• Elena Dementieva will not play in an upcoming  Fed Cup tie against Italy on April 25-26. She will be replaced by Vera Zvonareva. (Go Tennis)
• Elena Dementieva was ousted by Venus Williams 6-3, 6-3 at the Dubai Tennis Championships. (The Sports Network)
• Nikolay Davydenko will miss Davis Cup showdown against Romania (Fox Sports)
• Maria Kirilenko’s boyfriend Igor Andreev gives an interview for Maria’s website on Valentine’s Day.  (Maria Kirilenko website)
• Marat Safin’s girlfriend expresses her love for the charismatic Russian tennis player through a newspaper on Valentines day. Don’t worry, no wedding plans on the horizon yet:-) (KP)

While the women’s tour’s number 1 spot goes from one person to another, more and more people realize how much they miss Justine Henin, and what she meant for the women’s tour. Times Online has an interview with her.

On this month’s edition of CNN Revealed, the cameras follow Venus Williams on court and behind the scenes at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha. You can check out the show times and the preview here.

Well… I don’t know. However, Matthew Cronin at Tennisreporters.net thinks that Anna Chakvetadze’s father’s quote about Maria Sharapova is most likely false.

For those of you who read the Russian Express story that alleged that Anna Chakvedatze’s father Djambuli told Yuri Sharapov that he has lost all control of Maria, that story is said to have no basis in reality. Mr. Chakvetadze and Sharapova are not friends and would never have such a conversation.
Due to the massive cutbacks in the publishing industry, reporting, or lack there of, has grown increasingly sketchy, while the editing, or the lack there of, has also hit the skids.

I also posted about the Chakvetadze’s father’s quote on my site, which I got from the Russian Daily Express. The argument that Maria’s father and Anna’s father are not friends might not be entirely accurate. When Maria was in Moscow for Fed Cup trainings, the Russian media reported back then that feuding fathers Yuri Sharapov and Djamal had made up. Russia’s team captain himself confirmed in a quote that the fact that Anna and Maria were training together spoke about the improved relationship between their fathers. Having said that, I am also not sure if the quote was true or false. When it comes to Russian media, the line between tabloid press and reliable news reporting is really blurred.  It is common to see a typical National Enquirer-type article appearing next to a 60 minute-style investigative report:-)

While the tennis world speculates when Maria Sharapova will be ready to play tennis again, Djambuli Chakvetadze (Anna Chakvetadze’s father) claims Maria Sharapova’s mind is not set on tennis these days. In an interview with the Russian media, Chakvetadze said: “The injury has nothing to do with her comeback. Don’t make me laugh. Maria’s mind is just not set on tennis these days, it’s all set on love. I talked to her father Yuri several days ago. He’s upset. He’s lost all his influence on his daughter. Maria doesn’t listen to him any more. She is in the middle of a love affair and doesn’t need anyone except for this guy. I understand Yuri’s feelings very well since I have my own daughter of about the same age.”

Masha has recently been linked to Charlie Ebersol, the son of NBC sports chairman Dick Ebersol and actress Susan Saint James.

Life.ru reports that Russian tennis player Elena Vesnina (ranked 84th) is currently dating Anastasia Myskina’s ex-boyfriend and her child’s rumored father Konstantin Korneev. Korneev, 24, is a popular hockey player in Russia. Myskina herself has never confirmed the identity of her son’s father, but there was much speculation in the Russian media that Korneev is the guy. Vesnina and Korneev were spotted together during the recent Fed Cup event in Moscow. There is also a video showing the couple sitting together in the stands.

To all Marat Safin fans out there, this might be a good news for you. Ever since Marat’s pictures surfaced online with his recent girlfriend Nastya Osipova, Safin’s female fans have started enthusiastically discuss if she is good enough for the famous charismatic Russian tennis player. Now the Russian Life magazine writes that Marat’s father Mikhail Safin wonders why they haven’t met his girlfriend yet, a 24-year-old pop Russian singer whom he reportedly has been dating for about a year. “We only hear from friends and the media that Marat has a girlfriend. Maybe he is being shy or maybe he has his own reasons not to let us in his personal life. However, I find it strange.” See more Nastya’s photos here.

The Women’s Tennis Blog has posted the video of Serena Williams appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show. Check it out. In another “breaking news development” (hehe), Serena was spotted with his on-again, off-again boyfriend Common. I guess their relationship is “on” again.

As it says on the Fed Cup site, “no matter where you turn in the women’s game today you’re apt to find a Russian woman ruling the day.” The Russian Fed Cup team faces China in Moscow Feb. 7-8.

A photo trip down memory lane:

Russia Fed Cup 2008

Russia Fed Cup 2007

See  more after the cut… Read more »

What is it about the Australian Open that makes Roger weep like this?

————Transcribed interview provided by The Australian Open.

Q. Could we have your thoughts on the match.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I thought it was a good match. But, no, I mean, I think I had, I guess, many chances. You know, I mean, I was up a break in the first twice. Yeah, I mean, I had many chances. I missed them, you know, and they cost me dearly.

It was a tough match. I don’t think I served particularly well, unfortunately. And I think that was the key to the match in the end.

Q. When you’re not serving well, what kind of things are going through your mind to try to get back?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, just hang in there. I mean, I won a set against Rafa serving, what, 30% first serves. You know, I mean, it’s makable. I got a great second serve. Very reliable normally. I hit some stupid double?faults, but that’s going to happen in a five?set match usually.

But, no, I mean, I tried to kind of get the grip on my serve, but never really found the rhythm, which was a pity. You know, but it happens.

Q. Can you take us through your emotions.

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I fought hard, you know. I mean, I think I played well. I’m happy with where my game’s at. I wish my serve would have been better, but that’s something that sometimes is a bit, you know, day?form issue, you know.

I have a completely different type of serve than Rafa. You know, he makes sure he gets it in; I try to go and chase the lines. So obviously you’re always going to miss a few.

But, look, I mean, I love this game. It means the world to me, so it hurts when you lose. Read more »