Wimbledon

Roger Federer's loss at a Wimbledon warm-up last weekend was just his second grass-court defeat since 2003, extending his winless drought to nearly five months. But the All England Club brings out the best in Federer, who has reached a record seven straight finals there, losing only one — to Rafael Nadal in 2008. So when Federer steps onto Centre Court for his opening match Monday against Alejandro Falla , he'll be the man to beat, getting the top seed even though he's ranked second.

Et cetera Serena to miss Kastles match before London Serena Williams will not play her scheduled match with the Washington Kastles on Sunday and will be replaced by her sister, Venus Williams , when the team hosts the Kansas City Explorers. According to a news release, Williams withdrew from the match to further rest her back as she prepares for the Summer Olympics. Venus will fly to London after Sunday's match to join her sister as they go for a third gold medal in women's doubles.

WIMBLEDON, England - In perhaps their toughest posture since they began the drive for more money from the Grand Slam tournaments, members of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour began laying plans yesterday to put on an alternate charity tournament instead of playing Wimbledon in 2004. Approximately 120 players, including what was described as a high number of top name players, met in the Wimbledon press center to back the plan, which calls for getting 84 of the top 100 ranked players to commit to the alternative tournament.

MONDAY'S TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS X Games Los Angeles (T) ESPN210 AFL Spokane@Philadelphia (T) TCN6 a.m. Spokane@Philadelphia (T) TCN10:30 Autos Off Road Racing: Lake Elsinore (T) SPEED10 a.m. GP2 Champ. Series: England (T) SPEEDNoon MLB Colorado@Washington (T) MASN9 a.m. Orioles@Angels (T) MASN12:30 NBA Summer League: Brooklyn vs. Orlando NBA11 a.m. Summer League: Boston vs. Okla.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Martina Navratilova moved within one victory of her 10th Wimbledon singles title today when she beat Gigi Fernandez, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).Miss Navratilova, 37, who is playing in her 22nd and final Wimbledon singles, held off her friend and practice partner from Aspen, Colo.Navratilova scored the first eight points for a 2-0 lead and led 5-1 before Fernandez won three straight games. Navratilova then served out the set.Fernandez, a doubles specialist who was the lowest ranked player (No. 99)

MenPete Sampras, United States, 26: The world's No. 1 player and four-time Wimbledon champion is fighting tennis burnout and a prolonged slump, but the top seed remains the pre-tournament favorite because of his booming serve and superb all-around play on the slick grass.Richard Krajicek, Netherlands, 26: Two years ago, the 6-foot-6 right-hander got on a roll and overwhelmed his opponents to win Wimbledon. Beset by inconsistency and injuries, he has done little since his one major triumph.

Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf could meet in the semifinals, Monica Seles is looking at a quarterfinal rematch with Zina Garrison and former Baltimore County neighbors Pam Shriver and Andrea Leand will meet much earlier at Wimbledon -- in the first round.On the men's side, John McEnroe could challenge defending champion Stefan Edberg in the Round of 16, Jimmy Connors may play Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi opens with Grant Connell, a Canadian who beat Ivan Lendl on grass last week.Those are some of the coming attractions at Wimbledon, which begins Monday at the All-England Club.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Pete Sampras came as close to perfection on the tennis court yesterday in the Wimbledon men's championship as any human can hope."

WIMBLEDON, England -- And then there are the grass courts at Wimbledon.Just like that, they come into view, green, fresh and intimidating. An endless season of clay, hard courts and carpets can't prepare anyone for what it's like to actually play on grass.That is Wimbledon's blessing and its curse, to be put on display for the next two weeks beginning tomorrow at the All England Tennis Club.In the circus that is the world tennis tour, Wimbledon stands alone, the original major tournament on the original surface.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Up on the podium, Jeff Tarango was talking about the day he quit his third-round match at Wimbledon, when he threw down two tennis balls and shouted at the chair umpire "You're the most corrupt official in the game!" before making the longest walk of his career -- away from Court 13 and through the crowds that couldn't quite believe what they had just seen.And his wife, Benedicte Tarango, dressed in white, was listening and nodding her head yesterday. And when somebody asked her if it was true that she had stood by her man and actually slapped the chair umpire, Bruno Rebeuh of France, she started to talk and her eyes filled with tears.

Sustained greatness a plus Diane Pucin Los Angeles Times Roger Federer became the No. 1 tennis player in the world Monday, one of the consequences of his 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Wimbledon victory over Andy Murray on Sunday. He's also the best ever. That's not an immediately easy conclusion to reach. Federer has lost to contemporary Rafael Nadal more than he has beaten the Spaniard; the career record is 18-10 in Nadal's favor. Nadal leads Federer 7-2 in meetings at Grand Slam tournaments.

For the first time since the 2009 Australian Open, the top two seeded players will meet in the final of a Grand Slam tournament today when No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal, aiming for his 11th major title, plays No. 2 Novak Djokovic for the Wimbledon men's title. Whatever the outcome, the 24-year-old Djokovic will supplant Nadal, 25, as No. 1 in the world. Djokovic has marked himself as the best in the world by forging a 47-1 record this season. The defending champion Nadal, who has a 20-match win streak at Wimbledon, said he does not begrudge losing the No. 1 spot in the computer ranking.

He may be wearing even more white than is necessary, in the form of a bandage to soothe his ailing right wrist, but Andre Agassi, the undisputed peacock of the male tennis circuit and the unlikely defending champion of Wimbledon, has vowed to return to the scene of his greatest career triumph and attempt to defend his first and only Grand Slam crown.On Sunday, Agassi, who transcended his baseline heritage last year to defeat Goran Ivanisevic in a stirring five-set Wimbledon final, expects to commence his title defense despite being unable, as recently as last Monday, to hit his favorite stroke, the forehand blast, because of pain in his right wrist.

LONDON -- Wimbledon, the world's premier tennis tournament, is going soft this year.In a bid to slow the game, the fluffy yellow tennis balls that male players love bashing to warp speed are being deflated ever so slightly. A weekend hacker wouldn't notice the difference, but men who earn millions serving and volleying the game into tedium have taken notice.And a lot of them are pretty upset, judging by the first reactions after the new balls were introduced this week at the Stella Artois Championships.