Dinara Safina beat Flavia Pennetta , final of the East West Bank Classic

Dinara Safina won her second title of the year in sweeping aside Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the East West Bank Classic. Safina, who was seeded No.4 at the Tier II event,dashing No.1 seed Jelena Jankovic's hopes for a title - which would have elevated her from No.2 to No.1 for the first time - in a much-anticipated semifinal, 7-6(3) 6-1. A breakthrough season for 22-years old Russian, currently 9'th in world ranking. She captured Berlin Open tittle and reached French Open final and final in Ordina Open where surprisingly she loss to Tamarine Tanasugarn.

The Championships, Wimbledon 2000- 2008

MEN'S SINGLES

2000 Pete Sampras Beat Patrick Rafter 6-7(10) 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2
2001 Goran Ivanisevic Beat Patrick Rafter 6-3 3-6 6-3 2-6 9-7
2002 Lleyton Hewitt Beat David Nalbandian 6-1 6-3 6-2
2003 Roger Federer Beat Mark Philippoussis 7-6(5) 6-2 7-6(3)
2004 Roger Federer Beat Andy Roddick 4-6 7-5 7-6(3) 6-4
2005 Roger Federer Beat Andy Roddick 6-2 7-6(2) 6-4
2006 Roger Federer Beat Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3
2007 Roger Federer Beat Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7) 4-6 7-6 (3) 2-6 6-2
2008 Rafael Nadal Beat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7

WOMEN'S SINGLES

2000 Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport 6-3 7-6(3)
2001 Venus Williams beat Justine Henin 6-1 3-6 6-0
2002 Serena Williams beat Venus Williams 7-6(4) 6-3
2003 Serena Williams beat Venus Williams 4-6 6-4 6-2
2004 Maria Sharapova beat Serena Williams 6-1 6-4
2005 Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport 4-6 7-6(4) 9-7
2006 Amélie Mauresmo beat Justine Henin-Hardenne 2-6 6-3 6-4
2007 Venus Williams beat Marion Bartoli 6-4 6-1
2008 Venus Williams beat Serena Williams 7-5 6-4

History of the Euro Cup

Here is a look at the previous winners of the UEFA European Football Championship.

Year	Winner
Euro 1960	Russia
Euro 1964	Spain
Euro 1968	Italy
Euro 1972	Germany
Euro 1976	Czech Republic
Euro 1980	Germany
Euro 1984	France
Euro 1988	Netherlands
Euro 1992	Denmark
Euro 1996	Germany
Euro 2000	France
Euro 2004	Greece
Euro 2008	Spain

Surprise : Nelson Piquet's Podium

For wannabe grand prix drivers, winning the junior categories seems like the be-all and end-all. The multiple stepping stones to formula one - GP2, Euro F3, British F3, WSR, Formula Renault, Formula BMW - are not just a chance to develop and hone race skills, but important milestones to put on the CV - if young drivers win them outright that is. A clutch of titles can, for the fortunate ones, secure the best seat on the grid. It doesn't always work that way - there's a long list of champions who never got their F1 chance - so even those struggling in machinery at the tail end of the grid are deemed fortunate.

Look at the men who claimed the top two spots in today's German grand prix and you're reminded about the fantastic battle they had in GP2 in 2006. It was less than two years ago but it has almost been forgotten as the careers of Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jr diverged at speed. After the first half of this formula one season, there's not been cause to mutter their names in the same breath. Until this afternoon.

Piquet has been racing with an axe hovering over his neck. His performances have, on occasion, been shocking for the driver who almost pipped Hamilton - the most successful rookie in the history of formula one - to the GP2 crown. Memories of his complete domination of British F3 in 2004 are even more distant and there have been rumours that he may be replaced by another Renault development driver such as Lucas di Grassi or Romain Grosjean. Yesterday, Piquet failed to make it into the second qualifying session and lined up 17th on the grid - an embarassing 12 places behind team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Today, Piquet should have banished much of that speculation. It could be the turning point that propels his season in a more positive direction (as Heikki Kovalainen found during the middle of his spell with Renault last year). Piquet wouldn't have found himself at the head of the field were it not for the chain reaction of Timo Glock's pit-straight shunt. Had the safety car not come out and presented the opportunity of free pit stops, and had the strategies of the frontrunners not changed, then Piquet would have been recording another lacklustre result. But, unlike for Glock, luck was on his side. He was given the opportunity to perform calmly and skilfully at the head of the field. Yes, his old foe Hamilton got past in the much quicker McLaren. Piquet, though, need not blush at the way he conceded the place - unlike Massa, who defended atrociously for a would-be world champion.

All that was left was for Piquet to hold his nerve. Massa put forward no challenge and so the Brazilian crossed the line to record Renault's first podium of the season. Earlier in the weekend Alonso had said it would be difficult for his younger team-mate to score any points. That's showed him. It may also have convinced Flavio Briatore to keep investing in the Brazilian with the famous dad. He might not have a GP2 title to his name - and he might not be in the same class as the man who beat him to it - but it wouldn't be wrong to suggest that Piquet Jr was the driver of the day at Hockenheim.

Ronaldinho transferred to AC Milan

Ronaldinho transferred from FC Barcelona to AC Milan, the Italian club announced late Tuesday, ending several days of furious negotiations in which the Brazil playmaker appeared eager to avoid a move to Manchester City.

Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho has agreed to leave Barcelona, where he was deemed surplus to requirements, and sign for AC Milan in a deal reported to be worth 30 million dollars.

Milan said Ronaldinho would arrive in Milan on Wednesday for a medical exam and sign a contract through June 2011. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Milan will pay Ronaldinho Euro 6.5 million (US$10.4 million) per season. The news of the deal was a bodyblow to English Premier League side Manchester City who had offered 32 million euros for the two-time world player of the year.

Ronaldinho , who was not wanted at the Nou Camp by new Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola following a dip in form last season, scored 70 goals in 145 appearances for the Spanish side.

Meanwhile, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is looking forward to having Ronaldinho in his team as the San Siro giants aim to bounce back from their disappointing 2007/2008 season which saw them finish in fifth place in Serie A and miss out on Champions League qualification.

"The important thing is to have quality players and Ronaldinho is without doubt one of those," Ancelotti told Gazzetta dello Sport earlier Tuesday.

He added that the team will line-up so as to make best use of the Brazilian and his international teammate Kaka, with the pair playing behind either veteran Italy international striker Filippo Inzaghi or teenage Brazilian sensation Alexander Pato.

"We will play with a 4-3-2-1 formation. It's a model that has worked well for us and brought us great satisfaction. It's our trademark and it will be again this year, with or without Ronaldinho. Our only objective is to win playing good football. This is Milan," he added.

Having won two Champions League titles, 49-year-old Ancelotti said that returning to the pinnacle of the European club game was the team's priority.

"We start the season wanting to improve; being out of the Champions League is hard to take, therefore we will do everything to return there as soon as possible."

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the owner of AC Milan, reacted with joy to the deal.

"Ronaldinho is ours, Galliani called me from Barcelona," Berlusconi told Italian television by telephone, referring to AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani.

"Galliani told me that an agreement was reached and it will be signed tomorrow (Wednesday). ... Now I hope all the fans who asked me during the election campaign for Ronaldinho will be happy."

Berlusconi, who also owns a vast media empire, took office for a third time in May after winning mid-April elections by a wide margin.

Young Guns " Agnieszka Radwanska "

Agnieszka Radwanska won her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title in Stockholm 12 months ago and this year returns to defend her crown at the $145,000 Nordea Nordic Light Open. An impressive Tier IV field that also includes Agnes Szavay, Katarina Srebotnik and Caroline Wozniacki, has assembled in the Swedish capital, all hoping to lift the winner's trophy next Sunday.

Radwanska has been making history for Poland since stepping onto these very courts a year ago. With her performance in Stockholm she became the first ever Tour singles titlist from her nation, and has since followed that up with another three titles. In February she became the first Polish woman to crack the Top 20, in May she became the first Polish woman to surpass $1 million in career prize money and earlier this month upped the ante in her national ranking record, becoming the first Polish woman to crack the Top 10.

Currently ranked No.10 in the world, Radwanska is a heavy favorite to make it deep into this week's draw. She has a tricky first opponent, however; though she is ranked a lowly No.92 right now, Nathalie Dechy is a former world No.11 and has a dozen Top 10 wins to her name, including one win over a reigning No.1.

Radwanska's biggest competition could come from fellow Top 20 player Szavay, the No.2 seed this week. Szavay could have a tough first few rounds, however; her quarter of the draw is almost entirely made up of players who have won Tour singles titles or reached Tour singles finals before, including a first round duel with recent Birmingham runner-up Yanina Wickmayer.

Srebotnik, the No.3 seed, is the only former champion in the draw other than Radwanska, while No.4 seed Wozniacki will likely be a huge crowd favorite, being Scandinavia's No.1 player (and the only Scandinavian in the world's Top 50).

Rounding out the seeds are Anabel Medina Garrigues (No.5), Sania Mirza (No.6), Kateryna Bondarenko (No.7) and Marina Erakovic (No.8).

This is the seventh staging of the Nordea Nordic Light Open, and the fifth year the event has been in Stockholm. In 2002 and 2003 the tournament made its home in Helsinki, Finland, with Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Smashnova winning titles. Since moving to Stockholm back in 2004, Alicia Molik, Srebotnik, Zheng Jie and Radwanska have triumphed.

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

The South Americans are very much the favourites to win the Marseille 2008 final on Sunday 27 July on Prado beach, but they will nevertheless have their work cut out against Italy if they are to win their third consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

Brazil-Italy, 19h00 (local time)

This is the first time that these teams will have met in the final, making it all the more difficult to call. On paper, the Brazilians will be very much the favourites against an Italian team which had never previously got beyond the first round until this year. The Squadra Azzurra, however, have absolutely nothing to lose, having gone much further that they expected, and will no doubt play open football without any pressure on their shoulders.

The key
Whenever a team puts Brazil on the back foot, they rely on their defenders to build up the pressure from the back. Roberto Pasquali and his team-mates will have to try their luck from all angles and distances if they are to emerge triumphant.

Players to watch
Buru was suspended for the semi-final against Portugal but will be back for the final. Brazil will be relying on his experience, ball control and of course fresh legs, having missed the last match. Italian striker Massimiliano Esposito, meanwhile, will be hoping to keep up his run of form, with four goals in as many matches so far.

What they said
"Beach soccer has given me all the moments I've enjoyed the most. Nobody could be happier than I am. Regardless of the result of the Final, I've had some great times with Brazil alongside some of the best players on the planet," Junior Negao, Brazil player.

"It's a real surprise for us to have made it to the final. We really weren't expecting it. In a way, you could say that we've already won our World Cup. Brazil are on a totally different level to us - their players were born on the beaches," Giancarlo Magrini, Italy coach

Portugal - Spain, 17h30 (local time)

These two teams both came so close to making it to the decider and will definitely be looking to sign off with a win to secure third place in the competition. This Iberian peninsular derby will give the Prado fans a last chance to see stars Amarelle and Madjer. Portugal will probably be in a better state mentally, since their semi-final defeat was against favourites Brazil. Spain went out on penalties to Italy and will have to clear their heads of any regrets before the game.

Anna Kournikova

WTA Rankings - TOP 20, Juli 2008

1. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
3. Maria Sharapova (RUS)
4. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
5. Serena Williams (USA)
6. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
7. Venus Williams (USA)
8. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)
9. Dinara Safina (RUS)
10. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
11. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
12. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)
13. Patty Schnyder (SUI)
14. Agnes Szavay (HUN)
15. Marion Bartoli (FRA)
16. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
17. Nadia Petrova (RUS)
18. Alize Cornet (FRA)
19. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
20. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)

IOC banned Iraq from the Beijing Olympics 2008

The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from the Beijing Olympics because of government interference in the National Olympic Committee. An IOC spokeswoman told VOA Sports that the decision follows the suspension of Iraq's Olympic Committee in early June. The IOC had invited the Iraqi government to Lausanne to try to resolve the situation, but no progress has been made. In a letter to the Iraqi Sports Minister, the IOC said in spite of its efforts and those of the Olympic Council of Asia to find a solution, the situation has not changed and Iraq's suspension was upheld.

The IOC suspended Iraq because of what it called "ongoing political interference by the government in the sports movement in Iraq." The IOC move was made after the Iraqi Council of Ministers dismissed the national Olympic Committee and appointed an interim committee chaired by the minister of sport. The Iraqi government said last month that the Olympic Committee was dissolved because it did not have enough members for a quorum and elections have not been held in five years. The head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, Ahmed Al-Samarrai, was kidnapped in July of 2006 and has not been heard from since. The IOC spokeswoman said that the door remains open for change, but she does not expect Iraq to be able to meet the governing body's requirements in time for the opening ceremonies on August 8.

Mascots Olympic Games Beijing 2008

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world. Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame. Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games. Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.


Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go
In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing -- and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe. At the heart of their mission -- and through all of their work -- Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games -- and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.

In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life. The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring. Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur.

As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring. In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit.

And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring. Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China.

The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing's commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring. Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

Justin Gimelstob described Anna Kournikova

A senior official in men's tennis has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after an extraordinary sexist rant about women players. Justin Gimelstob, a director of the Association of Tennis Professionals, described France's Tatiana Golovin and Alize Cornet as 'sexpots'. And he said 19-year-old Czech Nicole Vaidisova, who yesterday won through to the fourth round at Wimbledon, was 'well-developed'.

Gimelstob, 31, who retired from the professional tennis circuit last year, let rip on a Washington-based morning radio show, The Junkies. In an hourlong interview, he saved his real vitriol for the semi-retired Russian Anna Kournikova, announcing: 'She's a bitch'. Asked if he 'hated' the 27-year-old, with whom he trained as a junior, he replied: 'Hate's a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate.' Gimelstob, from New Jersey, became known during his career as the 'most quotable guy on the ATP tour' following comments such as 'I'm only seven matches away from my first Grand Slam' after reaching the U.S. Open first round via a wild card in 1995.

His best-ever world ranking was 63, but he won the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams as his partner. Kournikova was in the tennis headlines a few weeks ago when American player Justin Gimelstob went on a nasty radio rant about her and some women on the world tour, calling them “sexpots,” for which he was suspended by World TeamTennis and issued a public apology.

By now, this kind of attention slides right off Kournikova, who doesn’t play on tour anymore, but stays busy with public appearances, charity work, a little WTT and plenty of the fun life in her adopted home in south Florida. “I don’t have to prove anything to anybody or try to change anybody’s opinion,” she said. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. People can jump to conclusions just from hearing stuff or reading all this stuff in the press, and sometimes, the press dramatizes it or makes it a little out of proportion, but a true tennis fan knows what I’ve achieved, what kind of results I’ve had on the tennis court.

And I know that, and that’s the important thing, as long as I know, for myself, and that I’m satisfied. That’s all that matters. I’m not out there to try to change anybody’s opinion or judgment or their perception of me.” Kournikova is best known for having won two Australian Open doubles titles, in 1999 and 2002, and nothing else. She’s been named one of the world’s sexiest people by magazines who keep track of that sort of thing, and has been the constant subject of off-the-court rumors concerning her love life, but her tennis career, once so promising, never lived up to the expectations of most observers.

Sir Edmund Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary was born in 1919 and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. It was in New Zealand that he became interested in mountain climbing. Although he made his living as a beekeeper, he climbed mountains in New Zealand, then in the Alps, and finally in the Himalayas, where he climbed 11 different peaks of over 20,000 feet. By this time, Hillary was ready to confront the world's highest mountain. Mt. Everest lies between Tibet and Nepal. Between 1920 and 1952, seven major expeditions had failed to reach the summit. In 1924, the famous mountaineer George Leigh-Mallory had perished in the attempt. In 1952, a team of Swiss climbers had been forced to turn back after reaching the south peak, only 1000 feet from the summit. Edmund Hillary joined in Everest reconnaissance expeditions in 1951 and again in 1952. These exploits brought Hillary to the attention of Sir John Hunt, leader of an expedition sponsored by the Joint Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club of Great Britain and the Royal Geographic Society to make the assault on Everest in 1953. The expedition reached the South Peak on May, but all but two of the climbers who had come this far were forced to turn back by exhaustion at the high altitude.

At last, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a native Nepalese climber who had participated in five previous Everest trips, were the only members of the party able to make the final assault on the summit. At 11:30 on the morning of May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, 29,028 feet above sea level, the highest spot on earth. As remarkable as the feat of reaching the summit was the treacherous climb back down the peak. By coincidence, the conquest of Everest was announced to the British public on the eve of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The triumph of a British-led expedition combined with the inauguration of the young Queen did much to restore the confidence of a nation weary from long years of wartime hardship and postwar shortages. Edmund Hillary returned to Britain with the other climbers and was knighted by the Queen. Now world famous, Sir Edmund Hillary turned to Antarctic exploration and led the New Zealand section of the Trans-Antarctic expedition from 1955 to 1958.

In 1958 he participated in the first mechanized expedition to the South Pole. Hillary went on to organize further mountain-climbing expeditions but, as the years passed, he became more and more concerned with the welfare of the Nepalese people. In the 1960s, he returned to Nepal, to aid in the development of the society, building clinics, hospitals and 17 schools. To facilitate these projects, two airstrips were built. These airstrips had the unforeseen consequence of bringing more tourists and would-be mountain climbers to the remote region. The Nepalese cut down ever more of their forests to provide fuel for the mountaineers. Edmund Hillary became concerned about the degradation of the environment of the Himalayas and persuaded the Nepalese government to pass laws protecting the forest and to declare the area around Everest a National Park. The Nepalese could not afford to fund this project themselves and had no experience in park management.

Hillary used his great prestige to persuade the government of New Zealand to provide the necessary aid. Immediately after the successful Everest expedition, Hillary and Sir John Hunt published their account of the expedition, The Ascent of Everest. The book was published in the U.S as The Conquest of Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary's autobiography Nothing Venture, Nothing Win was published in 1975. In 1979, he published From the Ocean to the Sky, an account of his 1977 expedition on the Ganges river from its mouth to its source in the Himalayas. Sir Edmund's life was darkened by the loss of his wife and daughter in a plane crash in 1975. He continued to occupy himself with environmental causes and humanitarian work on the behalf of the Nepalese people for the rest of his life. He died at home in New Zealand at the age of 88, mourned by his countrymen and by legions of admirers around the world.

China’s Zheng Jie makes history at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England - Zheng Jie’s storybook run to the Wimbledon semifinals is providing a much-needed emotional lift to her rural Sichuan province, which is devastated in the wake of an earthquake. Zheng, ranked No. 133, is the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal and the first wild card to get this far in Wimbledon history.

She plans to donate a large portion of her $350,000 earnings to the earthquake victims, as she did with her third-round prize money from the French Open. The rest goes to the Chinese Tennis Association. The scrappy, 5-4 player graced the front pages of China’s newspapers Wednesday after her quarterfinal win over 18th-ranked Nicole Vaidisova. It was her third upset of a Top 20 player in this tournament. She stunned No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the third round and No. 15 Agnes Szavay in the fourth round. If Zheng’s good fortune continues, she could celebrate her 25th birthday Saturday playing in the Wimbledon final.

There is, however, a giant roadblock in her way - two-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams. Zheng is a heavy underdog, and admits she sees "no weak link" in Williams’ game, but even if her feel-good story ends with the semifinal, she will leave happy. Zheng never imagined she would get this far when she first picked up a tennis racket at age 7. Tennis doesn’t have much history in China because the Communist regime didn’t encourage professional individual sports, but a surprise gold medal by doubles team Sun Tiantian and Li Ting at the 2004 Olympics changed attitudes. There were no Chinese women in the top 100 in 2002. Now there are four, and Zheng will leap to at least No. 31 with her performance here. Asked why there aren’t any men on the professional tennis tour, Zheng smiled and said: "Tough question; we want to know also.

The boys maybe not so much in tennis because the table tennis is so big in China. Some boys choose table tennis over tennis. "China has quite many sports which are leading in the world. Unfortunately, tennis is not one of them, but other sports - like ping-pong, diving - we are the world leaders. With more people gaining better achievement in tennis, I believe there will be more people who love this sport in the future."

FIFA World Ranking

1 Spain Spain 1557
2 Italy Italy 1404
3 Germany Germany 1364
4 Brazil Brazil 1344
5 Netherlands Netherlands 1299
6 Argentina Argentina 1298
7 Croatia Croatia 1282
8 Czech Republic Czech Republic 1146
9 Portugal Portugal
10 France France 1053
11 Russia Russia 1023
12 Romania Romania 1021
13 Cameroon Cameroon
14 Turkey Turkey 1010
15 England England 1003
16 Scotland Scotland 988
17 Bulgaria Bulgaria 930
18 Greece Greece 911
19 Mexico Mexico 906
20 Ghana Ghana 885

Rangking ATP Tour , Juli 2008

1 Roger Federer Swiss 6900
2 Rafael Nadal Spanyol 5755
3 Novak Djokovic Serbia 5360
4 Nikolay Davydenkovic Rusia 3115
5 David Ferrer Spanyol 3005
6 Andy Roddick AS 2280
7 David Nalbandian Argentina 2100
8 James Blake AS 2015
9 Stanislas Wawrinka Swiss 1615
10 Richard Gasquet Prancis 1610
11 Andy Murray Skotlandia 1555
12 Nicolas Almagro Spanyol 1485
13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Prancis 1415
14 Fernando Gonzalez Chile 1405
15 Radek Stepanek Republik Ceko 1360
16 Paul-Henri Mathieu Prancis 1345
17 Mikhail Youzhny Rusia 1305
18 Fernando Verdasco Spanyol 1300
19 Tommy Robredo Spanyol 1300
20 Tomas Berdych Republik Ceko 1290

Indonesia will send 24 athletes to compete in the Beijing Olympics,

Indonesia will send 24 athletes to compete in the Beijing Olympics,
with the hope of bringing home at least one gold medal, local media
reports said Friday. The athletes will compete in seven sporting events
- athletics, archery, shooting, swimming, weightlifting, windsurfing
and badminton - said Rita Subowo, chairwoman of the Indonesian Olympics
Commitee (KOI).

Badminton is the only sport in which Indonesia has
taken a gold medal since 1992. The badminton team is the country's
largest, with 11 players, including 2004 Olympic gold medalist Taufik
Hidayat, who has been struggling to rediscover his form.Indonesia won a
gold, silver and two bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Meanwhile, female lifter Lisa Rumewas, who won back-to-back silver
medals in 2000 and 2004, said she would not be preoccupied with a medal
target, while sprinter Suryo Agung Wibowo said he would aim to break
his own national record.