Photographers found plenty of room to park Amelie Mauresmo’s dressing trailer during a shoot in London on Wednesday.
The 2006 Wimbledon Champion launched a new line of Reebok clothing on top of a multi-storey car park near Wembley Stadium in North London, where she hit balls off to an opponent on an opposite roof made up as another mock-tennis court. Read more »
Despite withdrawing from the French Open as a precaution to avoid wrecking her grass court season, France's Tatiana Golovin still hasn’t recovered from her ankle injury and is likely to miss Wimbledon. World No. 17 has already pulled out of Birmingham, the Wimbledon warm-up event. (via Tatiana Golovin Fan Club)
World number six Ana Ivanovic announced on her official website that she will play in the Fed Cup against the Slovak Republic. Ana enjoys playing for her country; so far she missed only one tie, in April, due to a busy schedule.
The first Serbian Grand Slam finalist said that she’s very excited because she believes that together with Jelena Jankovic, ranked third in the world, their team can achieve some great results. “We want so much to reach the World Group,” said the 19-year-old Ivanovic.
Furthermore, Ana made the decision to play less doubles, so as to be able to focus more on singles. “Doubles is great fun, but it can cause problems for singles, especially when there is a rain delay, or you need extra recovery time.”
“The worst thing would be if I had to withdraw from the doubles competition during a Grand Slam, because I was tired and needed to rest for singles – I would feel very bad, letting down a partner like that. Actually I would play anyway out of obligation, and that would not be a good situation.”
Therefore, Ana decided it was best not to commit to anything; her doubles partner Maria Kirilenko believes that Ana made the right decision.
The DFS Classic has started on Monday, and world No. 2 Maria Sharapova is glad to be back on the grass courts of the Edgbaston Priory Club.
Maria, the No. 1 seed, is a regular in Birmingham – this is the fifth year in a row that she plays at this event; she was the champion in 2004 and 2005.
“It brings back so many good memories, especially here because before I won my first Grand Slam at Wimbledon I won here, so that was pretty exciting,” said the Russian star.
“I always see the same people here every year. The same volunteers and members of the club and it’s great. When you don’t see people for a year and you come back (and) they were around when you had great results, it makes it home away from home in a way,” Maria added.
We all know that during this year Maria had problems with injuries, especially with her right shoulder. However, she doesn’t think that it will cause her any problems this week. “I’ll have to monitor it. At the French Open I felt it from time to time in certain matches. But I don’t think it limited me too much. We’ll see how it is.”
Birmingham is the first event of the grass season before Wimbledon which begins in two weeks time. (via DFS Classic)
Here’s a list of French Open women's singles champions since tennis turned professional in 1968:
2007 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-1 6-2
2006 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-4 6-4
2005 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Mary Pierce (France) 6-1 6-1
2004 Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-1 6-2
2003 Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 6-0 6-4
2002 Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Venus Williams (U.S.) 7-5 6-3
2001 Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 1-6 6-4 12-10
2000 Mary Pierce (France) beat Conchita Martinez (Spain) 6-2 7-5
1999 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 4-6 7-5 6-2
1998 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) beat Monica Seles (U.S.) 7-6 0-6 6-2
1997 Iva Majoli (Croatia) beat Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 6-4 6-2
1996 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) 6-3 6-7 10-8
1995 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) 7-5 4-6 6-0
1994 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) beat Mary Pierce (France) 6-4 6-4
1993 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Mary-Joe Fernandez (U.S.) 4-6 6-2 6-4
1992 Monica Seles (Yugoslavia) beat Steffi Graf (Germany) 6-2 3-6 10-8
1991 Monica Seles (Yugoslavia) beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) 6-3 6-4
1990 Monica Seles (Yugoslavia) beat Steffi Graf (Germany) 7-6 6-4
1989 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) beat Steffi Graf (Germany) 7-6 3-6 7-5
1988 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Natasha Zvereva (Soviet Union) 6-0 6-0
1987 Steffi Graf (Germany) beat Martina Navratilova (U.S.) 6-4 4-6 8-6
1986 Chris Evert-Lloyd (U.S.) beat Martina Navratilova (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 6-3
1985 Chris Evert-Lloyd (U.S.) beat Martina Navratilova (U.S.) 6-3 6-7 7-5
1984 Martina Navratilova (U.S.) beat Chris Evert-Lloyd (U.S.) 6-3 6-1
1983 Chris-Evert Lloyd (U.S.) beat Mima Jausovec (Yugoslavia) 6-1 6-2
1982 Martina Navratilova (U.S.) beat Andrea Jaeger (U.S.) 7-6 6-1
1981 Hana Mandlikova (Czechoslovakia) beat Sylvia Hanika (Germany) 6-2 6-4
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd (U.S.) beat Virginia Ruzici (Romania) 6-0 6-3
1979 Chris Evert-Lloyd (U.S.) beat Wendy Turnbull (Australia) 6-2 6-0
1978 Virginia Ruzici (Romania) beat Mima Jausovec (Yugoslavia) 6-2 6-2
1977 Mima Jausovec (Yugoslavia) beat Florenta Mihai (Romania) 6-2 6-7 6-1
1976 Sue Barker (Britain) beat Renata Tomanova (Czechoslovakia) 6-2 0-6 6-2
1975 Chris Evert (U.S.) beat Martina Navratilova (Czechoslovakia) 2-6 6-2 6-1
1974 Chris Evert (U.S.) beat Olga Morozova (Soviet Union) 6-1 6-2
1973 Margaret Court (Australia) beat Chris Evert (U.S.) 6-7 7-6 6-4
1972 Billie-Jean King (U.S.) beat Evonne Goolagong (Australia) 6-3 6-3
1971 Evonne Goolagong (Australia) beat Helen Gourlay (Australia) 6-3 7-5
1970 Margaret Court (Australia) beat Helga Niessen (Germany) 6-2 6-4
1969 Margaret Court (Australia) beat Ann Jones (Britain) 6-1 4-6 6-3
1968 Nancy Richey (U.S.) beat Ann Jones (Britain) 5-7 6-4 6-1
So, the player with most French Open trophies is Chris Evert (7), and the country most successful at the Paris clay-court tournament is the United States (13). The player with most runner-up positions is Martina Navratilova (4), while the country taking the second place most times is the Unites States (9).
(source: Reuters)
Read about current tennis events and matches, interesting stories about female tennis players, watch players' interviews and amusing tennis videos. Read more »
