First, there was Roger Federer’s cardigan and Serena Williams’ trench coat. Now, Maria Sharapova has set her own fashion trend at Wimbledon — a tuxedo. “I love men’s wear in general,” Sharapova said Tuesday after beating French qualifier Stephanie Foretz 6-1, 6-4 in the first round. “I love tuxedo jackets.” The 2004 champion played the match in a sleeveless top with a tuxedo-style bib front.

Nikolay Davydenko suspects he inadvertently became ensnared in a betting scandal by talking too loudly to his wife during a tournament in Poland last year. Davydenko spoke at length about the ongoing match-fixing investigation after his 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Benjamin Becker on Tuesday — the fifth time in seven years he has lost in the first round at Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic was just getting his bearings when a powerful lefty took five straight games from him to even their match at a set apiece. He wasn’t playing Rafael Nadal, however, and Djokovic regrouped to win his first-round match at Wimbledon. No. 3-ranked Djokovic conceded only one point in the first three games of the third set and went on to 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Michael Berrer, a…

Swedish star Jonas Bjorkman will retire in October, ending a career in which he reached a No. 4 ranking and won nine Grand Slam doubles titles, including three straight at Wimbledon. Bjorkman announced his decision just hours before play began Monday at Wimbledon, where he won doubles titles from 2002-04 and reached the singles semifinals — at age 34 — in 2006.

French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils withdrew from Wimbledon before the first round Monday because of inflammation in his right shoulder. The 22-year-old Frenchman was replaced in the singles draw by Serbia’s Ilia Bozoljac, who was due to play Australian Chris Guccione later Monday. Monfils said he risked long-term injury if he played because the inflammation has been bothering him for a long…

Two-time champion Serena Williams has opened her Wimbledon campaign with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in the opening match on Court 1. Williams, whose Wimbledon wins in 2002 and ’03 are among her seven major titles, fended off five break point chances in the first set Monday and converted on her only opportunity on set point when French Open quarterfinalist Kanepi double faulted.

The Association of Tennis Professionals board is expected to rubber stamp tough new sanctions for match fixing just as Wimbledon is getting started. The ATP, which runs men’s tennis, said it agrees with 15 recommendations from an independent panel released last month to combat the potential for corruption, and will formally endorse them on Monday.

Tennis’ three top-ranked men, including No. 1 Roger Federer, were elected Saturday to two-year terms on the ATP Player Council. In voting two days before Wimbledon begins, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Novak Djokovic were also elected to terms that begin Sunday. In the past, top players have been reluctant to run for such positions, but Djokovic said the top three players jointly decided to become…

Ana Ivanovic. Novak Djokovic. Jelena Jankovic. A year ago, they were up-and comers heading into Wimbledon. Now two of the three Serbs own a Grand Slam title. Ivanovic won the French Open and Djokovic captured the Australian Open crown. Ivanovic and Jankovic are No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings and Djokovic is No.

Thai qualifier Tamarine Tanasugarn defeated third-seeded Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-3 Saturday to win her first grass-court title at the Ordina Open. Playing with a bandaged thigh, Tanasugarn clinched the win with a powerful forehand winner. Safina, the 2006 runner-up in Den Bosch and a semifinalist last year, said Tanasugarn was the better player.

The men’s professional tennis tour will stage an event in Africa for the first time next year as part of a new sponsorship deal with South African Airways worth $20 million. “Several cities in South Africa have demonstrated a strong willingness to host the event and an announcement on the venue will be made shortly, subject to final ATP approval,” the ATP said in a statement Friday.

Roger Federer could face No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals en route to a bid for a sixth straight Wimbledon title. Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, was drawn into Federer’s half of the bracket Friday for the grass-court Grand Slam tournament that begins Monday. Second-ranked Rafael Nadal, who lost to Federer in the past two finals, is in the other half of the draw.

With this most English of tennis tournaments about to open, the gentility of Wimbledon has been broken with all the subtlety of an overhead slam. Andy Murray, Britain’s top player, is appalled that Wimbledon hasn’t produced a homegrown male champion since Fred Perry in 1936. He says there is plenty of blame to go around.

Madrid will host the Fed Cup final between Spain and defending champion Russia on Sept. 13-14. The venue will be Club de Campo de Madrid, the Spanish tennis federation said Thursday. The United States won the 1979 final at the venue. Five-time winner Spain will play its 11th final and its first since 2002.

Novak Djokovic thinks Roger Federer is vulnerable after a lopsided French Open loss and that he is one of several players who could end the Swiss star’s five-year reign at Wimbledon. No. 3-ranked Djokovic beat Federer in the Australian Open semifinals en route to winning his first major title in January.