Federer Sets Up Henman Meeting at Wimbledon

Fourth seed David Nalbandian, a 2002 Wimbledon finalist, made a strong start to his 2006 campaign at The Championships with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win over South African Wesley Moodie. Nalbandian, who has never fallen before the round of 16 at the All England Club, improved to 30-9 on the year. He was making his first appearance since reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros.

Nalbandian was forced to retire against Roger Federer in the semifinals at Roland Garros this year due to a left side abdominal injury. Moodie, who last year teamed with Australian Stephen Huss to win the Wimbledon doubles title from the qualifying rounds, has now lost 11 consecutive matches at ATP level.

James Blake, who has never advanced beyond the second round at Wimbledon, used his aggressive return game to defeat Kristian Pless 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. The American, who reached the Queen?s final two weeks ago, improved to 31-14 on the season. His best return came in 2002 (36-24).

Seventh seed and 2005 semifinalist Mario Ancic served 21 aces in his 7-6(2), 7-5, 7-6(4) win over Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

Russian Igor Kunitsyn took out No. 21 seed Gael Monfils 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-3, 6-4.

NO JACKET REQUIRED... BUT WHY NOT?

Roger Federer has done some of his best work on Wimbledon's famed Centre Court during the past three years. So why not wear a jacket to the office?

The ATP World No.1 turned heads when he walked out in a cream-colored sports jacket which features three rackets (representing this three Wimbledon titles) and a special crest incorporating a Swiss cross, his Leo star sign, grass and 'F' (for Federer).

"It's good fun," Federer said of the jacket. "Three Wimbledons is really special and Nike had the idea of making a jacket. To see the reaction on people's faces as I walked out was pretty good."
-- ATP

Agassi & Nadal Remain on Collision Course
 
Second seed Rafael Nadal and former champion Andre Agassi are one win away from a blockbuster third-round showdown after winning their first-round matches at Wimbledon Tuesday.

Nadal, who reached the Wimbledon third round on debut as a 17-year-old in 2003, defeated Briton Alex Bogdanovic 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4.

Agassi, 36, looked in danger of a disappointing first-round exit after Serb Boris Pashanski rolled through the first set 6-2. But the eight-time Grand Slam champion, who is playing for the final time at the All England Club, finished strongly to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.

Agassi said: "I think I was a bit lost out there in the first set. I think I was a bit too nervous. But, you know, then I settled in and managed to find a little bit of rhythm, making it a lot better from there. That's what I tried to focus on. But it was comfortable in the end."

Agassi received a rousing reception from fans as he walked onto Centre Court. "It just sort of added to my nerves, to be quite honest. I mean, you expect to be overwhelmed with the whole situation anyhow, regardless of just how warmly you're embraced out there. But then to feel that sort of support, it just meant the world to me. I just wanted to do 'em proud."

Former finalist Mark Philippoussis, who had won just five matches this season, fired 39 aces in his 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-6(12) victory over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, who was left ruing a missed forehand volley on set point in the fourth-set tie-break.

German Tommy Haas, the No. 19 seed, defeated Czech Jiri Vanek 6-4, 7-5, 6-2. The former World No. 2 could meet Roger Federer in the fourth round.
-- ATP

Belgians Clijsters, Henin-Hardenne Win Wimbledon Openers

LONDON, UK -- Having been rained out on Monday, three former No.1s took the court Tuesday for their Wimbledon openers and all three finished off their opponents in straight sets. Martina Hingis took the first step towards a second Wimbledon crown, while Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters began quests for a first Wimbledon title.

Fresh off back-to-back titles at Roland Garros and Eastbourne, just the third woman in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour history to complete that double (after Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova), Henin-Hardenne had no problems against China's Yuan Meng, blasting twice as many winners to errors (28-14) during a comprehensive 60 61 rout.

"I was a bit tired from my last two matches in Eastbourne, but the rain yesterday helped me a little bit," said Henin-Hardenne, seeded No.3. "I was feeling better today. I played well, very consistent, pretty aggressive. I went forward. It's the kind of match you need in your first rounds."

Tuesday's win was a contrast to last year here, when Henin-Hardenne became the first new Roland Garros champion to drop an opener at Wimbledon two weeks later. But the Belgian has had fantastic results here before, reaching the final here in 2001 and the semis the next two years. She certainly seems capable of one day winning Wimbledon, the only major to elude her, although she played down talks this soon in the fortnight of a title run.

"I know I have possibilities now and in the future to win this tournament but it's still too early to talk about that," Henin-Hardenne added. "I prefer to stay focused on what I have to do every day and how hard I have to work. A Grand Slam is very long. But I'm very happy. If it has to happen, it will happen. I just want to play the best I can, then we will see."

Joining Henin-Hardenne on the winner's list was Clijsters, the No.2 seed, who completed a more difficult first round win over recent Birmigham titlist Vera Zvonareva. They were stopped Monday with Clijsters serving 5-4, and upon resumption, Zvonareva broke back to even things at 5-5. But the Belgian broke away, winning five straight games to close out the first set and race ahead 3-0 in the second, eventually clinching the match, 75 63.

"Doesn't matter if you play a really good player or a girl you don't know that well, you always have to be focused," Clijsters said on facing Zvonareva, a former Top 10 player who comes into Wimbledon ranked No.44. "Zvonareva is a really good player. Because of injuries, she has dropped to where she is. She surprised me with the way she was moving. In a short time she'll be back to where she was."

Also winning their openers were the Belgians' projected quarterfinal opponents, namely Svetlana Kuznetsova and Patty Schnyder, although they advanced under very different circumstances.

Kuznetsova, seeded No.5 this fortnight and in Clijsters' quarter of the draw, defeated Italian qualifier Romina Oprandi, 63 62. It was a stark contrast to her marathon third set tie-break victory in their last meeting, at Oprandi's breakout tournament in Rome. The Russian, who two weeks ago reached the Roland Garros final, is also a tough customer on grass, having won the Eastbourne title in 2004 and reaching two quarterfinals here.

Schnyder, the No.8 seed, battled back from an opening set disaster in beating Antonella Serra Zanetti, 26 76(4) 62. It was a rematch of their first round encounter last year, which was won by the unheralded Italian. Schnyder has struggled on these lawns in the past, having fallen either first or second round here in nine of 10 prior appearances. The only time she passed the second round hurdle, she fell in the third round.

For the most part, it was a good day for the rest of the seeded players as all 32 bottom half matches were completed.

Three of the four players seeded nine to 16 in action were winners. Czech teen Nicole Vaidisova (No.10) won a tight one with compatriot Klara Koukalova, 75 75; Hingis (No.12) beat Olga Savchuk, 62 62; and 2002 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Daniela Hantuchova (No.15) stepped it up in the third against feisty Italian Maria Elena Camerin to win, 64 46 61.

No.13 seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld was not so lucky, dropping her first match here for the third time in three career appearances, this time losing 36 63 61 to Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova notched her second Top 20 win of 2006 over the 16th-ranked German, having taken out then-No.10 Venus Williams in the first round of the Australian Open.

Six of eight players seeded 17 to 32 were also victorious, namely Ai Sugiyama (No.18), Katarina Srebotnik (No.21), Marion Bartoli (No.24), Li Na (No.27), Anna Chakvetadze (No.30) and Gisela Dulko (No.31). Li is the first ever player from China to be seeded at a major, just a week after becoming the first from her country to rank in the Top 30.

No.17 seed Maria Kirilenko fought back from 5-2 down in the second to force a tie-break against Japan's Shinobu Asagoe, but still fell, 62 76(1); and No.28 seed Sofia Arvidsson was ousted by the Czech Republic's Eva Birnerova, 62 64.

Winners from the 16 encounters involving unseeded players included former Top 10 player Alicia Molik; 2004 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Sprem; near-2005 quarterfinalist Kveta Peschke; six-time fourth round finisher Tamarine Tanasugarn; recent Birmingham semifinalist Meilen Tu; and American teenager Jamea Jackson, a runner-up in Birmingham, who notched her first Top 10 win in the semis of that tournament over Maria Sharapova.
-- WTA

Hingis Cruises In Wimbledon Opener

LONDON, UK -- It may have taken two days, but Martina Hingis finally completed her first round victory at Wimbledon on Tuesday afternoon, and although this is her first trip to the All-England Club in five years, the 25-year-old Swiss feels like she never left.

On Monday, the No.12-seeded Hingis fought off the power game of Ukrainian teen Olga Savchuk with a variety of down-the-lines and drop shots, winning a tight eighth game to clinch the set, 6-2, having broken serve twice while holding hers easily each time.

"That last game took forever; we had ad, deuce, ad, deuce, like five times each," said Hingis, who kept herself busy with backgammon and checking the weather forecasts while waiting for the resumption of the match. "I was happy to close it out, to go away like that with the first set in my pocket. It was like 7:30pm I think they told us to leave. Then I grabbed something to eat real quick, went home."

Hingis continued to diffuse Savchuk's power game in an almost-identical set on Tuesday, finishing the first round victory with 26 winners to just nine errors.

"Especially on grass, you have to try to have a lot of variety in your shots. If you don't give the opponent the same shot twice, it definitely helps because the bounces and everything are already hard to get ready for, to control the ball.

"I think you can't ever teach someone to play on grass except trying to move in and just really have an offensive game."

Whilst Savchuk was making her Wimbledon debut, Hingis came into this year's event with a wealth of experience on the slick lawns. Her 19-6 record here is highlighted by a title run nearly a decade ago in 1997, when she became the youngest Open Era Wimbledon winner (16 years, nine months, five days). She is also a one-time semifinalist (1998) and a one-time quarterfinalist (2000).

"Once you get the rhythm, it's all back together again. I felt comfortable right away. I practiced mainly indoors. That's in a way my secret, how I succeed, how I've played well here. I don't think I'm the only one. When Andre [Agassi] won, he practiced indoors."

Although Court 2 is often referred to as the "Graveyard Court" due to all the marquee names that have fallen there, Hingis made it clear she preferred it to Court 1, where she had suffered first round losses as the top seed in two of her last three trips here, in 1999 (Jelena Dokic) and 2001 (Virginia Ruano Pascual).

"I love that court. I have had no bad experiences on that. I don't like Court 1, but I do like No.2. It's small and intimate. Great atmosphere. Like yesterday, when I walked on the court, you really feel the fans. They're very close to you. I've never lost on that court. They can have me play there all the time. I don't care."

In the second round, Hingis plays Tathiana Garbin, against whom she is 3-0, dropping a total of just seven games in three straight set routs. Lurking further on in the Swiss' draw, however, is a potential third round encounter with No.18 seed Ai Sugiyama, a fourth round against No.8 seed Patty Schnyder and a blockbuster quarterfinal with No.3-seeded Roland Garros winner Justine Henin-Hardenne.

In other first round matches Tuesday, two more former No.1s, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, also won through in straight sets.
-- WTA

Both Womens Wimbledon Halves in Action Wednesday

LONDON, UK -- Six Top 10 stars and 1997 Wimbledon champion Martina Hingis take center stage on Wednesday. Here's a look at the key match-ups.

First round:

(1) Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) vs. (Q) Ivana Abramovic (CRO) -- First meeting

Abramovic plays the biggest match of her career against world No.1 Mauresmo. The 22-year-old Croat finally qualified for the main draw here after three consecutive tries. Mauresmo, on the other hand, has had lots of success on these lawns, having made the semifinals in her past three appearances. The Frenchwoman is coming off a disheartening loss to countrywoman Nathalie Dechy in her opening match at Eastbourne, so she might be extra-motivated to play a solid first match here.

(4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Anna Smashnova (ISR) -- Sharapova leads 1-0

Even though Sharapova is 10 years younger than Smashnova, she has the same amount of Tour titles (11). But her list of accomplishments at Wimbledon looks a lot different. In 2004, Sharapova became the second-youngest Wimbledon singles champion in the Open Era and last year followed that up with another run to the semis. Smashnova has not been nearly as successful here, falling in the first round the past five years. In their only meeting two years ago at Miami, Sharapova won in straight sets.

(6) Venus Williams (USA) vs. Bethanie Mattek (USA) -- First meeting

A giant gap in experience at the All-England Club separates the two players involved in the only all-American first round match-up. Williams is 42-6 lifetime at Wimbledon, winning three titles (2000, 2001, 2005) and reaching two other finals (2002, 2003), while Mattek is playing the main draw here for the first time. But Mattek has been making significant strides in the last year, reaching her first two Tour quarterfinals, including going one step further at Cincinnati last summer in reaching the semis.

(7) Elena Dementieva (RUS) vs. Sania Mirza (IND) -- Dementieva leads 1-0

In their only prior encounter, at Indian Wells earlier this year, Mirza pushed eventual runner-up Dementieva to three sets. She also had a solid third round finish on the grass courts of Birmingham two weeks ago. Dementieva reached the semis at 's-Hertogenbosch last week and squandered a match point against eventual champion Michaella Krajicek. She also had a frustrating loss in the fourth round here last year, squandering a 3-0 second set lead and holding two match points against countrywoman Anastasia Myskina.

Second round:

(2) Kim Clijsters (BEL) vs. Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) -- First meeting

Clijsters managed to take down newly-crowned Birmingham champion Vera Zvonareva in straight sets on Tuesday and next faces the Ukraine's Kutuzova. The 17-year-old lost her opening match to a qualifier in Birmingham two weeks ago and has won only six Tour main draw matches this year. If Clijsters brings the game that helped her to the Eastbourne semifinals last week, she shouldn't have many problems.

(3) Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) vs. Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) -- First meeting

After plowing through Yuan Meng in the first round, Henin-Hardenne also appears to be the clear favorite in this second round match-up. Bychkova survived her Wimbledon main draw debut in three sets on Tuesday and is trying to make it to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. Henin-Hardenne has every reason to be confident after winning the title in Eastbourne last week. But Bychkova has had success against the big names in Grand Slam action before, taking out Svetlana Kuznetsova in the opening round of her 2004 US Open title defense last summer.

(12) Martina Hingis (SUI) vs. Tathiana Garbin (ITA) -- Hingis leads 3-0

Former world No.1 Hingis has never had much trouble with Garbin in three career meetings. The Swiss has dropped no more than five games per match against the Italian and her recent form indicates that she might collect another quick victory on Wednesday. After notching her 20th career Wimbledon match win, Hingis looks poised in her quest for a second Wimbledon title. Garbin has been less fortunate here with six consecutive first round exits.
-- WTA

NOTES
If Roger Federer makes the Wimbledon final, does he walk out on court with the dinner jacket, shorts and a Nike tie? Maybe a Nike bowler?...Alina Jidkova and entrepreneur Sascha Ghods announced the launch of BeMyPearl.com on June 26th, 2006. BeMyPearl.com is an online retail store that sells pearl jewelry that is up to 90% off suggested retail prices...Peter McNamara is back coaching Mark Philippoussis for the third time...Roger Federer on breaking Bjorn Borg's 41-match grasscourt streak: "Mine is not as important. Borg won his 41 matches in a row all at Wimbledon. My streak includes Halle, and Halle isn't Wimbledon. Halle is also the best-of-three. Borg won five titles here in a row and played in six consecutive finals. He stays a hero. I've had lots of tough matches on grass and at Halle this year I could easily have lost so I'm surprised that I have kept the streak for so long. To come through today was my only wish."...The inimitable Neil Harman writing for The Times: "The scoffers may suggest that Roger Federer can only lose to Tim Henman on Centre Court today if he decides to play the match in his new crested, single-issue jacket. That, and smoking a cigar. The Swiss may, frighteningly, decide that this is an appropriate moment to make a real statement, but it is his tennis that is the 21st-century fashion, his clothing just classic adornment. Federer against Henman is, on the face of it, everything to lose against earth-trembling opportunity. How will Henman, the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, prosper unless he goes for it in a manner of controlled aggression, moving forward at the merest hint of an opening, playing to the strengths that have stood him in such resounding stead down the years? Even, dare one suggest, volleying behind a first serve once in a while."...LTA head Roger Draper says the Brit governing organization will kick in 500K if Andy Murray chooses Brad Gilbert as his coach...James Blake will become the No. 1-ranked American if Andy Roddick loses before the semis at Wimbledon, and if Blake advances to the 4th round, Roddick must reach the final to stay ahead of JB...From Justin Gimelstob blogging for SI.com: "Wimbledon Village, the town surrounding the club, is also part of the Wimbledon experience. The streets leading to the All England Club are lined with shops and restaurants, which are buzzing during the tournament and give fans a unique opportunity to interact with their favorite players, as most players competing in the tournament rent houses or apartments in the village. (Though the rents are astronomical, the convenience of being close to the club makes it a worthwhile trade-off.) Thus, you inevitably run into numerous players whether you are getting a cup of coffee in the morning at Starbucks, getting some groceries at Roots or enjoying an incredible dinner at San Lorenzo's (the most popular Italian restaurant in the village). Monday night at San Lorenzo's was a paparazzi dream, with Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Andre Agassi and his wife, Steffi Graf, occupying tables in a close vicinity."...From Matt Cronin at TR.net: "Perry Rogers, Andre Agassi's longtime manager and ATP board member, approached TennisReporters.net after the 1992 Wimbledon champion's Tuesday press conference and stated in no uncertain terms that there will be no Agassi farewell tour this summer. Agassi, who moved into the second round of Wimbledon with a four-set win over Boris Pashanski, recently announced that he will retire at the US Open and is planning on playing three to four other tournaments prior to that, definitely Los Angeles, and likely Toronto, Cincinnati and maybe Washington. Rogers said that he has already informed the ATP that he does not want any tournaments holding farewell ceremonies and also let it be known that they wouldn't look to kindly on the USTA holding a choreographed extravaganza at the US Open."...From The Times speaking with John McEnroe: "As part of his fight for custody of the three children from his eight-year marriage to the actress Tatum O'Neal, he agreed to anger management classes. He says that he no longer attends. "That doesn't mean I won't try something down the road. I have been to psychiatrists and psychologists and anger-management this, that and the other thing but I don't know if I've found them tremendously successful. Hopefully I have matured a bit and if these people have been even a tiny bit of help, it has been worth it." But was his temper a real problem? "In some ways it was. My desire and passion fueled my success, but then if you take it too far it becomes a negative." O'Neal said in her recent book that he manhandled her. "I don't know exactly what she said." That he twisted her arm behind her back and tweaked her nose with his knuckles. "Well, it's true I tweaked her nose but I do that to all my kids. It grabs someone's attention but it hurts. There were other times when I defended myself so I didn't get hit. I never hit her. She hit me -- but if you hold someone so they don't hit you, that can be regarded as pinning them down. If someone is going to slap you in the face, you're not going to let them do that. I'm not saying I didn't deserve it.?...From Tennis.com blogger Steve Tignor: "When I arrived at Wimbledon this morning it was early enough that the crowds weren't permitted on the grounds yet. I passed by Court 18 and saw three groundskeepers dropping a ball from a specially made pole to test the height of the resulting bounce. They were checking the firmness and condition of the court. Watching the matches up-close it seems that the grass plays almost like a fast, hard surface. It's still early, so the court isn't chopped up, but the bounces are fairer, the rallies longer, and the serves more playable than even a handful of years ago. Not to be a numbers geek, but the most telling stat I found was that over a 5 set match with 144 service points, Tim Henman served and volleyed a grand total of 19 times. He won 15 of those points, for a 79% success rate, but it's a tactic he obviously no longer feels comfortable doing on a regular basis. And this is chip and charge, net hugging, grass loving (can't confirm that in social circles) Tim Henman we're talking about."...Andy Murray has debuted his website and blog, which gives a lot of (not necessarily positive) personality insight: "Here's another good one...when I was walking down to the practice court, a sports psychologist stopped me and said he thought he could help me. He handed me a copy of a book he had written. I know some people think I am a bit nuts but I don't think I'm ready for a shrink just yet! I had the last laugh tho -- I chucked his book in the bin! I put my bag down to sign some autographs and when I went to get some grips out of it later on, someone called Natalie had left a note with her phone number on it. So Natalie...I'd appreciate a photo before I'd consider making a phone call because you could be a complete stinker!!...Still pouring so I went to book a car and spotted my girlfriend's little brother Scott standing under a tree -- felt sorry for him but thought about leaving him there to get soaked as payback for all the gireif (sic) he's given me over the last few months. But took pity on him and brought him back to the flat for some bread and milk!!...Pretty tough one for the new ref Andy Jarrett and his new weather announcer! I don't get why they have to update you every hour when they could just say..."ladies and Gentleman may I have your attention please? May I have your attention please? It's going to piss down for the next 4 hours so why don't you just go away and come back at 5?!!!?...Michael Stich writing for The Guardian: "Roger Federer is the best player ever. But in my day, on grass, I definitely think I had the game to beat him. In 1991, when I won Wimbledon, I beat two of the best on grass at the time, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, so I reckon I would have beaten Federer as well." -- Hoo-kay, nice logic Michael.