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BARON COURT

The Off-Court, behind-the-scenes bulletin

 

TENNIS BRIEFS

 

 

 

Hingis humbled on dance floor

 

Tennis ace Martina Hingis was no smash hit on the dance floor when she suffered the indignity of becoming the first celebrity voted off this year’s Strictly Come Dancing show.

The Swiss star, a former world number one who retired from the game when she was found to test positive for drugs which she vehemently denies ever having taken, found herself in a dance-off with hunky Crimewatch host Rav Wilding only to lose out in the judges' vote.

Martina, who was partnered by previous Strictly winner, professional dancer Matthew Cutler, was given the thumbs-up by judges Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood.

But Matthew's old partner and previous winner, the controversially appointed judge Alesha Dixon, voted for Rav and head judge Len Goodman used his casting vote to save the ex-cop.

 

September 20

 

Karlovic sets record but loses

 

In a recent Davis Cup tie, giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic struck 78 aces to set a new world record but despite that feat, was unable to beat Radek Stepanek on the opening day of their semi-final clash in Porec,

The 6' 10" Karlovic was defeated in the opening singles rubber by Stepanek, who won 6-7(5) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) 6-7 (2) 16-14 in five hours and 59 minutes to establish the fourth-longest match in the competition's history.

The 82 games played made it the equal-highest number in the Davis Cup since the introduction of tiebreaks in 1989.

World No. 31 Karlovic smashed the previous Davis Cup record of 47 aces, and then soon went past the world best mark of 55 in a match in which serves were broken only twice and in which he held four points for victory. For the record, the Czechs went on to win the tie and reach the finals where they face Spain.

 

September 21

 

 

September 10