Tennis

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Laughing on his way out the door, Justin Gimelstob said goodbye to the U.S. Open and hello to a future TV career all at once Tuesday night.

The 30-year-old American is retiring after a 12-year run in professional tennis that included two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams -- and nowhere near that sort of success in singles.

Still, he's quite a character, which was on full display both during and after his 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-3 loss to 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick in the first round.

"Obviously, I would have liked to have done better," said Gimelstob, never past the third round in singles at a major, "but I'm fine with leaving the game."

The high point?

"Just a lot of averageness," he responded.

After a bit of thought, Gimelstob added: "One record I have is that I'm 5-0 in five-set matches at the U.S. Open. I'm proud of that, considering that I usually cramp in the second."

When this three-set match ended, the pals met at the net for a hug, and Gimelstob then kneeled down to kiss the blue court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Then he and Roddick held court, grabbing a microphone to interview each other and joke around for the benefit of the sellout crowd in the stands and TV viewers.

"What do you think was the key to the match" -- Gimelstob asked Roddick, pausing for effect -- "besides you being way better than me?"

Roddick then asked what Gimelstob will miss the most when he leaves tennis for good.

"That feeling walking onto center court. You don't get that in the real world," Gimelstob replied. "We kind of live in a fantasy world."

Then the pair held an unheard-of joint news conference, the winner and the loser, the former No. 1 and the guy who's never been higher than No. 63 and is currently No. 475.

"With the both of us sitting here," Gimelstob said, "what were the odds I would get the first two questions?"

They entertained the fans with a bit of levity in the second set. Gimelstob argued good-naturedly with the chair umpire about whether he should have a first serve or a second serve after fans interrupted play by applauding a group of military members who got up to leave. After a lengthy delay, Gimelstob wound up double-faulting.

"You go on for an hour," Roddick shouted, "then you do that?"

Other than a tight first set -- Gimelstob actually led 5-3 in the tiebreaker -- Roddick eventually took complete control. Roddick wound up with 17 aces and a 59-38 edge in winners.

Gimelstob, who will play three more tournaments before quitting, did lead in one category: Sweating profusely, he kept changing his shirt, using seven in all of various colors, while Roddick stuck to his black top.

Afterward, Roddick was asked to describe his opponent and buddy.

Gimelstob chimed in: "Sexy. Good kisser."

Turning serious for a moment, Roddick said: "At the heart of it all, one of the things that we can all respect -- even though he's about as self-deprecating as one can get -- is he went about things the right way."

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Novak Djokovic has discovered that beating Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the same tournament can go a long, long way.

A bona fide talent with an infectious personality, Djokovic beat Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 Tuesday on a crowded Louis Armstrong Stadium court that seats over 10,000 fans.

"I honestly didn't expect so many people to watch my match," Djokovic said after his first-round win at the U.S. Open. "I made a big breakthrough this year, so everybody's really interested in the way I play."

Earlier this month, the 20-year-old Serbian performed his incredible trifecta en route to winning a tournament in Montreal. He became the first player since Boris Becker in 1994 to beat the top three players in the world in succession -- Becker defeated No. 3 Michael Stich, No. 1 Pete Sampras and No. 2 Goran Ivanisevic at Stockholm.

The third-seeded Djokovic has won three titles this year. He also reached his first grand slam semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Djokovic credited his Montreal success for providing an extra ounce of self-confidence.

"After that tournament, I got more confidence and more belief that I can do well," he said.

Djokovic and childhood friends Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic have emerged from a country where tennis has not been an easy sport to pursue. The difficulties in training in Serbia did not dampen Djokovic's desire to play the game.

"In the end, it was me," he said. "I was pushing all the time and really had this hunger for the success."

HANGING WITH HEWITT

Traveling with his wife and daughter now, Lleyton Hewitt has broadened his knowledge of pop culture.

"I watch a lot of kids' DVDs," the 26-year-old Australian said. "Learning a lot of about Mickey Mouse, Little Einstein, the Wiggles. I know all the Wiggles."

On the road with his Australian actress wife Bec Cartwright, Hewitt has more demands on his time -- like 21-month-old Mia Rebecca.

"Well, I guess you focus on organizing flights, accommodating everything around her," he said. "It used to be around me and my tennis more. Pretty much everything is solely around her, what's best for her needs. Then I sort of work my schedule around that."

Something seems to be working. The former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion has jumped in the ATP rankings the past month to 16th with a quarterfinal showing in the Masters Series event in Montreal and a semifinal appearance in Cincinnati -- both halted by No. 1 Roger Federer.

"It's good fun," he said of making trips with the family. "I enjoy it."

A 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 first-round victory over Amer Delic at the U.S. Open on Tuesday only added to his confidence. Hewitt played his first match since adding two-time U.S. Open runner-up Tony Roche as his coach.

"The two weeks I spent with Rochey at home, there was a purpose in everything I was doing," Hewitt said. "It's good to get back to that."

He is also trying to get back to 2001, when he won two Grand Slams and became the youngest man to reach No. 1 in the rankings.

"It feels quite a while ago, I guess," he said. "In other ways, it doesn't feel that long ago. It's a strange feeling."

At least the U.S. Open creates optimism.

"I've had so much success here, even though I have won since then, making finals, semis or quarters since," he said. "Yeah, where my game is at, apart from Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal), they've been the two dominant players in the Slams over the last four or five years. No one really has had a chance to win any of the other Slams basically.

"That's what my goal is. That's what you keep striving toward, working for. Hopefully, it will be around the corner."

HARD COURT, HARD SELL

After Wayne Odesnik won a fifth-set tiebreaker Tuesday, the 21-year-old American tried to drum up customers for the family business.

"My dad is still a jeweler," he said. "He has a jewelry store, manufacturing with jewelry. You should buy some."

The wild-card entry beat Danai Udomchoke of Thailand 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in the first round.

Odesnik was born in South Africa and moved to the United States when he was 3. He trains in Florida and said he feels his game is finally coming together.

Odesnik's biggest achievement so far was beating 11th-ranked Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in a third-set tiebreaker earlier this month.

"I'm still young, only 21. I feel like this is the moment for me to make my move," he said.

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Rafael Nadal recovered from a slow start, Venus Williams overcame a few glitches and Justine Henin ran right into the next round Wednesday at a U.S. Open where the favorites kept rolling.

Nadal dropped the first six points of his match against No. 123 Alun Jones and later called out a trainer to check on his shaky knees.

The second-seeded Spaniard eventually hit his stride and, once again relying on his legs, moved into the second round 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

"I have to improve in the knees so much more if I'm going to continue in the tournament," Nadal said.

Williams had some speed bumps -- six double-faults, 20 unforced errors -- in beating Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania 6-4, 6-2.

After launching a Grand Slam-record 129 mph serve in her opening match, Williams reached a top speed of 124 mph and had to be content with only one ace. The two-time Open winner and current Wimbledon champ moved into the third round.

"I want to be the last one standing with a plate over my head," Williams said. "I'm not stressed out on a few shots. Feel a little wiser."

Henin also advanced into the third round, defeating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-0.

The top-seeded Belgian, bidding for her seventh major title, broke Pironkova's spirit midway through the final set.

Caught close to the net, Henin raced back to the baseline, her legs churning at a full speed for a shot that won her the point. Pironkova flipped her racket in the air, then tried to catch it and missed.

"I know I have to work hard because I know a lot of surprises can happen, even if it looks easy," Henin said. "You have to be careful all the time."

Former Open champion Marat Safin, crowd pleaser Ana Ivanovic, No. 8 Tommy Robredo, No. 10 Marion Bartoli, No. 11 Mikhail Youzhny, No. 14 Elena Dementieva, No. 17 Carlos Moya and No. 19 Sybille Bammer also won in straight sets.

"Hopefully, it'll continue this way and keep it short," Safin said after beating Frank Dancevic of Canada 7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7).

Tim Henman, playing his final Grand Slam event, also advanced. The unseeded Brit beat No. 27 Dmitry Tursunov of Russia 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.


AP - Aug 29, 6:13 pm EDT
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Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic were scheduled later in the day.

Ninth-ranked Daniela Hantuchova was the lone player in the upper echelon to lose during the first three days. In all, it was an early breeze for those at the top.

A night earlier, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick overpowered their opponents. Former champions Lleyton Hewitt, Martina Hingis and Svetlana Kuznetsova also won in straight sets.

The fifth-seeded Ivanovic defeated Aravane Rezai of France 6-3, 6-1. Popular on and off the court, her victory came a day after she received an unusual request from a fan.

"I was signing autographs after practice, the guy asked me to sign his forehead. I was like, are you kidding?" she said.

"I didn't," she said. "I felt bad for him walking with a sign. I say, 'I can sign your ball or shirt, but forehead?"'

Robredo beat Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-1 and Youzhny defeated Nicolas Devilder of France 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. In the women's draw, Dementieva beat Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2 and Bammer downed Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3.

Other ranked players to lose were No. 28 Ai Sugiyama of Japan, beaten by Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and No. 30 Potito Starace of Italy, defeated by Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-5, 7-6 (4).

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Donald Young of the United States moved into the third round of the U.S. Open on a walkover Thursday when No. 13-seeded Richard Gasquet of France withdrew because of a fever and a sore throat.

"With my illness, I'm sure I can't win this match," Gasquet said. "I am really, really disappointed because it's an important tournament for me."

Young, the 18-year-old Wimbledon junior champion, will now meet Feliciano Lopez of Spain or Igor Andreev of Russia for a spot in the fourth round. Young never had won a Grand Slam match until beating Chris Guccione of Australia in the first round.

"Prefer to win it," Young said after hearing of Gasquet's withdrawal, "but I'll take this."

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It's been seven years since Marat Safin burst onto the tennis scene by winning the U.S. Open. He was all of 20 then and many predicted plenty of other Grand Slam championships would follow.

Instead, Safin only added one more major title.

Does he look back at his victory over Pete Sampras in that long-ago final at Flushing Meadows as the best match of his career?

"Yeah, but who cares? It's so far in the past. It's already history. It's a long time ago. It's time to move on," Safin said after winning his first-round match at the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

"Whatever happened, happened. It was good memories, great. But you don't focus on that, because there's so much going on."

Then he got more philosophical.

The 25th-seeded Russian was asked to look ahead, to consider whether he could envision himself winning this tournament.

"We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It's kind of this way I'm looking forward," Safin said. "The worst is I will never win. Hoping for the best -- that there is a chance to win."

FISH'S COACHING FRIEND:@ When 1999 U.S. Open finalist Todd Martin told Mardy Fish to look for a new coach, Fish turned to one of his best friends.

During his high school days in Boca Raton, Fla., the 40th-ranked Fish was part of a group sometimes affectionately referred to as the "Boca Mafia." Fish lived with Andy Roddick's family for a year and also hung out with Bo Hodge.

Well, now Hodge -- who played tennis at the University of Georgia -- is traveling with Fish as his part-time coach.

"I'm very comfortable with him," Fish said after a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 first-round victory over Mexican qualifier Bruno Echagaray at the U.S. Open. "We've known each other for a really, really long time. He's been around the game for his whole life. I can easily call him one of my best friends."

"It's nice," Fish added, "to have someone who's not just there for a paycheck."

Fish then made sure to be clear that he wasn't implying previous coaches were in it only for the money.

As for Martin's departure, Fish said, "I would be hard-pressed to tell you there wasn't other issues," but noted that the two-time Grand Slam runner-up wanted to travel less so he could spend more time with his two young children.

Fish has struggled to regain the form that led him to a top-20 ranking before he had two wrist operations in 2005.

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Svetlana Kuznetsova pounded her way into the third round while Donald Young took a more leisurely path Thursday at the U.S. Open.

The fourth-seeded Kuznetsova didn't dally in beating Camille Pin of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-0. The former Open champion seemed especially determined after missing an easy forehand that lost the second set.

Trying to finish off each rally in a hurry, Kuznetsova took every opportunity to rush the net. She smacked 46 winners in all, enough to overcome her 34 unforced errors.

Young also made it to the third round, and he didn't have to pick up his racket. The 18-year-old Wimbledon junior champ won in a walkover when No. 13 Richard Gasquet of France withdrew because of a fever and a sore throat.

"Prefer to win it," Young said after hearing of Gasquet's withdrawal, "but I'll take this."

Young said he saw Gasquet practicing the previous two days, and noticed him in the locker room before their scheduled match.

"With my illness, I'm sure I can't win this match," Gasquet said. "I am really, really disappointed because it's an important tournament for me."

Also out of the tournament, at least on the singles side, was Bethanie Mattek. Known for her outlandish outfits, she didn't disappoint.

Wearing a low-cut silver top and headdress that semi-resembled her gold Wonder Woman-inspired ensemble in the first round, Mattek lost to No. 18 Shahar Peer of Israel 6-2, 6-1.

In other morning matches, No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze of Russia beat Nicole Pratt 6-3, 6-4 and No. 26 Sania Mirza of India defeated Laura Granville 6-3, 7-5.

Maria Sharapova, birthday boy Andy Roddick and James Blake were among the top players scheduled to play later.

On Wednesday night, John Isner enhanced his reputation as perhaps the next big thing in tennis.

He's a Georgia Bulldog all the way, backed by barks each time he plays. But to beat the biggest dog of them all at the Open, he freely admits he needs to play way, way over his head.

And this is a guy who's 6-foot-9.

Next up for him is Roger Federer. He was always Isner's favorite, the only player he enjoyed watching on television.

"I don't know if it's going to help me out. I don't know if anything's going to help me out," Isner said. "I'm going to believe. I'm not saying I'm going to win, but I'm going to believe."

While the Williams sisters, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin advanced as expected, Isner gave himself a chance to play the world's No. 1 player at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Following his first-round upset of No. 26 Jarkko Nieminen, Isner beat Rik de Voest of South Africa 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

"Look, he's new," Federer said. "New kid on the block."

A few months ago, Isner finished his senior year by leading Georgia to the NCAA team title. He proudly wears his school hat, the one with the giant G, every chance he gets.

Isner got his fans woofing with rocket serves. The father of one of his best friends tried something else.

"He came up today and did this Bulldog bark. He growls and barks. He did that a couple times tonight, got the crowd going," Isner said. "Pretty neat."

Now, Isner gets to face the player he called "the most dominant athlete in the world, any sport."

"I guess going into the U.S. Open, I'm thinking I might draw him first round. I never would have imagined playing him in the third round of the U.S. Open," he said.

Federer, as usual, made it look easy. Trying for his fourth straight U.S. Open title, he dismantled Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Rather than his lucky blue, Federer came dressed out in all-black -- bandanna, shirt, socks and shiny shoes. Even his shorts had satin stripes down the sides, tuxedo-style.

"We had the idea of maybe doing something blue at the day, black at the night. I really liked the idea. I thought it really looks cool," he said. "In New York, you can do such a thing. Nowhere else in the world."

For the third straight day, the favorites kept winning. Easily, for the most part.

The main exception was Nadal.

His knee was taped up, the pain was so bad he nearly pulled out of the tournament. He lost the first six points of the match, then the three-time French Open winner hit his stride and beat Australian wild-card entry Alun Jones 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round.

"I didn't run too much, no? I can't move too much," the No. 2-seeded Nadal said. "Difficult to play like this, especially here."

Nadal felt a "sharp pain" in his left knee Sunday during a practice session. He had an MRI exam and got treatment the next two days from a doctor with the Italian tennis federation known for laser treatments

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Already dealing with a gambling investigation, the men's tennis tour is confronting another issue facing the sport by instituting fines and suspensions for players who fail to show up at top tournaments without a good excuse.

"We're going to be fair here. Players have expressed concerns about this. This is not the best news they've ever had," ATP chairman Etienne de Villiers said Friday at the U.S. Open. "No turkeys vote for Thanksgiving."


De Villiers also addressed the specter of gambling, which arose in early August when an online betting company suspended more than $7 million in wagers on a match involving No. 4-ranked Nikolay Davydenko.

Asked why Davydenko hasn't been questioned yet by the two former Scotland Yard investigators leading the probe, de Villiers said: "These are very experienced investigators who feel they need to have as much information as they need before they go and interview somebody."

Tour rules in place since 2003 bar players or members of their entourages from betting on tennis or providing inside information to others, with penalties of $100,000 fines and lifetime bans.

Now the tour's board will consider a new rule that would punish anyone who fails to report any information about someone else's possible gambling activity.

"Trust me, if we find anyone -- be it a player, entourage, anyone -- they will have the maximum ban imposed. There's going to be zero tolerance here," de Villiers said.

He said the tour investigates "every single rumor," but he was "not prepared to discuss" how many inquiries are in progress.

Since the Davydenko match, some players have come forward to say they have been offered money to influence the outcome of a match. Others have said they have heard of such offers to others.

When Davydenko played No. 87-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello, most of the money backed Arguello -- even after Davydenko won the first set. In the third set, Davydenko stopped playing, citing a foot injury.

Players who drop out of tournaments altogether has become a concern for fans and promoters. So starting in 2009, if an independent medical panel decides someone was not too injured to compete at one of eight mandatory tournaments, a top-20 player would lose part of his share from the tour's $7.5 million bonus pool.

In addition, such an "unexcused absence" would draw a suspension from the mandatory tournament where that player had the most success the previous year.

De Villiers also announced that, as of 2009, the ATP is dropping its Masters Series title and logo, instead calling the elite events "1,000" tournaments because that's the number of ranking points the champion gets. Those eight events will be in Indian Wells, Calif.; Miami; Rome; Madrid, Spain; Cincinnati; Toronto/Montreal; Shanghai, China; and Paris.

The Monte Carlo tournament also will be considered a "1,000" tournament, but unlike the other eight will not be mandatory.

"Simply put, from 2009, our fans both on-site and at home will be guaranteed to see the best players in all our best tournaments in the best places, in the best markets," de Villiers said.

By 2011, six of the top events -- in Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Cincinnati and Toronto/Montreal -- will be joint ATP-WTA events.

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Tim Henman is ready to move on.

"I feel clear in my mind. Tennis has served me well," he said Friday night after his Grand Slam career ended in the second round of the U.S. Open. "Time is time."


Henman is retiring, and his final tournament came to a close with a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

"I've had a fantastic career," the six-time major semifinalist said. "Playing in front of crowds like this make it so special to the players and that's something I'll miss."

He turns 33 on Sept. 6 and has struggled with knee and back problems in 2007, when he is 6-12. Henman announced last week that he would leave the game after this tournament and Britain's Davis Cup matches at the All England Club in September.

He didn't shed tears Friday, but said he expects to after playing his very last match on the grass where Wimbledon is played.

Every year for two weeks, Henman came under intense scrutiny as his country hoped for its first homegrown Wimbledon champion since the 1930s. Using his serve-and-volley style, he kept coming close to a title but never quite lifted the trophy, four times losing there in the semifinals.

After Friday's match, Henman spoke about the meaning of success.

"Who's going to be successful at this tournament? Is there only one guy that's successful? Only the winner? Does that mean there's 127 failures?" Henman said. "That's not the way I view it."

He called Roger Federer the toughest opponent he ever faced, his run to the 2004 French Open semifinals perhaps his proudest moment, and his rain-extended loss to Goran Ivanisevic in the 2001 Wimbledon semifinals perhaps his most disappointing.

"That's probably one of the questions I get asked most, about that match," Henman said. "I think you'd be surprised how much I don't dwell on it. It's not something that keeps me awake at night."

Tsonga, 22, won the 2003 U.S. Open junior title.

"He played too good for me," Henman said, adding that the match reflected why he is retiring.

"He's a classic, modern-day player," Henman said. "That's where it's become harder and harder for me to compete."

He and his wife, Lucy, are awaiting the birth of their third child. Asked by a British journalist for the due date, Henman wavered.

"Middle of September. Is that vague enough?" he said with a chuckle. "Before Davis Cup. I mean, it's going to come when it comes. Let my wife down or my country down. Is that all right?"

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Serena Williams received a reprimand at the U.S. Open. For reading, of all things.

The eight-time major champion is in the habit of bringing notes to read during changeovers. She's done it for years -- she used to just take pieces of paper, then lost them so often that she bought a notebook.


During Williams' 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Vera Zvonareva on Friday, chair umpire Damian Steiner told Williams to put away the notebook, as if she were carrying cheat sheets to a test in school.

"He told me I couldn't use my notes," Williams said after reaching the fourth round. "I was like, 'Well, it's not like I'm Harry Potter and my dad can magically give me notes to read.' It's something that I write myself. Just little things. What if I were to take a paper on the court and write something, what's the difference?"

It is not against the rules at all to read something carried out to the match. And, indeed, Steiner eventually relented.

"Players can read whatever they want to read on the changeover -- as long as they haven't received anything from anywhere else," tournament referee Brian Earley said. "A ball kid hands them a note -- that would be construed as coaching. But there's nothing to prevent a player from opening a book that she brought with her."

Williams certainly is not the first player to be spotted reading during changeovers.

Former world No. 1 Jim Courier once read Armistead Maupin's "Maybe the Moon" during the brief breaks, saying the book was too good to put down.

Pete Sampras, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, read notes from his wife during matches. And at this Open, wild-card Ahsha Rolle read notes that she keeps in a Bible.

GO FISH

After American Mardy Fish squandered a 4-1 lead in the fifth set, he took all the blame for failing to upset eighth-seeded Tommy Robredo.

Fish saved two match points to win the fourth set tiebreaker, but lost the final five games and fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

"Credit to him, he stepped up his game," Fish said. "But, I mean, I froze. Against top-10 players, top-eight players in the world, you just can't freeze like that.

"I think a lot had to do with nerves."

Fish, who lost almost the entire 2005 season because of two wrist surgeries, took exception to a comment that this type of match has typified his time on tour.

"You want me to say that's what my career is like? My career is like getting there really close and then coming up short," he said, clearly annoyed. "I'm only 25 years old."

Fish has won two career titles, at Stockholm in 2003 and Houston in 2006. His best Grand Slam result has been reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals this year.

In eight appearances at the U.S. Open, he's never gone beyond the second round.

END OF THE ROLLE

Ahsha Rolle's nice run at the U.S. Open came to an end on Friday, but the 22-year-old from Miami Shores, Fla., was still bubbling about reaching the third round.

A wild-card recipient, she had never before won a match at a Grand Slam before this week.

Rolle upset 17th-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France in the first round and beat Karin Knapp of Italy in the second round. She lost to No. 15 Dinara Safina of Russia 6-4, 6-3.

"It's definitely a huge confidence booster," Rolle said. "It just gives me confidence to know I can play with the top players, beat them."

Rolle is the third of five children for Leon, a retired attorney, and Sharon, who cashed in her 401(k) plan when she was a pharmaceutical representative to bankroll her daughter's desire to play tennis.

In 2005, the USTA started offering some assistance to Rolle. Prior to that, she said the family was spending between $30,000 and $50,000 for her training.

Ranked No. 109 coming into the U.S. Open, Rolle will definitely crack the top 100. She could journey as high as the mid-80s when the new rankings come out after the tournament.

"Hopefully, I'll finally be top 100," she said. "I've been trying to get that all year."

Lacking sponsors, Rolle wore the same shirt that she washed after every match -- the top had a rhinestone decoration of the New York skyline that a seamstress in Miami designed.

Rolle said she had no special plans for the $43,000 singles prize money she earned.

"Got to go pay some bills," she said.

CROWD PLEASERS

The U.S. Open is drawing fans at a record rate -- so many that there was a traffic jam Friday.

Because two afternoon matches ran long, including Serena Williams' two-hour victory over Vera Zvonareva, the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium was late emptying out. That meant thousands of fans had to stand outside the gates to get in for the night session, which started with Venus Williams playing Alona Bondarenko.

In all, a day-night combined record of 60,836 fans were at the National Tennis Center on Friday, breaking the record of 60,619 set on Tuesday.

The Open is sold out through Monday night, and officials are predicting an overall attendance record of more than 700,000.

Wild-card Ahsha Rolle, who won two matches, noted what it means to play in New York.

"They're always kind of noises. You got fans screaming, saying different things, people walking during points," the 22-year-old American said. "I love it. I mean, all those fans were so out there for me, screaming my name."

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Some players tap their toes during changeovers, others scan the crowd or close their eyes. Serena Williams does something different.

She likes to read.

Sticking to habit, Williams pulled out her pink notebook for a quick study Friday while playing Vera Zvonareva at the U.S. Open. What happened next, that was a surprise.

Chair umpire Damian Steiner told her to put it away. Scolded her like a schoolgirl.

"He told me I couldn't use my notes," Williams said after a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win that put her into the fourth round. "I was like, 'Well, it's not like I'm Harry Potter and my dad can magically give me notes to read.'


"It's something that I write myself. Just little things. What if I were to take a paper on the court and write something, what's the difference?" she said.

A moment later, Steiner relented.

"Players can read whatever they want to read on the changeover -- as long as they haven't received anything from anywhere else," tournament referee Brian Earley said. "A ball kid hands them a note -- that would be construed as coaching. But there's nothing to prevent a player from opening a book that she brought with her."

Earlier in this tournament, in fact, wild-card entry Ahsha Rolle read notes that she kept in a Bible. Pete Sampras used to peruse notes from his wife. And Jim Courier once kept a copy of Armistead Maupin's "Maybe the Moon" at courtside, saying it was too hard to put away.

The Write Stuff, indeed.

Venus Williams coasted past No. 21 Alona Bondarenko 6-1, 6-2 and kept on track for a semifinal meeting with her sister.

"She's obviously an unbelievable competitor. When push comes to shove, she shoves," Venus said. "I'm not too worried about whether or not she's going to make it."

There was concern about No. 2 Rafael Nadal's knees. They hurt so badly last week that he thought about pulling out of the tournament, but an abbreviated 6-2, 6-3, 3-2 win over Janko Tipsarevic -- who quit because an injured rib muscle -- certainly helped.

"I feel so much better today," Nadal said.

On a day when several more players needed medical treatments, rubdowns or ice during matches, No. 3 Novak Djokovic and No. 8 Tommy Robredo also advanced into the third round on the men's side.

But former Open champions Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin lost and so did Tim Henman, ending his Grand Slam career.

Henman turns 33 next week and previously announced he would be retiring. The end came in the second round with a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

"I feel clear in my mind. Tennis has served me well," Henman said. "Time is time."

In the women's draw, No. 1 Justine Henin, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic, No. 5 Ana Ivanovic and No. 10 Marion Bartoli moved into the fourth round.

With record crowds flocking to Flushing Meadows, the most eagerly awaited match was set for Saturday. That's when three-time Open champ Roger Federer was to take on 6-foot-9 rookie John Isner.

Djokovic won Friday's most entertaining match, outlasting sometime-doubles partner Radek Stepanek 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (2).

They ran all over the court, hitting shots from crazy angles for nearly five hours. They wound up playing 63 games, the most at the U.S. Open since 1979 when John Lloyd and Paul McNamee also did it.

By the time Djokovic and his pal were done, they'd played 356 points.

"I am totally exhausted. No energy," Djokovic said. "I smell my shoes -- they are so stinky."

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Lindsay Davenport won her first singles title after almost a year's absence from the tour, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 Sunday to capture the Bali Open.

Davenport was playing her first singles tournament since having a baby in June. And the 31-year-old Californian eliminated some strong opponents en route to this title: second-seeded Hantuchova, top-seeded Jelena Jankovic and fifth-seeded Eleni Daniilidou.

"I'm a little bit in shock," said Davenport, who won this event in 2005. "It's just overwhelming and exciting. I swear this is probably the first tournament I've played in four years where I didn't have anything wrong with my lower extremities."

Davenport, ranked No. 1 in 1998, has won three Grand Slams in addition to a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. Her previous title came in Zurich, Switzerland, nearly two years ago.

She had not competed on the WTA Tour since reaching the Beijing quarterfinals in September 2006, when she lost to Amelie Mauresmo. She gave birth to her first child -- a son, Jagger -- with husband and former tennis player Jon Leach.

Davenport had the first break for 2-1, but her opponent evened the score the following game. Hantuchova later held a break point for a possible 5-3 lead, but the Slovak made a forehand error. Davenport responded by breaking in the next game.

The second set was settled by a break for 3-1. The final set turned one-sided from 2-1 when Davenport took the next three games at love.

"She threw in a couple of errors ... that really gave me a lot of confidence and momentum," Davenport said. "That relaxed me a little bit more in my service games, and I was able to make some more first serves."

Hantuchova needed treatment for a blister on right heel but refused to blame the injury for her defeat.

"It was just a blister, nothing serious," Hantuchova said. "I was trying to do the right things ... but all credit to the way she was playing. She was serving great."

Davenport teamed with Hantuchova in doubles but withdrew from the doubles semifinal Friday because of a strained left forearm. The Chinese duo of Ji Chunmei and Sun Shengnan won the doubles title, defeating Jill Craybas of the U.S. and Natalie Grandin of South Africa 6-3, 6-2.

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Svetlana Kuznetsova is feeling better about her game, and Russia has a Fed Cup title to show for it.

Kuznetsova, routed by Justine Henin in the U.S. Open final last week, won Sunday's opening singles match to clinch the final with a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 victory over Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

"I really wanted to bring the victory, and this time it worked," Kuznetsova said.

Elena Vesnina defeated Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-4 in the second match to make the final score 4-0. The doubles match of the best-of-five format was canceled.

This was the third title for Russia in the Fed Cup, the top team event in women's tennis. Russia also won in 2004 and 2005 and remained unbeaten in four matches against Italy. The Italians beat Belgium to win their first Fed Cup title last season.

Kuznetsova also won on the opening day of the Fed Cup

"I didn't play as well as Saturday, but I could pull it out because of my strong will," she said.

The outcome was vastly different from the one at the U.S. Open, where Kuznetsova lost to Henin 6-1, 6-3 in the title match. It helps, of course, that Kuznetsova clearly had a less formidable opponent in Schiavone, who is ranked No. 25.

Four Russian women are ranked among the top 10. And for this series the absence of injured Maria Sharapova did not prove troublesome. Sharapova has never played Fed Cup for her country, but she practiced with the team leading to the final and joined the victory celebration.

After trading breaks with Kuznetsova early in the first set, Schiavone won three consecutive games to take the first set.

"She made me play some very inconvenient tennis," said Kuznetsova, who complained that abdominal muscle problems undermined her serve this weekend.

Schiavone served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Kuznetsova broke. The 2004 U.S. Open champion then saved two match points in the tiebreaker.

"She put me under a lot of pressure and I couldn't keep my serve," Schiavone said.

In the third set, Schiavone jumped ahead 4-1 before Kuznetsova climbed back into the match.

Vesnina, a late substitute for Anna Chakvetadze, had eight aces against Santangelo.

"I had like five minutes to warm up and change clothes," Vesnina said. "I was like 'I don't understand where I am right now."'

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Second-seeded Fernando Gonzalez won the China Open on Sunday, defeating third-seeded Tommy Robredo 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.

It was the first ATP title for the 27-year-old Chilean in nearly two years since winning in Basel on Oct. 30, 2005.

Gonzalez, ranked No. 11, is vying for one of the five remaining spots in the Masters Cup in Shanghai in November.

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Sixth-seeded Gilles Simon of France rallied past Victor Hanescu of Romania 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Sunday to win the BCR Open Romania.

Hanescu, unseeded, was playing in his first final.

Simon reached the title match by beating Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in the semifinals. Hancescu had defeated Gael Monfils of France.

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The early challenge for Ana Ivanovic was to avoid crashing into the walls of an empty Belgrade swimming pool where she played tennis at 5. Now, her goal is to reach the No. 1 ranking.

The 19-year-old is the youngest of a Serbian trio -- including Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic -- who are ranked in the top 10 and excelled at the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

"My career, especially the last couple of months, has been amazing," Ivanovic said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I got a lot of confidence beating a lot of top players, this is the best time of my career so far."

Ivanovic is the first Serbian woman to reach a Grand Slam final at Roland Garros since Monica Seles -- who became a U.S. citizen at the peak of her career in the 1990s. At Wimbledon, Ivanovic lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the semifinals.

She matched her previous top U.S. Open performance by reaching the quarterfinals, where she again lost to Venus Williams.

"My goal is to be No. 1 and to win Grand Slams," Ivanovic said. "There are many other players who want the same thing, but I'm on a good way to achieve it."

Ivanovic, ranked No. 6, won in Berlin and Los Angeles this year. She has four career titles and earnings of $2.7 million.

Ivanovic got her first taste of indoor tennis as a youngster at a New Belgrade neighborhood. A sports club official drained an Olympic-size swimming pool in the winter and put down a green carpet and net.

Ivanovic said practicing there, with the pool walls just 18 inches from the sidelines, helped her produce consistent down-the-line shots.

"It sure helped because the walls were so very close to the court that we couldn't play crosscourts," Ivanovic said. "We agreed not to serve and play toward the walls because that would be a finished point. We agreed to serve to the open court so we could at least play a rally."

Growing up in war-ravaged Serbia, she traveled six hours by bus to neighboring Hungary because it was impossible to get a visa out of Serbia for tournaments abroad.

Djokovic, a childhood friend of Ivanovic's, also practiced at the same club. He reached the U.S. Open final this month and lost to top-ranked Roger Federer. The 20-year-old Djokovic is ranked No. 3 after winning four titles this year.

The 22-year-old Jankovic, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals and is ranked No. 3, has won four of her five career titles this season.

So what makes the Serbs so strong?

"It is very difficult to find a reason for that," Ivanovic said. "It's just circumstances that all three of us came out at the same time. Maybe one of the reasons was that when one started doing good, it motivated the others to be even better. We kind of pulled each other on the way up."

Ivanovic said she is coping with the fame that comes with moving into the top 10.

"Women's tennis is turning to fashion and is involving celebrities," Ivanovic said. "When people talk about my charm or looks it is very flattering. Of course, every woman likes compliments, but I don't take them too seriously."