Italy wins the Fed Cup final, defeating Belgium, after Justine Henin-Hardenne had to retire with a knee injury in the deciding doubles on Sunday. The Belgians, who hosted the final in Charleroi, had a chance to win the final in the fourth match when Kirsten Flipkens was on her way to win her match for 3-1, but Italian Mara Santangelo came back and tied the meet 2 all.
Justine Henin-Hardenne, the 24 year old from Walloon part of Belgium, was having troubles with her knee after a tough season and played all four grand slam finals. She won both single matches as planned, and the Belgian team was hoping Flipkens could win one of her matches to win the title for a second time.

Flavia Pennetta lost her match against Henin-Hardenne and was replaced on Sunday by Mara Santangelo to play against Flipkens. On Saturday Flipkens lost to Francesca Schiavone.

The deciding 5th match turned out to be too much for the Belgian team, Henin and Flipkens. The Italians had brought in a fresh player, Roberta Vinci, along with Francesca Schiavone, who had health problems herself earlier in her match against Henin-Hardenne.

The teams again showed they were both close to winning the fina, l but in the deciding third set, Henin-Hardenne had to retire with a knee injury after the Italians took a 2-0 lead.

It was the first time Italy played the Fed Cup final. Before beating Belgium, they defeated Spain and France on their way to the final.

After a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open, Swiss Martina Hingis plays her seventeenth tournament of the season at the Sunfeast Open, in Kolkata, India, a Tier III event with total prize money of US$175,000. The tournament runs from September 18 through the 24, 2006.

Swiss Martina Hingis is the top seed, while last year’s runner-up, Croatian Karolina Sprem, is seeded second. Ukraine’s Yuliana Fedak is seeded third followed by French Aravane Rezai as the fourth seed. Lurking behind is Indian Sania Mirza, seeded fifth. Estonian Kaia Kanepi is seeded sixth, while Australian Nicole Pratt and Russian Anastassia Rodionova are seeded seventh and eighth respectively.

Hingis’ first round opponent will be Hungarian Melinda Czink. Hingis and Czink meet for the first time in their careers. Then, unheralded Tzipora Obziler of Israel or Yulia Beygelzimer of Ukraine are Hingis’ possible second-round opponents. Then, in the quarterfinal round, Hingis might face Estonian Kaia Kanepi. Sania Mirza, meanwhile, appears to be her most likely semifinal opponent. Should the seedings hold, Hingis would likely meet Croatian Karolina Sprem in the final round for the title.

Roger Federer is one step closer of overtaking Pete Sampras´ record 14 Grand Slam titles. The Swiss beat American Andy Roddick at the US Open in New York 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 in less than two and a half hour. Sunday´s win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium gave Federer his ninth Grand Slam title and 41st overall. He has already won the US Open in the last two years, making the 25-year-old the first player ever to win US Open and Wimbledon titles in three consecutive years.

Federer had an amazing start into the first set when he jumped away with a promising 5-0 lead whereas Andy Roddick seemed totally lost in the first twenty minutes. The 2003 winner however managed to finally get his service game through and then even broke the world number one in the seventh game. Federer knew how to stop the American´s enthusiasm by rebreaking his opponent after half an hour when Roddick set an easy forehand into the net, one of the many unforced errors the American produced in the first set.

With a 6-2 lead backing Federer up, it seemed like Roddick would have been crushed and prepared for defeat but the American picked up his game and the confidence he had found again quickly lead to an early break in the second game. Roddick performed much better from that point on and the energetic crowd was finally witnessing the event everyone had expected from two of the world´s best hardcourt players. Roddick managed to hold on to that one single service break and successfully served for the set to take it 6-4.

The third set was probably the best Federer and Roddick have ever played against each other. Both players hit unbelievable shots from the baseline as well as in front of the net. Whereas Federer was celebrating his artful game again, Roddick showed a fighting spirit which resembles the one he had during his amazing 2003 run at the US Open. At 2-2 Roddick had four breakpoints but failed to convert, the same however happened to Federer in the following game, even missing out on five breakpoints. Federer who many believe could become the best tennis player of all time did not let another chance slip by at the very end of set three. The Swiss took advantage of a sloppy service game of the American at 5-6 and out of a sudden had three breakchances. Federer needed only one this time when he troubled Roddick yet another time with a perfectly hit short cross backhand which Roddick could not return properly.

“I thought it was a pretty high level of tennis, especially those two middle sets. There wasn’t much between us. I feel like I gave myself a chance. I had some breakpoint opportunities there in the third and played some decent points on them,” Roddick said afterwards, “I competed hard, you know. Disappointed, but I’m also proud of the two weeks that I had here.”

There was not much left of the American in the fourth set. Federer dominated the set as if he was playing against a junior player ranked outside the top 200. Roddick tried to come up with a powerful game but the energy obviously left him. Federer pretty much sailed through the last set and had a first matchpoint at 5-0 with Roddick serving for at least “a damn game” - something he let everyone known as he screamed out in anger. Roddick did win that game but there was nothing he could have done against the Swiss taking the US Open crown in the following game.

“After winning Wimbledon, I sort of said, Okay, whoever wins the US Open I guess is really better. So came here and won, so it’s fantastic. Now I totally deserve to be No. 1 for the rest of the season, and hopefully I can back it up again next season, ” Federer told the press seemingly still not as sure about the success as everyone else is regardless of that one US Open title.

As of Roddick, he played a great US Open and is certainly looking for a spot one the top again after failing to win most of the year: “I leave here excited about where I’m heading right now. You know, the last month, with the exception of the last set there, I was in there with (Roger), you know.”

“Obviously, Roger is at the top and he’s the only person at the top regardless of how much people want to make rivalry comparisons and this, that and the other. He’s the best player in the game. There’s no question in my mind or if you ask any player’s mind about that.”

As if one top sports pro had been not enough that evening, Federer was eyed by none other than Tiger Woods in his player´s box. Federer might not be as popular as Woods but he is definetly as brilliant and unique as the golf star.

Maria Sharapova defied the odds by beating Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final round of the US Open, in an hour and a half, 6-4, 6-4. Proving to everyone, fans and detractors alike, that she is not just a one grand slammer, the young Russian brushed aside a 4-1 record in head-to-head wins that Henin-Hardenne holds over her in collecting her second grand slam title. In the first set, Henin-Hardenne led Sharapova after she double-faulted twice in the second game of the first set at 2-0. Sharapova maintainedher composure, waited for Henin-Hardenne to make errors, then hit her shot once an opportunity presented itself. True enough, Sharapova, aided with her big serves and deadly forehands, won the next two games to even the score at 2-2. The two players then held their respective serves twice before Sharapova broke Henin-Hardenne’s serve in the ninth game, courtesy of three groundstroke errors made by the tenacious Belgian, making the young Russian serve for the set, 5-4. A determined Sharapova fought Henin-Hardenne’s charge shot by shot in the tenth game until she ended up holding her serve, thereby winning the first set, 6-4, in forty-five minutes.

Sharapova’s first set triumph pumped her confidence as she warded off attempts by Henin-Hardenne to break her serve. Though double faulting twice in the second serve, Sharapova picked up her game and matched Henin-Hardenne’s great service game. After six games, the two players won three games apiece, and held their respective serves. As the second set progressed, Sharapova’s confidence grew, often times coming to the net with great success. Henin-Hardenne’s game was crumbling, incurring a double fault, and a failed drop shot. Sharapova then won the seventh game by breaking Henin-Hardenne’s serve, 4-3. Then with her great service game and wide court coverage, Sharapova sealed the next game with an ace for a 5-3 lead. Sensing an upset, Henin-Hardenne held her serve to prolong the match at least for another game, narrowing Sharapova’s lead to 5-4. There was nothing Henin-Hardenne could do as Sharapova had answers to every shot Henin-Hardenne unleashed. Sharapova then won the set in forty-five minutes, 6-4, and the match after converting the second match point.

Just when it occurred to her that she won the US Open, Sharapova then dropped to her knees, then ran towards her beaten foe and kissed her. She then went to the stands to give her father, Yuri Sharapov, a big hug before going back to court and called her mother using her mobile phone.

“I figured I lost the last four times to Justine, so I figured I had to do the total opposite, but I have to congratulate her on an amazing career and reaching all four finals this year,” Sharapova said.

“I want to congratulate Maria, she played great today and the last two weeks and deserves her victory. The best player won tonight, and I hope I’ll have another chance in the future,” Henin-Hardenne said.

Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, the second seed, will face third-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova in the final round on Saturday night. Though the two both triumphed in three sets, Henin-Hardenne beat Serbian teen Jelena Jankovic in two hours and a minute, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 while Sharapova beat top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo in one hour and thirty-five minutes, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0.
Henin-Hardenne narrowly escaped an upset from the hands of Jankovic. Henin-Hardenne started the match on a slower pace, allowing Jankovic to dictate the play. Jankovic’s backhand strokes sent Henin-Hardenne running to both corners of the court. The swift-footed Serbian then took the first set 6-4, in forty-one minutes.

Henin-Hardenne was in for an upset with Jankovic leading at 4-2 in the second set. Jankovic then lost her focus after an argument with the umpire, as the young Serb never won a game after that tussle. Though bothered with an aching back, Henin-Hardenne then won all the next four games in the second set 6-4 in fifty-four minutes.

With Jankovic still out of focus, and Henin-Hardenne bent on winning the match, the third set proved a one-sided set as Henin-Hardenne won all the games in the fleeting twenty-four-minute set, 6-0.

“I was pretty nervous at the beginning of the match. I wasn’t in the good rhythm. She was playing terrific at that time. She was just on fire. She played an unbelievable tournament,” Henin-Hardenne said.

With the win, Henin-Hardenne becomes the first female player to advance into the final round of the four grand slams of tennis in a calendar year since Martina Hingis did it in 1997.

Meanwhile, using her giant groundstrokes, Sharapova stunned Mauresmo into submission. Mauresmo was struggling to find her rhythm from the baseline and could not find any answer to Sharapova’s barrage of groundstrokes. Sharapova then took the first set of the match in just twenty-four minutes, 6-0.Mauresmo regrouped in the second set, but was still struggling. Sharapova, though committing errors, was winning her games easily as compared to  Mauresmo kept struggling to hang in the match. Mauresmo then broke Sharapova’s serve at 5-4, pushing the match into a deciding third set in forty-six minutes, 6-4.

What happened in the third set was a deja vu of the first set. Sharapova was on fire, while Mauresmo was stunned, incurring error after error. Sharapova drew first blood in the third set by breaking Mauresmo’s serve, and she never looked back, winning the next five games in a more impressive form than the first set, taking Sharapova only twenty-five minutes to beat Mauresmo, 6-0.

“All credit to her. She played a good match. I didn’t play the way I wanted today,” Mauresmo said of Sharapova.