TENNIS in DEPTH.

Former Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, 15, caused a second upset in as many days with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Hungary’s Aniko Kapros, ranked 207 places above her in the world rankings.

Robson, ranked 460th, had on Wednesday beaten Stephanie Foretz of France, the world number 128, and the teenager now faces Eva Hrdinova of the Czech Republic, ranked 203rd, for a place in the main draw.

Robson rates the two wins as her best achievement, saying: “I had some good wins when I made the semi-finals of Shrewsbury last year but this definitely means the most to me.

“I came here just wanting to play as well as I could but getting to the final round of qualifying is obviously great and is a pretty good job by me – I’d give myself a big pat on the back.”

Bookmark It

Elena Dementieva will make her debut at the Hopman Cup in January, rather than defend her title in Auckland. The Russian Olympic gold medal holder, who won the Toronto event last weekend to add to her Auckland and Sydney titles earned this season, will partner Igor Andreev at the ITF-sanctioned mixed team event.

Last year the Russians were represented by the brother/sister combination of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina, who finished as runners-up to the Slovak paring of Dominik Hrbaty and Dominika Cibulkova.

Also confirmed for the 22nd staging of the tournament, to be held at the Burswood Dome between January 2-9, is the Australian pairing of Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur.

Bookmark It

Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova needed a third-set tiebreaker to beat Belgian teenager Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (2).

The French Open champion seemed to be cruising after taking 5-4 lead in the second with a match point on Wickmayer’s serve.

But the 19-year-old rallied, then broke Kuznetsova in the seventh game of the third set and was serving for the match. Kuznetsova came up with two big returns to break back, then dominated the tiebreaker.

”I knew at 5-all that if I wanted to win the match, I would have to play perfect,” Wickmayer said. ”And I almost played perfectly, but I guess in the tiebreaker she was just too good for me.”

Kuznetsova acknowledged that she let her concentration lag at times, and said she sometimes needs to have her back against the wall before she plays her best tennis.

”I still have it, so I appreciate that I have it, but I have to work on closing out things when I have the chance to,” she said.

Kuznetsova will play her friend and sometimes doubles partner Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals.

Two other top seeds advanced in straight sets. Caroline Wozniacki, the defending champion, dispatched Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-1, 6-4, while No. 3 Flavia Pennetta beat Iveta Benesova 7-6(1), 6-4, racking up eight aces.

”My serve helped me a lot on the important points,” Pennetta said. ”I didn’t make a lot of mistakes, I was very aggressive.”

Virginia Razzano also advanced, when Agnieszka Radwanska retired before the third set of their match with a hand injury. Radwanska said she will be able to play in the U.S. Open.

Bookmark It

World Anti-Doping Agency officials saw the matter slightly differently and demanded an immediate urine sample from the Scot, who was sleeping at the time in his New York hotel.

Murray later wrote on Twitter: “First day off in a while so you can imagine I was very pleased to get woken up by drug-testers at 7.15.

 ”Can’t imagine a more relaxing way to start the day than having someone watching you go to the toilet.”

The Scot goes into the final grand-slam event of the year as the world No 2 and brimming with confidence, the reward for a summer’s work which saw him win the Masters Series title in Montreal and reach the semi-finals in Cincinnati.

His likely path through the field at Flushing Meadows will be revealed at the draw in Manhattan on Thursday.

In February Murray criticised the ATP drug-testing system after undergoing his third test in just over two weeks.

The Scot – who had to wait for 90 minutes to produce the specimen – claimed there was one system for the top players and another for the journeymen and said that had to change.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal has also had plenty to say on the subject.

He said: “I think it shows a lack of respect for privacy. I think it’s a disgrace. These are things that completely have to change, and there is a unanimous voice on that in the locker room. It is an intolerable hunt.”

Bookmark It

In the wake of Kim Clijsters return to the WTA Tour, the French and Belgian press are reporting that her compatriot and fellow former world No.1 Justine Henin may be considering a return to competitive action next year.

In May 2008, days before she was set to launch the defence of her French Open crown for a third successive year, a 25-year-old Henin stunned the tennis world by announcing her immediate retirement from tennis. It was the first time that the women’s world No.1 had walked away from the game at the top.

But now, having agreed to play in two exhibition matches in December, Henin could be contemplating a tour comeback.

“I can not say that I will never return because I hate to say ‘never’…”

The rumour began when Elke Van Dongen-Rodriguez, the wife of Henin’s former coach Carlos Rodriguez, said about the possibility of a return following the exhibition shows in Charleroi and Dubai: “There are some things being prepared, but I’m not allowed to speak about it”.

Her spokesman has insisted that Henin is only practicing to prepare for the exhibitions, having had knee surgery in the past year. But reports from the sports pages in France and Belgium are convinced that the seven-time grand slam champion is looking beyond a couple of guest appearances.

“After the exhibition games that will end the year in Belgium and Dubai, [Henin] has decided to return to competitive action from January,” according to reports in French newspaper Vers l’Avenir.

Since her retirement last May, Henin has established a tennis academy with Rodriguez and appeared in a number of television shows in Belgium. She had claimed 41 titles, including 7 grand slams. Having “given everything and had every experience” after nearly ten years on tour, she asked for her ranking to be removed with immediate effect.

But months later the Belgian admitted she could entirely rule out a return to the tour. “I can not say that I will never return because I hate to say ‘never’,” she told reporters. “But when I do something, I’m 200%, and when I decide it’s over, it’s really finished.”

Eight players have held the No.1 spot in the fifteen months that have passed, with Dinara Safina – the last player to face Henin prior to her retirement – currently on top.

Bookmark It

Laura Robson, the 15-year-old former Wimbledon junior champion, performed like an old hand as she took an encouraging opening few steps in her first US Open.

Despite the traditional distractions of this the most boisterous of the grand-slam tournaments, she secured a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Stéphanie Foretz, of France, who is ranked 332 places above her in the world rankings, in the first of what she clearly intends will be three successful qualifying rounds at Flushing Meadows.

From twice a break of serve down in the first set, which she won with a blitz of 12 successive points, Robson mastered the stiff breeze, court and opponent with equal self-assurance.

Many have found the surroundings here get right under their skin — Kevin Curren, the 1985 Wimbledon runner-up from South Africa, said he would have happily dropped a bomb on it. Others absolutely love the place. Andy Murray has never been anything than right at home in a city that requires nerveless command of one’s wits. Maybe Robson will come to thrive here, too.

Since this year’s Wimbledon, Robson has played only five matches in the minor leagues of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She has preferred to hone her talents away from publicity’s glare at the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy near Paris.

She was scheduled to play in the Canadian Open Junior Championships next week when the call came from her management group saying that they had struck a deal for a wild card into qualifying for this prestigious event. She leapt at the chance.

Foretz is presently ranked No 128 in the world compared to the Briton’s No 460 placing, but once Robson overcame her early butterflies and began to unfurl her forehand, there was little resistance. Today, in the second round, Robson plays Aniko Kapros, of Hungary.

Bookmark It

The men’s top seed Nikolay Davydenko stopped Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-3. This is the last time the Frenchman will appear in New Haven. He announced his retirement earlier in the year and his final event will be in Paris in early November. As for Davydenko, this is the second time in three years that he has reached the quarterfinals or better at Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick. He will face Sam Querrey who by moving into the next round has accumulated enough points to win the US Open Series title…..all he has to do now is win the US Open next week to collect the $million bonus..

Igor Andreev, the seventh seed, was the first winner of the day. The Russian ended the run enjoyed by Portuguese qualifier Frederico Gill 6-4, 6-4. This is the fourth consecutive year that Andreev has reached the quarterfinals.

“I always play well here and I have another chance to go the semi-finals and I will try to do that,” Andreev said. “I like to play here and it’s good preparation for the US Open. I get confidence.

Bookmark It

CarolineWozniacki, the ninth-ranked player in the world, is trying to become the first repeat champion at the Pilot Pen event since Venus Williams won four straight from 1999-2002. She was absolutely dominant against Gallovits, who is ranked 91st.

Wozniacki won 16 straight points and 20 of the final 21 in the 18-minute first set. Gallovits scored just 13 points in the match as Wozniacki won four games at love, including the clincher in the second set.

“For sure, this was a fast match,” Wozniacki said. “But I was playing great tennis. I didn’t give one point up. I just kept fighting until the end. So I’m really pleased.”

Wozniacki will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday, in the second round on Wednesday. The match will not start before 1 p.m.

Wozniacki is looking for her third singles title this year after winning the AEGON International in June and the MPS Group Championships in April. She said it was a nice feeling to return to the Pilot Pen as the defending champion this week.

Wozniacki is a more confident player right now. And her work in the boxing ring is a major reason why.

“Last year I was out of the top 20 when I came here and now I’m inside the Top 10 so I think I’ve done some things right,” Wozniacki said. “I just think that I’ve become a better player in many different levels. I think the fitness part has helped me a lot, but also I believe more that I can win against everyone.”

Bookmark It