TENNIS: Juan Carlos Ferrero recovered from dropping the opening set to storm into the final of the Sydney International tournament yesterday. The Spanish world number four downed German Rainer Schuettler in their semi-final 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Ferrero will face Korean qualifier Lee Hyung-Taik in today's final in the lead up tournament to next week's Australian Open. Lee beat Wayne Ferreira 6-3, 6-3 in 54 minutes interspersed by rain breaks.
Former world number one Lindsay Davenport brushed aside Russian Tatiana Panova, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the women's final.
She will play second seed Kim Clijsters in today's final. Clijsters was too powerful for her Belgian compatriot and third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne, winning 6-2, 6-3.
Meanwhile, the All England Club are to approve a reorganisation of the tennis calendar which will shift Wimbledon for the first time since 1897. Chief executive Chris Gorringe offered cautious support to a plan which would involve extending by an extra week the fortnight's gap between the French Open and Wimbledon.
Grand Slam event chairmen are also meeting in Melbourne this week to thrash out a blueprint for the future of the game. The Australians are anxious to move the season's opening grand slam to March after a spate of big-name withdrawals this year and frequent complaints that the event is devalued by being played too near the start of the season.
That would also pave the way for a seven-week break over the New Year for which there is much support among leading players.
Former men's world number one Australia's Pat Rafter confirmed yesterday he was officially retiring from the game, saying he was no longer motivated to compete at the top. The two-time US Open winner and twice runner-up at Wimbledon has not played since his country's 2001 Davis Cup final loss to France, when he pulled out of the deciding singles match due to an arm injury.
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