Tennis Update

Indian Tennis Players Rankings

Estranged partners Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had contrasting fortunes in the ATP doubles rankings released on Monday, and while the former dropped down two places to 10th spot, the latter climbed up six rungs to 23rd on the leaderboard. In the ATP doubles race, Leander and his Czech partner Martin Damm are at sixth position with the Bryan brothers — Bob and Mike — from the US up at the mound. Bhupathi and Radek Stepanek, also from Czech Republic, who lost in the semifinals at Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday, are way down at 26th position.

In the singles rankings, Prakash Amritraj slipped 12 places to 248th position allowing, in the process, Rohan Bopanna to become the highest-ranked Indian on the leaderboard. Big-serving Bopanna gained a place to sit at 243rd position. Meanwhile, Karan Rastogi gained 47 places to 385th while Harsh Mankad slipped 56 spots to 341st position.

Some good performances by the Indian women in the Federation Cup where they blanked both Phillipines and Chinese Taipei 2-0 (the inconsequential doubles match was not played in both series) and then beat New Zealand 2-1 to meet Australia in the finals. However, Australia defeated India 2-1 to advance to the Fed Cup World Group play-offs while India was left rueing more bad news for Sania Mirza comes out of this tournament nursing elbow and wrist injuries, which her doctor claims are 'not serious'.

On fitness front, it's disadvantage Sania - Indian Express
Sania Mirza 'not fit enough' - Indiatimes, India

Sania is now seeded 40 and can be expected to go lower if injuries keep her out for long. 'Among other Indians, US-based Shikha Uberoi maintained her 183rd spot while Ankita Bhambhri gained two places to 336th position, according to information received here. Meanwhile, veteran Rushmi Chakravarthi suffered a free fall in the rankings dropping a whopping 92 rungs down the ladder to 459th spot. Isha Lakhani (368) and Sanaa Bhambri (462), both climbing down four spots, were other Indians in the top 500.'

Meanwhile: Belgium to meet US in Fed Cup semis after Belgium beat Russia, following victories by Justine Henin-Hardenne (6-2, 6-0 win against Elena Dementieva) and Kim Clijsters (61, 6-4 win over Maria Kirilenko.) Russia, who had been aiming to win the Fed Cup for the third year in succession, had lost to Belgium in the 2001 final too, following which the Russians won 3 in a row.

Spanish teenage tennis star, Rafael Nadal, retained his Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-2 6-7 (2) 6-3 7-6 (5) victory over Roger Federer, his fourth win over the world number one in five meetings. It was also his 42nd successive win on clay and he is now third on the all-time list behind Guillermo Vilas (53) and Bjorn Borg (46) for consecutive match wins on clay. Sunday's success marked only the second defeat for world number one Federer this season - both at the hands of Nadal who also beat Federer in last month's Dubai Open final. Federer now has a 33-2 win-loss record in 2006. The reigning Roland Garros champion, the world number two, and winner of eight clay crowns in 2005, beat Federer for the second time on clay after ousting him in the French Open semi-final last year.