Now, Sergei Bubka hits the courts

“Everything was working in the first set,” Bubka said. “The second set, I got a little more defensive. I think that carried through for the rest of the match.”

Chances are, he’ll hear from dad about that.

“He gives me mental tips,” the 17-year-old Bubka said. “That’s where he helps the most. He’ll talk about doing everything to perfection, about always doing your best.”

Wild child

Even by her own emotional standards, Vera Zvonareva was a bit out of control yesterday. The 19-year-old player cried throughout much of her fourth-round match against Elena Dementieva, on and off the court. She teared up after winning the first set, and repeatedly covered her head with a towel and sobbed during changeovers.

She hit herself in the foot with her racket, smashed it against the ground and berated herself during Dementieva’s 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“You wouldn’t see any fourth-round matches of a Grand Slam not emotional,” Zvonareva said. “When I’m comfortable with my tennis, when I know what I’m doing on the court and when I play for every ball, then I don’t get like this.”

I can hit this

At only 17, Scoville Jenkins of the US got a rude welcome to the US Open a few days ago when Andy Roddick overwhelmed him with a tournament-record 152 mph (244 kph) serve.

Jenkins played more at his own speed on Sunday when he won his first round at the Open’s junior tournament. “I saw the fastest serve probably that any man can hit,” Jenkins said. “Now I feel like I could hit any serve.”

Roddick whipped 12 aces past Scoville. Asked that day how it felt to return a 152-mph (244-kph) rocket, Jenkins smiled.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I didn’t return it.” (AP)