TENNIS in DEPTH.

Andy Roddick will attempt to win a record fifth AEGON Championships title at Queen’s Club in June.

The American – champion in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 – is the latest top-10 star to sign up after Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro confirmed their entries earlier this month.

Roddick was forced to withdraw from his semi-final against James Blake last year with an ankle injury but went on to put in his best performance at Wimbledon, losing to Roger Federer in an epic five-set final after beating Queen’s champion Andy Murray in the last four.

The 27-year-old has carried that form into 2010 and has won 20 matches already – more than anyone else on the ATP World Tour.

Roddick said: “I love the whole month in London. Over the years I’ve had a lot of success at The Queen’s Club and I still say it’s the best grass court in the world.

“It plays perfectly and so the AEGON Championships is a great way to prepare for Wimbledon.”

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The stars at the Sony Ericsson Open were center court today. Spice girl Mel B and singer/songwriter Jay Sean teamed up with Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic for a game of mixed doubles. The event was hosted by Kelly Bensimon from the Real Housewives of New York and local radio personality Benji Brown serving as the chair umpire…

The stands were empty as fans decided not to attend this dispaly of utter nonsense by players who should know better. This third rate spectacle does nothing to promote the game instead it degrades the game into the realm of a freak show.

The Sony Ericsson has a perfect venue, an entry list to be proud of and it doesn’t need this type of promotion. If the promotors insist on continuing with their ‘showmanship hype’ do not be surprised if many of the quality players decline their invitations in the years to come.

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I need to set the record straight for some of the Tennis commentators, and not only the Justin guy on the Tennis channel. Dick Enberg and both McEnroes are equally as guilty.

Players such as del Potro and Nalbandian who both hail from a country named Argentina are called Argentinians. They should not be referred to as the Argentine! or the big Argentine…there is no such word. Some world maps incorrectly refer to the country as The Argentine, they are wrong!

Similarly this past week, with the success of Ivan Lubicic who comes from a country named Croatia, he is Croatian not a big Croat! I must have heard and read the word Croat a hundred times.

Djokovic, Jankovic and Ivanovic are all citizens of Serbia, thus they are Serbian, not Serbs!

Fortunately there are no players from Greece in the top 100 so the announcers are not faced with the problem of having to decide whether to call them Grecians or Greeks?

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The Sony Ericsson Open has earned a reputation as being a highlight of the Miami social calendar and is globally recognized as one of the most anticipated stops on both the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tours. 2010 will be no exception.

The excitement of the two-week event does not stop with the elite level of play on-court. With a fashion show, party tour, on-site entertainment stage, and performances on stadium court the Sony Ericsson Open offers its guests a complete entertainment experience and continues to reinforce its status as the most glamorous event on the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour schedules.

2010 Special Events Schedule

March 25: SEO Party Tour – Coco Walk (Coconut Grove; 8:00 pm)

March 26: FILA Friday Night (Entertainment Stage; 6:00 pm)

March 26: SEO Party Tour – Sunset Place (South Miami; 7:00 pm)

March 27: FILA Fashion Show (Entertainment Stage; 6:30 pm)

March 28: UM Pool Party (UM University Center; 1:00 pm)

March 30: Bombay Sapphire Mixology Session (Bombay Sapphire Lounge; 1:30 pm)

April 1: GQ Bartender Mixology Session (Bombay Sapphire Lounge; 2:00 pm)

I just can’t wait for the sanity of Wimbledon to begin!

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Lleyton Hewitt will make his return from a hip injury by defending his title at next month’s ATP US Clay Court Championships.

The ATP Tour announced the Australian will make his return to competitive tennis for the first time since January’s Australian Open in Texas.

The former world No.1 has accepted a wild-card entry into the April 5-11 event at River Oaks Country Club.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to defend my title in Houston,” said Hewitt.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to come back on to the Tour after an injury.”

Hewitt suffered the injury while playing in the Hopman Cup in early January and underwent surgery in Hobart to repair a torn labrum after a fourth-round loss to Swiss star Roger Federer at the Australian Open.

Hewitt, ranked 24th by the ATP, underwent a similar operation on his left hip two years ago.

Last year, Hewitt rolled to the title without losing a set. This time, he hopes to become the first back-to-back champion since American Andy Roddick in 2001 and 2002.

“When we got the call that Lleyton was progressing faster than expected on his recovery, we were very pleased to offer him a wild card,” said Clay Courts director Van Barry. “We look forward to him coming back.”

Hewitt is fourth among active ATP players with 27 career titles, including the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon titles.

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The French Open could be forced into a “heartbreaking” move away from Paris in the next few years due to problems with the infrastructure at Roland Garros.

Organisers have long considered ways of extending the current stadia but these have stalled because of opposition from the public and environmentalists.

And tournament director Gilbert Ysern explained: “We have two options, make it bigger or move out.

“It would be heartbreaking to leave Paris but we have to consider it.”

A final decision on whether the tournament will remain in Paris is expected during a general assembly of the French Tennis Federation scheduled for next February.

But while the various extension plans have not been completely dismissed, organisers are now considering four possible new locations in the Paris suburbs, all over 15 kms away from the capital, including Versailles and Disneyland Paris.

“Over the last 10 years, the three other grand slam tournaments have progressed, notably in terms of infrastructure, but we haven’t,” Ysern added, referring to the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

“Roland Garros cannot stay the way it is.”

The French Open attracts 450,000 spectators during the fortnight it takes place, but Ysern revealed that world number one Roger Federer had given him a “long list of complaints” about the Paris tournament.

This year’s French Open runs from 24 May to 6 June.

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Ashley Harkleroad, known more for her Playboy pictures than her tennis ability, is making a comeback at The Sony Ericsson this week. She will meet Aussie Alicia Molik in the first round. Now the mother of a cute baby boy, she is ready to return to tennis, and maybe prove to the world that she is not just another pretty face. I for one will be more interested in what she wears rather than what Rafa wears!

The WTA is in need of a little extra spice and glamour, and now that Ana Ivanovic is only on court for a one hour match per tournament and with Maria Sharapova nursing more injuries, maybe Ashley can step in to help fill the void.

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Caroline Wozniacki claimed the world No.2 ranking by virtue of her run to the final in Indian Wells, usurping Dinara Safina – who has already pulled out of the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open as her back injury woes continues.

But despite rising to a career-high place in the ladder, the Dane’s 6-2 6-4 loss to former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic represented another missed title opportunity.

“I saw it was not going [my] way, but I just made a few too many errors at the important points,” said Wozniacki after defeat. “I couldn’t really get to play the game that I wanted to play.”

The US Open finalist has not claimed a WTA tournament victory since the Ponte Vedra Beach title in April 2009.

Justine Henin has now earned a ranking, she’s #33. San Stosur is at #10 for the first time while Ana Ivanovic has dropped out of sight to #58. With such a low ranking she will have tough draws in the upcoming major events making it more difficult for her to climb back up.

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