It looks like after her July wedding to a Russian hockey player Maxim Afinogenov, retired Russian tennis star Elena Dementieva didn’t waste much time in finding a new career. Dementieva will be hosting a TV show on a Russian hockey channel KHL. The show entitled Kukhnya (”Kitchen” in Russian) will be looking at the game of hockey from female perspective and will be featuring hockey players in their personal lives. Here is a video clip from the show.

(Photo: Sovietski Sport)

In a press conference at China Open, Marat Safin said that his sister Dinara Safina had finished her tennis career. He further explained his comment: “She has injured her spine two years ago her at China Open. She has tried a comeback, which only made things worse. Now she needs to take care of her spine, to be able to walk  and lead a normal life. She will continue her rehabilitation, but she will no longer play tennis. It is impossible.”  In response to another correspondent’s question if his statement is an official announcement of her retirement, Marat said: “She will make the official announcement herself. But as her brother, I think, it is simply impossible to come back.”

TennisInfoBlog wishes all the best to Dinara in her future endeavors.

(Source: tennis.ru)

(www.un.org) 1 September 2011 – Tennis ace Novak Djokovic, currently ranked number one in the world, will serve as a National Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in his native Serbia, where he will promote children’s rights and access to early childhood education.The announcement by UNICEF comes as Mr. Djokovic, 24, competes at the US Open in New York, where he is trying to capture his third Grand Slam title of the year.“Novak Djokovic is a natural fit for UNICEF,” said Rima Salah, acting Deputy Executive Director. “He cares deeply about the welfare of Serbian children, bringing the same passion and enthusiasm for his career on the court to addressing issues affecting children.” Read more »

Masha is out of the U.S. Open. Below is her post-match interview after losing to Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. in the third round.

Q.  How are you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Good.

Q.  Where was your A Game today?  What happened?  Seemed hitting you were in the back court, you were hitting double faults.  Did you lose your concentration or your focus?  What was going on with you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Um, yeah, I made way too many unforced errors.  I fought back to get myself back in the match in the third set.  I think the first three, four games on every game I had a chance to win that game, whether it was a breakpoint or it was a game point on my serve, and I didn’t win those games. When you’re done 1 4 and you get yourself back in a position where can you win again and start making errors, it’s just too inconsistent to win the match against her.

Q.  Did you feel like you could rely on your forehand in this match at any point?  Did you ever feel comfortable with it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Um, I didn’t feel comfortable with most of my game today. Read more »