hard-court

Then he'll rest and fly to the U.S. for the summer hard-court season without anyone—not Nadal, not Roger Federer—to chase in the rankings.

Women's Champ Is A True Gunslinger

Then he'll rest and fly to the U.S. for the summer hard-court season without anyone to chase in the rankings.

How Djokovic Slayed the Giants

Beat Roddick in final at Washington in August to win second consecutive title at that hard-court tuneup. ...

US OPEN '09: Capsules on men to watch at US Open

Then he'll rest and fly to the U.S. for the summer hard-court season without anyone to chase in the rankings.

How Djokovic Slayed the Giants

This wasn't coming from Wayne Gretzky or Don Cherry wearing a suit made from Mariah Carey's shower curtains, but a two-time MVP of pro basketball's top league, a bona fide hard-court lord.

Playoff Fireworks, Minus the Stargazing

Murray has come a long way, mentally and in the strength of his tennis, since he parted company with Miles Maclagan, after losing in the semi-finals of last year's tournament, then Alex Corretja, about the time of the gloom-laden hard-court American nightmare that followed his defeat in the final of the Australian Open.

Andy Murray toughens up in pursuit of first grand slam title at Wimbledon

Williams, who missed nearly a year due to health problems, recently won consecutive hard-court tournaments in Stanford, Calif., and Toronto.

Cahill Must Tremble at Sight of Pinstripes

Open champion enjoys the hard-court surface and is a good value each-way bet at 28/1 with Boylesports considering that he is as short as 16/1 with other bookmakers.

Tip of the Day

The 24-year-old has won the Australian Open title, two other top-flight hard-court titles and most impressive, two clay court titles that required victories over Nadal in the finals.

France Awaits a Perfect Storm

In the opening match on Centre Court Nadal, the defending champion and world No1, beat Michael Russell, a 33-year-old American hard-court specialist of worthy but modest achievement, ranked 90th in the world and who, briefly, sent a frisson around Wimbledon playing just the sort of tennis that Nadal was advocating.

Michael Russell took on Rafael Nadal at his own game − and still lost | Kevin Mitchell