You can’t miss any tennis match today. Look at the order of play today. All the big names are in action.

CENTRE - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Robin Soderling (SWE) [13] vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2]
2. Dinara Safina (RUS) [1] vs Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) [17]
3. Andy Murray (GBR) [3] vs Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [19]

COURT 1 - SHOW COURT - 1.00 PM START

1. Venus Williams (USA) [3] vs Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13]
2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [7] vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO) [22]
3. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [20] vs Andy Roddick (USA) [6]

COURT 2 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs Elena Dementieva (RUS) [4]
2. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs Serena Williams (USA) [2]
3. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs Radek Stepanek (CZE) [23]

COURT 3 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [8] vs Nadia Petrova (RUS) [10]
2. Dudi Sela (ISR) vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [4]
3. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) vs Gilles Simon (FRA) [8]

COURT 4 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Igor Andreev (RUS) [29] vs Tommy Haas (GER) [24]
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [9] vs Sabine Lisicki (GER)

COURT 18 - SHOW COURT - 12.00 NOON START

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [11] vs Melanie Oudin (USA)
2. Virginie Razzano (FRA) [26] vs Francesca Schiavone (ITA)

Jelena Jankovic is upset by an American player, and her last name is not Williams.  Melanie Oudin, a 17-year-old qualifier from Marietta, Ga., has achieved the biggest upset of the first week at Wimbledon by beating former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2. She’s ranked 124th and will be in the top 100 for the first time after the tournament. I bet now all the U.S. commentators are weighing in if she could be the future of the U.S. women’s tennis.  Let’s admit is, the U.S. tennis community has been looking for new women stars for quite a long time.

Q. What did Michael Jackson mean to you personally? Would you think about dedicating today’s victory perhaps?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I mean, he was a great guy, a complete icon. Words can’t express my shock and horror, you know, just thoughts and prayers that go out to him and his family and just everything. It’s just terrible, terrible, terrible thing.

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Here is where you can watch free live Wimbledon online.

Ever wondered what Big Babe Tennis means? Check out this fun video that demonstrates why tall women dominate at Wimbledon.

Women Who Serve presents who the contenders and players to watch are on the women’s draw at this year’s Wimbledon which starts Monday.

In an interview with sovsport.ru, Svetlana Kuzentsova, the recent winner of Roland Garros, shares with the Russian readers about her plans on spending her French Open Prize money–1,060,000 Euros.

“I am planning to buy an accommodation in Moscow, I am still renting an apartment. Also, I have promised to myself to buy a good expensive watch. The majority of the money I am going to donate to my church. There the director of orthodox temple is my spiritual father. I try to to be there as often as possible, to think about something personal, something eternal. But I have a very busy schedule. Occasionally, the father himself visits me. … No matter how strange it sounds, I am a very religious person and try to attend church even in other countries.”

Roger Federer’s long-time girlfriend-now-wife Mirka Vavrinec hasn’t been famous for her expressive support of her man from the stands during his tennis matches. However, I don’t know if the pregnancy has made her more emotional or more expressive, but she has been showing a lot more verbal and gestural support for his husband who is trying to secure his 14th Grand Slam title at French Open.  Yes, pregnancy can do wonders:-) Now, I am curious to see if Mirka will tear up today along with Roger after he wins or looses that ever elusive Roland Garros crown. One thing is guaranteed, he is going to CRY!

See more photos after the cut… Read more »

I have blogged some time ago about how Svetlana Kuznetsova had felt somewhat left out and offended, when then-President Vladimir Putin didn’t call her to congratulate on her win at the U.S. Open. (Putin had managed to call Maria Sharapova (for her Wimbledon win and Anastasia Myskina for her Roland Garros win the same year). Yesterday, Sveta was able to securing her second grand slam title with a convincing French Open victory 6-4 6-2 against another Russian Dinara Safina. I was curoious to see if she was going to get a call from the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.  Now the wait is over. Sveta got a telegram this time. Better than nothing:-) It says:

“You have confirmed you are world class in the difficult fight for this honour, you demonstrated a strong character and will. Your stunning and emotionally tense playing became a brilliant continuation of the ‘Russian finals’ on the planet’s major tournaments, and proved again the supremacy of our country’s women tennis school.”

Getty Images has a beautiful photo of Sveta’s in front of the Eiffel tower with a trophy celebrating her win. Check it out here.

No. 1 Dinara Safina and No. 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova meet today in the French Open’s women’s final, a matchup of 23-year-old Russians. Here is what they said about each other:

Svetlana Kuznetsova about Dinara Safina (via Sovetski Sport):

“We have a really good relationship with each other. Our tennis rivalry doesn’t allow us to become closer friends. Nevertheless, we talk to each other about various life topics, give each other advice. I have much closer ties with Nadia Petrova. Before her, Likhovtseva was a good friend of mine, when she was on the tour. I know Dinara since we were 12-13. I remember, she was a year younger than me, but would beat me always 6:1, 6:0 - something like that. I had no chance of winning her.  Thus, I was looking at her always differently. After all I was a girl from St. Petersburg. She was a Moscovite. Her mom was one of the chief tennis coaches of the country. Her brother–a superstar. I remember running and shouting after him to get an autograph: “Marat, Marat, give me an autograph, please. I know your sister.” By the way, Dinara’s mom, greatly helped my parents, when they decided to send me into the Spanish academy. Safina was also being trained in Spain at that time. But even then we were first and foremost tennis rivals.”

Dinara Safina about Svetlana Kuznetsova (via RIA Novosti)

“Svetlana is a very open and honest person. She will never do anything behind your back. I think it is a very valuable quality. Whether she is right or wrong, it is another issue, but she will say whatever is on her mind. But there are people who smile at you and then stab your back. I know that Sveta will never do that.”