Djokovic Repeats as Dubai Champion

Novak Djokovic defended his Duabi title with a 3 set victory over Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday in a final that spanned 2 days and over 3 hours of tennis due to rain delays. The 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 victory was the 4th consecutive match that has gone the distance for the Serb at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, as he won back-to-back titles at an ATP tournament for the 1st time in his career. Despite throwing in an uncharacteristic 12 double faults, but the number 1 seed still managed to win the title over the consistent and steady Youzhny, who fell to 5-9 in tour finals.

Gunthardt Knows His Work is Cut Out for Him

Anybody who has seen Ana Ivanovic play tennis over the past 2 years knows that the Serb is a mental train wreck and has had embarrasing results since her fluke-of-a-phase at number 1. And it's a good thing that Ivanovic's new coach for the time being, Heinz Gunthardt, knows what he's getting into, 'cuz I sure wouldn't want to get myself involved if I had the oppurtunity. The folks over at Go To Tennis translated a recent interview Gundhardt held with Swiss paper Tages Anzeiger about his new role with the Ivanovic team.

Heinz Günthardt how did your cooperation with Ivanovic come to be?
We’ve only agreed that I will help her out for the time being, until the tournament in Miami. Dan Holzmann, her manager from Basel, asked me just over a week ago.

Did you have to think twice?
No, because I found the offer to work with her very interesting, and it is a big task. And also the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami are not a bad alternative if it’s cold at home, minus 15 degrees.

How to start the cooperation?
We have been training in San Diego for three days. This is ideal in terms of her next tournament, which takes place just around the corner in Indian Wells, California. Here, you can already play tennis outside.

Ivanovic was ranked No. 1 after after winning the French Open 2008, since then she has slipped to rank 23rd. What do you know about this?
I have known it only loosely, and frankly did not see her play too often. I am therefore a bad judge of how her game has developed over the past two years. Her results were certainly not convincing. She also had some injury breaks, there’s a lot together. And because the power density in women’s tennis is much higher today than before, you slip in the world rankings even faster if things do not go well.

What’s your first impression?
After three days I can not say much. We are in the evaluation and acquaintance phase. Apparently it has not gone badly so far – otherwise we would have hardly imagined myself as a coach. She has an enormous amount of power in the arm and can still grow everywhere, even athletically. She seems to have fun playing tennis – and she can too. In addition, she is very nice.

Ivanovic plays an exhibition at Madison Square Gardein in New York on March first. Are you participating?
I assume so.

Would you be willing to care for her as full-time coach?
We would have to talk about it. As far as I know, she isn’t looking for someone who travels 45 weeks a year with her. It is envisaged that I look after her more selectively.

I agree, Ivanovic is "very nice." Unfortunately for her career, that's just about it.

Dubai Results: Djoko and Youzhny Advance to Finals

If there's one thing that this year's Dubai Championships have not lacked, it's drama. And the thrill was on display on Friday night. as Novak Djokovic roared back to beat Marcos Baghdatis in 3 sets 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4. The Serb will be looking to clinch his 17th ATP Tour title in the finals, and defend a championship for the 1st time in his already illustrious career.

Djokovic's final round opponent, though, won't be easy to take down, as Mikhail Youzhny has sailed through the draw with few hiccups since his near first round exit, most recently earning a 2-set win over Jurgen Melzer, 7-5, 7-6 (4). Youzhny and Djokovic are split 3-3 in their head-to-head, with their last match going to the Russian just a few weeks ago in Rotterdam.

Rafa and Shakira are Caliente in New Music Video

The wait is over, and Shakira's new music video for "gypsy" has been released, featuring a mostly shirtless Rafael Nadal. The song isn't the best, in fact it's quite bad and the harmonica only worsens the pain, but the sexy Spanish coupling of Shakira and Rafa do the video good.

Xisca will not approve of the steamy kiss at the end, but she'll just have to deal, 'cuz there are plenty of fish in the sea for Rafa, so finding a new one won;t be difficult.

Shakira on choosing Rafa:
“I thought that maybe I needed someone I could in some way identify with. And Rafael Nadal is a person who has been totally committed to his career since he was very young. Since he was 17, I believe.”

She's basically saying her ideal co-star was a big, young, buff Spanish-speaking athlete to make out with. What a cougar she is.

Anyways, check the vid out HERE.

Dubai Results: Djokovic Reaches Semis Along with Youzhny, Baghdatis and Melzer

In the round of 16 on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic had to come back from a 1 set deficit to win, and the Serb had to do the same today, as Ivan Ljubicic took an early lead 6-2. Djokovic stormed back, taking the 2nd and 3rd sets 6-4, 6-0.

After a tough 3rd round match, Marcos Baghdatis had an easier in ousting lefty Michael Berrer. The Cypriot, who has done away with former clothing sponsor Adidas and is now sporting "Love Cypriot" on his garb, defeated Berrer, who upset Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

The 7th seeded Mikhail Youznhy easily beat Janko Tipsarevic, who took out Andy Murray in the previous round, 6-3, 6-4, moving on to the semifinals of the Dubai Championships.

Youzhny's semifnal opponent will be Jurgen Melzer, who earned a huge upset in his victory over 6th seeded Aussie Open semifinalist Marin Cilic, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5).

Serena's Not the Only Multi-Talented Girl on the WTA Tour

Maria Sharapova: Pro Tennis Star, Fashion Designer, and now Master Chef. Well, the final one is a little over exaggerated, but the 3-time GS champ is now showing off her chocolate chip cookie recipe in Cole Haan's "Inspired Life" photo shoot.

Tried making CC cookies the other day, and they turned out horribly. Mainly because I overdid the butter-flavored canola oil, but atleast they didn't stick to the pan like last time. I think it's time to give Maria's recipe a shot.

Serena Goes to Kenya to Open School

The always philanthropic Serena Williams went to Kenya yesterday to open a 2nd school, the Serena Williams Wee Secondary School, in the suffering country with the help of Hewlett Packard. Williams arrived on Monday for a 3-day trip and tweeted her excitement, saying, "What an amazing day. I had the oppurtunity to open a 2ed serena Williams Secondary school in Kenya. It's so worth it."

Below is some video of Serena's arrival in Kenya:

Thumbs up or thumbs down on the new, very short haircut.

Ivanovic Working With Steffi Graf's Old Coach

At this point for Ana Ivanovic, it's desperation mode. She has continued to plummet in the rankings and has not reached the quarterfinals of a major in her last 7 tries. After switching from coach to coach, Ivanovic is hoping that the newest addition to her team, Steffi Graf's former coach Heinz Gunthardt, will make an impact and get the Serb back on the right track.

Gunthardt's former pupils also include Jennifer Capriati and he will make his debut alongside Ivanovic at next week's BNP Paribas Showdown, an exhibition in Madison Square Garden where Ana's opening match will be against Kim Clijsters.

Ana has become such an embarrassment as of late that I'm not certain any coach could fix her up. Not only has her serve gone from an edge to an extreme vulnerability, but her confidences has crumbled as well. She has powerful groundies, but hasn't honed them, and has never been the best mover. Gunthardt has his work cut out for him.

Federer Pulls Out of Dubai with Lung Infection

World number 1 Roger Federer was forced to withdraw from this upcoming week's Dubai Championships with a lung infection. Last year the Swiss was unable to compete in what he refers to as his "home tournament" due to a back injury. The statement posted on RF.com reads:

Roger has had to pull out of the Dubai Championships because of a lung infection.

Roger started having problems last week and is expected to be out of action for a further two weeks. If everything goes well, he will return to action at Indian Wells in March.

As a Fed-Fanatic I would love to be optimistic about this, but considering the fact that not much has been reported on the injury, I'm not getting my hopes up that we will see Rog in action in Indian Wells.

Federer told the press, "I’m hoping to be back for Indian Wells. But of course, there are no promises. This is something that will be finished only with proper treatment. I’ve been taking it easy, relaxing as much as possible. My breathing is a bit difficult and everything feels a bit slow. I can’t take any chances until I’m fit again. It could be better, it could be worse."

Good: The time off can be used to bond with the twinnies!

Bad: It's been too long since we've seen live Fed in action!

Let's cross our fingers!

Sharapova Dominates in Memphis for 1st Title of '10

In her 1st tournament back since her disastrous loss in the opening round of the Australian Open, Maria Sharapova looked as good as ever, having no trouble at all in trouncing each of her opponents in Memphis for the title. Sharapova didn't lose a set in her title run, defeating Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-1 in the finals. The win marked the Russians 21st career title and she will improve her world ranking 3 spots to number 13, her highest since January 2009. “Coming in here, I asked for matches and I got five of them and I got the win, so I’m certainly happy,” she said. “I felt like I played consistent tennis throughout the week and did the right things against all my opponents. I guess that’s a good week.”

Sure, it's not the Dubai title, but it's nice to see Maria slowly getting back on track. Keep it up!

Dubai Results: Venus Defends Title w/ Win Over Azarenka

Venus Williams capped off a dominating run at the Dubai Championships on Sunday with a defense of her title and a 6-3, 7-5 win over Victoria Azarenka. The win was the American's 42nd of her career and 1st of the year, as she breezed through the draw without dropping a set. Venus hit 7 aces while holding serve all but 1 time. It was definitely very competitive,” said Williams, who went in as the tournaments 3rd seed. “I expected her to come out and play very well. I respect her game. Just the effort that she gives it. Even though I was leading in the second set, she just never gave up. She played really well and I am obviously happy to close the tournament out.”

Lil Wayne: Self-Professed Tennis Freak

Tennis has been diving into the world of celebrity lately, and this time, the fanatic comes in the form of a Grammy-winning rapper who, like Serena Williams, is no stranger to cursing in front of thousands of people.

Tennis Channel's James LaRosa caught up with none other than Lil Wayne this week to discuss the rapper's favorite players, a few of whom have had the honor of being mentioned in one of his songs. Most recently, Rafael Nadal got a shout-out in "Banned From TV", a track off of Wayne's latest record, rebirth, which debuted at number 2 a few weeks ago. "He plays with passion," says Wayne on Rafa. "He reminds me of Andre out there, you remember Agassi used to be out there just playing with total emotion. That's why I really like [Nadal]. He got a lot of strategy and all that as well but his passion and his emotion overweighs it all."

But Rafa isn't the 1st to be name-dropped in a Lil Wayne song. Roger Federer and Steffi Graf were mentioned in "Sportscenter". And the question that must be on everyone's mind: Does Wayne prefer Rafa or Rog?

"I'm kind of a bigger Roger Federer fan than a Rafa fan. I've been a Roger fan because of course his dominance. He's been the man to me."

Surprisingly, Lil Wayne is a lot more knowledgeable about the sport than I thought he would be, and we can thank fellow rapper Snoop Dogg for that. "I always watched tennis but I'd never been into it until Venus and Serena," he says. "I heard Snoop talking about them, about how he used to see them. They were the only kids playing on the tennis part of the park. It was interesting, just their story when they first came up."

And it's no shock that Wayne would come to ReRe's defense regarding her US Open tirade of expletives. The rapper says: "That's an athlete in the moment, they're playing the game. In the heat of the game, people get into it. You can't expect those people to be like, 'I'm sorry' or 'excuse me' or 'let me think about who's watching.' No, forget that. I'm playing, and I'm emotional. I hope she do it again."

Despite his obvious interest in tennis, Lil Wayne will not be trying his hand at the sport anytime soon like skier Bode Miller is. "I have played before [and] I totally enjoyed it, but I got super tired very fast. It takes a lot of agility to do that, just runnin' back and forth like that. And also it's tricky hittin' that ball at the right spot. It's nothing like ping pong."

Dubai Results: Peer Continues Magical Run, Venus and Vika In to the Semis

Shahar Peer's run in Dubai this week has been nothing short of inspiring, as the Israeli has knocked out the tournament's top seed, Caroline Wozniacki, and Yanina Wickmayer. Most recently, Peer, who was denied a visa by the tournament organizers last year, an incident which caused many other players to protest, defeated the 8th seeded Li Na as the Chinese retired down 7-5, 3-0. Peer will face Venus Williams in the semis. The American took out Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-4.

On the opposite side of the draw, Victoria Azarenka will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in the final 4. Azarenka looked very impressive in a 6-1, 6-3 out of Vera Zvonareva, while Radwanska squeaked past qualifier Regina Kulikova 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Vampire Weekend Gets Tennis-Inspired for New Music Vid

Tennis is invading the music world, from latin pop sensations to up-and-coming rock bands. Vampire Weekend's new music video for "Giving up the Gun" is based on a tennis match that features big-time celebs like Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil Jon and RZA all desperately trying their hand at the sport on a cool black and white customized court.

Despite an Injury, DelPo is Still Getting Action

Obviously the humble Juan Martin del Potro wouldn't be one to let us in on what's going on with his love life. But leave that to the John Mayer of the modeling world, Brazilian Lola Bezerra. She told NZ Herald that she is doing away with, um, doing soccer stars, as her love fest with JMDP convinced her for good that tennis stars do it better.

"Recently I did Juan Martin Del Potro," Bezerra said. "He was rather tall which made matters a little awkward, and I had to pay for my own taxi afterwards, but he was still more dignified than footballers. I am decided. From now, I will only do tennis players."

Both sidelined with injuries, it looks like Rafa and Del Potro are keeping busy while absent from tennis.

I can already see the headline: "After an early loss Down Under, the Argentine bounces back and gets a different win down under."

Rafa Covers SOBeFiT Magazine

Despite an injury, Rafael Nadal has been making headlines lately.

First, Rafa is featured in the March issue of SOBeFiT Magazine.

Second, the Spaniard is rumored to have been seen getting cozy with Shakira at the W Hotel in Barcelona last week. Nadal makes a cameo in the singer's music video for her new single "Gypsy", but following the New York Post's article about the "romance", Rafa's rep, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, was quick to squash the fabrications, saying, "We were all there, and Shakira only came when we’d finished the main course to have something to drink, accompanied by her manager, Ceci Kurzman, and Jaume. It was a dinner organized with the director to brief Rafa on what was expected from him in the video."

Oh, So That's What Those Leoprint-Print Nails Were For

Is there anything Serena Williams can't do? She's the world's top tennis player, has 2 successful clothing lines, one with QVC and one a self-owned brand. Not to mention she has written an autobiography, started a school in Africa, done some acting and written 2 yet-to-be-released screenplays. The superwoman is now in the process of adding another title to her name: ReRe is taking a 240-hour certification class to become a nail technician. Williams blogged about this new endeavor and seems quite impressed with herself after successfully completing a French pedicure.

The American also has a nail collection coming out, so I guess that leopard-print polish she debuted in Australia was a preview of what is to come.

Paris, San Jose and Rotterdam Results: Dementieva, Nando and Soderling Clinch Titles

Elena Dementieva won her 2nd title of the 2010 season on Sunday when the Russian defeated Lucia Safarova in 3 sets in the final of the Open GDF Suez in Paris, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4. Safarova put up quite a fight, controlling most of the points early on against the powerful Dementieva, but the Czech was unable to maintain that level and had to settle for the runner's up trophy.

In San Jose, Andy Roddick found himself in 2nd place once again (lost to Stepanek in the finals last year). Fernando Verdasco won the title after rallying from a set down to triumph 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The win snapped an 0-15 streak for the Spaniard against top 10 players and marked Nando's 1st win over Roddick since 2005.

Robin Soderling came away with the crown in Rotterdam when his finals opponent, Mikhail Youzhny, retired down 6-4, 2-0. The win was the Swede's 5th ATP title as he becomes the 1st of his country in 17 years to win the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. “It's been a very good week overall,” said Soderling. “I started out struggling a bit in my first two rounds, struggling to find my form, but I worked hard and managed to get better with every match.

Paris, San Jose, Rotterdam Results: Dementieva, Roddick Reach Finals, Novak and Nikolay Fall

In San Jose, Fernando Verdasco, the 2nd seed, reached the finals after starting and finishing well in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Denis Istomin. The Spaniard's opponent in the championship match will be Andy Roddick, who also needed 3 sets to advance after dropping the opener to Sam Querrey 6-2. The top seed won the 2nd and 3rd in tiebreaks, 7-5 and 7-4.

Elena Dementieva earned revenge for her US Open loss to Melanie Oudin when she beat the American in 3 sets in the Paris Open semifinals. After losing the 1st set 6-4, Dementieva won the 2nd and 3rd 6-3. In the other semifinal match, Flavia Pennetta was upset by Lucia Safarova, also in 3 sets. Pennetta got the momentum early, winning the 1st 6-4, only to drop the next 2, and the match, 6-3, 6-4.

In Rotterdam, Mikhail Youzhny stunned the top seeded Novak Djokovic with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) victory over the Serb. Youzhny will play Robin Soderling, a 7-6 (3), 6-4 winner over Nikolay Davydenko. Soderling and Youzhny have played just twice, splitting their meetings, both of which were on hardcourts.

Happy Valentines Day!

I saw the movie "Valentine's Day" last night and it was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be. When there are a bajillion movie stars all in one movie, there is potential for a hot mess, but it was pretty good and had a ton of LOL moments.

One note: Taylor Swift should stick to singing. Her acting was a nightmare.

To those of you that tend to get depressed when V-Day comes around, lots of chocolate is on sale, go get some. And if you're currently looking for "somebody to love me", the hottie above is probably available.

To the rest of you, enjoy all your lovey-dovey crap!

Happy Valentines Day!

Paris, San Jose and Rotterdam Results: Roddick, Dementieva and Djoko into Semis

February tends to be a slow month for the tennis scene, but some of the world's top players are competing in lower-level tournaments this week. In the 250-level event in San Jose, top seeded Andy Roddick is through to the semifinals after edging Tomas Berdych in their quarterfinal, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). Roddick will take on 7th seeded Sam Querrey, who comfortably beat Michael Russel 4 and 3, in the semis. On the opposite side of the draw, Fernando Verdasco and Denis Istomin will duke it out for a shot in the final after they each won in 2 and 3 sets, respectively.

At the Open GDF Suez in Paris, number 1 seed Elena Dementieva advanced to the final 4 with a comeback victory over Andrea Petkovic, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Russian's semifinal opponent will be Melaniue Oudin, who has started to gain confidence back after victories over Sorana Cirstea, Patty Schnyder and Agnes Szavay. Oudin knocked Dementieva out of the US Open in the 2nd round, so the youngster will be looking to back up her upset. In the bottom half of the draw, Lucia Safarova and Flavia Pennetta will fight for a spot in the final after easy quarterfinal victories respectively over Shahar Peer and Tathiana Garbin

At the star-studded tournament in Rotterdam, Novak Djokovic, the top seed, advanced to the semifinals by default when Florian Mayer withdrew. The world number 2 will meet Mikhail Youzhny, a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Gael Monfils, for a spot in the finals. The 2nd seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 and will play a familiar foe in the semis, Robin Soderling, who lost just 1 game to Julien Benneteau.

Paris Open Pays Tribute to Amelie

Amelie Mauresmo, surrounded by close friends and family, was honored at the Paris Open in her hometown. The former number 1 retired from tennis in December after a career that included 2 major titles in Melbourne and London.

Elena Dementieva, Flavia Pennetta, Alisa Kleybanova, Julie Coin, Nathalie Dechy, Alize Cornet, Tathiana Garbin, Francesca Schiavone and Patty Schnyder all contributed to the ceremony, offering a few words for Mauresmo.

"I feel sad today. Amélie, you're one of the very best, and you're leaving. Younger players will always remember 'the Mauresmo years.' And I'm not even sure that anyone can replace you here," said Dementieva.

Check out some footage of the tearful tribute:

I know she's been gone for a few months now, but I'm totally going to miss her style of play. We need more grace on the WTA.

Federer Visits Ethiopia for Charity

The always charitable Roger Federer took a little break from the hectic world of tennis to visit Ethiopia, where the Swiss' charity, The Roger Federer Foundation, is helping to fund a project.

The world number 1 posted a couple pics to his facebook updating us about his brief stay.

"Here is another picture. Ethiopia was a beautiful country and the people were so kind and gentle," Federer captioned his photos with the kids.

Good to see tennis' pioneer always looking for a chance to do good in the world.

RIP Alexander McQueen

Lee Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London apartment Thursday morning. The designer was never one too fade into the background, as his indolent designs pushed the most extreme boundaries in the fashion industry and his talent was second to none. Roger Federer's bff Anna Wintour put the devastating loss best, saying, "He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen's influence was astonishing—from street style to music culture and the world's museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss."

McQueen was quite possibly the single most ingenious and visionary man the industry had to offer, and he will surely be missed.

Though this has little to do with tennis, McQueen's collaboration with athletic brand Puma in 2005 did include some tennis clothing.

RIP McQ

DelPo Out 4 Weeks With Recurring Wrist Injury

Hampered by a wrist injury all-tournament long, Juan Martin del Potro bailed out of the Australian open fairly early on, but the BBC is reporting that the US Open champion has once again tweaked that same are and will reportedly be forced to sit out for 4 weeks. The Argentine re-injured his right wrist, which first started to cause pain in October, in a practice session on Thursday and is targeting a return to the tour in Indian Wells, the same week Rafael Nadal is aiming to return. JMDP will miss Marseille, Dubai and presumably the Davis Cup.

Shazza and Sasha go for Coffee

Maria Sharapova has been underperforming tennis wise, but in her love life, she's smitten. The 6'2 Maria went for a coffee date with 6'7 boyfriend Sasha Vujacic of the LA Lakers where the paparazzi caught the two.

What a giant couple.

photos from sports.sohu.com

She's Definitely no Brooklyn: Aussie Ana Does SI

Ana Ivanovic has been in the news for everything but her tennis.

The Serb is featured in the annual Sport's Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. We all know that Aussie Ana is one of the, um, more desired women on tour, but she's not exactly what you would call 'a natural' at this whole modeling thing. The former number 1 looks awfully stiff and uncomfortable in her shots, but that's not to say she doesn't look great, although a tad photoshopped.

Click here to see the rest of Ana's shots.

Brooklyn Covers SI Swimsuit Edition

Brooklyn Decker, wife of Andy Roddick, oozes sex appeal on the cover of the annual Sport's Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, practically the Super Bowl of modeling.

The blonde bombshell's gig was revealed on David Letterman last night in Times Square. She later tweeted "The issue is amazing, glowing, fun, the girls are happy.. it's not over-the-top, the girls and editors should be so proud! THANK YOU ALL!!!"

Decker wasn't told about the cover until just 24 hours before the unveiling, and now she is rushing to find wardrobe for the TV appearances that go hand-in-hand with her acievement. She claims her many swimsuits weren't right for late night.

Click here for the rest of Brooklyn's photoshoot.

Congrats!

Swimsuit 2010:
Models
Video
Olympic Stars
Dancing With The Stars
Bodypainting: Soccer WAGS

Recipe for Tennis Endorsements: Be Hot and Incapable of Winning

Looks like Ana Ivanovic can just sit back and relax the remainder of her embarrasing career because even though the moolah isn't coming in on the court, off it, she's making bank.

I know that's a little harsh, but I nearly had to turn off the tv watching her Fed Cup matches this weekend. Her ball toss is horrific, she couldn't hold serve if her life depended on it and she is as mentally strong as Kate Gosselin.

She has hit the absolute rock bottom.

And despite practically losing the rubber for her team, she still got a lifetime endorsement deal from Adidas, become the youngest athlete ever to be a part of such a lucrative agreement. And when she retires, which, by the looks of it, will be in the near future, she get's to become the brand's ambassador.

Looks like the "three stripes" are REALLY shooting for the moon on this one.

The Serb blogged about her deal via her redesigned website, which clearly has been occupying most of Ana's time:

"I’m very proud to wear adidas for the rest of my career. Adidas has helped me immensely over the last few years by providing me with great products and unique services off the court including the adidas Player Development Program. Therefore, this long-term contract extension means a lot to me and was a logical decision. I feel thrilled to be a member of the adidas family and I am very much looking forward to working with adidas on many projects in the future."

Here is Adidas' comment:

"Ana Ivanovic’s spirit on and off the court is consistent with what women’s tennis stands for and is without any doubt a great ambassador for adidas. Ana has been part of our women’s training marketing activities from day one and we are delighted to continue our successful partnership in the future.”

Listen up WTA: Have a great spirit on court, and you too can sign a lifetime contract with one of athletic's biggest brands.

Fed Cup Day 2: USA, Russia, Italy and Czechs Advance

Jelena Jankovic carried the Serbian team and allowed them to have a shot at reaching the Fed Cup semifinals, but she couldn't do it alone, and the Russians prevailed 3-2 in the tie. Jankovic rallied to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, but Ana Ivanovic, who totaled a dismal 0-3 in the tie, was once again dominated in her singles match, losing 6-2, 6-3 to Alisa Kleybanova. In the deciding doubles match, the Russian team decided to sit Vera Dushevina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for Kuzzie and Kleybanova, and it payed off, as they beat Ivanovic and Jankovic 6-1, 6-4.

On their least favorite surface, the underdog Americans took out the French team 4-1, as Melanie Oudin won her second singles match, 7-6 (3), 6-4, over Julie Coin to clinch the tie. Insurmountably up 3-0, the United State's Christina McHale lost to Pauline Parmentier and the doubles team of Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands gave the US a 4-1 victory.

The tie between the Czechs and the Germans wasn't decided until the final doubles match, and the suspense wasn't lacking. On day 2, Lucia Hradecka gave the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win over Andrea Petkovic, but Anna-Lena Groenefeld's 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova forced the tie into a 5th and final match, where the Czech doubles team won 6-1, 6-3.

The Italians and Ukranians went into day 1 split at 1, but the defending champs showed their dominance on Sunday, as both Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone won their respective singles matches to clinch the win. With the winner already decided, the Italians won the doubles 6-1, 6-3.