Tennis News
Cilic Defends Zagreb Indoors Title

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ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- Top-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia successfully defended his Zagreb Indoors title by beating Michael Berrer of Germany in three sets Sunday.

Cilic won 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in 2 hours, 38 minutes to claim his second title of the year and the fifth of his career.

The 22-year-old Croatian has been in good form this season, winning in Chennai, India, in January and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open to break into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time.

For the first time in this tournament -- and last year's -- Cilic lost a set.

After winning all five matches last year in straight sets, he was close to repeating the feat this year before Berrer forced a deciding set by winning a tiebreaker.

Cilic never lost his serve in the final, saving all six break points he faced.

The third set was decided by a lone break in the fourth game. Cilic served for the match at 5-3, saved two break points and hit his 13th ace to clinch the title.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

 

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U.S. Advances to Fed Cup Semis

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LIEVIN, France (AP) -- Teenager Melanie Oudin won her two singles matches to lead the United States to a 4-1 victory over France and give her team a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals.

Oudin overcame Julie Coin 7-6 (3), 6-4 in just over two hours Sunday to give the Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead.

"I was a little nervous in the beginning," Oudin said. "She definitely stepped up her game when she came out on court and served some really great service games. There wasn't much I could do in the beginning, besides staying in there with her."

Pauline Parmentier then beat Christina McHale of the United States 6-4, 6-4 before Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Frenchwomen Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-3 in the final doubles.

"I'm so proud of my team," U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez told the Fed Cup's official Web site. "They really competed hard and practiced so well during the week and they had a great chemistry."

The U.S. will next face Russia on April 24-25 while France will need to win a playoff to stay in the World Group.

"Russia is the toughest team to play because they have so much depth," Fernandez said.

 

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Feliciano Lopez Wins South African Open

Feliciano LopezJOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Third-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain won his second career ATP Tour title Sunday by beating Stephane Robert of France 7-5, 6-1 in the SA Open final.

The 39th-ranked Lopez broke in the last game of the first set and then cruised in the second to earn his first title since 2004. The Spaniard never faced a break point but created 12 as he continually pressured Robert on his serve, breaking two more times in the second set.

 

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Fit Serena Would Give Opponents Fits

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Serena WilliamsJust mean it, Serena. Then, you'll do it.

A few minutes after Serena Williams won the Australian Open, she said she had to figure out how to win more French Opens. It seems pretty obvious, really, why she has won just one:

The French is on the slow, red clay and takes twice the conditioning and patience of other majors. Williams has made a career choice of not being fully in tennis shape, shortchanging her own legacy. So I asked her:

What do you think it will take?

"Honestly, I'm going to have to be more fit," she said. "I need to be more fit than I was in this tournament.''

Music. Ears. How refreshing to hear her bring it up.

"My whole goal,'' she said, "is just to get fit."

Please just mean it, Serena, because it could lift you to the amazing heights that are within you and no one else. Williams can still win a Grand Slam if she follows through, and not in the way people use the term today, as if it means winning one major.

 

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Hingis to Play World TeamTennis

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Martina HingisMartina Hingis can't help but contemplate yet another comeback when she sees the success Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin are having after being away from tennis.

"There's a spark,'' Hingis said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

But she also said she would rule out the possibility of a return to the tour "at this point,'' primarily because of all the travel.

"If it was played in the backyard,'' Hingis said from her home in Switzerland, "then I'd probably think about it twice.''

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion and youngest woman to be ranked No. 1 retired for the second time in 2007, when she was given a two-year suspension for testing positive for cocaine. Hingis denied taking the drug but did not appeal the ruling.

 

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