Passing shots

Bojana Jovanovski sat alone in the Carlsbad airport for fifteen minutes on Sunday before calling Mercury Insurance Open tournament transport. "They said they were at the airport and looking for me; I said I was the only person here." Jovanovski, it turns out, was in Carslbad--but the wrong one. She had taken a flight to Carlsbad, New Mexico, which is 900 miles from San Diego. The Serbian player spent the night in New Mexico, then took a flight the next morning to the site of the tournament. She arrived thirty minutes before she was scheduled to play. Jovanovski lost in three sets to 9th seed Roberta Vinci.

Since winning the French Open, Li Na has signed $42 million worth of endorsement contracts. Nike is making an exception to its own rule so that Li can wear patches for both Mercedes-Benz and Taikang Life Insurance Company.

Is this while doing the watusi?

Coco Vandewegh has split with coach Tom Gullickson. She will work with Jan-Micheael Gambill at least through the U.S. Open.

Maria Sharapova has hired hitting partner Vladimir Voltchkov full-time.

Not surprisingly, Dinara Safina has withdrawn from the 2011 U.S. Open. Safina's back issues continue, and she doesn't expect to play "until at least the end of the year."