TENNIS in DEPTH.

Dinara Safina has pulled out of next week’s Dubai Tennis Championships because of continuing problems with a back injury, the Russian said on Monday.

“Unfortunately, I will not be able to play this year because of the back injury that’s been bothering me since the end of last season,” Safina said on her official Web site.

Safina has not played since retiring injured during her fourth-round match against compatriot Maria Kirilenko at the Australian Open last month.

Safina, 23, said she was hoping to come back at the $4.5-million BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., starting on March 10.

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A celebrity packed tennis lineup, featuring Andy Roddick, James Blake, Jim Courier and Vera Zvonareva come together for fifth time in the Tampa Tennis Classic benefiting Raymond James Courier’s Kids, an inner-city youth tennis program founded by Jim Courier that supports First Serve tennis programs.

The Tampa Tennis Classic will feature America’s biggest names in tennis, and will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum, Monday, March 22, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. On the men’s side, with 60 singles career titles between them, these three are sure to wow the crowds in Tampa in a battle of the stars. Representing the women, Zvonareva is currently ranked number nine in the world and holds nine singles titles.

Raymond James Courier’s Kids and the USTA’s First Serve Program are dedicated to providing opportunities and positive life alternatives to at-risk youth. The programs offer a blend of tennis instruction, computer classes, academics and mentoring to promote positive values, healthy habits and education.

The First Serve Program is the USTA’s national initiative to introduce inner city youth to the life-long sport of tennis. The program was launched in Florida and has 4 basic components: tennis instruction, computer classes, academics and mentoring.

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Ana Ivanovic may have gone 0-3 in weekend Fed Cup play as Serbia lost to 3-2 to Russia, and proved that she really is ‘nothing but a pretty face’, but the one- time French Open champion proved she’s still a star with sponsors after signing a lifetime deal to stay with adidas clothing. The former number one player who now stands 23rd as she fights to lift after a year-long slump, will wear the German “three-stripe” gear for as long as she stays in the sport, her management team announced Monday.

Ivanovic joins Andy Murray as recipient of a recent contract with the firm. The company lost world number two Novak Djokovic when his contract expired prior to the start of the 2010 season.

Officials said that Ivanovic, 22, will become a brand ambassador for the company, the youngest-ever athlete – male of female – to sign an agreement of this length.

“I’m very proud to wear adidas for the rest of my career. adidas has helped me immensely over the last few years by providing me with great products and unique services off the court including the adidas Player Development Program,” said the Serb

“This long-term contract extension means a lot to me

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Feliciano Lopez clinched his first title in over five years with victory at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg.

The world No.39, who toppled top seed Gael Monfils in the semi-finals, eased past Stephane Robert 7-5 6-1.

Lopez saw eight break point opportunities come and go before finally breaking No.8 seed Robert’s resistance in the late stages of a 49-minute first set.

With the momentum firmly on Lopez’s side, first-time finalist Robert managed only 11 points in the second, giving the Spaniard his second career title after claiming the Vienna title in 2004.

“I had everything to lose and Stephane had nothing to lose so it is a great feeling to succeed,” Lopez said after the match.

“Some missed opportunities in the first set angered me, but it all came together in the end,” he added. “The support for me here, so many thousands of kilometres from home, was amazing.”

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Top-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia successfully defended his Zagreb Indoors title by beating Michael Berrer of Germany in three sets on Sunday.

Cilic won 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes to claim his second title of the year and the fifth of his career.

The 22-year-old Croatian has been in good form this season, winning in Chennai, India, in January and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open to break into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in his career.

For the first time in this tournament — and last year’s — Cilic lost a set.

After winning all five matches last year in straight sets he was close to repeating the feat this year before Berrer forced a deciding set by taking the second set tiebreak.

Cilic never lost his serve in the final, saving all six break points he faced.

The third and decisive set was decided by a lone break in the fourth game. Cilic served for the match at 5-3, saved two break points and hit his 13th ace to clinch the title.

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Russia edged out Serbia in Belgrade to qualify for the Fed Cup semi-finals.

The hosts appeared to be in the driving seat when Jelena Jankovic put her side 2-1 ahead after beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 4-6 6-3.

But former world number one Ana Ivanovic was thrashed 6-2 6-3 by Alisa Kleybanova to level things once again.

And it was Russia who came out on top in the doubles, Kleybanova and Kuznetsova beating Jankovic and Ivanovic 6-1 6-4.

There was another tight finish in Brno as the Czech Republic beat Germany 3-2.

Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke won the decisive doubles rubber 6-1 6-3 against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Tatjana Malek to earn the Czechs a dramatic victory.

Earlier in the day, Hradecka beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1 7-6 (7/5) only for Groenefeld to level the tie with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova.

The United States cruised past France 4-1.

Rising star Melanie Oudin made sure of their place in the last four with a 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 victory over Julie Coin to give the States an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Pauline Parmentier claimed a point back for the French with a

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The Americans advanced to the Fed Cup semifinals after teenager Melanie Oudin defeated Julie Coin in Sunday’s first reverse singles match.

Oudin posted a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over Coin to give the United States a insurmountable 3-0 lead over France in the best-of-five tie. Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won singles matches Saturday.

The Americans have captured the Fed Cup 17 times, but last won it in 2000, and last year finished as the runner-up to Italy. The team is playing without its top two stars in Serena and Venus Williams.

France has won just once in 12 all-time meetings with the U.S. in Fed Cup play, with the lone triumph coming at the 2003 final.

The United States will next face the Russia-Serbia victor

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