Grizzled group descends on men's quarters at Wimbledon

The geezer brigade has descended on Wimbledon.

Tommy Haas (31), Ivo Karlovic (30), Juan Carlos Ferrero (29) and Lleyton Hewitt (29) have made it to the last eight, meaning the average age of the men's quarterfinalists is 27 years, 107 days.

That's the most grizzled octet in 35 years, when 39-year-old Ken Rosewall made the 1974 Wimbledon final and lost to young American upstart Jimmy Connors, who was 21. That group averaged 28 years, 147 days.

"I mean, age is really just a number in many ways," said German veteran Haas, who takes on the youngest player left in the draw, 22-year-old Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

There also is variety. For the second major in a row, the quarterfinalists hail from eight nations.

Like former No. 2 Haas, who missed the 2003 season because of shoulder surgery, many of the resurgent stars at Wimbledon are back from injury or illness absences. Andy Roddick's opponent, former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, missed the last third of 2008 after surgery on his hip.

Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, another former top-ranked player, has been in one Grand Slam quarterfinal since being sidelined with chickenpox and other physical ailments in 2004.

Wild card Ferrero is up against No. 3 Andy Murray of Scotland, one of the young guns at 22 (and a week older than No. 4 Djokovic).

Despite more ticks on the calendar, Haas says the time off means "I have a little bit more miles in my legs than maybe some other players that are younger than me."

At 27, No. 2 Roger Federer is the newbie when compared to his opponent, 6-10 ace machine Karlovic of Croatia. Karlovic leads all players with 137 aces through four matches. Roddick is second with 96.

There seems to be consensus at Wimbledon that the grass is playing slower than years past, but that hasn't held back the pace of untouchable serves.

Through the fourth round, the men have hit 2,565 total aces. Only once before this decade have more been recorded at this stage of the tournament, according to IBM, which tracks statistics for the All-England Club.

That was in 2000, when 2,634 aces were hit. The men also finished with a record 2,821 aces that year, which was the first IBM began tracking total aces.

Maybe shorter points are helping older players keep the court mileage to a minimum. Either way, 26-year-old Roddick says it's nice to see some familiar - though grayer - faces.

"I'm happy to see guys like Juan Carlos get through, and Tommy," says the two-time finalist from the USA. "I mean, they've battled some serious injuries. To kind of get back there and get back deep into a major is good to see."

Venus Williams powers into Wimbledon semifinals

Venus Williams powers into Wimbledon semifinals

Five-time champion Venus Williams overpowered Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the Wimbledon semifinals and move a step closer to another possible championship showdown with sister Serena.

Williams, seeking her third straight Wimbledon title, outhit the 14th-ranked Pole from all parts of the court and proved again that she is the dominant female player on grass.

Williams wore a brace again on her left leg but showed no weakness at all as she ripped 29 winners , compared to six for Radwanska , in a match that lasted just 68 minutes on a sunbaked Court 1.

"I can't complain," Williams said. "I'm in the semifinals of Wimbledon, right where I want to be. I just need to take another step forward."

Williams raced to a 5-0 lead against Radwanska, and finished off the first set with back-to-back aces. Williams dropped only two of 18 points on serve in the set.

Radwanska managed to win the first two games of the second set, but Williams regained command and ran off six straight to finish the match, ending with a clean forehand winner.

Serena Williams, a two-time Wimbledon champion herself, was due up later on Centre Court against 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. The sisters have met in three Wimbledon finals, including last year, and are on course for a fourth title meeting.

"That would be fantastic," Venus said. "That's what Serena and I are hoping for."

Venus Williams is trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win three Wimbledon titles in a row.

Only once in the last nine years has there been a Wimbledon women's final that didn't feature at least one of the Williams sisters. The sisters were the only two Grand Slam winners left in the women's field , Serena has 10 major titles and Venus seven.

In other quarterfinals Tuesday, top-ranked Dinara Safina was playing 19-year-old German Sabine Lisicki and No. 4 Elena Dementieva faced Francesca Schiavone.

The men's quarterfinals are set for Wednesday with five-champion Roger Federer against 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic; No. 3 Andy Murray vs. Spanish wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero; 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt vs. two-time finalist Andy Roddick; and No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. Tommy Haas.

Temperatures topped 90 degrees on Tuesday, with no need to close the roof on Centre Court.

On Monday, the retractable roof was closed for the first time and Murray beat Stanislas Warwrinka in a five-setter that finished at 10:39 p.m. , later than any match in Centre Court history. Previously, no Centre Court match had lasted later than 9:35 p.m.

WILSON K Factor KBlade Team 104 Tennis Racquets Price: $199.00

Wilson K Tour Red Black Super 6 Pack Tennis Bag Price: $47.95

Wilson Natural Gut Tennis String Price: $42.00

Venus heads to quarters after Ivanovic retires in second set

Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon when opponent Ana Ivanovic retired one game into the second set Monday.

Williams, seeking her sixth Wimbledon title, led 6-1, 0-1 when Ivanovic was forced to quit.

Ivanovic took a 10-minute break during the first game of the second set to have her left thigh taped by a trainer. She returned for two more points and hit a service winner to take the game. But she then began crying as she walked to her chair and told the umpire she was retiring.

Williams dominated from the start, taking a 5-0 lead before Ivanovic finally won a game 27 minutes into the match. Former No. 1 Ivanovic still hasn't reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal since winning the 2008 French Open.

Fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva became the first player to reach the quarterfinals by beating fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3.

Dementieva faced little resistance in the first set and never faced a break point in the match. She sealed the win by breaking for the second time in the second set, converting her second match point.

Dementieva is playing her 11th consecutive Wimbledon tournament and reached the semifinals last year.

American teenage qualifier Melanie Oudin was eliminated, however, losing 6-4, 7-5 to 11th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. The 17-year-old Oudin upset former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the third round in the biggest upset of the first week.

WILSON K Factor KBlade Team 104 Tennis Racquets Price: $199.00	Wilson K Tour Red Black Super 6 Pack Tennis Bag Price: $47.95	Wilson Natural Gut Tennis String Price: $42.00
Yonex RDiS 100 MidPlus Tennis Racquet Price: $189.00	LUXILON Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L String Price: $15.75	Yonex Womens Very Cool Dress Spring 2009 Price: $69.95

Wimbledon ball girls unexpectedly hit spotlight on Court 1

Two Wimbledon ball girls found themselves in the spotlight Thursday after unexpectedly taking center stage on Court 1 during a second-round match the previous day.

Michael Llodra had to retire from Wednesday's match against Tommy Haas after colliding with the umpire's chair and then tumbling over ball girl Erin Lorencin.

In an attempt to please the crowd, Haas then started playing against another ball girl instead, knocking balls with Chloe Chambers for about five minutes.

The 15-year-old Chambers was given a huge ovation, and was crowded by reporters Thursday and asked to describe the experience.

"I'm just over the moon that I got to play with Tommy on Court 1. It was just amazing," Chambers said. "I was very nervous, to play on Court 1 in front of thousands of people. I just didn't want to muck up."

She seemed less nervous facing the media, and made clear that she enjoyed her unexpected fame.

"To be handed the racket, and to get this much publicity over it, it's amazing," she said. "Words can't even describe how lucky I was."

Lorencin escaped unharmed from the collision with Llodra - who helped her back up and gave her a hug - but said it wasn't the best way to end up on TV.

"It is really embarrassing," she said. "My little brother was very pleased and laughing."

Royal fan: Andy Murray's recent success is apparently being followed closely by Buckingham Palace.

Murray said he received a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating him on his win at the grass-court tournament at Queen's Club this month.

Murray became the first Briton since Bunny Austin in 1938 to win the Wimbledon warm-up tournament - making expectations even higher for a first British men's title at the All England Club since 1936.

"Got a nice letter from the Queen saying well done for winning Queen's," Murray wrote on his Twitter feed. "Put it in its own pile away from the bills."

Murray told the BBC Thursday that the Queen also wished him "good luck" at Wimbledon.

Buckingham Palace said the letter was private and would not reveal more about its content.

Grave situation: A Wimbledon church had to apologize after letting tennis fans park their cars in a graveyard.

The St. Mary's church had been charging 20 pounds to let cars park at the graveyard during the first week of the Wimbledon championships, but drew criticism after pictures were published of vehicles parked between the tombstones.

The church apologized Thursday, saying it has used an adjacent field as a parking lot for years during Wimbledon, and always gives the proceeds to charity or church activities.

"Sadly, this year, some cars were parked in inappropriate places," the church said. "St. Mary's is investigating to see how this happened and no further car parking will be allowed in the churchyard. ... The vicar of St Mary's is sorry for any offense that has been caused."

Sharapova out at Wimbledon; Federer, Serena win

In the final game, a desperate Maria Sharapova lunged to hit one shot left-handed, and twice challenged calls but lost. Then she lost the match as well.

Sharapova won seven consecutive games during one stretch but let a late lead slip away Wednesday and was beaten by Gisela Dulko, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round at Wimbledon.

In a wild, 14-point final game, Sharapova saved four match points. But on the fifth she pushed an easy forehand long, and she was out of the tournament after two rounds for the second year in a row.

The 2004 champion was playing in her fourth event since rejoining the tour last month following shoulder surgery in October. She's ranked 60th but was seeded 24th because of past success at the All England Club.

"This is not an overnight process," Sharapova said. "It's going to take time, as much time as I need on the court, to get everything together. ... Just being here is a wonderful accomplishment."

Sharapova played on sun-splashed Centre Court with the new roof again open - although it was closed slightly for the second day in a row to provide shade for the Royal Box.

Roger Federer and Serena Williams advanced with little trouble. Federer, bidding for his sixth Wimbledon championship and a record 15th major title overall, lost only three points on his first serve and defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

"The opponents are only going to get tougher," Federer said. "I'm playing great at the moment, and I hope it's going to last."

Williams, a two-time champion seeded second, committed only six unforced errors and defeated Jarmila Groth 6-2, 6-1. Then she learned that Sharapova had been beaten, easing Williams' path to the semifinals.

"I'm not that player that wishes someone else loses," Williams said. "I feel for her being injured. I know how hard it is to come back. She's playing really well. I think she'll be fine."

No. 28-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States matched his best showing at Wimbledon by reaching the third round when he beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Fish next plays No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who defeated Simon Greul 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.

"I'll throw everything I've got at him," Fish said. "I don't have anything else to do."

American Taylor Dent double-faulted 21 times and lost to Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the completion of a first-round match suspended because of darkness, 7-5, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

"My bad days are pretty skanky," Dent said.

Vince Spadea's 14th Wimbledon ended when he lost to No. 29 Igor Andreev, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. That left four American men in the draw - Fish, Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey and Jesse Levine.

Michael Llodra retired with an abdominal injury following a collision that involved the chair umpire's stand, a ball girl and a trash bin. At 3-all in the first set against Tommy Haas, Llodra's pursuit of a shot sent him off the court. He bounced off the stand and into the girl, and they tumbled into the trash can.

Llodra rose, helped the girl up and hugged her. He received treatment from a trainer and finished the game, but then called it quits.

No. 16 Zheng Jie, a semifinalist as a wild card last year, lost to Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-5. No. 8 Victoria Azarenka lost only six points in her six service games and shut out Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-0, 6-0.

Dulko, ranked 45th, matched her best showing at Wimbledon by reaching the third round. She had won a total of only three games in two previous matches against Sharapova, but the Argentine repeatedly took charge of rallies by hitting drop shots, while Sharapova struggled with her serve and forehand.

"I had so many easy balls, and I just made unforced errors from those," Sharapova said. "When I've had those situations before, those balls would be pieces of cake, and today they weren't."

With Dulko serving in the final game, Sharapova lost two challenges as the score reached 40-15. Always at her best under pressure, Sharapova hit a booming return and a feathery drop shot to overcome the first two match points, and her return winner erased another.

But with a point for 5-all, Sharapova pushed a backhand into the net, then made errors on the final two points as well. Dulko, playing on Centre Court for the first time, ranked the win as the biggest of her career.

"I was very nervous in the end," Dulko said. "The last game was forever for me."

Sharapova fell to 6-1 this year in three-set matches. She finished with nine double-faults and had at least one in every service game in the final set.

"Losses are tough, more here than at any other tournament," the three-time Grand Slam champion said. "But, you know, it puts some perspective into your life. It's all right. I have many more years ahead of me."

Wilson K Six-One Tour Price: $199.00	Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L String Price: $15.75	Wilson Pro Soft Overgrip 3 Pack Price: $5.85
K Factor KBlade Team 104 Tennis Racquets Price: $199.00	Wilson Natural Gut Tennis String Price: $42.00	Wilson Pro Overgrip Tennis Racquet Grip Price: $12.95

Sabres owner, 67, dating tennis star Seles?

Amid all the chaos in Albany, the upstate billionaire at the center of the New York state Senate upheaval yesterday coyly confirmed he's dating tennis great Monica Seles.

Buffalo Sabres owner and upstate king-maker Thomas Golisano, 67 -- credited with convincing two rogue Democratic senators to join forces with the GOP -- has been spotted for months squiring around Seles, 35.

When asked yesterday if the two were a pair, the normally unflappable Paychex founder -- who was making the interview rounds all over the state capital -- seemed taken aback.

"Why do you want to know?" said Golisano, clearly more comfortable talking policy than romance.

Finally, the thrice-divorced Golisano told The Post's Jennifer Fermino, "Monica and I see each other."

The May-December pair first raised eyebrows last year, when Golisano brought her to a ceremony recognizing his $10 million donation to Niagara University.

He also brought Seles to a Sabres game, where the Tennis Hall of Famer sat with him and former President Bill Clinton. And, when asked in a Forbes.com article last fall what the coolest number in his cellphone was, Golisano crowed, "Monica Seles.' "

Last month, Golisano, who lived near Rochester, renounced his New York residency in a huff over Gov. Paterson's millionaire's tax. He said he was moving to Naples, Fla., because the Sunshine State has no income tax.

Seles, who also lives in Florida, did not return a call for comment. A woman who answered her office phone and said she was her cousin said, "She doesn't ever talk about her personal life."

Safina cruises past Cibulkova to reach French Open final

Dinara Safina shanked shots, endured a flurry of double-faults, screamed profanities at herself and still advanced to the French Open final.

The combustible Russian beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals Thursday and needs one more win for her first Grand Slam title.

It was a mistake-filled match, with the top-ranked Safina winning despite seven double-faults and 24 unforced errors.

Safina was runner-up to Ana Ivanovic last year at Roland Garros, and lost this year's Australian Open final to Serena Williams. Her opponent Saturday will be the winner of the second semifinal between Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Samantha Stosur of Australia.

Safina improved to 20-1 since she became No. 1 for the first time April 20. Her brother, Marat Safin, is a former No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion.

The family's notorious temper was evident on occasion in the semifinal. At least twice, Safina screamed a vulgarity at herself in English that TV microphones picked up, and an announcer apologized to the European audience.

Her language was cleaner when she shanked a backhand into the dirt at her feet.

"That was a great shot," she said.

Later in the same game, Safina misfired so badly on a first serve that she drove the ball into the clay in front of the net. She held anyway for a 4-2 lead in the second set.

Safina kissed the corner with a forehand winner to reach match point and closed out the victory when Cibulkova put a backhand in the net.

The match was played from behind the baseline, and it was into the seventh game before either played attempted a volley. Cibulkova found herself at a disadvantage in rallies because she often had to hit the ball above eye level, while high-kicking shots were right in Safina's hitting zone.

On a sunny, cool afternoon, Safina started slowly. She fell behind 2-love, then began to find the range and won five consecutive games.

She struggled to close out the set, sailing returns long on three successive set points, but converted on the fourth try with a booming forehand.

A lob winner over Cibulkova helped Safina earn the first break of the second set for a 3-2 lead, and she closed out the win despite some fitful moments.

Babolat Aero Storm Tour Tennis Racquet - 1451 Price: $185.00

adidas Women's Barricade V Tennis Shoe Price: FROM $79.95

BABOLAT Original VS Grip Overgrips Price: $4.95

Federer rallies into quarters, Roddick falls at French Open

Roger Federer knows full well, of course, that Rafael Nadal is no longer around this year to befuddle him, to beat him, to stand between him and a French Open title.

Federer insists he is not thinking about that, not thinking ahead. Still, Federer sure did play as if preoccupied for the better part of two hours Monday, dropping the first two sets of his fourth-round match against 63rd-ranked Tommy Haas of Germany.

One point from letting Haas serve for the victory, Federer conjured up one particularly spectacular forehand that managed to change the entire flow of things. That shot spurred a run of nine consecutive games for Federer, sending him to a 6-7 (4), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Haas and a berth in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

"I knew I was going to look back on that shot. That saved me," Federer said. "I was in quite some danger."

But he escaped. With two more victories, Federer will reach a fourth consecutive final at the French Open, the only Grand Slam championship he hasn't won. Federer lost to Nadal in each of the past three finals and in the 2005 semifinals, but the Spaniard's 31-match winning streak at the clay-court major tournament ended Sunday against Robin Soderling.

"You're aware of it," Federer said. "Definitely changes it up, if I were to make the final. But we're not there yet, so honestly it hasn't changed a whole lot for me."

Federer now tries to reach the semifinals at a 20th Grand Slam event in a row, which would extend his own record, when he meets 11th-seeded Gael Monfils of France, a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 winner over No. 6 Andy Roddick, the last American man in the tournament.

Federer is 4-0 against Monfils, including a victory in the French Open semifinals a year ago. Monfils dominated Roddick, even out-acing him 17-4, and Roddick began complaining in the second set that it was too dark to see.

"Don't tell me what's OK and what's not," the 2003 U.S. Open champion snapped at chair umpire Enric Molina. "You're not the one playing."

It was the day's last match on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and the start was delayed by No. 5 Jelena Jankovic's loss to the 41st-ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania 3-6, 6-0, 9-7, which lasted 2 hours, 44 minutes.

"It wasn't easy at the end," said Cirstea, two points from defeat when Jankovic served for the match at 5-4, 30-love in the third set. "I saw she was tired, also. So I knew it was also a little bit mental: Who is going to stay stronger?"

Elsewhere, 2002 champion Serena Williams beat No. 24 Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-1, 6-2; No. 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated No. 12 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 1-6, 6-1; and No. 30 Samantha Stosur beat Virginie Razzano of France 6-1, 6-2.

"This," Williams said, "is when everything counts."

No one knows that better than Federer, whose 13 major championships are one shy of Pete Sampras' record. With Nadal, Roddick and No. 4 Novak Djokovic all gone, Federer is the only man left with a Grand Slam title.

"For a lot of players," Federer said, "I think it must be quite a big opportunity, and their heads must be spinning right now."

The other matchup on his half of the draw is No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina against No. 16 Tommy Robredo of Spain — two men who are a combined 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals. Del Potro beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4, and Robredo eliminated No. 29 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

"Expectations? Everyone has expectations, even myself," Robredo said.

There are two ways to look at what Nadal's loss means for Federer. A potential obstacle is out of the way. And now Federer is expected to win the title, which could be a burden.

Consider: Dating to 2005, Federer is 0-4 against Nadal at the French Open, 27-0 against everyone else.

"It kicks the door open for Roger, but suddenly: 'Yeah, step up.' Now the pressure's really on," three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander said. "The pressure before was to just give Nadal a good match. Now, it's like, 'Hey, listen, if you can't win it now, then you're definitely not considered the greatest player of all time — until you do."'

Asked about Nadal, Federer joked: "Um, he didn't retire, right?"

"My dream scenario is to beat Rafa here in the finals," Federer continued, "but I've got to concentrate on my part of the draw and make sure I come through like today."

Good as he was at the start against Haas — Federer won the first 24 points on his serve — there were moments when his signature forehand let him down. Federer missed two in a row to fall behind in the opening tiebreaker.

When Haas took the second set, too, the prospect of the No. 2-seeded Federer following No. 1 Nadal on the way out was a distinct possibility. Then came the third-set point both Federer and Haas considered pivotal: With Federer serving at 3-4, 30-40 — five points from losing — he ran around his backhand side for an inside-out forehand winner that landed right near a line.

"We both knew there was a chance for me to finish him off," Haas said. "Just got to tip your hat and say, 'That's why he's Roger Federer."'

Wilson K Six-One Tour Price: $199.00	Big Banger ALU Power Rough 16L String Price: $15.75	Wilson Pro Soft Overgrip 3 Pack Price: $5.85
K Factor KBlade Team 104 Tennis Racquets Price: $199.00	Wilson Natural Gut Tennis String Price: $42.00	Wilson Pro Overgrip Tennis Racquet Grip Price: $12.95