The French Open has meant victory for Russian tennis star Dinara Safina who defeated compatriot Maria Sharapova with a 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 score in the fourth round.Sharapova, although the top seed, had been struggling in earlier matches and many tennis commentators and fans were tipping Safina as the favourite to win.
Dinara SafinaHaving missed two set points in the opener, Safina saved a match point in the second set and then managed to gain the upper hand in the final decider.
Following the game a triumphant Dinara Safina said: "I knew I could beat her but I put too much pressure on myself and was way too passive. I was too dependent on her and I was 2-5 down in the second set and facing a match point.
"But I hit a winner on her match point and it changed things. Before I was just running and playing the ball back. But I had to focus on myself and not wait for her mistakes and let her dictate."
Maria Sharapova entered the French Open as the new world number one tennis player but she has never enjoyed clay and found it hard in her previous matches last week.
Or can Dinara Safina sink lower than a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Kim Clijsters in the first round of the Aussie? Her loss marks a first for a former world no. 1 at a Major. In 2000, former world no. 1 Monica Seles lost to Martina Hingis by the same score at Miami. But as other former female greats have showed us, there’s farther to fall. We just wonder what bottom is there’s fthere’s farther to fall. We just wonder what bottom is for Dinara.arther to fall. We just wonder what bottom is for Dinara.
May 05, 2008 — The ATP World Tour is losing millions of dollars because of steep legal expenses tied to a lawsuit brought by one of its tournaments against the men’s circuit, tennis sources said.Last year, the sources said, the ATP lost $5 million, and it is projected to lose $6.4 million this year.
In 2005 and 2006, the ATP earned $9.2 million combined, so the losses mark a significant shift in fortunes for the men’s tour. They also come as the ATP has been criticized by top players, the U.S. Tennis Association and representatives of top events on the tour. The ATP is in the midst of a tumultuous remake of its calendar, as well as its image, and the fallout has left bruised feelings and depleted coffers.
I am so excited to relaunch my new website,” said Kournikova. “I love communicating with my fans and I am looking forward to having a lot more personal interaction with them in the new Ask Anna community section of my site. It’s a great way for me to keep the relationship strong and I hope they enjoy the new site as much as I do!”She might call you: To celebrate the relaunch of Kournikova.com, lead sponsor K-Swiss is giving fans the chance to win autographed memorabilia and a telephone call from Anna as part of the K-Swiss “Win a Call from AnnaK” Sweepstakes and Contest which begins on May 19, 2008. Click here for more info.
“We are excited to partner with Kournikova.com as Anna is a fantastic brand ambassador for K-Swiss with her tennis background as well as her unique perspective on women’s athletic footwear and apparel,” stated Jennifer Weiderman, Vice President of Marketing for K-Swiss.
Live chats: K-Swiss will be hosting live online chats with Anna for the members of SportsMates. The first will take place on May 31, 2008 at 3 p.m. Eastern.
FYI: Originally launched in 2001, Kournikova.com has consistently ranked as one of the most popular official athlete websites. According to Lycos, Anna was the most searched-for athlete on the Internet in 2007, a title she’s held for the past eight years.
