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ATP Houston

Seeds: ¹Andy Roddick (USA), ²James Blake (USA), ³Tommy Haas (GER), ⁴Mardy Fish (USA), ⁵Jurgen Melzer (AUT), ⁶Benjamin Becker (GER), ⁷Robby Ginepri (USA), ⁸Juan Monaco (ARG)

ATP Valencia: First Round Fixtures:

David Ferrer (ESP)  vs.  Daniele Bracciali (ITA)
James Ward (GBR)  vs.  Qualifier 1 (-)
Jan Hernych (CZE)  vs.  Sergio Roitman (ARG)
Evgueni Korolev (RUS)  vs.  Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)  vs.  Potito Starace (ITA)
Qualifier 2 (-)  vs.  Simon Greul (DEU)
Qualifier 3 (-)  vs.  Kristian Pless (DNK)
Gilles Simon (FRA)  vs.  Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS)
Filippo Volandri (ITA)  vs.  Igor Andreev (RUS)
Stefan Koubek (AUT)  vs.  Oscar Hernandez (ESP)
Qualifier 4 (-)  vs.  Alessio Di Mauro (ITA)
Jan Hajek (CZE)  vs.  Nicolas Almagro (ESP)
Florian Mayer (DEU)  vs.  Santiago Ventura (ESP)
Alejandro Falla (COL)  vs.  Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Alberto Martin (ESP)  vs.  Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Ernest Gulbis (LVA)  vs.  Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

ATP Valencia:

Seeds: ¹David Ferrer (ESP), ²Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP), ³Nicolas Almagro (ESP), ⁴Fernando Verdasco (ESP), ⁵Gilles Simon (FRA), ⁶Florian Mayer (DEU), ⁷Filippo Volandri (ITA), ⁸Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)

Watford  4 - 2  Portsmouth (Vicarage Road Stadium)
                   16' M Taylor
28' H Bouazza (pen)
45' G Mahon
51' T Priskin
73' H Bouazza
                   81' A Mvuemba

Fulham  1 - 3  Man City (Craven Cottage)
                   21' J Barton
                   36' D Beasley
                   59' D Vassell
76' C Bocanegra 

Aston Villa  1 - 1  Wigan (Villa Park)
                   21' E Heskey
                   34' A Valencia (red card)
50' G Agbonlahor 

Bolton  1 - 1  Everton (Reebok Stadium)
18' K Davies
                   33' J Vaughan

Newcastle  0 - 0  Arsenal (St James' Park)

First Round Fixtures:

Nicole Vaidisova (CZE)  -  bye bye
Alina Jidkova (RUS)  vs.  Michaella Krajicek (NLD)
Virginie Razzano (FRA)  vs.  Meghann Shaughnessy (USA)
Alicia Molik (AUS)  vs.  Sybille Bammer (AUT)
Vera Zvonareva (RUS)  vs.  Nathalie Dechy (FRA)
Meilen Tu (USA)  vs.  Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Julia Schruff (DEU)  vs.  Gisella Dulko (ARG)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB)  vs.  bye bye 
Dinara Safina (RUS)  - bye bye
Eleni Daniilidou (GRC)  vs.  Romina Oprandi (ITA)
Vania King (USA)  vs.  Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP)
Shenay Perry (USA)  vs.  Marion Bartoli (FRA)
Tatiana Golovin (FRA)  vs.  Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Jelena Kostanic Tosic (HRV)  vs.  Jill Craybas (USA)
Shuai Peng (CHN)  vs.  Barbora Strycova (CZE)
Patty Schnyder (SUI)  -  bye bye
********
Na Li (CHN)  -  bye bye 
Nicole Pratt (AUS)  vs.  Varvara Lepchenko (UZB)
Martina Muller (DEU)  vs.  Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP)  vs.  Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
Samantha Stosur (AUS)  vs.  Venus Williams (USA)
Vasilisa Bardina (RUS)  vs.  Elena Vesnina (RUS)
Séverine Brémond (FRA)  vs.  Yung-Jan Chan (TWN)
Serena Williams (USA)  -  bye bye 
Shahar Peer (ISR)  -  bye bye
Yuliana Fedak (UKR)  vs.  Jie Zheng (CHN)
Aravane Rezaï (FRA)  vs.  Vera Dushevina (RUS)
Julia Vakulenko (UKR)  vs.  Katarina Srebotnik (SVN)
Mara Santangelo (ITA)  vs.  Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)
Ashley Harkleroad (USA)  vs.  Laura Granville (USA)
Eva Birnerova (CZE)  vs.  Anastassia Rodionova (RUS)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) - bye bye

The Williams sisters are drawn in the same half.

This week's tournament (April 09 '07- April 15 '07):

WTA Charleston (USA)

Seeds:  ¹Nicole Vaidisova (CZE), ²Jelena Jankovic (SRB), ³Serena Williams (USA), ⁴Dinara Safina (RUS), ⁵Shahar Peer (ISR), ⁶Patty Schnyder (SUI), ⁷Ana Ivanovic (SRB), ⁸Na Li (CHN), ⁹Vera Zvonareva (RUS), ¹⁰Tatiana Golovin (FRA), ¹¹Francesca Schiavone (ITA), ¹²Katarina Srebotnik (SVN), ¹³Marion Bartoli (FRA), ¹⁴Samantha Stosur (AUS), ¹⁵Sybille Bammer (AUT), ¹⁶Mara Santangelo (ITA)

Kit, I dey o.  Hope you don recover from the shock of saturday's loss!

https://img126.imageshack.us/img126/2755/titianato3.jpg   https://img126.imageshack.us/img126/7907/golovincx0.jpg

France's Tatiana Golovin captured her first WTA Tour title by whipping top-seeded Nadia Petrova 6-2 6-1 in the Amelia Island Championship.

Golovin had risen to 20 in the WTA Tour rankings, but the 19-year-old was winless in three previous Tour singles finals.

The Frenchwoman said: "I felt I was ready to win my first title today. Today I knew I could beat Petrova. I knew I had the weapons to do it."

Golovin beat Ivanovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the finals where she will meet Petrova, who wasted no time in beating Bammer 7-6(4), 6-1.

Chelsea  1 - 0  Tottenham  (Stamford Bridge)
52' R Carvalho

Arsenal  0 - 1  West Ham (Emirates Stadium)
                    45' B Zamora

Reading  1 - 2  Liverpool  (Madejski Stadium)
                    15' A Arbeloa
47' B Gunnarsson
                    86' D Kuyt

Sheff Utd  1 - 2  Newcastle  (Bramall Lane)
                   17' O Martins
74' C Nade
                   80' S Taylor

Portsmouth   2 - 1  Man Utd  (Fratton Park)
30' M Taylor
89' R Ferdinand (og)
                   90' J O'Shea

Seun, you don't know who Tunde Baiyewu of Lighthouse family is? 

Yeah, he got married to Tope Adeshina last month.  Go here for more info about him.

Never knew his mother got married to OBJ

Team Nigeria suffered her third straight defeat today at the hands of the polish doubles team.

Poland beat Nigeria 7-6(4), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the next round.

Imagine we won just 1 set out of 10 on our home ground.

davidylan:
Na wa o. Was this a Davis cup tie or tennis lessons for Nigeria?

Both apply. We'll get there someday.

WTA Amelia Island:

Second and third seeds Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova have all been sent packing from the Amelia Island tennis championship.

Defending champion Nadia Petrova beat fellow Russian and fifth seed Dinara Safina 6-4 7-5.  Petrova will next face Sybille Bammer in the one of Saturday's semi-finals, after the Austrian felled Slovak Hantuchova 2-6 6-2 6-2.

Golovin will meet Ivanovic in the other semi-finals.

9ja4eva:
How about Kim ?

Kim's still playing, but will retire before the end of the season to become a housewife.

Igbinovia and Babalola lost their opening matches in straight sets to their opponents.  The result means we have to win the remaining three matches to reach the second round.

Rubber 1:
Kubot - Igbinovia   6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4)

Rubber 2:
Olejniczak - Babalola   6-1, 6-4, 6-3

Man City 0 - 0 Charlton (City of Manchester Stadium)

Quarter-Final Fixtures:

Nadia Petrova (RUS) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Sybille Bammer (AUT)
Tatiana Golovin (FRA) vs. Venus Williams (USA)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Third Round Results:

Petrova - Zheng 6-2, 6-3
Safina - Srebotnik 6-3, 6-1
Hantuchova - Cibulkova 6-1, 6-4
Bammer - Sprem 6-2, 6-3
Golovin - Stosur 6-2, 6-1
Williams - Tu 6-2, 7-5
Ivanovic - Dechy 6-1, 6-1
Jankovic - Bondarenko 6-2, 6-0

All the quarter-finalists look to be in top form as they all dismissed their opponents in straight sets.

Nigeria will be hosting Poland between April 6 - April 8 at Abuja National Stadium, Abuja in one of the Group II matches for the Europe/Africa Zone.  The two teams have met twice, with a win apiece.  The surface of the court is hard (outdoors).  Nigeria's victory over Poland (3-2) was on a hard court, though it was in 1995.  I hope they can reproduce that form. 

The winner meets the winner between Greece and Ukraine in the second round. 

The other Group II fixtures are:

Morocco v Denmark
Estonia v Slovenia
Greece v Ukraine
Latvia v Bulgaria
Cyprus v Finland
Algeria v Monaco
Norway v Hungary

Tie Details:

Rubber 1
Jonathan IGBINOVIA (NGR)  vs.  Lukasz KUBOT (POL)       

Rubber 2
Abdul-Mumin BABALOLA (NGR)  vs.  Dawid OLEJNICZAK (POL)       

Rubber 3
Abdul-Mumin BABALOLA / Jonathan IGBINOVIA (NGR)  vs. 
Mariusz FYRSTENBERG / Marcin MATKOWSKI (POL)       

Rubber 4
Abdul-Mumin BABALOLA (NGR)  vs.  Lukasz KUBOT (POL)       

Rubber 5
Jonathan IGBINOVIA (NGR)  vs.  Dawid OLEJNICZAK (POL)

Maybe I should add that Babalola is the highest ranked tennis player in Nigeria.  He's placed 735th   . 

Current Davis Cup Rankings:
Poland   -  54  with 245.6 points
Nigeria   -  76  with 33.3 points

Third Round Fixtures:

Nadia Petrova (RUS)  vs.  Jie Zheng (CHN)
Katarina Srebotnik (SVN)  vs.  Dinara Safina (RUS)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)  vs.  Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Sybille Bammer (AUT)  vs.  Karolina Sprem (HRV)
Tatiana Golovin (FRA)  vs.  Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Meilen Tu (USA)  vs.  Venus Williams (USA)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB)  vs.  Nathalie Dechy (FRA)
Alyona Bondarenko (UKR)  vs.  Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Venus Williams continued her quest back to the top of women's tennis, upsetting fourth seed Patty Schnyder to reach the third round of the Amelia Island championship.

The 3-6 6-3 6-4 win improves Williams's record over the Swiss world number 16 to 9-0.

Second Round Results:

Petrova - Kanepi 6-4, 6-0
Zheng - Santangelo 6-3, 6-3
Srebotnik - Vakulenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Safina - Krajicek 6-4, 7-5
Hantuchova - Llagostera Vives 6-1, 6-3
Cibulkova - Dushevina 6-1, 6-3
Bammer - Razzano 6-1, 6-1
Sprem - Li 6-3, 6-3
Golovin - Castano 6-0, 6-3
Stosur - Oprandi 7-6, 6-2
Tu - Muller 6-3, 6-1
Williams - Schnyder 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Ivanovic - Peng 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Dechy - Daniilidou 6-3, 6-4
Bondarenko - Shvedova 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Jankovic - Benesova 6-1, 6-2

Second Round Fixtures:

Nadia Petrova (RUS) vs. Kaia Kanepi (EST)
Mara Santangelo (ITA) vs. Jie Zheng (CHN)
Katarina Srebotnik (SVN) vs. Julia Vakulenko (UKR)
Michaella Krajicek (NLD) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Vera Dushevina (RUS) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Sybille Bammer (AUT) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Karolina Sprem (HRV) vs. Na Li (CHN)
Tatiana Golovin (FRA) vs. Catalina Castano (COL)
Romina Oprandi (ITA) vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Martina Muller (DEU) vs. Meilen Tu (USA)
Venus Williams (USA) vs. Patty Schnyder (CHE)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Shuai Peng (CHN)
Nathalie Dechy (FRA) vs. Eleni Daniilidou (GRC)
Alyona Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Yaroslava Shvedova (RUS)
Iveta Benesova (CZE) vs. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Venus Williams used a strong serve and powerful groundstrokes to whip Aravane Rezai 6-1 6-2 in her opening match at the Amelia Island championship.

The victory set up Wednesday's featured match between the unseeded Williams and number four seed Patty Schnyder. The Swiss, ranked Number 16 in the world, has never beaten Williams in eight matches.

First Round Results:

Kanepi - Bondarenko 1-6, 6-1, 6-1
Santangelo - Dominguez Lino 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Zheng - Molik 6-4, 6-2
Srebotnik - Craybas 7-6, 6-1
Vakulenko - Schruff 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Krajicek - Sun 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
Llagostera Vives - Bardina 6-2, 6-2
Dushevina - Pratt 6-1, 7-5
Cibulkova - Medina Garrigues 7-6, 6-2
Bammer - Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-1
Razzano - King 6-3, 6-4
Sprem - Shaughnessy 6-4, 7-6
Castano - Vesnina 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Oprandi - Azarenka 6-1, 6-1
Stosur - Ruano Pascual 7-5, 6-1
Muller - Harkleroad 7-5, 6-1
Tu - Pennetta 7-5, 6-1
Peng - Birnerova 6-2, 6-1
Dechy - Nakamura 6-2, 6-1
Daniilidou - Bartoli 6-0, 6-4
Bondarenko - Dulko 6-2, 6-3
Shvedova - Brémond 6-2, 3-1
Benesova - Morigami 6-1, 7-6

First Round Fixtures:

Nadia Petrova (RUS) - Bye 01
Kaia Kanepi (EST)  vs.  Katerina Bondarenko (UKR)
Mara Santangelo (ITA)  vs.  Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP)
Jie Zheng (CHN)  vs.  Alicia Molik (AUS)
Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)  vs.  Jill Craybas (USA)
Julia Schruff (GER)  vs.  Julia Vakulenko (UKR)
Michaella Krajicek (NED)  vs.  Tian Tian Sun (CHN)
Dinara Safina (RUS)  - Bye 02
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)  - Bye 03
Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)  vs.  Vasilisa Bardina (RUS)
Vera Dushevina (RUS)  vs.  Nicole Pratt (AUS)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)  vs.  Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Sybille Bammer (AUT)  vs.  Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)
Virginie Razzano (FRA)  vs.  Vania King (USA)
Meghann Shaughnessy (USA)  vs.  Karolina Sprem (CRO)
Na Li (CHN) - Bye 04
Tatiana Golovin (FRA) - Bye 05
Catalina Castano (COL)  vs.  Elena Vesnina (RUS)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR)  vs.  Romina Oprandi (ITA)
Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP)  vs.  Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Martina Muller (GER)  vs.  Ashley Harkleroad (USA)
Meilen Tu (USA)  vs.  Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Aravane Rezaï (FRA)  vs.  Venus Williams (USA)
Patty Schnyder (SUI)  - Bye 06
Ana Ivanovic (SRB)  - Bye 07
Shuai Peng (CHN)  vs.  Eva Birnerova (CZE)
Nathalie Dechy (FRA)  vs.  Aiko Nakamura (JPN)
Eleni Daniilidou (GRE)  vs.  Marion Bartoli (FRA)
Alona Bondarenko (UKR)  vs.  Gisela Dulko (ARG)
Yaroslava Shvedova (RUS)  vs.  Séverine Brémond (FRA)
Iveta Benesova (CZE)  vs.  Akiko Morigami (JPN)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) - Bye 08

This week's tournament:
WTA Amelia Island (USA) (April 2 - April 8 )

Seeds:  ¹Nadia Petrova (RUS), ²Jelena Jankovic (SRB), ³Daniela Hantuchova (SVK), ⁴Patty Schnyder (SUI), ⁵Dinara Safina (RUS), ⁶Ana Ivanovic (SRB), ⁷Na Li (CHN), ⁸Tatiana Golovin (FRA), ¹⁰Marion Bartoli (FRA), ¹¹Katarina Srebotnik (SLO), ¹²Samantha Stosur (AUS), ¹³Sybille Bammer (AUT), ¹⁴Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP), ¹⁵Jie Zheng (CHN), ¹⁶Alyona Bondarenko (UKR)

Aston Villa  1 - 1  Everton  (Villa Park)
                        15' J Lescott
83' G Agbonlahor

New ATP Rankings (2 April 2007)

              Name                Points
1 R. Federer (SUI)            7290
2 R. Nadal (ESP)               4875
3 A. Roddick (USA)            2980 
4 N. Davydenko (RUS)        2825 
5 F. Gonzalez (CHI)           2755 
6 T. Robredo (ESP)           2645 
7 N. Djokovic (SRB)           2540 
8 I. Ljubicic (CRO)             2270 
9 J. Blake (USA)              2150
10 T. Haas (GER)              2135 
11 A. Murray (GBR)           2125 
12 D. Nalbandian (ARG)      1805 
13 M. Ancic (CRO)             1775 
14 T. Berdych (CZE)          1715 
15 R. Gasquet (FRA)          1620 
16 D. Ferrer (ESP)             1615 
17 M. Youzhny (RUS)         1545 
18 M. Baghdatis (CYP)       1315 
19 L. Hewitt (AUS)            1250 
20 J. Nieminen (FIN)         1250

. . .
29 G. Canas (ARG)            1007

. . .
735  Babalola, Abdul-Mumin (NGR)     20
1030  Idoko, Candy (NGR)                7
1101  Nwokedi, Augustine (NGR)        5
1101  Igbinovia, Jonathan (NGR)         5
1222  Shehu, Lawal (NGR)                 4
1398  Ford-Da Silva, Destiny (NGR)     2

https://img254.imageshack.us/img254/782/djokovicnovaktg2.jpg       https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5511/djokoviccanastp2.jpg      https://img98.imageshack.us/img98/886/djokovicliftscrownhx4.jpg

Serbian teenager Novak Djokovic won his first Masters title as he defeated Guillermo Canas 6-3 6-2 6-4 to take the Sony Ericsson title.

With his first ATP Masters Series title, Djokovic became the youngest men's champion in the tournament's 23-year history. He won every set he played.

Djokovic saved all five break points he faced in the final and held serve 59 of 60 service games through the tournament, including his last 28 service games.

Seeded 10th, Djokovic will improve to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings Monday.

Djokovic earned $533,350. Canas received $266,675.

Tottenham 1 - 0 Reading (White Hart Lane)
41' R Keane (pen)

The final match between Djokovic and Canas is underway.

Here are some basic facts regarding what’s at stake in the fight for the Sony Ericsson Open men’s trophy today.

-  Djokovic, at 19 years, 10 months old, is hoping to become the youngest Sony Ericsson Open champion in the tournament’s 23-year history.
-  Guillermo Canas is looking to become the first qualifier and only the second unseeded player to win this tournament. (FYI: Tim Mayotte, the first champion of this tournament, was unseeded when he won the title in 1995).
-  This is the second time that both of these players have played in a final of a coveted ATP Masters Series event. Canas won the biggest title of his career at the ATP Masters Series Toronto event in 2002. Djokovic, reached the Indian Wells final two weeks ago.
-  Djokovic has not lost a set in five matches played here, while Canas has lost three sets in five matches.

Maybe I should add that Djokovic has never defeated Federer, while Canas has beaten Federer twice.

Who takes the Miami crown?