Rafael Nadal attempts to win back Queen’s title this year

US Open 2009 Champion Kim Clijsters has confirmed that she will be taking part at the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament later this year. This event takes place prior to the grasscourt Slam of the year – Wimbledon.

Also confirming her participation is defending Caroline Wozniacki who won her first career grasscourt tournament last year.

Last year, these two players have contested the US Open title with Clijsters prevailing. The win was an impressive one for the 26-year old Belgian who just played her third tournament since her comeback late last year.

On Wednesday, Clijsters picked up the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award after her stunning run to the US Open win in 2009.

“I’m really excited about playing at Eastbourne, it’s one of my favorite events,” Clijsters said on Thursday.
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The BNP Paribas Open takes place this week at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden with the world’s best men’s and women’s players flocking in California to battle for glory and get the biggest share of the combined $9 million prize money.

Here are the top eight seedings for the men’s event: [1] Roger Federer (SUI), [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB), [3] Rafael Nadal (ESP), [4] Andy Murray (GBR), [5] Nikolay Davydenko (RUS), [6] Robin Soderling (SWE), [7] Andy Roddick (USA) and [8] Marin Cilic (CRO).

Here are the top eight seedings for the women’s event: [1] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS), [2] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), [3] Elena Dementieva (RUS), [4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR), [5] Jelena Jankovic (SRB), [6] Vera Zvonareva (RUS), [7] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) and [8] Marion Bartoli (FRA).

Watch the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells 2010 Online Free Live Video Stream HERE.

Andy Murray upset a few people in Dubai last week as he confirmed that his season was solely based on big performances in the Grand Slams when admitting that he was only using the Dubai Open as a training exercise.

Murray, runner-up in the Australian Open to Roger Federer, fell in the second round of the Doha event to Janko Tipsarevic to leave sponsors, who had also parted with a decent appearance fee to the Scot, open mouthed.

Murray claimed that his performance levels against the tricky Serbian player, who beat him 7-6 4-6 6-4, would have been different had it been a major tournament, bringing into question what can be expected from him in the run-up to the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open later in the summer.
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World number five Venus Williams continued her hot streak, this time at the Madison Square Garden, when she won the Billie Jean Cup in the BNP Paribas Showdown by beating US open 2009 champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the final.

Williams was fresh from defending two titles in Dubai and Mexico prior to her appearance in New York. It can be remembered that she lost the final at the Madison Square Garden a year ago to her younger sister Serena Williams. However, the world number one has pulled out of the competition due to leg injury.

“On the way here, I kept thinking, “I’m going to see Serena in New York,” the champion said.
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Tournament winners (February 21 – 28, 2010)

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai, UAE)

Singles: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Doubles: Paul Hanley / Simon Aspelin

Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico)

Singles: David Ferrer
Doubles: Oliver Marach / Lukasz Kubot

Delray Beach Int’l Tennis C’Ships (Delray Beach, USA)

Singles: Ernests Gulbis
Doubles: Mike Bryan / Bob Bryan

Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico)

Singles: Venus Williams
Doubles: Polona Hercog / Barbora Strycova Zahlavova

Malaysia Open (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Singles: Alisa Kleybanova
Doubles: Jie Zheng / Yung-Jan Chan

The $1 million Abierto Mexicano Telcel, one of the elite 11 ATP 500 tournaments this season, takes place this week at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess in Mexico.

Spaniard Nicolas Almagro is a two-time defending champion of the tournament and will aim for a record-setting hat-trick but will have to face tough competition from higher seeded players. Five players from Spain are in the top eight seedings:

Here are the top eight seeded players: [1] Fernando Verdasco (ESP), [2] Fernando Gonzalez (CHI), [3] David Ferrer (ESP), [4] Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP), [5] John Isner (USA), [6] Nicolas Almagro (ESP), [7] Juan Monaco (ARG) and [8] Albert Montanes (ESP).

Watch the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament live video stream online HERE.

The ladies event of the 2010 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships concluded last week with Venus Williams successfully defending the title with a resounding victory over Victoria Azarenka. This week, the men’s event takes place with defending champion Novak Djokovic leading the pack. Four time champion Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament due to a lung infection.

Here are the top eight seeds of the tournament: [1] Roger Federer (SUI) – withdrew, [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB), [3] Andy Murray (GBR), [4] Nikolay Davydenko (RUS), [5] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA), [6] Marin Cilic (CRO), [7] Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) and [8] Gilles Simon (FRA).

Watch the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships 2010 men’s tournament live online HERE.

Open 13 (Marseille, France)

Singles: Michael Llodra
Doubles: Michael Llodra / Julien Benneteau

Regions Morgan Keegan C’Ships (Memphis, USA)

Singles: Sam Querrey
Doubles: Sam Querrey / John Isner

Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Singles: Juan Carlos Ferrero
Doubles: Horacio Zeballos / Sebastian Prieto

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai, UAE)

Singles: Venus Williams
Doubles: Nuria Llagostera Vives / Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

Cellular South Cup (Memphis, USA)

Singles: Maria Sharapova
Doubles: Vania King / Michaella Krajicek

WTA

Open GDF Suez (Paris, FRANCE)

Singles: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Doubles: Iveta Benesova / Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

PTT Pattaya Open (Pattaya, THAILAND)

Singles: Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Doubles: Marina Erakovic / Tamarine Tanasugarn

ATP

SAP Open (San Jose, USA)

Singles: Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
Doubles: Mardy Fish / Sam Querrey

ABN AMRO World Tennis (Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS)

Singles: Robin Soderling (SWE)
Doubles: Daniel Nestor / Nenad Zimonjic

Brasil Open (Costa do Sauipe, Brazil)

Singles: Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

The $2 million Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships begins this week with the ladies event. Eight of the world’s top ten are in the draw which makes the competition tough, even for defending champion and world number five Venus Williams.

Israeli Shahar Peer is back in the tournament after being barred from competing last year due to political issues.

Here are the top eight seedings: [1] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), [2] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS), [3] Venus Williams (USA), [4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR), [5] Elena Dementieva (RUS), [6] Jelena Jankovic (SRB), [7] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) and [8] Li, Na (CHN).

Watch Dubai Tennis Championships 2010 Live Online: Free Video Stream HERE.

The Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club in Argentina, also known as the “Cathedral of Argentinean Tennis,” plays host of this week’s ATP 250 Copa Telmex tournament. The $475,000 event is headed by Spain’s David Ferrer. Argentina is well represented in this tournament with David Nalbandian, Gaston Gaudio, Juan Ignacio Chela, Horacio Zeballos, Juan Monaco and Eduardo Schwank.

Here are the top eight seedings: [1] David Ferrer (ESP), [2] Juan Carlos Ferrer (ESP), [3] Nicolas Almagro (ESP), [4] Juan Monaco (ARG), [5] Albert Montanes (ESP), [6] Igor Andreev (RUS), [7] Victor Hanescu (ROU) and [8] Horacio Zeballos (ARG).

Watch the Copa Telmex Live Online: Free Video Stream HERE.