Federer, Djokovic, Petrova, Bartoli, Sun Win Titles

Djokovic Comes Back for ATP Metz Title

Third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic claimed his second title of 2006 after rallying from a set down to defeat Austrian Jurgen Melzer 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the Open de Moselle in Metz.

Djokovic was cheered on by his family and friends, who surprised the 19-year-old by flying in from Belgrade on a private jet, arriving 30 minutes before the final.

"This is the best feeling I can have," Djokovic said. "I win my second career title in my third final. I am having right now the best year in my career. I played this week the best tennis in my life."

Djokovic blasted 10 aces and converted four of 11 break points during the 1 hr., 51 min. victory, which followed his first ATP title in Amersfoort in July (d. Massu). Djokovic's 34 match wins in 2006 is second only to Andy Murray's circuit-best 37 wins for teenagers. The Serb has won 18 of his past 22 matches in a run that also includes a runner-up finish in Umag.

Melzer led Djokovic by a set and a break when he won the first game of the second set. But Djokovic hit back hard, breaking Melzer two consecutive times. In the third set the Serb claimed breaks at 1-1 and 3-1 and saved all five break points he faced in the set.

"Today, it was again a tough one and I didn't start well," Djokovic said. "He was a set and a break up. At that point he was playing really well. I don't know how but I managed to come back and take his serve again and at this point his game and energy level went down and I was able to win the title."

Austria's No.1 Jurgen Melzer entered the final on a 10-match winning streak dating back to his first ATP title in Bucharest in mid September. After a dismal 1-8 start to the year, Melzer has gone 30-16 for an overall record of 31-24.

"It was a tough one, of course," Melzer said. "Before the final I knew it was going to be a difficult one. Novak is a great player; this year he has improved a lot."

Petrova Back on Top with Stuttgart Title

STUTTGART, Germany -- Having claimed three consecutive clay court titles in the spring, Nadia Petrova was among the favorites to win Roland Garros. But a hip injury suffered during practice sent her on somewhat of a tailspin, forcing her to sit out the entire grass court season, the missed time contributing to a string of early round losses in the summer hardcourt season.

All that changed this past week in Stuttgart however, as the Russian hotshot suddenly rediscovered her range and stormed to the Tier II Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title.

She polished the title run with a 63 76(4) win over one of her nemeses, Tatiana Golovin, in a fiercely competitive championship duel. Having gone winless in her three prior encounters with the French teen, Petrova came out on fire, cruising through the first set on the strength of two breaks of serve. In the second set she regrouped well after allowing a 4-2 lead to slip, and also after falling and injuring her right ankle at 4-all in the tie-break. Both times, she came through.

"When I saw the umpire point that her shot was out, I was so relieved," said Petrova on the ultimate point of the match. "It feels great. At one stage I wasn't sure if I could finish the match, but luckily I was able to win the last three points. Tatiana played well today, but I think the fact that I've won titles before gave me a little bit of an edge perhaps, as I knew what to do in the important moments."

"I have to give her all of the credit, she was using her forehand down the line this time and making fewer mistakes," said Golovin, who was playing her third final and first at the Tier II level or above. "She started off really well and I think used a different strategy this time. I was tired from my matches earlier in the week, but overall I'm happy with my performance."

Although Petrova had the clear advantage in finals experience heading in, having won her last five in a row, Golovin's 3-0 head-to-head stranglehold had the fans talking. The Russian-born Miami resident prevailed in straight sets at Charleston in 2005, then in a pair of three-setters this year at Antwerp and the US Open. At Antwerp she saved a match point in the second set for a 36 76(7) 63 win, and at the US Open they again played a marathon, Golovin prevailing, 75 67(4) 63.

But the story was very different in Stuttgart, and having won only three matches in eight tournaments since the pre-Roland Garros hip mishap, Petrova won four consecutively this week, notching straight set wins over Top 20 players Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Daniela Hantuchova to start, then snapping Svetlana Kuznetsova's 10-match streak in the semis and turning the tables on a nasty head-to-head against Golovin.

"I think I learned a lot from my last few losses to Golovin, and took that onto the court today," Petrova stated. "This victory means so much to me. I have the feeling that everything might change for me now. After being injured I was fighting so much with myself. The goal now is to remain as focused as possible. Results don't matter; just try to give the best in every match I play.

"Mentally I feel great, and I'm really looking forward to seeing my family next week in Moscow."

Petrova becomes the second five-time Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titlist of the season, after Justine Henin-Hardenne.

There was another return to form later in the day, as top-ranked team Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur claimed the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix doubles crown with a 63 64 victory over No.2 seeds Cara Black and Rennae Stubbs.

After winning six titles in the first half of the season, including their second major at Roland Garros, Raymond and Stosur cooled off somewhat during the summer, reaching only one final in seven tournaments across the grass and hardcourt swings. But they leave Filderstadt with their seventh title of the year and renewed confidence that they can repeat as the Sony Ericsson Championships champions.

Also enjoying good runs in Stuttgart were semifinalists Kuznetsova and Patty Schnyder, as well as Daniela Hantuchova, who notched her first Top 10 win since January with a second round rout of new world No.10 Dinara Safina.

Having been held for its first 28 years in the German village of Filderstadt, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix moved to the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart this year.
-- WTA

Bartoli Wins All-Double-Fisted Tokyo Final

TOKYO, Japan -- Belting her two-fisted groundstrokes powerfully and precisely, Marion Bartoli continued to show why she is one of the most dangerous players around at the moment Sunday, claiming her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of the season at the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships, and announcing her arrival in the world's Top 20. In an historic first ever final between players that play with two hands off of both sides, the Frenchwoman capped her run with a 26 62 62 win over Japan's Aiko Nakamura.

Bartoli, seeded first this past week and a heavy tournament favorite after No.2 seed Ai Sugiyama's quarterfinal defeat, was given all she could handle in the opening set by Nakamura, but regrouped and took control from the start of the second set. In the end, her deeper, more powerful two-fisted blasts were just too much for her increasingly weary opponent.

"Aiko was well-prepared and moving fast, especially in the first set," Bartoli said. "I tried to make her run more in the second set, and she looked more and more tired. Good first serves were the key to my victory today. I was able to play aggressively. I was able to take advantage of her second serves as well."

"I was totally absorbed in the game in the first set, which I believe was almost perfect," Nakamura said. "But I woke up to reality in the second set, and Marion was beginning to hit harder, deeper into the court. I tried to stay calm, believing that chances would come my way, but she just kept getting better in the second set and I could not get my rhythm back."

Bartoli has now won 13 of 16 matches since a third round loss to Patty Schnyder at the US Open. She reached her very first Tier III final a few weeks back in Bali, finishing runner-up to Svetlana Kuznetsova, and now she takes home a first Tier III title, her second title after winning the Tier IV in Auckland in January.

"Being the top seed does not necessarily make you the best player; you have to play well to prove that, which is not easy," said Bartoli, who is projected to crack the Top 20 on Monday. "Once you start playing, the rankings don't matter. But I made it this time, and I am happy. This was the first time I won as the first seed."

When asked about her recent spike in results over the last months, Bartoli has been citing much-improved fitness after hard off-court work all season long.

"I am more physically fit, and so I wasn't as tired as she was. The fruits of my training showed today. I believed in the chance and believed that I could win."

After the trophy ceremony, the emcee announced it had been Bartoli's birthday earlier in the week, to which the crowd erupted and chanted Happy Birthday.

"This was my best birthday week ever," said their new champion.

Nakamura, ranked No.89 and a wild card into the main draw, also left a lasting impression in Tokyo, passing the quarterfinal round for the first time then pushing one of the world's elite to three sets despite the home pressure. She was trying to become the first Japanese Tour singles titlist since Sugiyama in 2004.

"Although I didn't win, I am happy about my performances throughout the week. I did my best. I made it to the final match, and this has given me confidence."

Another player who received a boost of confidence from their week was young Taiwanese Chan Yung-Jan, who, playing in just her fourth career Tour main draw, made it all the way to the semifinals before falling to Nakamura in three sets. Chan, 17, was responsible for the earlier-than-expected departure of Sugiyama.

"I thought it was an excellent match," said Chan about the upset. "The key to my win was my focus and mental toughness. I knew the crowd would make a lot of noise for her so I had to block them out. I knew I had to do that to win."

"She has quick footwork, and fought with a nothing-to-lose spirit," said a gracious Sugiyama. "She has good backhand, and we probably play in a similar style. But above all, I should say she has the vitality and the spirit which I always had."

In the doubles final, Vania King and Jelena Kostanic captured the title with a tough 76(2) 57 62 victory over Chan and Chuang Chia-Jung. It was just the unseeded pair's second time playing together, having also reached the final last week in Guangzhou, but falling to China's Li Ting and Sun Tiantian. Chan and Chuang had played several ITF Women's Circuit events together but were also playing just their second Tour event as a team, having won a title in their only prior outing, at Seoul in 2005.
-- WTA

Sun Rises to 1st WTA Title at Tashkent

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- China's rising star status in women's tennis was given another huge boost on Sunday in Tashkent, as Sun Tiantian won her career-first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title at the Tashkent Open. She defeated Iroda Tulyaganova, who had lit up her home crowd throughout the week in a near-Cinderella run, 62 64 in the final.

Sun, who went to three sets in her first match of the tournament but cruised through three more rounds in straight sets to reach the final, was again in solid form under sunny Sunday skies, keeping her strokes deep, returning well and rarely giving away any free points in the rallies. Aside from a slight hiccup while serving for the match for the first time, allowing 5-2 to become 5-4, Sun's cool was evident throughout.

"It feels good," said Sun, who had never even been beyond the quarterfinals of a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles event before this week. "It was easier than I expected it to be. But it wasn't as easy as it seemed; Iroda is a very good player and she was playing at home."

Sun is now fourth on a growing list of Chinese players to have won Tour singles titles, following Li Na (2004 Guangzhou), Zheng Jie (2005 Hobart, 2006 Estoril, 2006 Stockholm) and Yan Zi (2005 Guangzhou). The Beijing resident, who turns 25 this Thursday, does own an impressive collection of nine Tour doubles titles, all with compatriot Li Ting, and including a popular win at the 2004 Olympics.

For Tulyaganova, the loss marks an end to what was shaping up to be a resonant return to the winner's circle. Having gone as high as No.16 in the world just a few years ago, her momentum was derailed by an elbow injury that required surgery and financial struggles while working her way back onto the circuit.

But despite not winning her home title, the 24-year-old was cracking forehands and serves during the week like she had never left the game's upper echelon, taking out seeds Anastasiya Yakimova and Olga Poutchkova, and she even showed flashes of former brilliance against Sun, though not at critical junctures.

"She played well, she served well," said Tulyaganova, who won the first of her three career Tour singles titles here in 2000 and was a heavy crowd favorite throughout the week. "It is not a loss for me, it's a win, because I've come back from all of my injuries, and reached the final at the Tashkent Open."

The former Top 20 player was playing her second Tour event of the year, having reached the Tier III Kolkata semis two weeks ago as a 342nd-ranked qualifier, falling to Poutchkova. She came into Tashkent as a wild card ranked No.221.

Aside from Sun's title run and Tulyaganova's continued return to form, several other players made the headlines this past week. Phenom Victoria Azarenka made her first semifinal, routing top seed Maria Elena Camerin en route, while another teenager, Poutchkova, continued her rise up the ranks with her fourth straight later round finish, also reaching the final four. For the second straight week a Bondarenko won big, as Luxembourg winner Alona's younger sister Kateryna beat No.2 seed Elena Vesnina to reach the quarterfinals.

The doubles tournament came to an abbreviated ending on Friday. Azarenka and Tatiana Poutchek were given a walkover in the final, after Camerin pulled out of the event with a right ankle sprain suffered in her singles warm-up (she was partnered with Emmanuelle Gagliardi). The Belarussians were playing together for the second time, having won a $75,000 ITF Women's Circuit event last year in Arizona. The Tashkent title was Azarenka's first of any kind on the Tour; it was Poutchek's third, having also won doubles in the Uzbek capital in 2002 and 2003.
-- WTA

Replacement Larsson Wins 1st Senior Title at Memphis

At home in Sweden "doing nothing" except having a casual hit with legend Stefan Edberg, Magnus Larsson jumped at the chance to come to Memphis and compete in his first Outback Senior Tour event after Petr Korda was forced to withdraw due to an illness.

One last-minute trans-Atlantic flight and some jet lag later, Larsson was back in the city where he won the 2000 ATP event. One week later on Sunday he was holding up the trophy after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Wayne Ferreira in the final.

"It's been a great week for me here in Memphis," Larsson said. "It turned out to be a pretty good trip."

Larsson retired from play on the ATP in 2003, in 1995 reaching his career-high ranking of No. 10.

In the 3rd/4th place playoff match Todd Martin handed John McEnroe his second consecutive tournament loss in a 3rd/4th place playoff after Charlotte by the scoreline 6-3, 6-4.

"This is the best I've played since 2004 probably," Martin said. "A big part of it is coming out and knowing what I want to do. I've played John a lot. He pushes me around a lot, so I decided to tough it out a bit and get to the net."

The title moved Larsson into the Top 10 at No. 10 from 18 on the World Senior Rankings.

WORLD SENIOR RANKINGS presented by Tennis-X.com
(Top 10 through Oct. 8, 2006)

1. Marcelo Rios (2000 pts.)
2. John McEnroe (1215)
3. Jim Courier (1080)
4. Sergi Bruguera (990)
5. Thomas Muster (875)
6T. Todd Martin (850)
6T. Cedric Pioline (850)
8. Pat Cash (810)
9. Goran Ivanisevic (575)
10. Magnus Larsson (525)

The Tennis-X.com World Senior Rankings is a cumulative ranking for senior tour players combining results from the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions in Europe, and the Outback Champions Series in the U.S.

Ljubicic, Nalbandian, Roddick Headline ATP Vienna

Seven of the Top 10 players compete at the three events on the ATP Tour this week, where the BA-CA Tennis Trophy at Vienna pulls in the premier field featuring Top 10ers Ivan Ljubicic, David Nalbandian, US Open runner-up Andy Roddick, and fan favorite Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

Other seeded players are Chilean Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, former No. 2-ranked Tommy Haas, former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and future Serb star Novak Djokovic.

Nalbandian will open against Argentine countryman Juan Ignacio Chela, Roddick against Argentine Jose Acasuso, and Ferrero against the hot-handed Jurgen Melzer.

Potential quarterfinal meetings are Ljubicic vs. Djokovic, Baghdatis vs. Haas, Ferrero vs. Roddick, and Nalbandian vs. Gonzalez.

Ljubicic is the defending champ, last year edging Ferrero 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final.

According to the Vienna tournament website, "Up until noon on Friday there was still a small question mark about the tremendous line-up for Austria's biggest tennis tournament namely the participation of the colourful Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis.

The all-clear was still hanging in the balance following a shoulder injury that forced him to forego participation in Tokyo. One by one, confirmation came in from the remaining stars: from Andy Roddick, who announced his arrival for Monday and sent his equipment man, Glenn Flint, ahead, and from Masters champ, David Nalbandian, who is set to arrive on Saturday. Others are already in Vienna. Reigning champ, Ivan Ljubicic and Trophy victor 2001, Tommy Haas have already become familiar with the new Opti-Court. Tournament director, Peter Feigl feels "a sense of delight," but is still "hurt" by Nadal's cancellation last year."

Defending Champ Blake No. 2 Seed Behind Nadal at Stockholm

Last year James Blake claimed his first-ever title outside the U.S. at Stockholm. Since then Blake, who has leapt into the Top 10 on the strength of four 2006 titles, has had no problem winning on different continents, capturing titles in far-away locations such as Sydney and Bangkok.

Seeded No. 6 last year, Blakes comes in as the No. 2 seed in 2006 behind world No. 2 Rafael Nadal. Also among the seeded are Czech Tomas Berdych, Spaniard David Ferrer, Finn Jarkko Nieminen, Belgians Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen, and Swede Robin Soderling.

Nadal opens against Dutchman Raemon Sluiter, while Blake has a tougher test against former Australian Open winner Thomas Johansson.

Unseeded players of note include Chilean Nicolas Massu, Swedish wildcard Andreas Vinciguerra trying to get his career on track after injury, and Americans Vince Spadea (vs. (6) O. Rochus) and Mardy Fish, who faces Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan.

Srichaphan lost to Blake in the 2005 final.

Swede Joachim Johansson is also a wildcard, attempting a return from a lengthy shoulder injury.

American legend John McEnroe will also compete in the doubles draw with homecountry favorite Jonas Bjorkman.

Nadal will attempt to reach his first final since Wimbledon, coming up short in his last three events at the Masters Series-Canada (l. to Berdych), the MS-Cincinnati (l. to Ferrero), and the US Open (l. to Youzhny).

Davydenko, Safin Lead Russian Surge at ATP Moscow

The Russians are out in full force this week at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, with Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny among the seeds, and Marat Safin leading the unseeded along with wildcards Teimuraz Gabashvili, Evgeny Korolev and Igor Kunitsyn.

Still injured is Russian Igor Andreev, who won last year's title with a victory over Nicolas Kiefer in the final.

Other seeded players in Moscow are Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, Filippo Volandri, Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau, and Frenchmen Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro and Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Safin, the last direct entry into the field, was granted an opportunity to go deep in the draw, opening against unheralded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, then likely facing (4) Verdasco, then (8) Mathieu to move into the semifinals against (2) Tursunov. Safin has yet to claim the Kremlin Cup title during his career, with a Russian winning the title in seven of the last nine years.

The top-seeded Davydenko won the title in 2004.

Injuries Shadow Mauresmo, Dementieva at WTA Moscow

Injuries take center stage, as they do often these days in women's tennis, this week at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where the big question is whether world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo will pull from the event after injuring her shoulder in Stuttgart last week.

No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva was also injured last week in Stuttgart and is a withdrawal threat.

Mauresmo would not be the only injury fatality. Pulling from the event with injuries were Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Anastasia Myskina.

The top four seeds receive first-round byes, giving Mauresmo and Dementieva a chance to heal by a Wednesday or Thursday start.

Maria Sharapova is the top Russian hope, joined by remaining seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, Patty Schnyder, Dinara Safina and Nicole Vaidisova.

Mauresmo will open against the winner of Russian Elena Vesnina and China's Na Li. Dementieva's opening-round opponent will be either Israel's Shahar Peer or Russian wildcard Elena Bovina who is returning from a lengthy injury.

The No. 2-seeded Sharapova will debut against a qualifier, and No. 3 Kuznetsova against either Russian countrywoman Vera Dushevina or Vera Zvonareva.

Absent is last year's champion Mary Pierce, who beat Francesca Schiavone in the 2005 final.

Bartoli Top Seed at WTA Bangkok

France's Marion Bartoli, coming off the title last week at Tokyo, is the top seed this week at the PTT Bangkok Open in Thailand.

Other seeded players at the Tier III WTA event are Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, France's Nathalie Dechy, Czech Lucie Safarova, Greek Eleni Daniilidou, American Meghann Shaughnessy, Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino, and Croat Jelena Kostanic.

Also in the field is last week's Tashkent winner Tiantian Sun, Aussie Alicia Molik, and India's favored daughter Sania Mirza who will face the No. 6 seed Shaughnessy in her opener.

Neither of last year's Bangkok finalists return this year, with No. 2 seed Nicole Vaidisova upending No. 1 Nadia Petrova in the 2005 final.

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Roger Federer in his ATP blog says he enjoys playing net-rushers such as Tim Henman who he beat in the Tokyo final: "I played a really solid match, a kind of performance that I was really hoping for. Tim played one bad game, and I took advantage of that in the first set. But then I played really well in the second set and hit some incredible passing shots, which I was really happy about. I sometimes enjoy playing opponents who come to the net quite often as it is a style that is not played as much anymore and I like having a target. This tournament has been fantastic, I had a tough match against Suzuki in the quarterfinals but the rest of the tournament I did not drop a set so I am sure Mr. Roche will be happy."...From News.com.au: "Tensions between the Crows' "first ladies" spilled over into confrontation after Friday night's club champion dinner at the Convention Centre. It is understood the "big chill" between Mandy Edwards, wife of Tyson, and Rachael McLeod, wife of Andrew, reached boiling point at the Swish bar at the Stamford Plaza where the revellers had kicked on. The acrimony between the women is linked to McLeod's feud with his one-time close friend and Crows No 1 member Lleyton Hewitt. Witnesses said a drink was thrown after the pair exchanged harsh words as they yelled and argued. Normally, the two women are at pains to avoid each other. The chilly atmosphere between the two couples stems from their divided loyalties over tennis superstar Hewitt and his actress wife Bec Cartwright. The Edwardses are very much part of the Hewitts' inner circle, being godparents to their young daughter Mia and with Tyson chosen to be a groomsman at the lavish wedding. In contrast, the McLeods are completely estranged from the Hewitts. McLeod, who once lived with Hewitt in his West Lakes mansion before his bust-up with Australia's No 1 tennis player, has said they no longer speak. Rachael McLeod is known to have been close friends with Hewitt's former fiancee, Kim Clijsters."...From tennis writer Matt Cronin: "If Ironwoman Elena Dementieva is getting injured (left quadriceps strain) in Stuttgart, then you know that the season is too arduous."...Products in the gift bag at the weekend's Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children: "Gevril Fine Swiss Timepieces since 1758, Gift Certificate for an Avenue of Americas "Chronograph" Limited Edition Watch or an Avenue of Americas "Mini" Limited Edition Watch, a visit to Disneyland, High Sierra, AT3 Sierra-Lite, Carry-on Expandable Wheeled Upright, Lumniport, DermaStyle, Revolutionary Technology for the Skin, Twisted Silver, CHIC Necklace and Gift Certificate for BEATNIK Belt, Inka Corp, Inka Titanium Pen, Pedishe, Miniature Pet Dish Ornament and Gift Certificate, Vera Bradley, Limited Edition Evening Bag, Alterna Professional Haircare, Caviar Anti-aging Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, Pacific Design, iPod 5G/Video Grandstand Case, Life is good, Inc., Beach Towel, sigikid, the Cuddly Company: Guardian Angel Sanct Barhard, Woodhouse Chocolate, 12 piece Chocolate Assortment, Nancy's Healthy Kitchen, Two Boxes of Reduced Fat Cookies, and Tortuga Rum Cake Company, Caribbean Rum Cake. The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF) raised more than $8.6 million during the gala benefit which featured a black-tie VIP dinner, live auction and concert held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena...Walt Landers, who worked with Agassi, Sampras, Safin, Kafelnikov and Hewitt among others, died last week of complications resulting from a brain tumor...Steffi Graf paid $360,000 Saturday at an auction at the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children for the first and last racquets Agassi played with.