NOTEBOOK | On and off the court

Distracting dad: Sitting in the stands, Yuri Sharapov is an animated, ever-moving figure. His behavior often draws some of the spotlight away from his daughter -- Maria Sharapova -- on the court, and at times the ire of her opponents. He was at it again at the Australian Open on Thursday as 2004 Wimbledon champion Sharapova lost in the semifinals 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne. Sharapov has been seen gesturing, holding up his fingers and calling toward his daughter during her matches, as well as mixing drinks for her while seated in the players' box. During Thursday's match a comment from the crowd seemed to anger Henin-Hardenne in the fifth game of the third set, with the Belgian serving and when Sharapova won the second point to lead 0-30. Henin-Hardenne turned and angrily made some remarks toward the stand, at which point television cameras showed Yuri Sharapov looking around and motioning as if it wasn't him. When asked afterward if she had been yelling at Sharapov, Henin-Hardenne insisted she did not know who had called out. "I don't know. It was maybe upper or in the box. I have no idea who did that," she said. "I was just upset against the person who screamed because it's not fair to do that during a point." Sharapova -- who looked toward the players' box constantly during the match and shouted to her father after dropping serve in the final set -- said she knew little of the incident. Asked if her father was blurring the lines of support with his behavior, she said: "I look towards my box to get me going ... there are so many people in the stadium talking, you think it's easy to hear what one person's saying?" She insisted she played "by instincts on the court," adding: "I don't care if someone tells me to marry them, I'm not going to marry them, you know. If someone tells me do something else, I'm going to do everything my way. I'm not going to listen to what other people are saying to me. I barely see anything."
Hewitt an injury no-show: One of the most anticipated matchups in the first round of the Davis Cup -- Roger Federer vs. Lleyton Hewitt -- won't be happening. Hewitt has an ankle injury incurred during his second-round loss at the Australian Open and he has pulled out of Australia's team for the Feb. 10-12 matches on indoor clay at Geneva, Switzerland. "Despite rest and rehabilitation over the past week, Lleyton's ankle has not sufficiently recovered for him to be able to take the court in preparation for the tie," said Hewitt's manager, Rob Aivatoglou. "Doctors have advised Lleyton that he risks further damaging the joint should he attempt to play in the short term." Hewitt lost his Australian Open match in four sets to Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina. The Australian has lost his last nine matches against Federer, who has an 11-7 career lead. Hewitt's last win over the top-ranked Swiss star was in the Davis Cup semifinals at Melbourne in 2003, when he beat him in five sets.
Another try: The world's top-ranked doubles team, American twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, are in the Australian Open doubles final. Again. For the third year in a row, the Bryan brothers advanced to the final, beating Paul Hanley of Australia and Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe 6-3, 6-4. They'll face Martin Damm of the Czech Republic and Leander Paes of India in Saturday's championship after Damm and Paes beat Poland's Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-2, 6-4 in the other semi. The Bryans will be hoping to reverse the last two finals results here, having lost the 2004 final to France's Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro and last year to Ullyett and Wayne Black of Zimbabwe.
Associated Press
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.