Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe”

• Host Argentina and visiting Spain are tied at 1-1 after Day One at the Davis Cup Final. David Nalbandian easily defeated David Ferrer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, while Feliciano Lopez pulled off a thrilling upset against Top 10 player Juan Martin Del Potro, winning 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.
  
  
• WTA Tour superstar Ana Ivanovic will be in attendance at the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina to support her Spanish boyfriend Fernando Verdasco. Ivanovic recently confirmed to the media that they were dating, saying they became exclusive starting this summer at the US Open in New York.
  
  
• According to his official website, Andy Roddick has hired well-known coach Larry Stefanki to be his new coach. The California-based Stefanki has previously coached World No. 1 players John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. He also coached Tim Henman to a career best No. 4 ranking and most recently finished working with Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
  
  
• When asked what his 2009 tennis goals are, Roger Federer said: “While I would also love to beat Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record of 14 titles, and also to regain my No. 1 ranking, I place winning another Wimbledon title above all else.” Federer has a grueling schedule leading up to the Australian Open in Melbourne. According to Globesports.com, he will play an exhibition at Abu Dhabi from Jan. 1-3, which includes Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. His second stop will be to play in the ATP Doha tournament in Qatar from Jan. 5-10. His final stop before the first Grand Slam of the year begins, will be to participate in Jan. 14-17 Kooyong exhibition event, which is a traditional Aussie Open round-robin format warm-up event featuring some of the best players in the world.
  
  
• Spanish Tennis Federation team Doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro said in an interview with a Spanish newspaper that World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is expected to fully recover in time for the start of the 2009 season.
  
  
• At the “Showdown of Champion” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Roger Federer recently beat American James Blake, 7-6 (10-7), while John McEnroe defeated Bjorn Borg, 7-6 (13-11). After the singles matches, Blake and McEnroe teamed up in doubles to defeat Federer and Borg 7-5.
  
  
• Former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis has left the Moratoglou Academy and has now joined Team Lagardere. At Team Lagardere, he will be coached by Olivier Soules.
  
  
• Tournament organizers at the new ATP event in Brisbane announced that World No. 3 Novak Djokovic will team up with younger brother Marko in the doubles tournament.
  
  
• The Lawn Tennis Association will be selling its 50 percent stake in the grounds of the All England Club in Wimbledon, England in five years under a new agreement between the two organizations. As it has always done, the LTA will continue to receive most of the profits that the Wimbledon Championships generate.
  
  
• Andy Anson, who is the ATP CEO for Europe, is leaving his post to head England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.