About the Book:

The only time in the history of Wimbledon that the men’s singles final was not played is told in detail by the crowned champion in this illuminating tennis biography. Sidney Wood won the 1931 Wimbledon title by default over Frank Shields—his school buddy, doubles partner, roommate, and Davis Cup teammate—in one of the most curious episodes in sports history. Wood tells the tale of how Shields was ordered by the U.S. Tennis Association not to compete in the championship match so that he could rest his injured knee in preparation for an upcoming Davis Cup match. Three years later the story continues when he and Shields played a match at the Queen’s Club for the Wimbledon trophy. Also included are a compilation of short stories that deliver fascinating anecdotes of the 1930s and a signature document of the play and styles of 20th-century tennis legends.

First you have La, who is trying to become the first Chinese woman to win a Grand Slam, taking on the three time US Ioen Champion, who set her sights on winning Australia after winning in Flushing Meadows back in September.

La was able beat No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki who is still looking for her first Grand Slam win.

A Recap of the Semi’s is Below

Results – Saturday, October 2, 2010
Singles – Final
(1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (7) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 16 62 63

Doubles – Final
Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) d. Peer/Peng (ISR/CHN) 64 46 108 (Match TB)

Final Facts
- Wozniacki captures her fifth title of the season, from six finals played – the Tour-leading figures on both counts. The 20-year-old Dane has also recorded the most singles match wins in 2010: 54.
- Tokyo marks Wozniacki’s second Premier-level title; she won the first at Montréal in August. She now has 11 career titles to her name, for seven runner-up finishes.
- Dementieva, who turns 29 on October 15, was playing her fourth final of the year, having won at Sydney and Paris [Indoors] and finished runner-up at Kuala Lumpur. The Russian is now 16-16 lifetime in Tour singles finals and 3-4 against Wozniacki.
- Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova win their fifth Tour doubles title together. It is the Czech duo’s third trophy of the season, after Paris [Indoors] and Monterrey. Both now boast nine doubles titles.

Final Quotes
Caroline Wozniacki, 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open singles champion:
“Elena started really strongly, she was playing very aggressively and I didn’t get enough depth in my groundstrokes. But in the beginning of the second set I pressed a little harder and came into the rallies a bit more. I’m very happy – I really enjoy winning and I’m feeling good. It’s always nice to hold the trophy in your hand, that’s what you are practicing for. I’m feeling very confident and I feel like I’m playing some good tennis, so hopefully next week will be just as good. I’ll take it one match at a time and we’ll see what happens.”

Elena Dementieva, 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open singles runner-up:
“I feel I played very well in the first set; unfortunately I missed some opportunities in the beginning of the second set and lost a bit of momentum. That was the key… she was fighting and playing solid from the baseline. I’m disappointed with the way I finished the match but I love playing in Tokyo, and even though I lost today I think it was a great final. I’m a little tired heading to Beijing, but I will fly tonight or tomorrow and try to get ready for one of the biggest events of the season. Fingers crossed I can do well there.”

Iveta Benesova, 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open doubles champion:
“We’re very happy. This is the biggest tournament we have won together and we’ve had some really tough matches along the way. We got quite tight in the second set so we are just so relieved to win.”

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open doubles champion:
“It was so nerve wracking, especially in the super tie-break, but we tried to stay positive and not think negative. We made it somehow and are very glad about that!”

Results – Sunday, September 26, 2010
Singles – Final
(5) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 61 63

Doubles – Final
Goerges/Hercog (GER/SLO) d. (4) Grandin/Uhlirova (RSA/CZE) 63 64

Final Facts
- Kleybanova, 21, wins her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title. She is now 2-0 in Tour finals, also winning her only previous final – at the Kuala Lumpur in February.
- In the first set of her second round match against Ksenia Pervak, 28th-ranked Kleybanova lost the longest tie-break of the year (15-13). Thereafter she lost just 15 games in eight sets on her way to the title.
- Zakopalova falls to 2-9 in career finals, and 0-2 this year. The 28-year-old Czech, currently ranked No.39, was runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki in Copenhagen earlier in the summer.
- Julia Goerges and Polona Hercog win their first Tour doubles title as a unit. Goerges now owns three doubles titles, while Hercog has two.

Final Quotes
Alisa Kleybanova, 2010 Hansol Korea Open singles champion:
“Before coming here I wasn’t thinking about winning the title because I haven’t been playing so well recently. Day by day, match by match, I was feeling better about my game; towards the end of the tournament I was fighting to win the title. The first title is always special, but the second one gives me confidence and proves the first one wasn’t a lucky one. This definitely helps me towards getting into the Top 20. I know not straight away, but it gives me the belief.”

Klara Zakopalova, 2010 Hansol Korea Open singles runner-up:
“Alisa was playing very well today. I was fighting and tried my best, but it was not enough against her. The Korean fans were supporting me so much all week though, and I have to thank them.”

Results – Saturday, September 25, 2010
Singles – Final
(7) Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. (4) Elena Vesnina (RUS) 64 64

Doubles – Final
Panova/Poutchek (RUS/BLR) d. Dulgheru/Rybarikova (ROU/SVK) 63 64

Final Facts
- Kudryavtseva wins her first career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title; last week she reached her first career final in Guangzhou (l. to Groth); before last week she had never been beyond the quarterfinals of a Tour event.
- Vesnina fell to 0-4 in career finals (2009 Auckland, 2009 New Haven, 2010 Istanbul, 2010 Tashkent).
- Panova and Poutchek win their first Tour doubles title together; Poutchek wins her seventh Tour doubles title, Panova wins her first Tour title of any kind.

Final Quotes
Alla Kudryavtseva, 2010 Tashkent Open singles champion:
“I was nervous today. I didn’t expect to win. It was a high pressure situation. My serve helped me more than anything else. I got it in big and it helped a lot. The score line made it look like an easy final, but it wasn’t.”

“I will be back to defend my title. I’d prefer to go to a place where I feel at home, and here there are so many people who speak Russian. Moreover, one must go back to tournaments they win, as it brings back the happy memories from the year before. So even if I’m ranked higher next year, I will return to defend my title.”

Elena Vesnina, 2010 Tashkent Open singles runner-up:
“I didn’t play as well as I did the whole week but I congratulate Alla on winning her first title. Alla played amazing tennis today.”

Results – Sunday, September 19, 2010
Singles – Final
(Q) Tamira Paszek (AUT) d. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 76(6) 26 75

Doubles – Final
Arvidsson/Larsson (SWE/SWE) d. (1) Mattek-Sands/Zahlavova Strycova (USA/CZE) 61 26 106 (Match TB)

Final Facts
- 19-year-old Paszek wins her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title, four years after she won the first, at Portoroz in 2006. She is now 2-1 in career finals, having been runner-up to Patty Schnyder at Bali in 2008.
- After an injury-marred 2009, Paszek, a former No.35, had to make it through qualifying on account of her ranking of No.151. Thanks to her Canadian win she jumps to No.92 on the September 20 rankings.
- Paszek didn’t drop a set en route to the final. Against Mattek-Sands she saved two set points in the first set and recovered a 3-1 deficit in the decider.
- Mattek-Sands was contesting her second Tour singles final; the first was at this event in 2008, when she was runner-up to Nadia Petrova, also in three sets.
- Swedes Sofia Arvidsson and Johanna Larsson win their first Tour title together. It’s a first doubles title for Arvidsson and first Tour title of any kind for Larsson.

Final Quotes
Tamira Paszek, 2010 Bell Challenge singles champion:
“It’s overwhelming. I’m extremely happy. Anytime you win a tournament for the first time it’s very special. This is something I’ll remember the rest of my life. I want to thank my family and friends for supporting me during tough times last year. I always believed I could come back.”

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 2010 Bell Challenge singles runner-up:
“This is my best tournament. When I made the final here again I really wanted to get my picture up on the champion’s wall. Tamira is a tough player. She was injured for a little bit but obviously playing qualifying here and making it all the way to the final, she has been playing really well.”

All Sacks had to do was think back the last time he held a big lead against Britton back in February at the Brownsville, Texas, Futures event. “I was up a set and 5-2 and had match points,” said Sacks. “I let him back in and he won the match. So up a set and at 5-2 today I was thinking, ‘You better finish this.’ “

Finish it Sacks, 23, of Woodland Hills, Calif., did winning the $10,000 Pro Circuit event with an entertaining and highly competitive 7-6 (8), 6-2 win over the former NCAA singles champion Britton, 19, of Brandon, Miss.

Ironically, it was after that loss to Britton in Brownsville that the former USC Trojan Sacks decided to quick tennis. “I just needed some time off and it was after I lost that match I decided I was done with tennis,” said Sacks, who added a bad back was another reason he decided to stop playing. “I had to be away from it for awhile to really fully appreciate it. I started coaching tennis and learned a lot just teaching kids. I’ve rededicated myself and I’m a different player now.”

Tournament director Barry Friedman said it was the first time in the tournament’s history that a qualifier had gotten even as far as the semifinals, let alone win the entire tournament. Sacks pocketed $1,300 for his win while Britton takes home $900.

Britton said Sunday’s match and the one in Texas were like night and day. “This was 10 times better,” said Britton, who held three set points in the first set but could not convert on any of them. “Oh, man. In Texas there were 30 mile per hour winds and the balls were going everywhere. It was so ugly. Gary played really well today and I did too.

“He was just a little more aggressive on the big points. I just had no energy left in the second set.”

Britton is entered in both the Costa Mesa and Irvine $10,000 USTA Futures events while Sacks will take a week off and then play the Irvine tournament. “This feels great,” Sacks said. “I am so tired. To come through qualifying to win the tournament is really amazing.”

Sunday’s final singles results

Gary Sacks, South Africa (q), def. Devin Britton, U.S., 7-6 (8), 6-2

Recent Claremont Champions

Year      Singles Winner               Singles Runner-up              Doubles Champions

2010      Gary Sacks                    Devin Britton                      Taylor Fogleman-Chris Kearney

2009      Matej Bocko                   Bradley Klahn                    Brett Joelson-Ashwin Kumar

2008      Tigran Martirosyan          Adriano Biasello                 Marcus Fugate-Nima Roshan

2007      Carsten Ball                    Robert Yim                        Nikita Kryvonos-Michael McClune

2006      Dudi Sela                       Sascha Kloer                     Ryler DeHeart-Dennis Zivkovic

2005      Benedikt Dorsch             Tyler Cleveland                  K.C. Corkery-James Pade

2004      Bobby Reynolds            Huntley Montgomery          Nick Rainey-Brian Wilson

2003      Glenn Weiner                  Jimy Szymanski                 K.C. Corkery-James Pade

2002      Dmitry Tursunov             Raven Klaasen                   Chris Magyary-Mirko Pehar

Points, Prize Money for $10,000 Futures Tournaments

Singles                         Doubles

Points               Prize $              Points               Prize $

Winner                          17                     $1,300              17                     $630

Finalist                          9                         $900                9                    $330

Semifinalist                   5                         $480                5                    $260

Quarterfinalist                2                         $290                2                    $180

Round of 16                  1                         $200                1                    ——

Round of 32                  0                         $117.50            -                     ——

USTA Pro Circuit

With 94 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed on the USTA Pro Circuit for approximately $3.2 million in prize money and valuable ATP and WTA Tour ranking points. Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Lindsay Davenport, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jelena Jankovic are among the top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. The USTA Pro Circuit is world-class tennis administered on the local level and played on local tennis courts as part of the fabric of communities nationwide — an opportunity for current and new fans to experience the excitement and intensity of the professional game in their neighborhood.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.