Black Tennis Pros

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Tokyo (AP) -- Defending champion Dinara Safina and Venus Williams were knocked out of the second round by qualifiers at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Monday.

Chang Kai-chen, an 18-year-old from Taiwan, upset the top-ranked Safina 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5. Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova edged Williams 7-6 (6), 7-5 to reach the third round.

Safina was serving for the match in the third set when she double-faulted to give up a break. Chang, ranked 132nd and playing only the fourth time in a WTA main draw, held her serve and broke Safina again for victory.

“The double-fault didn't affect me that much,” Safina said. “Whether it's a double-fault or a mistake it's the same. It's just the way I played at 5-4. It wasn't the right game, I didn't use my first serve the whole game.”

A dejected Williams made a hasty exit from Ariake Colosseum, saying only she was looking forward to her next match in Beijing.

Williams took a 3-0 lead in the first set but the 18-year-old Pavlyuchenkova fought back, breaking Williams to tie it 5-5 before holding serve and winning the tiebreak.

Pavlyuchenkova hit a forehand down the line to go up 6-5 in the second set. She had a triple-match point in the 12th game and won when Williams' return was long.

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Americans Shenay Perry and Mashona Washington walked away with the singles and doubles titles, respectively, after Sunday's finals at the Coleman Vision Tennis Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

For the singles championship Perry defeated Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-2.

Mashona Washington and American Riza Zalameda took the doubles title by defeating the doubles team of Melinda Czink of Hungary and American Lindsay Lee-Waters 6-3, 6-2.

Congrats ladies!!

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METZ, France (AP)Gael Monfils ended a four-year title drought with a 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-2 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in the Open de Moselle final on Sunday.

Monfils served 14 aces and broke the 23rd-ranked Kohlschreiber twice in the third set before closing out the match. The Frenchman had won their previous encounter last year in Vienna Monfils, who reached the fourth round at this year’s U.S. Open, won his second career ATP title following his victory in Sopot, Poland, in 2005.

Kohlschreiber saved three set points in the first set to force a tiebreaker that Monfils concluded at the net with a drop shot.

Kohlschreiber broke Monfils in the sixth game of the second set and leveled with an ace. But the Frenchman finally broke his opponent’s serve twice to improve to 2-6 in ATP finals.

“For a long time people spoke about my lost finals,” Monfils said. “But now the curse is over. I’m happy with this victory. I managed to win, and on top of that it was in France.”

The 13th-ranked Monfils added that he wouldn’t be satisfied “until I win the French Open, which is my ultimate goal.”

The last Frenchman to win the French Open was Yannick Noah, in 1983.

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Americans Mashona Washington and Shenay Perry have advanced to the championship rounds of both the singles and doubles of the USTA Pro Circuit 2009 Coleman Vision Tennis Championships.

In Saturday's singles semifinals, Perry defeated Croatia's Ani Majacika 7-6(2), 6-2 to set up a final match with the Czech Republic's Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Mashona Washington, teamed with fellow American Riza Zalameda, defeated the doubles pairing of Argentine Jorjelina Cravero and Frederica Piedade of Portugal 7-5, 4-6 [10-6]. The two will face Melinda Czink of Hungary and American Lindsay Lee-Waters in Sunday's final.

Congratulations ladies - Work it out!!

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