Pride, Prizes Aplenty as Tennis Year Nears Climax
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Although the grand slam silverware has  been doled out for the 2004 season there is still much pride  and prize money to play for as the tennis year creeps toward  its climax.
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With the Big Four in Justine Henin-Hardenne, Kim Clijsters and the Williams sisters alternating injuries this year, the No. 1 ranking has been up for grabs.
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The unpredictability of Marat Safinâs game is becoming a thing of the past. These days the tempestuous Russian is as strong and forceful opponent as it is possible to find on the opposing side of a tennis
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Serena Williams and Andy Roddick  produced some powerful tennis at the U.S. Open Sunday as their  title challenges gained strength.
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Men yelled encouragement and whistled at her. One tossed a long-stem red rose on the court. Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was a big hit playing for the first time in the season-ending WTA Championships.
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In a year when the United States has again been internationally humbled in a number of major sporting events, America still has Andre Agassi.
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For all of Roger Federer's titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open &#151; and there are 10, and counting &#151; his career very well may be defined eventually by how he fared at the French Open.
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PARIS -- For all of Roger Federer's titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open -- and there are 10 and counting -- his career very well may be defined eventually by how he fared at the French Open.
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A quest to put things right after an Australian Open final thrashing at the hands of Serena Williams last year has inspired Maria Sharapova's drive for this year's title.
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It feels almost unsporting to characterize the best rivalry in men's tennis as anticlimactic. But that's what the showdowns between world No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal had approached over the past two years, with Federer holding sway on grass and hard courts, and Nadal peerless on clay.
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It is almost the end of term and the report cards are due. With only a couple of weeks to go before the season&#39;s end, some (Tim Henman) are still busting their buttons to earn their gold star
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There is nothing quite like the intimate, unpretentious but still intense tennis theater of Wimbledon after a long, cacophonous sports year in America.
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For great athletes like Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, there is a fellowship at the top.
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Healthy at last, Justine Henin-Hardenne is back at the top of her game. And she has a gold medal to prove it. In a No. 1 vs. No. 2 final that wasn&#39;t really close, the top-ranked Henin-Hardenne overwhelmed
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Novak Djokovic goes for the sweet spot.
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One can make a strong argument that Russia, with its combined strength in the menÂs and womenÂs game, is the leading tennis nation in the world.
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NEW YORK -- On the court, Rafael Nadal is mature beyond his years , both in his game and his reactions, no matter the circumstances or the venue. So it was noticeable when another sort of emotion was splashed across his face yesterday as evening approached and his first - round match, against Mark Philippoussis, was shoveled off to today.