OTHER SPORTS

A Rash of Losses Shakes Up Tours

By TOM PERROTTA | May 12, 2008

Upsets and injuries were contagious on the professional tennis tour last week. Rafael Nadal, winner of 103 out of 104 clay court matches since April 2005, suffered a foot injury and lost his second-round match at the Rome Masters to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Justine Henin, the world no. 1 who has struggled to find a rhythm all season, failed in Berlin against Dinara Safina, who had never beaten Henin in her career (she was 0–5 beforehand). Serena Williams couldn’t solve Safina, either, and so went her hopes for a fourth consecutive title (she had lost one match all year).