Rich Benvin

Rafael Nadal, fatigued from a nearly 4-hour match the previous day, was routed by fourth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny 6-0, 6-1 Sunday in the final of the Chennai Open. The 19th-ranked Youzhny clinched the fourth title of his career by shocking No. 2 Nadal, who managed to hold his service just once. The 57-minute contest turned out to be a letdown for Nadal, who needed 3 hours, 54 minutes to overcome...

Top-seeded Justine Henin rallied to beat fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the final of the Qatar Open. Henin will play Saturday against second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who had one break in the first set and three in the second to beat sixth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Dinara Safina of Russia took advantage of Martina Hingis' double fault in the last game to beat the Swiss star 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 on Saturday in the Australian Women's Hardcourt final. The top-seeded Hingis, who used this event last year as her comeback event and lost in the semifinals, double-faulted at 0-30 in the 12th game to set up match point.

China's Li Na won the Australian women's hardcourt tennis championship following a six-month layoff because of a rib injury, beating Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday. It was the 25-year-old Li's second WTA Tour title, adding to her 2004 victory in Guangzhou. She last played in Birmingham, England, in June.

Serena Williams and Mardy Fish beat Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic 7-6 (5), 6-2 Friday to give the United States its fifth title in the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis tournament. An upper right leg injury to Jankovic -- and subsequent walkover by Williams in the opening women's singles -- had given the Americans a 1-0 lead over top-seeded Serbia hours before the scheduled start of the final...

Martina Hingis confirmed she became engaged to Czech tennis player Radek Stepanek last month, telling a news conference here Friday she was surprised it had taken so long for people to notice her ring. "I'm happy," said the former No. 1-ranked Hingis, showing off a diamond ring. "I was surprised when it was spotted right away (in Australia) because in Switzerland I've been walking around for a month...

Among Roger Federer's resolutions for the new year: Winning a first French Open title and a fifth-straight Wimbledon crown. "(Winning the) French Open will definitely be a dream come true but on top of the list there is always Wimbledon and staying No. 1," Federer said. "These are the ones that changed my life and made me the player and person I am today." Federer reached his first final at Roland...

Congratulations to my student Julia O’Loughlin in reaching the finals of the Little Mo International Junior Tennis Tournament (9-and-under) in Arlington, Texas. Julia qualified and then lost to Belinda Bencic from Switzerland. The Little Mo International is open to any player from around the world who is 8, 9, 10, and 11 years of age. The International tournament is the premier challenge for youngsters to compete against players from other countries who are the same age.

Players from sixteen countries around the world were represented: Russia, Australia, England, Canada, Croatia, Ukraine, Peru, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Switzerland, Ireland, New Zealand, Philippines, Ecuador, Puerto Rico. The USA participants traveled from twenty-two different states.

Many champions, including well known player Andy Roddick, have come through the Little Mo program in its thirty year history. Roddick won the Little Mo tennis event in 1992 at 10 years of age. The Opening Ceremony consisted of a parade as well as a cowboy doing lasso tricks. Even Julia had a chance to learn to lasso. Check out these short video clips…

The Little Mo tennis tournament is sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in memory of Maureen Connolly, who was known as Little Mo. In 1953, she was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in the same year. Here is Julia accepting her finalist trophy…

technorati: little mo, junior tennis, julia oloughlin, rich benvin, tennis tournament, belinda bencic.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Wising you the best Holiday Season and great success, on and off the tennis court, in 2007!

Sincerely,
Rich

Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic announced his retirement from the national team Friday and will not play against the United States in next year's Davis Cup match. Josef Nechutny, secretary general of the Czech tennis federation, confirmed the decision of Stepanek to retire. Stepanek, ranked No. 19, is the country's second best player.

Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten will play in next month's Movistar Open. Kuerten, who played sparingly this year because of injuries, received a wild-card invitation from organizers to play in the tournament in Vina del Mar, Chile. He also is set to play in the Feb. 12-18 Brasil Open. The 30-year-old Kuerten played only two singles matches this year, the last in a Challenger Series...

James Blake smiled his way through an ultimately meaningless match Sunday, still reveling in the United States' victory over Russia in the Davis Cup final. "It's starting to sink in," Blake said. "We did it." Blake defeated Dmitry Tursunov 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, and the U.S. beat Russia 4-1 to win the Davis Cup title.

Three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport is pregnant and will miss at least the start of the 2007 tennis season. Davenport and her husband, Jonathan Leach, are expecting their first child in early summer, according to a news release issued Wednesday by her agent, Tony Godsick. There was no indication in the release whether or not the 30-year-old Davenport plans to play professionally again.

Zina Garrison thinks playing a rare Fed Cup series on home soil will make it easier for her to persuade top U.S. players to participate. Garrison, whose one-year contract extension as Fed Cup captain was announced Wednesday, made a recent round of phone calls to gauge interest in playing for the United States when it hosts Belgium on April 21-22.

Nigel Sears is the new captain of Britain's Fed Cup team. Sears, who replaces Colin Beecher, will continue in his role as coach of women's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association. Britain will face Bulgaria in a Europe-Africa Zone Group I series starting April 18. "This is a period of massive change in British tennis, and I am excited to be a part of the new set up," Sears said Monday.