Archive for the ‘Tennis news’ Category
January 22, 2009
Results Wednesday from the $15,44 million Australian Open at Melbourne Park (seedings in parentheses).
Singles
Men
Second Round
David Ferrer (11), Spain, def. Dominik Hrbaty, Slovakia, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.
Women
Second Round
Galina Voskoboeva, Kazakhstan, def. Karin Knapp, Italy, 6-4, 6-1.
Ana Ivanovic (5), Serbia, def. Alberta Brianti, Italy, 6-3, 6-2.
Nadia Petrova (10), Russia, def. Sania Mirza, India, 6-3, 6-2.
Kaia Kanepi (25), Estonia, def. Patricia Mayr, Austria, 6-3, 6-1.
Ai Sugiyama (26), Japan, def. Nathalie Dechy, France, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Dinara Safina (3), Russia, def. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-0.
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Doubles
Men
First Round
Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie (5), South Africa, def. Robby Ginepri and Vince Spadea, United States, 6-4, 6-3.
Christopher Kas, Germany, and Rogier Wassen (13), Netherlands, def. Chris Haggard, South Africa, and Sam Querrey, United States, 6-4, 7-5.
Frantisek Cermak, Czech Republic, and Michal Mertinak (14), Slovakia, def. Nicolas Almagro and Ivan Navarro, Spain, 6-2, 6-4.
Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski (6), Poland, def. Colin Ebelthite and Sam Groth, Australia, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Women
First Round
Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska, Poland, def. Tamira Paszek, Austria, and Ipek Senoglu, Turkey, 6-2, 2-1 retired.
Sofia Arvidsson, Sweden, and Natalie Grandin, South Africa, def. Alison Bai and Emelyn Starr, Australia, 7-5, 6-2.
Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Jill Craybas, United States, and Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand, 6-3, 7-5.
Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, United States, def. Mariya Koryttseva, Ukraine, and Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Casey Dellacqua, Australia, and Francesca Schiavone (12), Italy, def. Petra Cetkovska, Czech Republic, and Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain, 6-2, 6-1.
Mervana Jugic-Salkic, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Anne Keothavong, Britain, def. Sophie Ferguson and Jessica Moore, Australia, 6-3, 6-2.
Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Czech Republic, def. Chan Yung-jan, Taiwan, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, 6-4, 6-4.
January 22, 2009
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returned to the scene of his greatest performance in a Grand Slam, and it felt pretty good.
Tsonga beat Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 Tuesday in a first-round match at the Australian Open. Last year, when he was unseeded and recognized more for his uncanny resemblance to boxing great Muhammad Ali, he beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals but lost to Novak Djokovic in the final.
“I had exactly the same feeling, yeah, it’s really a good feeling to be back here,” Tsonga said Tuesday. “I hope it will continue.”
Tsonga beat Andy Murray in the first round last year at Rod Laver Arena, just across the way from the second show court that he beat Monaco on Tuesday. His later wins over Nadal and the finals loss to Djokovic came at the featured Rod Laver venue.
Tsonga says he’s recovered from a sore back that forced him to default from his quarterfinal match last week at Sydney. He also advanced to the quarterfinals the week before at the Brisbane International.
“I played without pain. So it was a nice match.”
Tsonga joined four other Frenchman in the top 30 in the rankings - him at 7, Gilles Simon at 8, Gael Monfils 13, Richard Gasquet 24 and Paul-Henri Mathieu at 28.
Simon, Monfils and Gasquet also won their first-round matches Tuesday, joined for good measure by Sebastien De Chaunac, a French qualifier.
Tsonga was asked if he thought his Australian Open performance last year might have spurred French tennis on to better things.
“Yes, maybe,” he said. “Since this moment, all the French players have played better.”
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COURTING A WIN: Elena Dementieva glanced around when she was down 5-2 in the first set and remembered where she was. The memory wasn’t good.
Three years ago, when the Hisense Arena was known as Vodafone Arena, Dementieva lost her first-round match there at the Australian Open.
“I was like, ‘Oh, no, it’s going to happen again,”‘ the 2008 Olympic gold medalist said. “I was worried.”
She rallied to beat Kristina Barrois of Germany 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-1.
“It was a very tough match, especially because of the weather,” said Dementieva, who played in 104-degree heat. “And also it was not easy for me to come here after playing so many matches in a row.”
Dementieva beat fellow Russian Dinara Safina in the Sydney International final on the weekend, a rematch of the Olympic final, and entered the season’s first major on a 10-match winning streak.
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BACK STOPPING: Andrei Pavel’s back injury was there for everyone at Rod Laver Arena to see. The ATP trainer went out, rubbed Pavel’s lower back, Pavel tried to continue, then had to retire. This time, it was for good.
Game, set and match to fourth-seeded Andy Murray 6-2, 3-1, 15-0, and another injury withdrawal for Romania’s Pavel, who has struggled with back pain for eight years.
Not just any ordinary pain, the L5 vertebrae is pinching the nerve.
Pavel hasn’t considered surgery. And he didn’t want to compare himself with cyclist Lance Armstrong, the 37-year-old seven-time Tour de France winner who is making a comeback from retirement.
“No, no. I don’t want to have surgery on my back,” Pavel said. “You know, what for? I’m 35 years old in few days. What am I, Armstrong? No, I’m not.
“I wish him good luck, though, because he is amazing, amazing guy.”
The loss to Murray was likely his last match. With a ranking of 1,141, he relied on a protected ranking - granted because of his chronic back condition - to get into the main draw in Australia.
“I don’t want to try it again,” he said. “I don’t want to damage my health. I played in enough tournaments, I guess.”
Pavel, who has three ATP singles titles and seven in doubles, said he hoped things would go differently this year.
“My plan was to play those Grand Slams, just have fun out there, and then go to Bucharest, home, and just in front of my home crowd to just end my career,” he said. “But it doesn’t always go like you planned.”
His best performance at a Grand Slam in 39 appearances was reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 French Open.
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‘PROJECT 45′: The youngest man in last year’s top 100 rankings said he will continue his quest to become Japan’s highest ever ranked men’s player despite his disappointing loss in the first round of his first Australian Open.
Kei Nishikori, who turned 19 last month, lost to Austrian Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 after being up 5-3 in the first set.
“I went too fast, I guess, tried to win too early,” he said. “Too many unforced errors. I had so many chances.”
Nishikori, who won his first ATP title last year at Delray Beach, trains at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida, where he has been given the nickname “Project 45″ because his main goal is to reach No. 45 in the rankings, one better than the Japanese record of 46 set by Shuzo Matsuoka in 1992. Matsuoka was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 1995.
Nishikori is the first Japanese man to finish in the top 100 since Matsuoka. But he played down the nickname at a news conference Tuesday attended by dozens of Japanese media.
“It’s one of my goals, but it’s not like (my) final goal,” he told them. “I count my ranking sometimes but no, it doesn’t give me pressure.”
Nishikori finished at No. 63 - moving up more than 200 ranking spots - after his win at Delray Beach.
Nishikori made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year but retired in the first match after a stomach injury. He made it to the fourth round at the U.S. Open.
January 22, 2009
Ana Ivanovic is regaining momentum at the Australian Open, beating Italian Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the year’s first major.
Ivanovic lost the last Australian Open final to Maria Sharapova, then won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open and gained the No. 1 ranking.
Now seeded fifth, the 21-year-old Serb is getting inspiration from memories of her run here last year.
“It was amazing, I’m so happy to be back here,” Ivanovic said. “I had lots of great matches here last year.”
Dictating play and ripping winners into the corners, Ivanovic repeatedly took advantage of Brianti’s weak serve. The 28-year-old Italian held serve only three times.
No. 169-ranked Brianti needed treatment on her lower back after getting broken to fall behind 3-0 in the second set.
She returned to break Ivanovic’s serve and held to pull back to 3-2, but lost the next three games. Ivanovic, pushing the limits with her shots, had the same number of winners as unforced errors (26).
She won 17 of her 27 net approaches, a sign she’s growing in confidence moving forward.
Her fellow Serbs, men’s champion Novak Djokovic and women’s No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, were to play second-round matches later Wednesday.
In early matches, No. 11 David Ferrer of Spain had a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 win over 31-year-old qualifier Dominik Hrbaty, who had helped Slovakia win the Hopman Cup title in Perth earlier this month.
On the women’s side, No. 10 Nadia Petrova had a 6-3, 6-2 win over India’s Sania Mirza. No. 25 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia also advanced and No. 26 Ai Sugiyama of Japan defeated Nathalie Dechy of France 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal, ditching his trademark sleeveless top for a conventional T-shirt, bullied Christophe Rochus around Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night in a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 first-round win.
The 22-year-old Spaniard had 10 aces and hit 47 winners in 22 games. Rochus, a Belgian who turned 30 last month, could get nowhere near most of them.
Having the last match of the opening round had its advantages for Nadal. He’d already had a chance to see how Roger Federer, defending champion Djokovic and fourth-ranked Andy Murray had progressed.
He would get another look at Federer on Wednesday. Match two in Federer’s quest to tie Pete Sampras’ record 14th Grand Slam title is against Russian Evgeny Korolev.
January 22, 2009
The United States Tennis Association will become a minority owner in World Team Tennis in an effort to expand the USTA Junior Team Tennis program.
The USTA will own 25 percent of WTT, with co-founder Billie Jean King and commissioner Ilana Kloss remaining the majority owners, the groups announced Tuesday.
“We’ve been looking for an opportunity like this for a long time,” King said, “and I can’t think of a better partner than the USTA.”
The partnership is aimed at attracting more young athletes to tennis by marketing the USTA’s Junior Team Tennis program through WTT, an 11-team coed professional league. Serena Williams, Andy Roddick and Anna Kournikova were among the players who competed in WTT last year.
“The USTA recognizes the reciprocal relationship between the pro game and grass-roots play,” USTA president Lucy Garvin said. “Our new partnership with World Team Tennis provides us a natural platform to promote our many youth initiatives, including Junior Team Tennis.”
December 28, 2008
With 2009 on the horizon, its time to take a quick look back at some of the headlines from the past calendar year.
JANUARY
1. THE DJOKS ON THEM: Novak Djokovic captures his first major championship at the Australian Open, becoming the first Serbian to win a Grand Slam singles title. The 21-year-old dropped just one set en route to the title, earning a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final after ousting top seed and defending champion Roger Federer in the semis.
2. Maria Sharapova wins the Australian Open championship.
3. Federer struggles with a stomach virus (later diagnosed as mononucleosis).
FEBRUARY
1. SO LONG TO SELES: Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles announces her retirement. Owner of 53 career titles, Seles remains the youngest French Open winner in history (16 years, six months). Her return to tennis in 1995 after being stabbed in the back by a deranged fan two years earlier is perhaps more impressive than any win she ever had.
MARCH
1. HERE COMES SERENA: Serena Williams wins the first of her four titles in 2008 with a triumph at Bangalore. The American would go on to win her next two events played - Miami and Charleston - before seeing her 17-match win streak end against Dinara Safina in Berlin.
2. Andy Roddick announces his engagement to swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker.
APRIL
1. DIRTY WORK: Sharapova, who has won every Grand Slam except the French Open, captures her first claycourt title with a victory at Amelia Island. It didnt help her at Roland Garros, where she was stunned in the fourth round by Safina, who came back after being down a set and 5-2.
2. Federer ends the drought by winning his first title of the year in Estoril.
MAY
1. TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT: Justine Henin stuns the tennis world by abruptly announcing her retirement. The Belgian, who turned 26 this year, becomes the first woman to retire from the sport while ranked No. 1. She finishes with 41 titles and seven Grand Slam championships. Sharapova takes over the No. 1 ranking.
2. Venus and Serena Williams are upset in the third round of the French Open - on the same day.
3. Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten officially retires after a first-round loss at Roland Garros.
JUNE
1. RAFA RULES: Rafael Nadal wins his fourth straight French Open title with a dominating 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Federer. The loss is Federers worst at a major, and pushes Nadals record at Roland Garros to 28-0. It caps another incredible spring for the Spaniard, who also won claycourt titles at Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg.
2. Ana Ivanovic wins her first Grand Slam title at French Open and becomes the new world No. 1.
JULY
1. THE EPIC: Nadal becomes the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win at Wimbledon and Roland Garros in the same year. The 22-year-old defeats Federer - the five-time defending champion - in the final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7, in what is widely considered one of the greatest matches ever played.
2. Venus Williams defeats sister Serena in the Wimbledon final to claim her fifth title at the All England Club.
3. Aleksandra Wozniak wins at Stanford, becoming the first Canadian in more than 20 years to win a WTA singles title.
AUGUST
1. END OF AN ERA: Nadal overtakes Federer for the No. 1 ranking, ending the Swiss superstars record run of 237 consecutive weeks at the top.
2. Jelena Jankovic takes the No. 1 ranking from Ivanovic, who regains the top spot a week later.
3. Nadal and Russias Elena Dementieva win gold medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
4. Sharapova withdraws from Olympics and U.S. Open due to shoulder injury and misses remainder of the season.
5. Juan Martin del Potro wins his fourth straight event with a victory in Washington.
SEPTEMBER
1. SAVING THE SEASON: After suffering through a down year by his standards, Federer salvages his season by winning the U.S. Open for the fifth consecutive year. It is his 13th Grand Slam title, leaving him one shy of tying Pete Sampras record of 14.
2. Serena Williams wins her ninth Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open and reclaims No. 1 ranking, which she last held in 2003.
3. Russia beats Spain to capture fourth Fed Cup title in five years.
4. Nikolay Davydenko of Russia is cleared of any involvement in match-fixing after a year-long investigation by the ATP.
OCTOBER
1. JANKOVIC TAKES CONTROL: After losing to Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final, Jankovic strings together wins in three straight tournaments, culminating with a victory at Moscow. That win comes less than a week after she moves ahead of Williams atop the rankings, where Jankovic finishes the year.
2. Nadal clinches year-end No. 1 ranking, the first Spaniard to accomplish the feat.
NOVEMBER
1. BIG FINISH: Djokovic wins the year-end Tennis Masters Cup, while Venus Williams claims the title at the Sony Ericsson Championships.
2. Spain beats Argentina to capture its third Davis Cup title.
DECEMBER
1. SHES HAVING A BABY: Lindsay Davenport pulls out of the upcoming Australian Open because she is pregnant with her second child. The three-time Grand Slam champion says she is putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future.
December 28, 2008
The ATP World Tour 2009 season begins on January 4, with the world’s best players competing at ATP World Tour 250 events in Brisbane, Chennai and Doha. The focus then shifts to Auckland and Sydney ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open from January 19-February 2.
ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the five ATP World Tour 250 tournaments in January.
BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL Brisbane, Australia
January 4-11, 2009 Hard, $484,750
The first tournament of the ATP World Tour 2009 season, the inaugural Brisbane International, begins on Sunday, January 4, at a new $82 million tennis centre. The Centre court at the Queensland Tennis Center has been named ‘Rafter Arena’ in honor of Queensland’s former ATP World Tour No. 1 Patrick Rafter. Sixteen players in the Top 50 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings, including Australian Open finalists Novak Djokovic (No. 3) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (No. 6) will attempt to gain valuable match practise and fitness. Fernando Verdasco (No. 16), Robin Soderling (No. 17) and Tomas Berdych (No. 20) also compete alongside Richard Gasquet and Marcos Baghdatis.
CHENNAI OPEN Chennai, India
January 5-11, 2009 Hard, $450,000
The 14th edition of Chennai Open will be held from January 5 at the SDAT Tennis stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai. Eight players in the Top 50 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings compete, including World No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, Stanislas Wawrinka (No. 13), Marin Cilic (No. 23), Ivo Karlovic (No. 26), Rainer Schuettler (No. 33), 2004-05 winner Carlos Moya (No. 42) and 2006 titlist Ivan Ljubicic (No. 44). Tournament debutants Bob and Mike Bryan compete alongside Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes in the doubles tournament.
QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN, Doha, Qatar
January 5-11, 2009 Hard, $1,110,250
Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have each captured the title since the tournament was first contested in 1993. Four of the Worlds Top 10 including No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal, 2004-05 winner Federer, defending champion Murray and Andy Roddick return to the Khalifa International Tennis Complex, alongside Igor Andreev, Dmitry Tursunov, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Mikhail Youzhny.
HEINEKEN OPEN Auckland, New Zealand
January 12-17, 2009 Hard, $480,750
Top 10 star Juan Martin del Potro, former titlist David Ferrer, Robin Soderling, Nicolas Almagro, defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber and last years finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero will all compete at the historic Heineken Open, held at the ASB Tennis Centre. Auckland has previously welcomed legendary names, such as Rod Laver and John Newcombe, in addition to local favourite Onny Parun.
MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL Sydney, Australia
January 11-17, 2009 Hard, $484,750
Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the World No. 6, and No. 7-ranked Gilles Simon head to Sydney where they will face competition from David Nalbandian, Tommy Robredo and Richard Gasquet and four-time former champion Lleyton Hewitt. Nineteen players in the Top 50 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings feature at the hard-court event, which was first played as a permanent annual event in 1935. The state’s premier tennis stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, site of the 2000 Olympics tennis event, is named in honour of eight-time Grand Slam champion Ken Rosewall.
December 7, 2008
The memories all came flooding back to Pete Sampras, even if a title didn’t come with the nostalgia.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion, playing in a seniors tournament at Royal Albert Hall, lost to Cedric Pioline 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) Saturday. But not reaching Sunday’s final didn’t diminish the enjoyment of his first trip to England since losing at Wimbledon in 2002.
“This place brings back memories … just being here and seeing the British people,” said the 37-year-old Sampras, who beat Pioline in the 1993 U.S. Open final and the ‘97 Wimbledon final. “It was good to be back.
“When you drive around the streets here, I think about my titles. I think about my wins. But unfortunately I couldn’t win it here.”
On Wednesday, Sampras had 19 aces and defeated John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4 in the opening match. Pioline had never beaten Sampras in nine matches on the men’s tour, but he finally got the better of him as both players dropped serve once in each set.
“It was a dogfight,” Sampras said. “Cedric is returning better today than he did back when.”
Pioline also thought it was the return game that allowed him to win and reach the final, where he will face Greg Rusedski.
“I always had problems to return his serve,” the 39-year-old Frenchman said. “Suddenly, I could read his serve. I don’t know why.”
Back in 1997, it was different story. Sampras was starting another winning streak at Wimbledon after falling to Richard Krajicek in the ‘96 quarterfinals. He would go on to win four straight and cement his status as one of the greatest ever to play on grass.
“He’d rather have the ‘97 Wimbledon than this one,” Sampras joked.
McEnroe said Sampras would still be competitive if he played on the tour. But Sampras said “never.”
“I could be competitive, and there’s a big difference as far as being competitive and winning,” Sampras said. “I could play Wimbledon and hold serve a few times, but that’s not why I play the game. I play to win. I play to win titles.”
Sampras did that in his last professional match, earning his 14th major title at the 2002 U.S. Open.
“I gave it every possibility after the U.S. Open to play again,” Sampras said. “After six months … after Wimbledon came and went, that’s when I knew I was done. I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I knew was done with tennis.”
But he has slowly returned to the game, playing a pair of seniors events this year and taking on Roger Federer in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden. He said he’d like to face Rafael Nadal, who deposed Federer as the top-ranked player this year.
“I’d like to see Nadal’s game, his sort of ball, his quickness out there,” Sampras said. “If it’s a match or practice I don’t care. That’d be interesting for me.”
Sampras even thinks he’d have a chance against the Spaniard, given the right circumstances.
“If I played him out here, on this court, I could be competitive. That’s all I’m going to say,” Sampras of the fast indoor surface at Royal Albert Hall. “He’s the best player in the world and I’m not.”
On this trip, Sampras entertained the idea of dropping by the All England Club but decided against it. After winning seven Wimbledon titles in eight years from 1993-2000, Sampras lost to George Bastl in five sets in the second round of the 2002 tournament.
“It just wasn’t the right time,” said Sampras, who would likely return if 13-time Grand Slam champion Federer can break his record of 14. “When it’s all prime and pretty, I’ll be back.”
December 7, 2008
Greg Rusedski needs a psychiatrist. He admits it himself and his reasoning is sound. In definitive books on Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy, the Olympic gold medal-winning cyclists, entire chapters are devoted to Steve Peters, the psychiatrist without whose input, the athletes say, they could not open up a desk drawer each day, gaze at a piece of gold and remind themselves how special they are.
Rusedski read about Peterss impact and would like to make contact. Not for his personal use, but in his role as a talent-spotter for British tennis, which has spent enough time on the couch in the past few years that a few more appointments could not hurt.
He Peters said that he couldnt help a player in six weeks, but he could over 12 months, the former British No 1 said after defeats of Guy Forget and Stefan Edberg made for a typical Rusedski start to his attempt to win this weeks BlackRock Masters that continued with a win over Pat Cash last night. Id like to speak to him because I had an empathy with what he said, about athletes going the rational or the emotional route, because most kids dont want to work hard and those who do arent always the rational ones. My biggest challenge in my role with the LTA is getting into the mind of these young players, understanding their personalities, trying to get them to be their own best friends.
I challenge our best young players every day to improve. I dont care so much if they win or lose, as long as they are competitive. That is the essential part because all great players and Im surrounded by them this week had that. We have beautiful ball-strikers in this country but its not about that, its about really wanting to get stuck in.
Since his emotional farewell from the professional scene in Birmingham in April 2007, having reached No 4 in the world and given Britain, his adopted country, someone other than Tim Henman to agitate about, Rusedski has Danced on Ice, eased into the commentary box, become unofficial lead talent scout at the LTA, captained Britains junior Davis Cup squad and is spending this week being as tough to beat on the seniors tour as he always was when it mattered.
I played some horrible matches but I never liked being beaten, he said. It is about refusing to want to lose because if thats your mindset, even if you do end up losing, it stands you in good stead in the long term. A 7-5 third-set win always had more benefits than a 6-2, 6-3 because you learnt more about yourself.
These messages are being passed down the line to what Rusedski senses is a group taking it all in. He travelled with three of them, George Morgan, James Marsalek and Ashley Hewitt, from training camps in Spain and France to Mexico in September for the junior Davis Cup, where they fostered the kind of spirit and understanding that Rusedski, as captain, will require if he steps up to the senior position, one he covets. They can be the team of the future, thats what we are working towards, he said.
Morgan, the biggest and strongest, will be 16 in February, although, as Rusedski points out, when he was an under-14, his strength and size were great assets and now everyone else is as big and strong as he is. Marsalek and Hewitt are 17 early next year, the first very laid-back, the other a workhorse. I was setting them tests in Mexico, stretching them, and then seeing how good they were without me around at making choices for themselves, he said. That is what this sport is about.
And what of the widely ridiculed story penned here a couple of months back, that Rusedski had not given up hope, at 35, of playing in the Davis Cup once more?
Like everyone else, I was very disappointed we are not in the World Group, he said. Other than Andy Murray, we need to get others through the transition period. It is up to one of those to step up into No 2 singles. The doubles, I dont know. If that wasnt a yes, I dont know what is.
December 7, 2008
The adoring crowd who sent John McEnroe into what he insists is a final Albert Hall exit after 11 years with a standing ovation last night will choose to recall the New Yorkers brilliance. An unfairly berated line-judge who suffered a characteristically callous verbal tirade can be excused for thinking differently.
With his 50th birthday just a couple of months away, McEnroe suffered his third defeat in as many matches at this years BlackRock Masters as he lost 6-4 6-7 11-9 in a deciding tie-break to Britains Jeremy Bates.
The match was gripping and entertaining, the outburst unnecessary. You are a pathetic, ugly, fat loser, stormed McEnroe, inches away from the face of the line-judge who had previously reported an audible obscenity to umpire Kim Craven. How low a life do you have? The crowd showed their displeasure with jeers but it was short-lived. Contrition has never been the McEnroe way, but later he said: Do I wish I had said it in a better way? Did I overreact? Yes.
But I was frustrated that he reported me for a four-letter swear word that I said to myself. Id have preferred Obama-like calm but I guess thats why Ill never be a politician. I think I have stretched playing here as long as I can. Im down and almost out.
- FOLLOWING the time-honoured tennis trend of things not exactly going to script at the Albert Hall, Cedric Pioline was finally rewarded for nearly two decades of patience and persistence by denying Pete Sampras a place in todays BlackRock Masters final.
Pioline lost to Sampras every time they played on the main ATP tour - a series that extended for nine matches and included the finals of the US Open in 1993 and Wimbledon four years later. Yesterday, the 39-year-old Frenchman, who will be tournament director of the Paris Masters series event at Bercy in October, got the win he has long sought.
Todays final will see Pioline attempt to follow up his 7-6 7-6 win over Sampras by beating Britains Greg Rusedski. I surprised myself, especially as I had a long, long night on Friday, said Pioline. I had a few drinks with friends and dont remember what time I got to bed.
Sampras also had a memorable week. He decided against a sentimental visit to Wimbledon but enjoyed dinner with Tim Henman. It felt good being back in London and thinking about all my Wimbledon wins again, he said. Defeat doesnt hurt so much any more. Back in the day losing like this would have stuck with me but this time I was over it in a couple of minutes. I didnt come here to win this event, I just wanted to compete and now theres a good chance I will be back next year.
Both the tournament and the Tour of Champions must find a new sponsor, BlackRock bowing out after three years. Peter Worth, the tournament chairman, said: I dont have a name to announce at the moment but regardless of the current economic situation, there are several very interested parties talking to us. We are extremely confident.
History suggests Piolines future involvement could be in doubt. The previous three years had seen the Dutchman Paul Haarhuis win the title but, because of low marketability, he was not offered an invitation this time.
October 14, 2008
Nalbandian wins Stockholm Open.
Top-seeded David Nalbandian capped a near perfect week with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over local favorite Robin Soderling in the Stockholm Open final on Sunday.
The seventh-ranked Argentine lost just one set in five matches on the Royal Tennis Hall’s hard courts.
“It was great,” Nalbandian said. “The conditions are perfect to play indoors. It could be faster or slower. I adapt my game to play here and I really like it.”
Nalbandian earned his second win of the season and ninth career victory. It was also the first singles victory by an Argentine in the 40-year history of the tournament.
Nalbandian won his first title of the year in Buenos Aires in February and lost the championship match in Acapulco the following week.
Both players held their serve in the third set until the seventh game, when Nalbandian broke to take a 4-3 lead on his fourth break point after the Swede netted a backhand.
Nalbandian then held and wrapped up the match with another break after the fourth-seeded Soderling double-faulted on match point.
“I was supposed to win in the second set when I was a break up, but he started playing better under the pressure,” Nalbandian said.
“The third set was very tight. When I got the break I think I had everything under control.”
Soderling also lost the 2003 Stockholm final to Mardy Fish.
Nalbandian, who improved to 5-1 against Soderling, next will head to Spain to begin his defense of his Madrid Masters title.
“Madrid’s altitude is 4-500 meters I think and it will take a few days to adapt,” he said. “Of course it will be different, but I think I’m playing well now and I’ll try to win again. But my big goal is the Davis Cup final.”
Argentina hosts Spain in Mar del Plata in the Davis Cup final from Nov. 21-23.
Roger Federer withdrew from the Stockholm Open, leaving Nalbandian as the top-seeded player. Defending champion Ivo Karlovic also skipped the event.
