The Australian Open women’s singles final will be a night match in 2009, and defending champion Maria Sharapova thinks it will be a good move. “The atmosphere at Melbourne Park at night is great and the cooler conditions allow the players to really produce their best,” said Sharapova, who beat Ana Ivanovic in January in this year’s Saturday afternoon final.

Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was given a wild-card entry into this year’s tournament by the French tennis federation on Thursday. The 31-year-old Brazilian will be playing his final tournament at Roland Garros, where he won his only majors in 1997, 2000 and 2001. The clay-court tournament begins May 25, with the main draw two days before.

Maria Sharapova will assume the No. 1 ranking in tennis because of Justine Henin’s retirement. The 25-year-old Henin, who retired Wednesday, asked to be removed from the rankings, the WTA Tour said Thursday. Sharapova will automatically become No. 1 when the next rankings are released Monday. It will mark the fourth time the Russian has held the top ranking.

Justine Henin retired from tennis Wednesday, an abrupt ending to a short and successful career in which she won seven Grand Slam singles titles and leaves while ranked No. 1. The 25-year-old Belgian made the surprising announcement at a news conference Wednesday, less than two weeks before the start of the French Open.

Top-ranked Justine Henin will make a major announcement about her career Wednesday amid reports she will quit professional tennis. Henin, who has been in a slump all spring, called a news conference, while local newspapers already carried headlines saying “Henin quits.” The 25-year-old Belgian has always said she sought a long career and despite injuries and a divorce, she had a sterling 2007 with…

Justine Henin is quitting professional tennis, according to a Belgian newspaper. The 25-year-old Henin, the top-ranked player in the world, will make the announcement Wednesday, Het Nieuwsblad reported. Henin has been battling fatigue and not playing well. This year she lost to Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.

Twin brothers who play professional tennis as a doubles team helped the wife and son of another doubles player escape from a hotel fire. Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana of Thailand were making their way through thick, black smoke to exit their hotel when they heard someone calling for them. It was the wife of Lucas Arnold Ker, who like the twins is in town for a Challenger Series tournament.