There was a big women’s tennis exhibition event in Singapore during the weekend, and elsewhere in Asia there was more relaxed tennis going on – the reigning Roland Garros champion Li Na welcomed fellow WTA star Sabine Lisicki and men’s tennis greats Pete Sampras and Carlos Moya in her hometown of Wuhan, China, for an exhibition tournament. Read more »

A year ago I interviewed Bethanie Mattek Sands about her favorite tennis outfit, her tattoos, her best friends on the WTA Tour, etc. This fall I had an opportunity to interview the American again and I asked her about her 2011 season, her leisure activities and of course her opinion on the on-court WTA fashion.

MARIJA: What will you remember the 2011 season for?

BETHANIE MATTEK SANDS: Even though my 2011 season ended early due to injury I was able to reach a career high ranking and still get some of my best wins to date. The win at Hopman Cup with my partner John Isner was an amazing start to my season and I really felt I was able to gain some momentum and confidence. Off the court I have to say the Wimbledon Player Party will always be memorable as I got to rock a custom Alex Noble dress on the red carpet.

MARIJA: How is your shoulder injury now? Will you be perfectly healthy for the start of the new season and the Hopman Cup?

BETHANIE MATTEK SANDS: I'm happy to say my shoulder has come along way from where it was. I've been able to practice the last couple weeks but the time off and rehab I was able to take really helped it heal up. I'm excited to be going back to Perth for Hopman Cup at the end of December. If it wasn't such a far flight I would be "down under" more often!

MARIJA: What was your favorite activity you had more time for during the rehabilitation process? I read that you enjoyed cooking? Read more »

The 2011 season has not even started and we have players withdrawing from the tournaments in the year to come. The Hyundai Hopman Cup, mixed doubles event to take place in Perth in January, will most probably not have Serena Williams in the field because of her well-known foot injury which has been preventing her from playing tournaments ever since Wimbledon.

Here’s what I read at Sportsnewsfirst.com.au:

Sportsnewsfirst.com.au understands Williams has told organisers she will not be attending the mixed team event because of injury, and they are now scrambling to find a replacement.

The American, who has fallen from No.1 to No.4 in the rankings during her time off, was seen last week in Miami on crutches, and with her right foot in big plaster. Though, she did recently take a photo of herself exercising in the gym (just days before Miami). (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty won the 2009 Hopman Cup with victory over the Russian brother-sister team of Dinara Safina and Marat Safin in Perth on Friday.

Russia had been the favorites to win the mixed team event since world No.3 Dinara Safina and No.29 Marat Safin were ranked much higher than their respective singles opponents. However, not everything goes in accordance with the ranking.

World number 19 Cibulkova beat Safina 6-7(3) 6-1 6-4 for the first time, while world number 250 Hrbaty edged out the two-time Grand Slam champion Safin 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(3).

The Slovak Republic have won their third Hopman Cup title. (sources: Reuters, Hompan Cup)

Serena Williams won’t go to Perth to defend her Hopman Cup title, having withdrawn from the 2009 event with hamstring injury.

According to Hopman Cup organizers, the American injured her hamstring during the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, which forced her to leave the season-ending tournament during the round-robin phase.

Serena Williams will be replaced at the January 3-9 tournament by American countrywoman Meghann Shaughnessy, who is expected to partner with James Blake. (source: On the Baseline, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

World number three Jelena Jankovic injured her right thigh in singles against France’s Tatiana Golovin in the Hopman Cup, but the Serb is willing to give everything for the title!

Injured Jankovic played mixed doubles against France with compatriot Novak Djokovic, and the two won the match giving Serbia a 2-1 win against France. Then they played Argentina. Jankovic had to retire in the second set against Gisela Dulko, but then, together with Djokovic she struggled but defeated the team of Gisela Dulko and Juan Ignacio Chela to take Serbia to the Friday’s final against the United States represented by Serena Williams and Mardy Fish. Read more »

Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic played only one whole game in the singles match against France’s Tatiana Golovin in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, before retiring with extremely painful right thigh injury. Jelena blames the lack of training because of her nose surgery for the condition she’s now in. Read more »