[DUlrich1227]

I will post all news / info i find for the week here..(I will start a new thread weekly )

if any one has anything to add please do !

Davenport, 3 of Top 10 This Week at WTA New Haven

A strong field for the week before a grand slam kicks off Monday at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, featuring the return of Lindsay Davenport after a respite to heal a back injury.

Davenport fell to No. 2 on the WTA Tour Rankings Monday, with Russian Maria Sharapova ascending to the top spot for the first time in her career.

After last-minute weekend withdrawals by Svetlana Kuznetsova (back) and Anastasia Myskina (ankle), the Top 8 seeds joining Davenport are now Amelie Mauresmo, Russians Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova, Aussie Alicia Molik making her return from a lengthy sidelining ear infection, Swiss Patty Schnyder, France's Nathalie Dechy, and Serb Jelena Jankovic.

The Top 4 seeds receive byes in New Haven, with a number of early-round testers in (1) Davenport vs. French comer Tatiana Golovin in a potential second-rounder, (4) Dementieva vs. Vera Douchevina in a potential all-Russian second-rounder, and also potentially in the second round (2) Mauresmo vs. Top 20 Russian Elena Likhovtseva.

Play began Sunday in New Haven with winners (6) Schnyder (d. Raymond in three) and Gisela Dulko (d. (7) Molik).

The final round of qualifying was also completed with Shuai Peng (CHN), Kveta Peschke (CZE), Jelena Kostanic (CRO), and Jamea Jackson (USA).

Scheduled for Monday are Chakvetadze vs. Jankovic, Golovin vs. Peschke, Dechy vs. Shaughnessy, Bartoli vs. Likhovtseva, Maleeva vs. Jackson, Kirilenko vs. Farina Elia, Douchevina vs. Peng, and Medina Garrigues vs. Razzano.

Mirza, Shaughnessy Recognizable Names at WTA Forest Hills

Play starts Tuesday again at this year's "experimental" event in Forest Hills, featuring only a 16-draw field, no doubles and no qualifying.

The draw will be released Monday, and like last year will be virtually starless with journeywomen and up-and-coming players such as Japan's Akiko Morigami, American Meghann Shaughnessy, Sania Mirza and other competitors outside the Top 50.

The event is held at the West Side Tennis Club, the former home of the US Open.

In last year's inaugural final, Russia's Elena Likhovtseva defeated Czech Iveta Benesova.

Davydenko Heads Thin Pre-Open Field at ATP New Haven

With Russian Nikolay Davydenko the only Top 10 representative, the big dogs rest with seven days before the start of the US Open, while the 56-player draw at this week's Pilot Pen Tennis giving plenty of lower-ranked competitors some last-minute match play before heading to New York.

Joining Davydenko among the Top 8 of the 16 seeds are Chileans Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu, Spaniards Dave Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, former No. 2-ranked German Tommy Haas, and Belgian Olivier "Coch" Rochus.

Stand-outs among the Bottom 8 seeds are Brit "Grinning" Greg Rusedski, Austrian imploder Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, rappin' Vince Spadea, Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, and French teen threat Gael "Force" Monfils.

Potential quarterfinal meetings include (1) Davydenko vs. (6) Haas or (WC) Blake, (9) Rusedski vs. (16) Monfils, (8) O.Rochus vs. (15) Srichaphan, and (2) Gonzo vs. (5) F-Lo or (12) Spadea.

Scheduled for Monday are (WC) Jenkins vs. Nieminen, (WC) Gimelstob vs. Guillermo "G-Lo" Garcia-Lopez, Sanguinetti vs K.Kim, Koubek vs. (WC) Reynolds, Tursunov vs. Seppi, Juan "The Principality" Monaco vs. Andreev, Hanescu vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, Wawrinka vs. Saulnier, Hernych vs. Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, and Muller vs. Zib.