11/04/2008 - Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic and former top- ranked star Venus Williams highlighted Tuesday's round-robin winners at the season-ending $4.55 million Sony Ericsson Championships.
The top-seeded Jankovic handled fourth-seeded fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4 on Day 1 at Doha's Khalifa Tennis Complex.
The U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic moved to 1-0 in the four-player White Group, while Ivanovic dropped to 0-1. Ivanovic is the reigning French Open champ and was the runner-up at the Australian Open back in January.
Ivanovic is still 6-2 all-time versus Jankovic, including a 2-1 record this year and wins in five of their last six encounters.
The former world No. 1 Ivanovic will return to action here on Wednesday with a match against eighth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, the last player to qualify for this tournament.
A seventh-seeded Williams, meanwhile, upset second-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-3. The seven-time major titlist Williams is the reigning two- time Wimbledon champion, while Safina was this year's runner-up at the French Open and Olympic Games.
Williams is now 2-0 lifetime against Safina, with the other victory coming in Stuttgart just last month.
Williams will return to the court here on Wednesday against Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, a two-time major runner-up who is seeded fifth this week, while Safina will battle third-seeded Serena Williams on Day 2.
One other round-robin bout on Day 1 saw Zvonareva top her sixth-seeded fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3. Zvonareva captured a bronze medal in Beijing back in August. Kuznetsova is a former U.S. Open champion and former U.S. and French Open runner-up.
Kuznetsova is now 7-4 lifetime against Zvonareva, including a round- robin Championships victory four years ago.
This week's exclusive eight-player field has been split up into two four-woman groups. The White Group features Jankovic, Ivanovic, Kuznetsova (0-1) and Zvonareva (1-0), while the Maroon Group boasts Safina (0-1), the U.S. Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up Serena, Dementieva and Venus (1-0). Jankovic has already clinched the year-end No. 1 spot, for the first time in her career.
Serena is the only former Championships titlist (2001) in this year's field. She was also the runner-up in 2002 and 2004.
Round-robin tennis will be the order of the day through Friday, with the top-two players from each group advancing to Saturday's semifinals and the semifinal victors moving into Sunday's finale on the hardcourts here.
Former world No. 1 Justine Henin outlasted fellow former top-ranked star Maria Sharapova in last year's Championships final, but neither woman is competing this week, as Henin has since retired and the reigning Aussie Open champion Sharapova is sidelined with a shoulder injury. Henin had won the last two titles at this prestigious tournament.
The winner of this lucrative event will collect at least $1.34 million. The tournament was held in Madrid last year.
<< Revs' Parkhurst repeats as Fair Play award winner
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England defender Michael Parkhurst was
named the winner of the 2008 Major League Soccer Fair Play Award on Tuesday.
Parkhurst recorded just nine fouls in 28 games of MLS regular-season action
this
<< Columbus' Brassard named top rookie for October
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard
has been selected as the NHL's top rookie for the month of October.
Brassard led all rookies and his team in scoring with four goals and five
assists in 10 g
<< Rangers defender Papac poised to pen new deal
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rangers defender Sasa Papac is expected to
sign a contract extension later this week.
The Bosnian, who moved to Ibrox in August 2006, currently has a deal that
expires at the end of this season,
<< Kung makes big jump in Rolex Rankings
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Candie Kung's first LPGA Tour victory in
five years moved her up 15 places in this week's Rolex Women's World Golf
Rankings.
Kung captured the Hana Bank - KOLON Championship on Sunday to vault up to
Liverpool hopes to sign Agger, Kuyt to extensions >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez hopes to
persuade Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt to sign new long-term contracts.
Both players still have 18 months left on their current Anfield deals but
Benitez is k
Analyzing the Conference Home Underdog >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the most widely known angles in
college football wagering is siding with the conference home underdog (CHU).
The trend began slowly this year, as just eight of the first 20 teams fitting
this descrip
Bologna sacks Arrigoni, hires Mihajlovic >>
Bologna, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Serie A strugglers Bologna have sacked coach
Daniele Arrigoni and named former Inter Milan number two Sinisa Mihajlovic as
its new manager.
Arrigoni, who guided Bologna back to the top flight last seaso
AFC West: Chargers Can Win for Not Losing >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At this rate, Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers might
not have to wake up until some time after Thanksgiving.
As they sat home licking their wounds following a two-game losing streak, the
Chargers watched as the first
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your baseball sportsbook needs.
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting