TENNIS in DEPTH.

- Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka, two of the WTA’s brightest youngest stars, took part in an exhibition match at the Palace Of Sport in Minsk on Friday evening, with proceeds going to the National Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders in Borovlyany.

Before the exhibition match, which included an appearance on the court by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Wozniacki and Azarenka visited the aforementioned hospital, signing autographs and meeting young patients. “The kids were amazing,” Azarenka tweeted. “One kid played guitar for us. I have no words, I almost cried. Another kid drew a painting for me, it’s beautiful.”

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Novak Djokovic is trying his best to keep his mind on the upcoming ATP World Tour Finals in London. The No. 3-ranked Serb is preparing for his fourth straight appearance at the eight-man tournament beginning Sunday, but is finding himself distracted by another upcoming task. In two weeks, Djokovic will lead his country in its first ever appearance in the Davis Cup final in front of a sellout home crowd in Belgrade.

“Honestly my biggest goal is to win the Davis Cup,” Djokovic said Friday. “I have had opportunities to be part of this event before and hopefully in the future I will be a part of it again, but the Davis Cup final at home, maybe it’s only one time. “Who knows if we’re going to have this opportunity again? That’s why I’m very excited about it emotionally and very motivated. But I still need to try to do my best here and then think about Belgrade.”

Serbia has beaten the USA, Croatia and the Czech Republic to earn a final against nine-time Davis Cup champion France. Djokovic has led the way by winning all five of the singles matches he has played, and will once again be under pressure to deliver two wins in the final beginning Dec. 3. The 23-year-old right-hander has struggled with allergies and breathing problems in several matches this year, but said he is not worried about his health despite a busy schedule. “You have to readjust, to prepare yourself for an exhausting two weeks,” he said. “Any match you play at the World Tour Finals, you have to put a big effort in to win. Then the Davis Cup is a unique competition which takes mentally more out of you than any individual tournament. “But I’m looking forward because I have qualified here for the fourth time. Just being part of this tournament is a great success for me. Any match I win here is going to be satisfying.” Djokovic begins his campaign against Tomas Berdych on Monday. Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick make up the rest of Group A.

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The field for the end-of-season Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, starting at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday, contains only one debutant – 25-year-old Tomas Berdych. At 23, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are the youngest players but neither can be called a newcomer, with Murray making his third consecutive appearance and Djokovic his fourth. The pair were both inside the world’s top 100 at the age of 18 and were swiftly followed by Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic, both of whom have since made it to the top 10. But over the last couple of years the talent stream has dried up and a glance at the top 100 reveals not one teenager – 19-year-old Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at 114 is the highest placed.

Federer was another player to make the top 100 before his 20th birthday, and he feels the difficulties young players are experiencing reflects the strength in depth and changing nature of the game. The Swiss said: “There’s not a whole lot of promising newcomers. I was asking myself the question, why don’t we have any teenagers in the top 100? I’m not even sure we have many players under 21 or 22 in the top 100. “It’s quite surprising to me because when I was coming up with Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Tommy Haas, they were all excellent players and in the top 100 as teenagers. “It was a normal thing. Boris Becker won Wimbledon and Michael Chang won the French Open. On the women’s side it was even more extreme. But now they have a similar trend it seems. “Maybe the game has become more physical and more mental and that’s why players today need a bit more time to break through, which can be seen as a good thing but also a bad thing.”

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Dinara Safina of Russia is set to headline the Moorilla Hobart International next January. Currently ranked No.63 in the world, Safina is one of the highest profile players to compete at the tournament and will hope to reclaim the form that saw her become the world’s No.1 female player in April last year. Safina enjoyed her most successful season in 2009, with her powerful baseline game and serve leading her to the finals of the Australian Open against Serena Williams (USA) and French Open against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. She also reached the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open before retiring hurt against fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko due to a lower back injury. The same injury kept her out of action from February to April and forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon in June.

Moorilla Hobart International Tournament Director Michael Roberts was excited to welcome Safina as she prepares for the upcoming Australian Open. “Dinara is a great addition to the line up and a player of her calibre will certainly be in contention to take out the Moorilla Hobart International. “This time last year she was ranked No.2 in the world, so hopefully she can regain her place in the top 10 and make her mark in the coming year.” Safina’s achievements also include a Grand Slam tournament victory in women’s doubles at the US Open in 2008, a silver medal in women’s singles at the Beijing Olympics, and recognition as the first female player in history to defeat three reigning No.1 players in the same season.

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 Robin Soderling “Art of Tennis” Self-Portrait & Racquet   

Item condition: –

Ended: Nov 18, 201012:00:36 PST

Winning bid: US $5,100.00 [ 95 bids ]

Shipping: Varies based on location and shipping method

Seller: Member id atp_charity  

 Robin Soderling’s self-portrait and autographed racquet have raised $5,100 for charity after bidding closed Thursday on the first Art of Tennis item to be auctioned. The auction ended at 8pm GMT, with 95 bids having been placed.

Fifty per cent of the winning bid will be donated to Save The Children – the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals official charity – with the other half to benefit Soderling’s chosen charity, World Childhood Foundation, founded by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden.

“$5,100!!! Congratulations and a big thank you for the help you give to kids in need around the world by bidding on my painting,” wrote Soderling on Twitter.

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The eight finalists paid a visit to Downing Street on Thursday when Prime Minister David Cameron hosted a reception for the players. “It’s fantastic that the ATP World Tour Finals tournament is back in London for the second year running,” said Mr Cameron. “It’s great for London and great for the country. “I hope that seeing the world’s top players compete right on our doorstep, including Britain’s very own Andy Murray, will inspire our next generation of sporting heroes.” Murray said: “It’s the second time I’ve been here. He (Mr Cameron) likes tennis, which we knew beforehand. We spoke about tennis and some of the past players. It was good fun, I really enjoyed it.”

Murray slipped one place in the latest world rankings on Monday when he was passed by Sweden’s Soderling, which left open the possibility that he would be drawn in the same group in London as 2008 champion and world number three Djokovic. The 23-year-old Scot will be relieved to have avoided the Serb, although it is arguable whether the in-form Soderling will prove any less testing an opponent. There will be an extra edge to the group matches as Djokovic, Soderling and Murray are all in with a chance of finishing the year as the world number three.

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Yesterday at the russian tennis awards ceremony in Moscow Vera Zvonareva received the female tennis player of the year award! It was presented by the chief of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Sergey Naryshkin!”

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Ivan Ljubicic will partner former tennis great Ivan Lendl for the International Team at the World Tennis Challenge, 11–13 January 2011. WTC Co-Tournament Director Mark Woodforde believes Ljubicic and Lendl will form a formidable team at Australia’s most innovative event. “Lendl is here to win and he is really excited that Ivan has agreed to partner him on the International team,” Woodforde said.

“With only one player left to announce, we could not be more happy with the calibre of players we have on board so far this year – it’s going to make for an amazing event comprising great on-court entertainment and, of course, some incredible and history making tennis. “The pairing of Ivan and Ivan will surely make the International team the one to beat for this year’s World Tennis Challenge title. “The former No.3 is currently ranked No.17 on the ATP World Tour and the Croatian has finished in the top 50 for the past 10 years. Ljubicic is a winner of nine career ATP titles and has amassed more than $9 million in career prize money. He has also led Croatia in Davis Cup for more than a decade and holds a 36-18 Davis Cup win-loss record.

Lendl and Ljubicic will be tough competition for crowd favourites John McEnroe and James Blake who make up Team America. Sell-out crowds are expected in 2011 with Lendl to face former rival John McEnroe. Both share a record of 12 year-end world championships, and the rivalry still remains fierce between the two players. With Henri Leconte and Michael Llodra confirmed for Team Europe and crowd favourite Pat Cash forming half of Team Australia, there is just one player still to be announced – a current day Australian player who will partner Cash.

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