Black Tennis Pros

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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METZ, France, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Top seed Gael Monfils downed Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-3 in an all-French semi-final at the Metz ATP tournament on Saturday to set up a final with Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Gasquet, fighting to recapture his best form after a 2-1/2-month suspension following a positive test for cocaine, stayed in contention until he dropped serve with a double fault in the ninth game.

Monfils then took control, relying on booming serves and getting another break early in the second set.

In Sunday's final, the Frenchman will meet Kohlschreiber, seeded second, who beat France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 6-4. Their semi-final was tighter with the German showing more composure when it mattered.

Monfils, who leads 1-0 against Kohlschreiber, has been chasing a title since his maiden win in 2005 in Sopot, Poland. He has lost six finals since.

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METZ, France (AP)—Top-seeded Gael Monfils reached the Open de Moselle semifinals when Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia injured his right ankle and retired on Friday.

Next up will be fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who rallied to beat fourth-seeded Philipp Petzschner of Germany 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-3.

Petzschner served 16 aces but Gasquet managed to break him five times.

Monfils and Gasquet, both 23 and based in Switzerland, will meet in Metz for a third time. Both beat the other at the quarterfinal stage en route to reaching the final, Gasquet in 2004 and Monfils in 2005. Gasquet leads 2-1 overall.

Paul-Henri Mathieu was the third Frenchman to advance, reaching the semifinals for a second consecutive year with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over seventh-seeded Andreas Beck of Germany.

The third-seeded Mathieu hit 18 aces and converted three break points.

Mathieu is looking to reach his second final of the year after losing to Nikolay Davydenko in Hamburg. He will next play second-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, who beat Evgeny Korolev of Russia 6-1, 6-3.

Kohlschreiber broke Korolev four times and lost only seven points on his serve to oust the Russian in less than an hour.

Mathieu won his only previous meeting with Kohlschreiber, on clay in Gstaad six years ago.

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TOKYO, Japan - Nine of the world's Top 10 players will be in Tokyo this week for the Toray Pan Pacific Open, a $2,000,000 Premier-level tournament held on the outdoor hardcourts of the Ariake Colosseum.

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TOKYO (Reuters) -- World No. 2 Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Pan Pacific Open with knee and toe injuries, organizers said on Thursday.

The Australian Open and Wimbledon champion has not played a singles match since her rant at a lineswoman in her semifinal loss to Belgian Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open earlier this month.

The rest of the women's world top 10, including Serena's older sister Venus, is among the field at the $2 million event.

World No. 1 Dinara Safina, who was not on the initial entry list, has opted to compete in Tokyo in a bid to retain the Pan Pacific crown she won last year.

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