Nalbandian to play in Auckland

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP)—David Nalbandian is expected to return to the ATP tennis circuit in January at the Heineken Open, ending a nine-month layoff following hip surgery, tournament director Richard Palmer said Thursday.“Nalbandian is a quality player who has something special in his game as witnessed by his Grand Slam record of having reached a final and several semifinals,” Palmer said. “He’s the sort of player who has the ability to really challenge for the Heineken Open title and get back into the top 10.”

The 27-year-old Argentine player has won ATP singles title.

Flipkens reaches quarters in Luxembourg

Kirsten Flipkens defeated third-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-5, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Luxembourg Open.

Fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer followed up her title in Linz, Austria, last week by beating Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 6-3, 7-6 (4). She will play France’s Alize Cornet in the next round.

U.S. Open winner Kim Clijsters, a doubles partner of Flipkens, will play Patty Schnyder of Switzerland on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals.Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark withdrew in the opening round Tuesday with a left leg injury.

Jankovic sent crashing in Moscow

Defending champion Jelena Jankovic was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Russian Alisa Kleybanova in the quarter-finals of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.Serb second seed Jankovic had already secured qualification for next week's season-ending WTA Championships. Kleybanova will next play Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who easily saw off Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-3 6-0. Eighth seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-3 6-2 and now faces Alona Bondarenko. Ukrainian Bondarenko defeated Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-3 6-3. In the men's draw, Janko Tipsarevic beat Robby Ginepri in the last eight.Discuss tennis on 606.The sixth-seeded Serb saw off his American opponent 6-3 6-3, while Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan defeated fifth seed Pablo Cuevas of the Ukraine 4-6 6-1 6-4. Jankovic, who dropped serve in the fifth game of each set and double-faulted twice to lose the match, denied she had been saving herself for next week's finale in Doha. "It was a difficult match for me, I tried my best but she played better," said the world number nine. "I can't say I was holding myself back having already qualified for Doha, but sometimes you try and it just doesn't work out."The event has a weakened women's draw because seven of the world's top players had already qualified for the WTA Championships.

FRENCH OPEN

The French Open (French: Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar and the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam still held on clay and ends the spring clay court season.It is one of the most prestigious events in tennis, and it has the widest worldwide broadcasting and audience of all regular events in this sport. Because of the slow playing surface and the five-set men's singles matches without a tiebreak in the final set, the event is widely considered to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world. Another novelty, since 2006 the tournament has begun on a Sunday, featuring 12 singles matches played on the three main courts. Additionally, on the eve of the tournament's opening, the traditional Benny Berthet exhibition day takes place, where the profits go to different charity associations. In March 2007, it was announced that the event will provide equal prize money for both men and women in all rounds for the first time ever

Rafael Nadal

Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera (Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel naˈðal]) (born 3 June 1986) is a former World No. 1 Spanish professional tennis player, currently ranked #2. Nadal has won six Grand Slam singles titles, and the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles. Nadal was ranked World Number #1 from 18 August 2008 to 5 July 2009. In 2009, he became the first player to simultaneously hold Grand Slam titles on clay, grass and hardcourt. His success on clay has earned him the nickname "The King of Clay". Nadal was ranked World No. 2, behind Roger Federer for a record 160 weeks before earning the top spot. He has subsequently lost this position again to Federer following the Swiss player's triumph at the 2009 Madrid Masters (where Federer beat him in the final), French Open and Wimbledon, as well as his own withdrawal from Wimbledon due to injury. In 2008, he was given the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports, in recognition of his achievements in tennis The decision to stay home meant that Nadal received less financial support from the federation; instead Nadal's father covered the costs. In May 2001, he defeated former Grand Slam champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match.[6] By the age of 16, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players.