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,…

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Aretha Franklin, Carol Moseley Braun and other pioneering black women will come together on the U.S. Open’s opening night to celebrate the legacy of late tennis star Althea Gibson. The USTA is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Gibson’s historic title at the U.S. National Championships.

Patty Schnyder of Switzerland defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Rogers Cup on Monday. The 10th-seeded Schnyder was making her fifth appearance in the event, but first since 2002, when she lost in the second round to Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. “I would never take matches as routine, because you always have to be aware of the opponent’s weapons,”…

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, who has been out with a thumb injury since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, will return to the court later this month in the Pilot Pen tournament. Williams, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, will be making her first appearance in the tournament. Williams, ranked No. 8 in the world, struggled with injuries in 2006 before entering the Australian Open as an unseeded player and…

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.