Rich Benvin

Serena Williams was the first black woman since Althea Gibson to win the U.S. Open. Venus Williams was the first black woman since Gibson to win Wimbledon. Fittingly, both of the Williams sisters' first-round matches at this year's U.S. Open have been scheduled for Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium -- right after a tribute marking the 50th anniversary of Gibson's first Grand Slam singles title.

NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova loves New York, especially its style and skyline. When Sharapova defends her U.S. Open title next week, she'll be wearing tennis dresses decorated with graphic interpretations of the cityscape on the chest. The designs, created in collaboration with Nike senior designer Colleen Sandieson, were unveiled Wednesday evening on a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, last year's U.S. Open finalists, could meet earlier in this year's final Grand Slam of the season with a potential quarterfinal match looming. On the women's side, top-seeded Justine Henin found herself on the side of the bracket with both Williams sisters when the draw was announced Wednesday.

Lindsay Davenport's return to professional tennis was postponed Tuesday when her doubles match at the Pilot Pen event was bumped because of rain. Davenport gave birth to her first child, Jagger Jonathan Leach, in June and has not played since last September. Davenport and doubles partner Lisa Raymond were rescheduled to play Cara Black and Liezel Huber on Wednesday afternoon.

Sidelined by a bum knee and slowed by a bad back, Tim Henman is in tough shape heading into the U.S. Open. Once among the top players in the world, the four-time Wimbledon semifinalist has fallen to No. 92 in the rankings. His slide prompted reports he might soon retire, and Henman planned to discuss his tennis future Thursday.

Three-time defending champion Roger Federer was seeded No. 1 at the U.S. Open for the fourth consecutive year, and Justine Henin topped the women's seedings Monday. Thirteen players who have won Grand Slam titles are among the 32 men and 32 women seeded for the last major tournament of the year. That includes men's No.

The ATP will use the expertise of British horse racing authorities when it investigates possible corruption of a match involving Nikolay Davydenko. The ATP was alerted to the possibility of a betting scam by online bookmaker Betfair, which voided bets on Davydenko's second-round match against Martin Vassallo Arguello on Aug.

Two-time major champion Amelie Mauresmo pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, citing a groin injury and the need to recover fully from the appendectomy she had in March. Mauresmo hasn't played in a tournament since losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon on July 3, although she did participate in France's Fed Cup semifinal July 14-15.

Top-ranked British player Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Pilot Pen because of a wrist injury. Murray, the No. 16 ranked player, received a wild card last month for the New Haven event, but tournament officials said Wednesday he's not ready to play and is focused on competing in the U.S. Open. John Isner, a former All-American at Georgia and runner-up in the NCAA singles championship this year,...

A stadium full of tennis fans swayed and sang along as Aretha Franklin belted out the familiar refrain of her anthem: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect was what black tennis players were denied before the late Althea Gibson broke the color barrier. Respect is what Gibson demanded with her historic championships a half century ago.

Top-ranked Justine Henin defeated Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Sunday to win the Rogers Cup, her first tournament since losing in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Henin has won all seven meetings against the third-ranked Jankovic. Jankovic had a 4-1 lead in the opening set before Henin pulled even, eventually winning in a tiebreaker.

Maria Sharapova travels the world as the highest-paid female athlete, cocooning in fancy hotels, dining at swanky restaurants and indulging her love of shoes. Yet there's one place the 20-year-old tennis superstar's journeys have never taken her -- the region devastated 21 years ago by the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster.

Serena Williams withdrew Friday from her debut at the Pilot Pen tournament, citing a thumb injury that has sidelined her since Wimbledon. Williams had accepted a wild-card entry for the tournament that begins Sunday, hoping to use it as a testing ground for the U.S. Open. "I am frustrated and extremely disappointed that I won't be able to play at the Pilot Pen," Williams said in a statement.

Venus Williams withdrew Tuesday from the Rogers Cup, an event still trying to recover from a rash of withdrawals last year in Montreal. Reasons for Williams' withdrawal were not immediately available. Top-ranked Justine Henin and No. 2 Maria Sharapova are scheduled to compete in the tournament that starts Monday at York University.

Bud Collins joined ESPN's tennis coverage a month after his final Wimbledon appearance for NBC. The 78-year-old tennis analyst, known for his colorful outfits and creative nicknames for players, will participate in ESPN2's coverage of the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon in 2008. He will report for SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and ESPN Radio from the U.S.