(UPDATED) + THURSDAY NETCORDS: Birmingham's the place to be...Lindsay preggers again and out of Melbourne...Becker's Bag tops for traveling

* Birmingham, Alabama has been chosen as the location for next season's Davis Cup first round tie between the US and a Roger Federer-led Swiss team. Anyone want to go in on a charter bus? Just askin'. In other DC news, Albert Costa was named head coach for the defending champion Spanish team. "I accomplished a lot of my dreams as a player, winning at Roland Garros and now I’ve managed another one, becoming captain of our Davis Cup team. We’re very ambitious. We want to keep working really hard and we want to win the Davis Cup again," said the former Roland Garros champ.

* The UK's The Times has chosen the biggest winners and losers of 2008. Their biggest winner? Rafael Nadal of course. Their biggest loser? Homeboy Alex Bogdanovic. Geez - the Brits have no prob eating their own, huh? Speaking of reminiscing, Joel Drucker continues his look back for ESPN.com with his biggest delights and biggest disappointments of the year and Tennisreporters.net gives the results of their readers' poll.

* Lindsay Davenport is preggers with her second child and has pulled out of the Aussie Open. "Of course this unexpected but exciting surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future," she said in a statement. Will she finally hang up her racquets now???

* A big congrats to World No.1's Rafael Nadal + Jelena Jankovic who were chosen as International Tennis Federation (ITF) world champions for 2008.

* On the Baseline sits down with Slovakia's Women's Player of the Year Dominika Cibulkova

* Justine Henin will partner with compatriot and track sprinter Kim Gevaert as goodwill ambassadors for Belgium and the Netherlands bids to host the 2018 World Cup

* The Aussie Open ain't no walk in the park says TENNIS' Abigail Lorge so you better have prepared in the off-season and be prepared to hit the courts running. Lazy ballers beware...

* Can't find a tennis bag big enough to fit all your gear or just tired of carrying all that crap and ruining your one good shoulder? Check out the Becker Series Pro Bag with Wheels ($80) with features including a separate accessories pocket, a shoe pocket, and three-digit combination lock for keeping those sticks safe and sound!

* UPDATE: RAFANATICS alert! DtL reader Meri has sent over links to four YouTube videos of the "Friends of Iker vs. Friends of Rafa" charity event almost in its entirety. CHECK IT - Pts. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Thanks Meri!

(image via tenniswarehouse.com)