2) Gaudio, Guillermo "G-Lo" Garcia-Lopez vs. "Dr." Ivo Karlovic, Tabara vs. Berdych, and Muller vs. Ventura.

Belgians Clijsters, Henin Favored This Week at WTA Warsaw

While Kim Clijsters sneaks in as the No. 7 seed, and Justine Henin-Hardenne is unseeded this week at the WTA J&S Cup in Warsaw, Poland, the two Belgians will be favored as they put in their claycourt preparation for next month's French Open.

Amelie Mauresmo, the top seed in Warsaw, is in doubt after pulling an abdominal muscle last week that forced her to miss France's Fed Cup tie. Other seeds in Warsaw are Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva and Elena Bovina, Swiss Patty Schnyder, France's Nathalie Dechy and Italian Silvia Farina Elia.

The top four seeds receive byes in patented WTA early-mojo-killing fashion, but a few opening round matches of interest remain in (6) Dechy vs. former Top 10er Maggie Maleeva, Henin-Hardenne vs. Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (winner to likely face (6) Bovina), and in an all-Italian (8) Farina Elia vs. Francesca Schiavone.

In last year's final (2) Venus Williams defeated (4) Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4.

Former champs in the draw are Mauresmo (2003) and Bovina (2002).

On court Monday in Warsaw is the final round of the singles qualifying in Kirilenko vs. Pastikova, Chakvetadze vs. Talaja, Chladkova vs. Vakulenko, and Perebiynis vs. Ondraskova.

Pennetta, Safina Top WTA Estoril Field

Italy's Flavia Pennetta is the top draw this week at the WTA stop in Estoril, joined by seeds Dinara Safina of Russia, Argentina's Gisela Dulko, China's Na Li, Spaniards Anabel Madina Garrigues, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Virginia Ruano Pascual, and Madagascar's Dally Randriantefy.

Unseeded in the draw are Jelena Dokic and Michaella Krajicek, while wildcards for the event went to Canadian Melanie Gloria and Portugals' Neuza Silva.

On court Monday in Estoril are A.Bondarenko vs. Dokic, Randriantefy vs. Silva, and Pratt vs. An.Serra Zanetti.
 
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