Rich Benvin

Needing one more game to wrap up his first week of work at Wimbledon, Roger Federer wavered, losing his serve for the first time in the tournament. Was the problem nerves? World Cup fever? The surprising sight of London sunshine? "Um, you know, it just happened," Federer said. "I wonder why. Thank God, I bounced back." Lapses rarely last long for Federer, especially on grass.

Tennis officials were investigating reports Wednesday of irregular betting activity surrounding a first-round match at Wimbledon between a British player and a higher-ranked opponent who lost in straight sets. British media said up to $546,000 of wagers were placed on No. 89 Carlos Berlocq of Argentina to lose the match Tuesday.

Andre Agassi's voice wavered and his eyes welled up. After years of dealing with injuries, after months of contemplation, he finally spoke the words he knew he had to, at the place he knew he had to. Turning what was expected to be a routine pre-Wimbledon news conference into something significant, Agassi announced Saturday he will retire after this year's U.S.

Defending champion Justine Henin defeated second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) Saturday in the final of the Eastbourne International, the last grass-court tuneup before Wimbledon begins Monday. The matchup was a repeat of the 2006 Wimbledon final won by Mauresmo. Henin remained unbeaten in eight matches at Eastbourne.

A new book has just been published that reveals a bundle of help for the families and the players who are wrestling with the problem of deciding whether to turn professional and how to go about it.

Bonita L. Marks, a North Carolina-based professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina, has written Taking Your Tennis on Tour:

The Business, Science and Reality of Going Pro, It is very timely what with school finished for the year and countless tennis players of all ages are asking themselves if this is the time to “go pro?” And, if they decide yes, then the book assists in the process of taking action intended for a smooth and successful transition.
There is a lot more to a pro career than just playing tennis; this is a business venture. The player is thrust into the position of being his own coach, travel agent, money man, agent and accountant. Speaking of playing tennis our prospective pro must devote attention to conditioning, nutrition AND practice to win tennis matches.

The book will help make the decision and transition from amateur to professional a lot easier.

Bonita L. Marks, Ph.D.

Faster, stronger, more accurate…On the court, the players try out and test their equipment, they are increasingly demanding. For 125 years, Babolat has been inventing, innovating and developing new products for new achievements. Babolat launched the first dynamic system capable of making the frame and strings interact when the ball is hit. New sensations at impact, new comfort…and new power! More than ever, Babolat is a “driving force in the game.”

Here’s a list of my students that have switched to Babolat racquets…

Julia O’Loughlin……….. Babolat Drive Z-Lite
Dylan Gust………………. Babolat Pure Storm
Diane Schwab………….. Babolat Pure Storm
Derek Jones…………….. Babolat Drive Z-Tour
Paige Merriman……….. Babolat Drive Z-Lite
Matthew Hayes………… Babolat Pure Control
Eric Babusksa………….. Babolat Pure Control
Josh Baer……………….. Babolat Pure Control
Jeff Engleken…………… Babolat Pure Drive
Marat Goldenberg……. Babolat Pure Storm MP
Jordan Beaverfeld……. Babolat Drive Z-Tour
Kyle Schuster………….. Babolat Pure Drive
Bryce Faliske…………… Babolat Pure Drive
Max Altman…………….. Babolat Pure Storm
Lisa Balychenko……….. Babolat Drive Z-Lite
Lino Vivas………………. Babolat Pure Drive Roddick Plus
Brandon Marinoff…….. Babolat Pure Storm
Michelle Weizsmann…. Babolat Pure Drive
Katherine Pippin……… Babolat Drive Z Max
Nicole Smith…………… Babolat Pure Drive
Krista Damico…………. Babolat Pure Control

Lisa Raymond of the United States completed a career Grand Slam in women's doubles, teaming with Samantha Stosur of Australia to beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-3, 6-2 Sunday for the French Open title. The 32-year-old Raymond won the Australian Open in 2000, Wimbledon in 2001, and the U.S.

Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Max Mirnyi of Belarus beat twins Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5 Saturday to win the French Open men's doubles title for the second year in a row. The same teams faced each other in the 2005 final at Roland Garros. They also met in the U.S. Open final in September, when the Bryan brothers won.

Rafael Nadal is considered the king of clay. The accolade also applies to Gaston Cloup. The 56-year-old Frenchman isn't a tennis player. He's the "maitre de la terre battue," or clay master, at the French Open. Cloup and his team of 11 work year-round to prepare the 20 signature red clay courts at Roland Garros for the Grand Slam tournament.

Adidas won a temporary court ruling Wednesday in a dispute with international tennis bodies over the size of its three-striped logo on players' clothing, allowing the logo to appear at Wimbledon. The German sportswear manufacturer was granted a temporary injunction in London's High Court against a new rule limiting the size of the logo to 4 square inches.

Roger Federer's eight consecutive trips to the semifinals at Grand Slam tournaments is the second-longest streak in the Open era. It's not, however, the accomplishment he's aiming for. Federer wants two more match victories at the French Open so he can be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four majors in a row.

Mark Nielsen, New Zealand's top tennis player, was banned for two years Monday after testing positive for a masking agent at the Australian Open. The suspension by the International Tennis Federation will end in March 2008, two years after he withdrew from a Davis Cup event after learning of the test results.

Croatia's Mario Ancic and Chile's Paul Capdeville were fined $3,000 each Thursday for their shoving spat after a French Open match. The players were separated by the chair umpire when they argued after the No. 12-seeded Ancic won in the second round Wednesday. Capdeville complained about several rulings, and he was talking to the chair umpire as the players approached the net to shake hands.