TENNIS

holmes

Hingis may be out of the Women's singles match...but she is still very much in contention in the Mixed doubles event...with Mahesh Bhupathi... (hope i got that name spelt correctly :lol)...

Maria Sharapova akan jumpa Justine Henin dlm Semi,, holmes harap Maria will get through and go to the final :bgrin: :pray:
Tapi Justine seorg pemain yg tak kurang handalnyer...

[ Last edited by holmes at 27-1-2006 08:26 PM ]

holmes

Justine Powers Into Final
Thursday, 26 January, 2006
by Bren O'Brien


2004 Australian Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is through to the women's final at Australian Open 2006 after a hard-fought three-set win over No.4 seeded Russian Maria Sharapova.

Henin-Hardenne, who was seeded No.8 coming into the tournament, collected her 13th straight win at Melbourne Park and her 22nd straight win in Australia, coming back from a set down to win 4-6 6-1 6-4 in two hours and 26 minutes.

Henin-Hardenne was the first to get a break in the seventh game, but the 18-year-old Russian bounced back with a break of her own. After the Belgian had a chance to break again in the next game, it was Sharapova who took a somewhat surprising one-set lead when Henin dropped her serve in the tenth game.

Three consecutive breaks of serve kicked off a second set which was completely dominated by the Belgian. Sharapova failed to win a service game, and looked rattled as the No.8 seed fired nine winners past her for the set.

Both players were a model of concentration early in the third set, holding serve for the first five games, but Sharapova was left to rue three break points in the fifth game when Henin-Hardenne broke her in the sixth for a 4-2 lead.

Serving for the match in the ninth game, the Belgian made a series of uncharacteristic errors, handing Sharapova a lifeline back into the match. But the Russian couldn't hold her nerve and on her first match point, the Belgian executed a brilliant backhand winner to set up a clash with either compatriot Kim Clijsters or Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo.

holmes

Clijsters Forced to Withdraw
Thursday, 26 January, 2006
by Bren O'Brien


Women's No.3 seed Amelie Mauresmo has been handed a passage into the final of Australian Open 2006 after Kim Clijsters withdrew in the third set of their semi-final clash on Day Eleven.

Mauresmo was up a break in the third set after the pair had split the opening two sets 5-7 6-2 when Clijsters was forced to withdraw after rolling her right ankle when facing a break-point against the Frenchwoman.

It was a disappointing end for Clijsters, while Mauresmo reached her first Grand Slam final in seven years, where she will play No.8 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.

Clijsters controlled the opening set and gained the match's first break, in the fourth game. But she was broken back to love immediately, and the two players each held serve until an epic 12th game. Clijsters held five set points, squandering four of them with unforced errors before a double fault from the Frenchwoman gave her the first set.

Keen to atone for her costly mistake, Mauresmo took the running with a break in the third and fifth game of the second set. Clijsters had her chances to get back on serve, but squandered them, allowing the No.3 seed to level up at one set apiece

Mauresmo then stole the early march with a break in the first game. Clijsters wasn't going down without a fight and managed to square up again in the fourth. The match then took a dramatic turn. Leading 40-0 on serve, it looked as if Clijsters was going to put the pressure back on her opponent, but she conceded four straight points and was then broken when her ankle gave way as she was wrong-footed. She immediately called for an injury time-out and after some consultation, decided she could no longer continue

holmes

Brilliant Baghdatis Books Date With Destiny
by Jason Phelan
Thursday, 26 January, 2006


Cypriot sensation Marcos Baghdatis has stormed into the men's final of Australian Open 2006 with an epic, come-from-behind semi-final win over highly-ranked Argentine David Nalbandian in the Twilight Session on Day 11 at Melbourne Park.

Urged on by his highly-vocal cheer squad, the world No.54's meteoric climb through the tournament appeared certain to come to an end at two sets down, but Baghdatis was able to summon a Herculean effort to come back and take the match 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-4.

After winning the Australian Open junior boy's crown in 2003, this will be the 20-year-old's first Grand-Slam final appearance with his previous best result a fourth-round berth at last year's Centenary Open.

It was a night of high drama until the very end, with play suspended by a torrential downpour with the score at 5-4 and 15-15 as Baghdatis attempted to serve out the match.

Having fought so hard for the opportunity, you could only sympathise with Baghdatis as he raised his arms to the heavens in disbelief as he trudged off Centre Court to await the closing of the Rod Laver Arena roof.

With the court dry and the roof closed, play resumed after a 30-minute pause and the Cypriot held his nerve - serving an ace for the win on his second match point.

"It's like a dream, I have to wake up I think because it's unbelievable - I don't know what to say - it's just amazing," Baghdatis said after the gallant victory.

"It's a dream (of mine) to play here and win this tournament - I believe it, my coach believes it, the guys I work with believe it, my parents believe it - I work for that and I believe in it.

"I'm very proud of myself and very proud of what we've been working on through the years. It's been an amazing career for me, it's like a story and I'm just very proud."

He was at a loss to explain his Houdini-like escape from the jaws of defeat.

"To tell you the truth I don't really know," Baghdatis said with a laugh.

"I'm playing amazing tennis, I just stopped thinking and just played my tennis, tried to be very aggressive and everything was going in. I'm just in my own world right now I think."

No.4 seed Nalbandian joins fellow seeds Andy Roddick (2) and Ivan Ljubicic (7) as one of the highly-ranked casualties of Baghdatis' stirring run to the final, with the success story of the tournament set to meet either world No.1 Roger Federer or Nicolas Kiefer in the final.

The classy Argentine had all the answers in the first set-and-a-half, while Baghdatis seemed to have finally run out of ideas after thrilling the crowd with his inventive play throughout his Open run.

The tension of the occasion was evident early in the match with both players losing their serves soon after the start, but that was to be Baghdatis' only break opportunity for the set, while Nalbandian had nine and converted two of them to take the set comfortably.

The Cypriot was quickly down two service breaks in the second set, but managed to break Nalbandian as he served for the set at 5-2 and held his own serve in the next game with relative ease.

The comeback was in top gear when he broke the Argentine again to be back on serve at 5-5 with the pumped-up Baghdatis raising his fist to the ecstatic crowd, but their elation didn't last long as he lost his serve in the very next game.

Like many before him, Baghdatis appeared spooked by the onset of the traditional fireworks display let off in a nearby park to commemorate Australia Day, losing his serve and the set after Nalbandian held.

The third set proceeded on serve until Baghdatis broke the pattern, pulling out some stunning forehand winners to go up a break at 4-2. He held his nerve and his serve this time and went on to serve out the set with an ace two games later.

The Cypriot's serve was his Achilles heel in the first two sets, but it became his most formidable weapon in the third and fourth with his winning percentage on first serve a stunning 93 per cent in the third and 88 per cent in the fourth.

Baghdatis sent the match into five sets by converting his only break point opportunity in the fourth set and successfully holding off a determined challenge from Nalbandian.

The differing body language of the players was notable as they came on court for the decisive set with Baghdatis skipping to his end, while Nalbandian trudged wearily to his, wiping sweat off his face with a towel as he went.

It made little difference early, however, as the Argentine struck first, breaking to go ahead 2-0 before, once again, being broken right back. The two broke each other once again as the set progressed, but Baghdatis made his move in the ninth game, breaking the No.4 seed to love, before going on to eventually serve out the match.




[ Last edited by holmes at 27-1-2006 09:23 PM ]

holmes

January 26, 2006

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- New No. 1 Kim Clijsters will be sidelined at least two months after tearing a ligament in her right ankle in the Australian Open semifinals Thursday.

"Bad news about my ankle after the scan -- torn anterior ligament," Clijsters wrote on her Web site.

The reigning U.S. Open champion said she already had pulled out of tournaments over the coming weeks, adding: "It's going to be a complex recovery."

Clijsters left Melbourne Park in a wheelchair after being forced to quit because of the injury during her Australian Open semifinal against Amelie Mauresmo in the third set.

"I twisted the ankle trying to position myself to hit a backhand," Clijsters wrote. "I immediately felt something wasn't right."

The Belgian already had assured herself of overtaking Lindsay Davenport for the top spot in the WTA Tour rankings by beating Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals in Australia.

holmes

Yan and Zheng win Australian Open women's doubles

By JOHN BROCK, Associated Press Writer
January 27, 2006

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Yan Zi and Zheng Jie became the first Chinese players to win a Grand Slam title, beating Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 in the Australian Open women's doubles final Friday.

Yan and Zheng trailed 3-1 in the second set and staved off two match points in the tiebreaker before winning in 2 hours, 15 minutes.

"We're very excited to win the tournament," Yan told the center-court crowd that included a small group of vocal Chinese supporters waving the country's national flag.

"They gave us a great match today," Yan added.

Yan and Zheng also saved three match points in their quarterfinal victory over fourth-seeded Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez.

Their victory follows the win by compatriots Sun Tiantian and Li Ting in the doubles final at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Sun and Li were beaten in the third round here by Raymond and Stosur.

Yan, who has played with Zheng for five years, said they had been nervous in the first set before settling into a rhythm.

"It's our first time on center court, it's so big, so many people" she said.

The top seeds appeared on course for a second straight Grand Slam -- they won the U.S. Open title last September -- when they raced through the first set and gained a break in the second set.

But Yan and Zheng refused to buckle. They broke Australian Stosur's serve in the sixth game with some stinging volleying to level the second set.

Raymond and Stosur gained the advantage by breaking for a 6-5 lead, but with Raymond then serving for the match, a missed overhead by Stosur gave the Chinese duo two break points of their own.

Though they missed the first, they got the second when Stosur put a backhand into the net.

In the next tiebreaker, Stosur earned a match point at 6-5 with an ace, but then put another backhand into the net. A second match point at 7-6 on Raymond's serve also was saved before Zheng closed out the set with a backhand winner.

The Chinese pair broke Raymond's serve twice in the final set and took the title when a Stosur forehand hit the net.

"Once they got a sniff, they didn't let it go," Stosur said.

Yan and Zheng won their first WTA Tour doubles titles last year in Hobart, Australia and Hyderabad, India and were finalists in Bali and Beijing.

"Since the end of the match my mobile phone has been ringing nonstop," Zheng said. "This title is one of the best gifts we can give to the Chinese people."

payrol

hm..kim clijsters number 1 next week..good for her...
but somehow rase yang dier main tgh injury ni sbb nak collect ranking points to position herself as number 1...since dier takde points nak defend till March..

holmes

Henin-Hardenne aiming for fifth major title, Mauresmo hoping to make it Grand Slam title No. 1

By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer
January 27, 2006

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Amelie Mauresmo had so much on her mind when she last reached a Grand Slam final that she barely remembers her loss to Martina Hingis at the 1999 Australian Open.

She's unlikely to have any trouble recalling this final, when she faces four-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin-Hardenne on Saturday.

In the seven years since Mauresmo lost the Australian final, she's held the top ranking, been a perennial contender but had never made it to her second major final.

Henin-Hardenne lost the first Grand Slam final she contested -- at Wimbledon in 2001 -- but is perfect in her last four. She won the U.S. Open in 2003, the French in '03 and last year and the Australian title in '04.

She missed her Australian Open title defense last year because of injuries, so she goes into the final on a 13-match winning streak at Melbourne Park.

Mauresmo credits her win at the season-ending WTA Championship last November with giving her the mental toughness to win a major.

"After L.A., I really convinced myself I was really capable of doing it. It made me really take things very differently now," she said. "I proved to myself I was capable of beating the best players ... I was probably wondering, `OK, am I going to be able to do it?'

"It came at the right time I think for me."

In 1999, Mauresmo was 19, had just emerged on the tennis scene and had created a stir by being openly gay.

She was caught up in a minor scandal when Hingis reportedly said -- in German -- that the strong, athletic Mauresmo was "half a man."

Hingis denied making the comments, but they were widely reported and Mauresmo later admitted it had been a distraction.

The 26-year-old French woman says her tennis and her attitude have been through a thorough evolution since.

"I really felt at the time, my game was instinct, I didn't really know what I was doing," she said. "I've grown up. I know a little bit more what I'm doing now."

When athletes talk about revenge, it's usually meant for an opponent to atone for an earlier loss.

Henin-Hardenne will be looking for restitution for the knee and hamstring injuries that forced her off the circuit for about 18 months in the past two years.

"It's been tough for me to be injured for such a long time," she said. "I think I had a little bit of revenge to come here. I hope I can do it on Saturday because I didn't lose a match in Australia in 2004, and I haven't lost any matches here this year. I love this tournament. I hope to do it again."

Henin-Hardenne dropped a set before beating fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. Mauresmo won her semifinal when Kim Clijsters retired in the third set because of a right ankle injury.

Henin-Hardenne has won four of her seven matches against Mauresmo, but the only time they've met in a Grand Slam tournament was at the 1999 U.S. Open, where Mauresmo won in the first round.

Henin-Hardenne, who recently missed two months with an injured right hamstring, is coming off a win in the Sydney International. But she's still surprised that she's in the final at Melbourne Park.

"When I arrived here I was coming to play a couple of matches and get my confidence back," Henin-Hardenne said. "I think it's just great to come back this way."

Against Mauresmo, she's hoping her experience and reputation for staying tough in the tight situations will be the difference.

"You try to use your experience, but a Grand Slam final is always something very, very special," she said. "It's a different kind of atmosphere, different kind of tension.

"You feel it. It is different. But for me, I'm as nervous as I was for the first one. It's great because I need that if I want to play well."

[ Last edited by holmes at 27-1-2006 08:56 PM ]

holmes

Emotions running high for Open bad boy Kiefer

By Greg Stutchbury

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tournament bad boy Nicolas Kiefer plans to keep his emotions bubbling just below the surface when he meets top seed Roger Federer in the semi-final of the Australian Open on Friday.

Kiefer, who will be playing in his first grand slam semi, has already been fined a total of $6000 in the tournament so far for a litany of offences including verbal abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct and audible and visible obscenities.

But the fiery German said he has no plans to keep a cool head against Federer.

"I need my emotions. When I don't show any emotions, I am not happy," Kiefer told Australian television.

"I mean, you need to fight for every point and when you fight for over four hours, almost five hours, you are so tense."

Kiefer, who is still taking pain killers after injuring an ankle at the Kooyong invitational tournament prior to the Australian Open, said his fighting qualities could make the difference against Federer.

"I'm looking forward to this match against Roger. I mean, we had close matches last year and I know as long as he is in the tournament, he's playing better and better.

"I know also that I have to play much better than the other days.

"I'm winning my matches here because I'm fighting unbelievable ... not by playing good tennis, but by fighting ... and this makes me happy."

FEDERER STRUGGLING?

Federer, who has swept all before him over the past two years compiling a 155-10 record, has not looked as comfortable as expected in this year's tournament.

He needed five sets to beat Germany's unseeded Tommy Haas, who beat him at Kooyong, in the fourth round before a tight four-set victory over world number five Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday in the quarter-finals.

"I told you, we all knew Haas was able to play well, especially here in Australia," Federer had told reporters.

"Davydenko, obviously a little bit under the radar because he doesn't get maybe the attention he deserves. But I knew they're both very good and tough players.

"When I saw the draw ... I knew if they come through, I'll be in for tough matches if I'll get through, too.

"That's exactly what happened. If you look down the results I've had with Davydenko, many of them have been tough. Same thing with Haas.

"So this is for me no surprise. Maybe it is for you."

The 24-year-old Swiss added that he expected the match against Kiefer to be just as tough, particularly given the nature of his results against the German.

Federer holds a 7-3 career lead over the 28 year old, including the last six, though the German right hander has taken sets off the world number one in their three meetings in 2005.

"Don't be surprised if it's going to be tough again on Friday because I've had some tough matches with Kiefer.

"Look into the statistics. He's beaten me a couple of times. So I'm ready for a tough one at least."

holmes

...holmes sempat tngk semi-final match antara Roger Federer ngan Nicholas Kiefer kat tv tadi....
Federer nmpk cool jer...sedangkan Kiefer was struggling....holmes pasti Federer akan memenangi perlawan tadi...dan tul...dier menang gak!  holmes paling suke tika set ke-3 tu dimana Federer menang 6-0 dlm bbrpa minit jer :bgrin:

Laporan lanjut mengenai perlawanan tu...sile baca...
  
By PAUL ALEXANDER, Associated Press Writer
January 27, 2006

AP - Jan 27, 6:45 am EST
More Photos



MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Roger Federer advanced to the Australian Open final Friday by beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.

Federer was sharp -- and occasionally brilliant -- in beating the German for the seventh consecutive time. The six-time Grand Slam champion will face underdog Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in Sunday's final.

"I really turned it up when I had to," said Federer, who won the Australian Open in 2004.

The Swiss star broke Kiefer early in the first set to go up 3-1, at one point sprinting from the baseline for a drop shot and flicking a backhand around the post and down the line for a clean winner.

In the same game, Federer reached another drop shot and sent a lob over Kiefer's head that the German hit long.

Kiefer won the second set after breaking Federer at 5-6. The German wasted his first opportunity with a weak forehand into the net, but Federer sliced a backhand wide on the next.

Federer committed only two unforced errors in the third set -- after 26 in the first two sets -- to retake control. With Federer serving at 5-0, Kiefer saw his only break point vanish on a shot that was called long but that TV replays showed was on the line.

Kiefer held serve to start the final set, but Federer then won five straight games. Kiefer saved two match points while serving at 1-5, then a third as Federer served in the next game. Federer finished it off with a serve that Kiefer whacked into the net.

Swiss flag T-shirts were scattered around Rod Laver Arena, and the crowd was clearly behind Federer against the testy Kiefer, who repeatedly questioned calls.

Kiefer was fined earlier in the tournament for swearing and was warned twice about obscenities in the quarterfinals.

In Saturday's women's final, eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium will try to extend her Melbourne Park winning streak to 14 matches against No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo of France.

Henin-Hardenne won the Australian Open in 2004 and missed last year's tournament due to injury.

holmes

Originally posted by payrol at 27-1-2006 08:50 PM
hm..kim clijsters number 1 next week..good for her...
but somehow rase yang dier main tgh injury ni sbb nak collect ranking points to position herself as number 1...since dier takde points nak def ...

...tul ker payrol.....bijak gak Kim nie ek....Hingis lak memberikan tentangan hebat ngan dier nie semasa Q-final match tu...

holmes

Maria Sharapova


Nadia Petrova


Martina Hingis


Samantha Storsur


[ Last edited by holmes at 27-1-2006 09:37 PM ]

holmes

holmes nak sokong Federer ngan Henin kat final nanti

...nak sokong Hingis ngan Mahesh lak dlm mixed doubles tu gak....

[ Last edited by holmes at 28-1-2006 08:10 AM ]

holmes

Horray :pompom::pompom: :clap::clap:

Martina Hingis menang semi-final match ngan partner dier Mahesh Bhupathi.....tul sangkaan holmes ...harap mereka akan seterusnyer menang dlm final nanti....:pray:

Hingis through to mixed doubles final

MELBOURNE, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Martina Hingis is still in the running to win a grand slam title on her return to the Australian Open after reaching the mixed doubles final on Friday.

Hingis and India's Mahesh Bhupathi won their semi-final against Paul Hanley and Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-3 6-3 to advance to Sunday's final against Daniel Nestor of Canada and Russia's Elena Likhovtseva.

Hingis reached the quarter-finals of the women's singles this year in her first grand slam appearance since retiring in 2002, losing to newly crowned world number one Kim Clijsters.

The former world number one was also a leading doubles player before she retired, winning 36 titles including nine majors, but rarely played mixed doubles and never won a mixed doubles grand slam.



[ Last edited by holmes at 28-1-2006 08:28 AM ]

holmes

Favorite, not-so-favorite in men's final at Melbourne Park

By DENNIS PASSA, AP Sports Writer
January 27, 2006

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Top-ranked Roger Federer will be on one side of the net, a 20-year-old from Cyprus will be on the other in Sunday's Australian Open final.

While Federer was expected to be in position to win his seventh Grand Slam title, 54th-ranked Marcos Baghdatis is a most unexpected opponent.

Federer ran into a few problems during his run through the draw, but Baghdatis became everyone's problem in his half as he upset No. 2 Andy Roddick in the fourth round and No. 4 David Nalbandian in Thursday's semifinals in a five-setter.

Federer powered his way into the final with a four-set win Friday over Nicolas Kiefer, and is an overwhelming favorite to take out fan favorite Baghdatis.

For now, Baghdatis is enjoying the ride.

"Everything was going in, I was just in my own world I think," Baghdatis said after his 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Nalbandian. "It was crazy, the atmosphere was amazing."

That's been a familiar refrain over the past 10 days for Baghdatis, especially after his upset of Roddick. Legions of Greek fans have supported him here, his homeland is rooting him on and his cell phone that used to only ring sporadically has been turned off -- even blocking out a congratulatory call from the Cypriot president.

His parents, thought to be arriving for the final, have now decided to stay in Cyprus even though they were offered an all-expenses-paid trip down under. Baghdatis' mother, Androulla, said "I don't want to put an extra burden on Marcos. He knows we are there beside him (in spirit) anyway."

Baghdatis' brother, 27-year-old Petros, was expected to attend and represent the family.

Federer has won all three matches against Baghdatis, including a straight-sets victory two weeks ago while the Swiss player was defending his Qatar title. They also met in the U.S. Open's second round in 2004, where Federer won in straight sets, and in the fourth round here last year, where Federer needed four sets to win.

Federer has a big career edge in prize money -- $20 million to $392,000; and in tournament victories, 34-0.

Baghdatis will not be taken lightly, though.

"Everybody's talking about the young guns coming up and not really about Marcos," Federer said. "Thank God I've played him three times, it makes me relax a little bit."

Federer saw some parallels between himself and Baghdatis, the 2003 junior world champion.

"I was also No. 1 junior back in 1998 ... it took me some time to get up in rankings," Federer said.

He said he was nervous going into his match against Kiefer.

"I just had a sort of strange feeling, not a negative one," Federer said. "I knew how close I was to another Grand Slam, and worked so hard to get there. To lose in the semis would be a big disappointment."

He said he knows Baghdatis has "improved incredibly" in the past two weeks.

"I think we are all surprised he got so far," Federer said. "He proved us all wrong. He beat quality players and he deserves to be in the final."

holmes

By Greg Stutchbury

MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan of the U.S. came from a set down to beat Czech Republic's Martin Damm and India's Leander Paes 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Australian Open men's doubles final on Saturday.

In a tense, dramatic match full of superb net play by both pairs, Paes and Damm broke Mike Bryan's serve in the seventh game of the match to give them the first set.

The twins broke Paes in the eighth game of the second set to send it into a decider.

They broke Damm early in the third set then had their own serves placed under intense pressure, saving one break point in the sixth game and four in the eighth to set up the opportunity to serve out for the match.

"I had nothing left in my body by the end of that match," Bob Bryan told a news conference. "It was so emotional...there was a lot of energy there and we were hanging on.

"We were down break points pretty much every game in the third. It was just pure relief and happiness and excitement at the end."

The 27-year-old twins, who became just the second pair in 50 years to make all four grand slam finals last year, were playing their third successive final at Melbourne Park.

They lost to Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett in 2005 and to French pair Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro in 2004.

"I had every type of emotion, pissed off, jacked up, you know, just let it all hang out," said Mike Bryan.

"By the end there, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and it feels good to get this notch because over the last two years we have came up a little short.

"There's nothing more special than winning a slam with your brother. So this is going to feel good for a long time."

The Bryans have won two previous grand slam titles together -- the 2003 French Open and last year's U.S. Open.

Despite being the top-ranked doubles players in the world the Bryans do not feel they could win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year.

"There's so many good teams," said Bob. "This tennis is so even. I feel fortunate for every one of these we win. To put four in a row together, that seems pretty impossible."

holmes

holmes

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: US players Bob Bryan (L) and Mike Bryan (2L) pose with their trophies along with India's Leander Paes (2R) and Martin Damm of the Czech Republic after Bryan and Bryan won the Australian Open tennis tournament men's doubles final match in Melbourne, 28 January 2006. Bryan and Bryan won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: US players Bob Bryan (L) and Mike Bryan kiss their trophy after they won the Australian Open tennis tournament men's doubles final match.

holmes

Mauresmo wins Australian Open for first major title

By PAUL ALEXANDER, Associated Press Writer
January 28, 2006

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Amelie Mauresmo bought a special bottle of wine a few years ago in anticipation of her first Grand Slam title.

She finally can pop it open after winning the Australian Open on Saturday when Justine Henin-Hardenne retired because of stomach pain.

In an anticlimactic finish that stunned the packed Rod Laver Arena crowd, Henin-Hardenne quit in the second set because of the stomach pain caused by anti-inflammatory medicine that she took for her sore right shoulder. Mauresmo led 6-1, 2-0 when Henin-Hardenne walked to the net and told the umpire she couldn't continue.

"Everything really came together here," Mauresmo said. "I was focusing on really what I had to do and taking control of the points the way I did for the whole match and really not paying really much of an attention to how she felt."

The 26-year-old French star also benefited when semifinal opponent Kim Clijsters tore a ligament in her ankle in the third set Thursday, and Michaela Krajicek wilted in their third-round match with heat exhaustion.

Mauresmo also suffered through her own ailments -- and occasional jitters -- while seeking her first major victory.

"Things turn around at some point," said Mauresmo, who played her first Grand Slam event in 1995 at age 15 and lost to Martina Hingis in the 1999 Australian final. "In France we say, 'The sadness of some makes the happiness of others."'

On the men's side, top-ranked Roger Federer, seeking his seventh Grand Slam title and third in a row, will face 54th-ranked Marcos Baghdatis on Sunday night. In the doubles final, Bob and Mike Bryan beat Leander Paes and Martin Damm 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Known for getting tight at crucial times, Mauresmo really had nothing to get nervous about this time. She won 19 of the first 24 points en route to a 5-0 lead.

Henin-Hardenne called the trainer after falling behind 2-0 in the second set and played only two more points.

"Last night, I was feeling so bad I thought I would have to go to see a doctor at 3 in the morning because I was such in pain," said Henin-Hardenne, who went into the match on a 13-match Melbourne Park winning streak.

"I knew at the beginning of the match I couldn't win it. You always want to try because you know it's a Grand Slam final. If I would have kept playing, maybe I would injure something else. I have no regrets."

Mauresmo had the second-longest wait for her first major title in the Open era, 32 Grand Slam events. Jana Novotna won Wimbledon in 1998, her 45th major.

"I worked so hard, came close many times," Mauresmo said. "Finally this is it. Finally!"

She said she doesn't get to drink much of her beloved wine but bought a 1937 bottle of Chateau d'Yquem sauterne three or four years ago, planning to open it when she finally broke through.

"It's there, it's at home in the dark lying there quietly," she said. "Now I have to open it."

Henin-Hardenne has four Grand Slam singles titles, including the 2004 Australian Open crown that she couldn't defend last year due to injury. She burst into tears when she reached a courtside chair after quitting.

"I don't know what is harder, to lose even when you're playing well or when you have to retire like that," Henin-Hardenne said.

Despite a recent rash of injuries, she said she doesn't feel jinxed and hopes she'll be able to play again in a few days.

Storms outside produced the only thunder of the match. The stadium roof was closed, trapping several birds inside, and they chirped loudly throughout.

There were only nine combined winners in the nine games and 31 unforced errors, 20 by Henin-Hardenne. She repeatedly slumped her shoulders after missing shots that she normally would have been smacking for winners.

She won a 33-stroke point on Mauresmo's error in the second game of the second set, but lost the next two points to surrender the game.

"I was dead," Henin-Hardenne said.

Mauresmo spoke to her at the net and embraced her after she quit.

Mauresmo then sat and hung her head, seemingly stunned and overwhelmed. She finally got up and lifted her arms in triumph, choking back her own tears as French flags fluttered in the stands, still looking less than triumphant as Henin-Hardenne cried.

But as the victory started to sink in, Mauresmo's smile got wider and wider.

"There were tough moments," Mauresmo said. "A lot of people in the press were saying, `She's not going to get there."'

Now she has vindication.

"The joy is here," she said. "I'm probably the proudest woman for now."

holmes

Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne hits the ball during an Australian Open tennis tournament final match against France's Amelie Mauresmo in Melbourne, 28 January 2006. French third seed Amelie Mauresmo won the Australian Open women's final after her eighth seeded opponent Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium retired. The win, which came when the scores were 6-1, 2-0 in Mauresmo's favour, gives the world number three her first Grand Slam and makes up for her devastating loss her in the 1999 final.




MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 28: Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belguim is consoled by Amelie Mauresmo of France after she was forced to withdraw with illness from their Women's Singles Final match during day thirteen of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park January 28, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia.


Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belguim waits at the net fo Amelie Mauresmo of France after she was forced to withdraw with illness from their Women's Singles Final match.





[ Last edited by holmes at 28-1-2006 11:15 PM ]