Roger Federer loses the US Open finals to Argentine Juan Martin del Potro. — ESPN Patrick Swayze dies at 57 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. — PopSugar A Wells Fargo exec is accused of using a bank-owned Malibu house for entertaining. — Los Angeles Times Joe Biden arrives in Baghdad on an unexpected visit. — AP ABC's Terry Moran tweets that Obama called Kanye a jackass, then Read more

Just like Paula Radcliffe illustrated that motherhood and winning marathons are not mutually exclusive, and just like Dara Torres proved you can come back after childbirth and win Olympic medals, tennis pro Kim Clijsters shows that you can come back and be a champion as well. Clijsters retired from tennis in 2007 and gave birth to daughter Jada Ellie at the end of February 2008 after a tennis Read more

American Melanie Oudin has been christened with the nickname "Little Miss Upset" and this is not because of whiny antics on the court. The nickname is inspired by Oudin's unexpected wins. The unseeded 17-year-old beat champion Maria Sharapova earlier last week as well as many seeded players, most recently Nadia Petrova in three sets. Of her Labor Day match, Oudin remarked: "It was tough because Read more

Over Labor Day weekend, I tend to watch a lot of the US Open. It inspires me to head to the court and play a set or two. Here are some posts that might inspire you to pick up your racquet. Tennis anyone? What to Expect From Your First Tennis Lesson Warm Up Before You Play Test Your US Open Knowledge How to Keep Score Tennis Etiquette 101 Do I Need Tennis Shoes? Read more

Welcome back to Tennis 101. While Maria Sharapova is showing us how it's done during this week's riveting US Open tournament, I'm offering a primer for the rest of us. Now that you know what to expect from your first lesson and how to behave on the court, it's time to tackle the more complicated stuff: scoring a tennis match. I'm not going to deny that learning how to keep score can be confusing Read more

Welcome back to Tennis 101. In honor of the 2009 US Open this week, I'm serving up a series about the sport, from what to expect at your first lesson to trivia about US Open champs. Today, we'll tackle the topic of tennis etiquette. Tennis has a reputation for being a very polite sport, and while it's less stuffy than it used to be, there are still many niceties you need to know — especially Read more

Welcome back to Tennis 101, where I'm offering tips to get you started playing tennis just in time for the 2009 US Open. You may be wondering: if I've never played tennis before, do I really need to take a lesson? Though it's not required, taking a private lesson or attending a group clinic for beginners is the best way to start your tennis career. We may not all be as lucky as the girls in the Read more