Tennis

K-Swiss’ new ad slogan, “Keep It Pure” is built around the No. 23 women's tennis player in the world, Alona Bondarenko. New spots featuring tennis players Tommy Haas, Bondarenko and Anna Kournikova, among others, aired during the Final Four and will be splashed across magazines. Bondarenko is a 23-year-old from the Ukraine with one career WTA title. I really need to move to the Ukraine ... Here’s guessing Tommy Haas is not lying provocatively across the court in similar ads.Click here for more sports

Well, it’s the Australian Open men’s final that everyone was expecting: Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal … wait, you mean it’s the two players who vanquished tennis’ two top guns instead? Yes, on Sunday in Melbourne (Saturday night in the U.S.), it’s third-seeded Novak Djokovic, who shocked world No. 1 Federer in straight sets in the semifinals, against unseeded, relative unknown Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who swept away Nadal in the semis, for the season’s first Grand Slam title. Which upset was more stunning? Was it Djokovic’s, who handed Federer his first straight-sets loss since losing to Gustavo Kuerten in the 2004 French Open? Maybe not, since the Serb is No. 3 in the world, after all, and the Aussie Open ...

If Roger Federer is to be stopped from winning a third consecutive Australian Open, it likely will have to come in Friday’s semifinals (Thursday overnight in the U.S.) in Melbourne by third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia. With unseeded (albeit impressive) Jo Wilfried-Tsonga of France waiting in the finals, it would seem Djokovic presents the last able challenger, although he is a sizable underdog at inspin.com. However, Federer is entering his record 15th straight Slam semifinal (five more than any other player in history) and looks to have his game righted after straight-set victories over Tomas Berdych and James Blake; he has won 19 straight matches in Melbourne. And Djokovic is only 1-5 career against the No. 1 ...

The match of the day Wednesday in Melbourne at the Australian Open is the men’s quarterfinal between 12th-seeded American James Blake and top-seeded Roger Federer. Blake, 28, is the oldest player and only American left in the draw, and he is 0-7 in his career against Federer, winning a total of one set. "Every time I go out on the court I like to think I have a chance and I'm going to win,” Blake said. "That's the same way I'll go into it this time." Blake has never progressed past the quarterfinals of a major, having also reached the quarters at the U.S. Open in 2005 and 2006. But "I feel like I'm better now ...

The glamour matches at the Australian Open on Tuesday - late Monday in the U.S. - are the women’s quarterfinal matchups of No. 3 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) vs. No. 7 Serena Williams (USA) and top-ranked Justin Henin (Belgium) against No. 5 Maria Sharapova (Russia). Jankovic and Serena have split their four previous matches, all on hard courts, but Serena won the one that counted most, in the fourth round here last year on her way to her most surprising major title. “I know that against her I have to come up with a better level of tennis,” Jankovic said of Serena. “I’ve beaten her a few times. I know how I have to play. But I know that ...

Here are the seeds for the Australian Open, which begins Monday in Melbourne.You can bet on the season's first major at WagerWeb.com AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2008 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SEEDS Men Women 1. Roger Federer (SUI) 1. Justine Henin (BEL) 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 2. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 3. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 4. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 4. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 5. David Ferrer (ESP) 5. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6. Andy Roddick (USA) 6. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 7. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 7. Serena Williams (USA) 8. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 8. Venus Williams (USA) 9. Andy Murray (GBR) 9. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 10. David Nalbandian (ARG) ...

The first major tennis tournament of the year begins Jan. 14 in Melbourne with the Australian Open, and while most oddsmakers, including inspin.com , list Roger Federer as the overwhelming favorite (and for good reason), there is an emerging young Scot who could emerge as the main challenger to Federer Down Under - and beyond. Andy Murray, Britain’s top player, won the Qatar Open on Sunday, which was his fourth ATP title but first hardcourt title and also first tournament win since splitting with coach Brad Gilbert. "I had never won a tournament in the first week of the season," said Murray, who lost last year's final to Ivan Ljubicic and split with Gilbert in November. "It is ...

Russian tennis player Anna Chakvetadze was robbed of goods worth $200,000 after being tied up by thieves who broke into her holiday home outside of Moscow Tuesday morning. Six assailants approached the home outside Moscow before dawn, tied up a maid in another building and forced her to hand over a remote control enabling them to enter the house through the garage, Dzhamal Chakvetadze, Anna’s father, told NTV television. "They started to beat me, and I resisted. They hit me over the head with, I think, a pistol butt. It was dark," he said, taking off his cap to show his bruised scalp. "They took out a pistol and told me my child was at home -- reminded ...

We love James Blake, its sad to see him go, but that tennis match was just amazing.Today, seed 10 Tommy Haas defeated Blake on a five set victory with a 4-6 6-4 3-6 6-0 7-6 (7-4) triumph.Haas now moved to the 2007 US Open quarter finals and will have to meet Nikolay Davydenko who crushed Hyung-Taik Lee 6-1 6-3 6-4. Davydenko is seeded 4.By the way, have you seen Haas' girlfriend Sara Foster? No wonder the man is so inspired! Check out Sara Foster on Maxim. You know, she was voted #10 of their Hottest 100 list for 2005.Bet on the US Open

Both two-time U.S. Open champions, the William sisters pulled off yet another victory as they both advance to the quarterfinals at the 2007 U.S. Open after winning every set during four rounds.Serena swept an easy win after beating 10th-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday and commentated, "I'm definitely better than I was in my first match." Serena Jameka Williams, the younger of the two, has won eight Grand Slam singles titles, three Australian Open singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles. She’s now up to face Justine Henin-Hardenne in her third consecutive grand slam quarterfinal match up at this year U.S. Open.Venus Williams also advanced to the quarter-finals after upsetting and beating Serbian fifth seed Ana ...