Tennis Capsules: Former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo retires from tennis
ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France — Two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo retired from tennis Thursday, saying she no longer had a burning desire for competition.
The 30-year-old Frenchwoman is a former No. 1 player who finished this season at No. 21.
"I don't want to train anymore," Mauresmo said after shedding tears about the decision. "I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grew older, it's more difficult to stay at the top."
Mauresmo, who won both of her Grand Slam titles in 2006, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, said she was happy to leave on a good note after winning her 25th singles title — her first in almost two years — in Paris this season. She also had seven wins over Top 10 players in her final year.
"It's a bit sad, but this is the right decision," Mauresmo said. "I was lucky enough to have an exceptional career and to experience very strong feelings on the court."
Mauresmo, who was the No. 1 in 2004, played her last match in the second round of this year's U.S. Open, losing to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-4, 6-0. She pulled out of her last two tournaments of the year.
"It became very hard in buildup to the U.S. Open," Mauresmo said. "If I were able to enter the court, play and shine, of course I could continue, but to achieve this you need to put in such hard work. And I'm not capable of that."
Mauresmo said she has no regrets and feels proud when she looks back at a career that started in 1993.
"I dreamt of this career, I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title," she said. "I lifted trophies in every city in the world and I lived 10 magical and unbelievable years."
Mauresmo, who says she decided to play tennis after watching Yannick Noah win the 1983 French Open, became the first player from France — male or female — to reach the No. 1 spot on Sept. 13, 2004. She held it for five weeks and recaptured it on March 20, 2006, holding it for the majority of that year until falling from the top on Nov. 12. In total, she spent 39 weeks at No. 1.
But she was never able to emulate Noah's feat of winning on the clay at Roland Garros, failing to go beyond the quarterfinals at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris, where she struggled to withstand the pressure in front of her home crowd.
Mauresmo also won the Fed Cup with France in 2003 and the WTA Tour championship in 2005. She won the Olympic silver medal in Athens in 2004.
She had her best season in 2006, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon with victories over Justine Henin in the finals.
"Amelie will go down in history as one of the best players of her generation and a terrific ambassador for women's tennis," WTA Tour chairman Stacey Allaster said. "Amelie is an extraordinary player, one of the nicest and friendliest personalities on Tour, and a true champion both in tennis and in life."
Asked about a possible comeback, Mauresmo said her decision was definitive.
"Even if I've learned to never say never," the Frenchwoman said. "The players you are thinking about stopped earlier than me before coming back."
Former No. 1 Henin confirmed in October she'll make her return to the WTA Tour at the Brisbane International — two weeks before the Australian Open. Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open in September after coming back from two years in retirement.
Nadal-led Spain plays Czechs in Davis Cup final
BARCELONA, Spain — After four straight defeats, Rafael Nadal returns to his favorite clay surface when he plays Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup on Friday as Spain attempts to defend its title against the Czech Republic.
Nadal, a four-time French Open champion, failed to win a set during three straight defeats at the ATP World Tour Finals last week. Spain, playing for its fourth title in its fifth final since 2000, is vying to be the first team since Sweden in 1998 to defend its crown.
"It wasn't a big surprise. When you are not 100 percent at a tournament like that you're going to lose," Nadal said on Thursday at the Palau Sant Jordi. "Here I am 100 percent. I will be playing a little bit better I hope. You can't always play perfect ... but I think I'm ready for tomorrow."
Nadal, who is 10-0 in singles on clay, has won four straight over Berdych since an ill-tempered defeat in Madrid three years ago that led to questions over how the 20th-ranked Czech will be received by the 16,000-capacity crowd.
"There's no problem between Rafael and I," Berdych said. "I don't think this will play a part in this game. He's going to play at home and he's going to play on his favorite surface. I think he's going to be at his best."
In the second singles match of the best-of-five series, David Ferrer was picked over Fernando Verdasco to face Radek Stepanek despite being sidelined for more than a month because of a hamstring injury.
Spain captain Albert Costa went with Ferrer, who is 9-3 in singles play, over Verdasco, who was the hero one year ago in Argentina as underdog Spain triumphed in Mar del Plata. Spain is a heavy favorite this time. The hosts have won 17 straight at home and 19 straight on clay.
"I think it's a strategic thing and Fernando has to play another day," Costa said. "I think it's the right player to play tomorrow."
Ferrer and Stepanek have split all six of their previous matchups, including the two on clay, in a closely contested rivalry.
"It doesn't matter who it is — it's going to be a tough match either way," the 12th-ranked Stepanek said. "I was ready for either of them."
Verdasco, who also lost all three of his matches in London last week, has recovered from a foot injury and will team up with Feliciano Lopez for Saturday's doubles, as the Spanish pair are scheduled to take on Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Halek.
Team selections can be changed up to one hour prior to the match and both teams expect Berdych and Stepanek to play in the doubles, unless the Czechs have the comfort of a 2-0 lead. The pair have a 5-0 record in doubles and have clinched all nine live rubbers this year in wins over France, Argentina and Croatia.
"I think they will change the doubles but we have to respect these two other players who are very good too," Costa said.
Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil offered a veiled response.
"We'll have to see after the first day of singles," said Navratil, who leads the Czechs into their first final since 1980 when Ivan Lendl earned the country — then combined with Slovakia as Czechoslovakia — its only title.
Spain returns to the site of its first Davis Cup title in 2000, a team that included Costa and current reserve Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero and Nadal helped lead Spain to a title in Seville four years later.
Nadal was part of Spain's first-round win over Serbia, while Ferrero clinched a win over Germany to set up an easy semifinal victory against Israel.
Spain leads the head-to-head series 3-2, with the last meeting coming during Spain's 2004 run — when Nadal debuted in the competition, against the Czechs.
-- Paul Logothetis
