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Djokovic claws into 4th round

Novak Djokovic staved off triple match point in the third set to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (3) on Monday in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.
Djokovic, the 2008 champion, trailed love-40 on his serve in the 10th game of the third set, but got back into the match mostly on Kohlschreiber\’s mistakes. The Serb\’s forehand volley winner saved the first match point, then Kohlschreiber missed consecutive backhands for deuce.
\”When I needed to, I did the work, served well and made some good approaches from the forehand side,\” Djokovic said. \”He could easily be the winner of this match and he would deserve it.\”
Kim Clijsters gave up seven straight points to lose 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia in a women\’s night match. Clijsters joined top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 3 Victoria Azarenka and No. 10 Maria Sharapova on the sidelines before the fourth round.
\”I definitely think I let it slip away but credit to her,\” Clijsters, the 14th seed, said. \”She played some really good points to get back into it.\”
Clijsters had won 15 straight matches at Indian Wells, including titles in 2003 and \’05, the last time she played here. But the Belgian came unstuck after leading 4-0 in the tiebreak.
Defending champion and third-ranked Rafael Nadal needed just over an hour to put away Mario Ancic of Croatia, 6-2, 6-2.
Nadal lost just one first-serve point and never faced a break point in beating Ancic for the fourth time in five meetings. The Spaniard kept the rallies brief, with many not lasting more than five strokes.
\”The serve was important, but more important was my rhythm from the baseline,\” he said. \”I lost only a few points because I didn\’t have mistakes, only seven unforced errors in two sets and 29 winners, that\’s very good statistics.\”
In other men\’s matches, No. 21 Juan Monaco of Argentina beat No. 11 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3; and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain got by No. 26 Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
On the women\’s side, sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic needed nearly three hours to get by Sara Errani of Italy, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Agassi Apologizes For Sampras Gibe

Andre Agassi told ESPN.com he was \”out of line\” and apologized for poking fun at Pete Sampras during a charity match last week in California.
Longtime rivals Agassi and Sampras were wearing microphones during the match, and the crowd at Indian Wells Tennis Garden could hear an exchange that started lighthearted but turned testy.
At one point Sampras mimicked Agassi\’s pigeon-toed walk, which drew laughs from the crowd.
Then Agassi chided Sampras for being stingy. In his book, Agassi criticized Sampras for being a poor tipper.
Sampras responded with a high, hard serve that forced Agassi, who was partnering Rafael Nadal, to duck.
\”It was out of line,\” Agassi told ESPN.com on Monday. \”It was inappropriate. The night was on fire. We were all having fun. I was trying to be comedic. I only had a split second to make a decision. I went for it and it fell flat. I was trying to get past it, but Pete didn\’t really let me get past it. He didn\’t really roll with it. I\’ve texted Pete to ask him if I can apologize in person.\”
\”The joke fell flat and I\’m sorry,\” he added. \”My hope was that the night was still enjoyable.\”
Nadal was asked about Sampras and Agassi after his Monday night match.
\”Everybody told me after the match what\’s happened, but during the match, you know how fast Americans speak, and I am Spanish. I didn\’t understand nothing,\” he said.
Nadal said he felt no tension between them either on or off the court.

Tiger Woods set to return for U.S. golf Masters

Tiger Woods will come back to golf competition in April at the U.S. golf Masters, the world\’s top golfer said on Tuesday after staying away for nearly five months over a sex scandal.
In a statement on his website, Woods said he would return to the sport he has long dominated at famed Augusta National Golf Club at the year\’s first major championship, which begins on April 8.
Woods has won four times at Augusta National, including his first major title in 1997, the first major crown ever taken by a black golfer.
\”After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I\’m ready to start my season at Augusta,\” Woods said on the website.
\”The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect.\”
Woods has not played in a tournament since winning the Australian Masters on November 15.
Twelve days after that triumph came a car crash near his home that touched off a global scandal which led to his admission of adultery and put his golf career on hold while he fought his own personal demons.
\”I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment,\” Woods said. \”Although I\’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.\”
Woods decided against playing in a tune-up event to prepare himself for the challenges he will face on and off the Georgia course in three weeks time.
\”The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it\’s been a while since I last played,\” Woods said.
Other possible comeback events for Woods would have been the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Tavistock Cup two-day exhibition event, both next week at Orlando, Florida, near his home.
\”When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play,\” Woods said.
\”I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again.\”
\”I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game,\” Woods said.

Clijsters out at Indian Wells


Alisa Kleybanova of Russia celebrateds after her victory over Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their match at the Indian Wells WTA tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, March 15, 2010. Kleybanova won 2-1. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Tiger Woods heading to \”South Park\”

Golfer Tiger Woods is set to appear in the controversial cartoon series South Park, according to media reports. Creators of the Comedy Central cartoon are unrepentant about depicting Woods in an upcoming episode.
\”It\’s such an important issue in America right now — the sex addiction outbreak,\” Matt Stone, who makes the series with partner Trey Parker, said on Friday referring to the latest revelation in the Tiger Wood\’s saga. \”We\’re all really concerned about him and hope he gets better,\” Stone said, \”There\’s a delicacy in talking about (Woods) that we don\’t have to worry about.\”
The creators of the Comedy Central cartoon have often taken on subjects which have proved controversial. Woods will feature in the opening of South Park\’s 14th season on Wednesday, where he will encounter regular characters Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman in their animated Colorado town.
The storyline has not been revealed but it is likely to draw a massive audience. Since the Peabody Award-winning show\’s first episode in 1997, writers Parker and Stone have not concerned themselves with good or bad taste in order to get a laugh. In previous episodes they have mocked the Church of Scientology to the point of annoying Tom Cruise, and depicted Jesus Christ defecating on President Bush and the American flag.
South Park is airing its 200th episode next month which is a big surprise for Stone. \”We can\’t even believe we\’re still here doing this,\” he said.

Agassi, Sampras rivalry still makes news

An exchange between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras during a charity match has captured the attention of the British newspapers and the blogosphere.
The Sun and The Guardian newspapers both had headlines touting the verbal volleys the two former tennis champions and rivals took at each other Friday night. Sports blog Deadspin and The Huffington Post also ran stories about it.

Sampras was partnered with Roger Federer and Agassi with Rafael Nadal in a doubles match during the BNP Paribas Open to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti.
The players were wearing headset microphones so the crowd could hear them talking.
At one point Sampras mimicked Agassi\’s pigeon-toed walk.
Agassi, in turn, chided Sampras for being stingy. In his book, published late last year, Agassi criticized Sampras for being a poor tipper.
Sampras then served high and hard, forcing Agassi to duck out of the way. The crowd laughed throughout and both retired players wore big smiles.
Neither showed up at the post-match news conference.
Nadal said he thought Sampras and Agassi were just trying to have fun with the crowd and he didn\’t sense any real hostility.

Zheng overcomes Sharapova at Indian Wells

Chinese ace Zheng Jie worked hard to take a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over former world number one Maria Sharapova Sunday to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Zheng\’s compatriot Peng Shuai, however, lost to Russian 16th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 5-7 in a later match.
Australian Open semifinalist Zheng next faces Alicia Molik, who cruised into the round of 16 with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over British qualifier Elena Baltacha.
Zheng toiled for two hours, 43 minutes to dispatch the 10th-seeded Sharapova – the second set alone taking 68 minutes.
With the victory, Zheng improved on her previous best Indian Wells performance – a third-round appearance in 2008.
Sharapova won the title in the California desert in 2006, but didn\’t play singles here last year as she continued her recovery from shoulder surgery.
In other women\’s matches, fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva downed Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-2, setting up a clash with France\’s Aravane Rezai, who outlasted Italy\’s Francesca Schiavone 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
Fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat Argentina\’s Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-0, advancing to a fouth-round meeting with France\’s Marion Bartoli – a 6-2, 6-0 winner over American Jill Craybas.

Nadal cruises, Kuznetsova exits in Indian Wells

Reigning champion Rafael Nadal breezed into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany\’s Rainer Schuettler in Indian Wells, California, on Saturday.
Third-seeded Nadal set up a third-round meeting with Croat Mario Ancic, who struggled past France\’s Julien Benneteau 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Novak Djokovic, seeded second, had a topsy-turvy 6-1, 0-6, 6-2 over Mardy Fish in a reprise of the 2008 final. The Serb\’s opponent in the third round will be German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, seeded fifth, also progressed with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Latvia\’s Ernests Gulbis and will next take on a well-rested Viktor Troicki, who was sent into the third round after his Uruguayan opponent Pablo Cuevas retired after losing the opening game.
Spain\’s tenth-seeded Fernando Verdasco was another to win through, defeating Paraguay\’s Ramon Delgado 6-4, 6-1. Verdasco\’s third-round opponent will be Czech No. 19 Tomas Berdych.
Marin Cilic was the main casualty of the day. The Croatian No. 8 seed, who reached the Australian Open semifinals, was crushed in the second set as Spain\’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez won 7-6 (1), 6-0.
In the women\’s draw, the main news was the elimination of No. 1 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian was no match for Carla Suarez Navarro in the final set, with the Spaniard winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
\”The tennis ball is perfect. I am not perfect,\” Kuznetsova said.
Kuznetsova, who hadn\’t played in a month and had a first-round bye, made 69 unforced errors and double-faulted seven times.
Suarez Navarro, who made her name by beating Venus Williams in the 2009 Australian Open, played only 14 winners against Kuznetsova\’s 34, but did manage to get that ball in court.
The Spaniard will next face No. 27 Hungarian Agnes Szavay.

Tseng storms to Australian Open victory

Chinese Taipei\’s Yani Tseng won the Women\’s Australian Open by three strokes yesterday, shooting five birdies on the back nine for a seven-under 66 to pull away from former champions Karrie Webb and Laura Davies.
Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Championship winner, had a 72-hole total of nine-under 283 on the par-73 Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne. Hitting 17 greens in regulation yesterday, she birdied the final two holes to all but end any challenge from overnight leader Webb and Davies in the final group behind her.
Defending champion Davies of Britain shot 71, including a birdie on 18, to finish second.
Four-time Open winner and third-round leader Webb missed three putts for birdies inside four feet on the back nine and was third after a 74 and was four behind Tseng.
Fellow Australian Katherine Hull, who shot 72, finished tied for fourth with second-round leader Giulia Sergas of Italy (74), five off Tseng.
Webb wore a white shirt with blue-and-green trim – the same as last Sunday when she shot a course-record 11-under 61 at Royal Pines in Gold Coast to win her seventh Australian Masters title.
But while the shirt was the same, the outcome was very different as Webb, playing for the fourth week in a row after previous stops in Bangkok and Singapore, faltered in the closing stages. Instead Tseng was rewarded for steady iron play on the back nine – capitalizing on birdies on eight and nine to come home with a bogey-free finish.
Webb had started the day with a one-shot lead over Sergas.

Henin, Li NS crash out of Indian Wells

Justine Henin\’s comeback was snapped as Gisela Dulko ousted the former world number one from the second round of the Indian Wells tennis tournament on Friday.
China\’s Li Na, ranked 10th in the world and seeded seventh, also bowed out after losing to British qualifier Elena Baltacha 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(7).
Henin, who retired in May, 2008, while No. 1 in the world, had reached the finals at Brisbane, Australia, and in the Australian Open in her previous tournaments since her comeback. But against Argentine Dulko, the 31st seed, the Belgian struggled on serve, saving just 2 of 8 break points.
\”It was a tough day today, I agree,\” said Henin. \”I was never into a good rhythm and never really found my way to win. Even in the second set it was better, but still a lot of ups and downs.
\”She was playing quite high balls, also, and I never really found a good timing. So I wasn\’t consistent enough. That\’s very simple. It\’s a bit of an off day and you have to deal with it,\” she said.
Baltacha, ranked 65th in the world, notched her first victory over a top-10 player despite falling behind 5-1 in the third-set tiebreaker.
Li was part of an historic Chinese showing at the Australian Open, where both she and compatriot Zheng Jie made the semifinals.
It was after that performance that she made her career top 10 debut on February 17, the first Chinese player to claim a top-10 ranking.
Last month she reached the quarterfinals at Dubai, but retired from her quarterfinal against Shahar Peer with a back injury.
Baltacha, who came through two qualifying matches as well as a first-round contest, said she thought the first-round bye given to all 32 seeded players might have made things harder for Li.
\”I think sometimes with the top players, the best time to play them is when they haven\’t played a match and for them it is the first round, because they haven\’t experienced the conditions, they haven\’t experienced the court, and it can be a bit tricky for them,\” she said.
Her remarks proved reasonable when some other top players had ups and downs in their first match on the same day.
Denmark\’s Caroline Wozniacki was 4-1 down in the third set before overcoming American Vania King 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to progress to the third round while Elena Dementieva, seeded fourth, was also extended to three sets before the Russian downed Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
Maria Sharapova, seeded tenth, was another title contender forced to fight hard in the second round, overcoming Russian compatriot Vera Dushevina 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Other winning seeds include No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 11 Marion Bartoli, No. 12 Maria Kirilenko, No. 15 Francesca Schiavone, No. 16 Nadia Petrova, No. 18 Zheng and No. 19 Aravane Rezai.
In the men\’s draw, first-round play involving unseeded players continued, with Argentina\’s David Nalbandian and American James Blake among the winners.