World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Bob Greene

Shockers Shred Women’s Draw, Swiss Men at Roland Garros – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

(French Open – First Week)

Garbiñe Muguruza beat top-seeded Serena Williams 6-2 6-2

Kristina Mladenovic beat second-seeded Li Na 7-5 3-6 61

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat third-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-0

Ajla Tomljanovic beat third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4

Ernests Gulbis beat fourth-seeded Roger Federer 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-2 4-6 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova beat fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-7 (3) 6-1 9-7

Eugenie Bouchard beat eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-2

Martin Klizan beat ninth-seeded Kei Nishikori 7-6 (4) 6-1 6-2

Samantha Stosur beat ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 6-4

 

SAYING

“I’m going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again.” – Serena Williams, after losing to Garbiñe Muguruza.

“I just couldn’t kind of figure it out.” – Roger Federer, after losing to Ernests Gulbis.

“I think it was the biggest, probably, win of my career.” – Ernests Gulbis.

“I was trying to find my game, trying to find to be aggressive, trying to find anything – and I didn’t. – Stanislas Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion after losing his first-round Roland Garros match.

“Always wanted to play him on clay and see how good he is. He showed me a lesson today.” – Robby Ginepri, after losing to Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-3 6-0.

“I think that tennis is a sport where we should be able to think. This is really truly what I think. It’s physical, it’s mental, there are strategies. Otherwise, you know, it’s just about keeping an eye on the clock.” – Rafael Nadal, complaining that chair umpire Pascal Maria is a stickler for a rule that limits players to 25 seconds before they must serve.

“That’s a surprise for everyone,” – Simona Halep, after it was mentioned that at number four she is the highest seeded player remaining in the women’s singles.

“The performance was great from the start till the end. I came with the exact level of intensity that I was looking for before the start of the match.” – Novak Djokovic, after his easy 6-1 6-4 6-1 fourth-round victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“I really believe in my skills. I believe I can play with the best girls out there.” – Eugenie Bouchard, an 18-year-old Canadian who was still in the running for the Roland Garros women’s singles title when the second week started.

“I’m so happy to be back in the quarterfinals. It’s such a special tournament for me. It’s a big step, but when you get there it will get more difficult. Hopefully I will raise my level.” – Maria Sharapova, after beating Samantha Stosur in a fourth-round match.

“Mentally I have already switched to the grass, to be quite honest. For me, it’s like, ‘OK, clay-court season was fun, but we are moving on.’” – Roger Federer.

“I’ve had ups and downs (since the Australian Open). That’s why I’m saying I am not at the level of (Novak) Djokovic, (Rafael) Nadal, (Roger) Federer, because they have been around for many years and they win everything. I know I’ll have the level. I could defeat them, but it’s different. I need to put the puzzle back together, find solutions, because the pressure is different.” – Stanislas Wawrinka.

“You care. I don’t care. I don’t have to write. … So write whatever you want, whatever you feel. Because for me, the only thing that matters to me is I won today.” – Rafael Nadal, when asked after his first-round match if he or Novak Djokovic was the man to beat at Roland Garros this year.

“After eight times that he has won here, I think he deserves that role.” – Novak Djokovic, when asked if Rafael Nadal was the favorite to win Roland Garros.

“It doesn’t go week by week. I don’t know who’s talking all the time, but Rafa is the favorite, and then Novak, and then the rest. It’s very clear.” – Roger Federer, when asked who should be the favorite to win the men’s singles at Roland Garros.

“You know, my playing memories end at Wimbledon. My last point was the ace on match point. The rest of the hard drive is erased.” – Marion Bartoli, who played three more matches after winning Wimbledon last year and before retiring from tennis.

 

SCENE OF THE FUTURE?

The face of women’s tennis changed dramatically on the Parisian red clay of Roland Garros. In a week like no other in Grand Slam tournament history, four of the top five women in the world rankings were sent off to prepare for their grass-court campaigns, having been ousted from the year’s second major event. Gone were top-ranked Serena Williams, number two Li Na, number three Agnieszka Radwanska and number five Petra Kvitova. Also eliminated before the second Monday of the two-week tournament were eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber and ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova.

The first three rounds included the ousters of former French Open champions Serena Williams (2013 and 2002), Li Na (2011), Francesca Schiavone (2009) and Ana Ivanovic (2008), as well as former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.

The new faces going into the second week include 18-year-old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, 20-year-old Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, 21-year-old Sloan Stephens of the United States and 22-year-old Simona Halep of Romania. The veterans are led by Maria Sharapova, who won Roland Garros two years ago, former number one Jelena Jankovic and 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. But only one will be standing when the red dust settles on Saturday.

The men’s seeds were also thinned in the first eight days of play, just not nearly as much as the women. But missing are Switzerland top two players – Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, who was seeded third at Roland Garros this year, and 17-time major winner Roger Federer. Also gone was ninth-seeded Ken Nishikori of Japan, who played in Paris despite an injured hip.

With the losses of Wawrinka and Li Na, it was the first time in history that both the men’s and women’s Grand Slam singles championships lost in the first round of the next major. And it was the first time since tennis turned professional in 1968 that the top three seeds in the women’s draw have failed to qualify for the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.

 

SERENA VS. VENUS KAYOED

This year’s draw could have resulted in the Williams sisters meeting each other in the third round, bringing back memories. In 2002, the two met in the final at Roland Garros, with Serena winding up with the bigger trophy. This year, however, neither reached the third round. “I felt like this was a match that I was most likely going to win,” Venus said. “I’m sure – I don’t know how Serena felt, but I’m sure she feels like that every time she goes on the court. So I think our expectation was to play in the next round.” Instead, it was their conquerors – Garbiñe Muguruza beat Serena, 19-year-old Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia ousted Venus – who met in the third round with Muguruza winning 6-2 6-4. “I think she played really well and she played really smart,” Serena said of Muguruza. Asked about her 2014 campaign so far, Serena said: “My first few months I don’t think have been great at all. I haven’t gotten past the fourth round of a Grand Slam this year. I have a couple words to describe it, but I think that would be really inappropriate so I’m going to leave it at that.”

 

STREAK ENDS

One by one, Roger Federer’s incredible records are coming to an end. His streak of nine consecutive quarterfinals at the French Open was ended by Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who pounded out a 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory over the fourth-seeded Swiss. It was Federer’s earliest exit from Roland Garros since he was beaten in the third round by Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. Since then, Federer had reached the quarterfinals in a record 36 consecutive major tournaments, a streak that ended at Wimbledon last year when he was ousted in the second round. The Swiss master also has Grand Slam tournament streaks of 10 consecutive finals and 23 straight semifinals. Even Gulbis was humbled by his victory over the 32-year-old Federer. “I’m sorry I had to win,” Gulbis told the crowd following the match. “I know all of you like Roger.”

 

SAY BYE-BYE

With the top two players, Serena Williams and Li Na, sitting on the sidelines, the road to the Roland Garros women’s singles title appeared to be wide open for the tournament’s number three seed, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. But those earlier upsets proved to be the boost the 21-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia needed. “After seeing the two first seeds go out, you kind of feel you can do this too,” Tomljanovic said after knocking off Radwanska 6-4 6-4. “I grew up with these girls who are beating them. I went into the stadium for the first time, and she (Radwanska) kind of feels like home there, because she’s been there a lot more than I have. I went out there and inside I really thought I could win. I think that showed and it is why I won.”

 

STUMBLE BY STAN

He is the reigning Australian Open champion, a player who has posted victories over the top two players in the world this year. But the brilliant playmaking that has taken Stanislas Wawrinka to number three in the world was missing when he took to the court for his first-round match at Roland Garros. Two hours and 23 minutes later, Wawrinka had fallen to unheralded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-0. Wawrinka became the highest seeded man to lose in the opening round at Roland Garros since third-seeded Andy Roddick lost to Igor Andreev in 2007. He also was the first Australian Open champion to lose in the first round of the subsequent Roland Garros since Petr Korda in 1998. Before the year’s second Grand Slam tournament began its two-week run, Wawrinka had been tabbed as possibly the first man to win the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back since Jim Courier in 1992. Instead, it was Wawrinka who self-destructed, making 62 unforced errors to just 28 for his opponent. “Now it’s a different picture for my career,” Wawrinka said. “I need to put the puzzle back together, but differently than in the past, because now, after winning a Grand Slam, a Masters 1000, being number 3 in the world, everything is different, and I still didn’t find all the pieces.”

 

SEESAW RESULTS

Li Na has a somewhat strange relationship with Roland Garros. It seems to be all or nothing. The Chinese star showed almost no clay-court prowess until she won the French Open in 2011, her first Grand Slam tournament title. Since then, however, she’s been backsliding in the only major tournament played on clay. She was ousted in the fourth round in 2012 when she was attempting to defend her title, then was upset in the second round last year. This year, Li Na was ousted in the first round by Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 3-6 6-1. “I think doesn’t matter who plays today against me, I always lose the match today, because I don’t think she was put a lot of pressure from me,” Li said. “I think today just I gave it away for the match.” It was a career-best victory for the 21-year-old Mladenovic, whose ground strokes were consistently deep, keeping her opponent pinned behind the baseline. “I just tried to believe in myself and working really hard every day just to achieve and believe where she is and try one day to be up there,” Mladenovic said. “I had to be really calm and take my chances and being mentally strong … it was such a nice feeling to have such a big win here in front of my crowd.”

 

STANDING TOGETHER

The upsets weren’t limited to the singles draw in the first week at Roland Garros. French wildcards Julie Coin and Pauline Parmentier knocked off the defending women’s doubles champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3 5-7 6-3. In their two previous French Opens, Parmentier and Coin had never gone beyond the second round. Their win over the third-seeded team of Makarova and Vesnina put the French pair into the third round.

 

SINGLES FINALE

Michaël Llodra’s singles career ended at Roland Garros. The Frenchman lost to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-2 7-6 (4) 7-6 (3). The 34-year-old reached the doubles final on the red clay at Paris a year ago with countryman Nicolas Mahut, and is still in this year’s doubles draw. He’s also playing mixed doubles at Roland Garros. But Mahut has announced that this will be his final year on the ATP World Tour, singles or doubles. “It’s not like I’m stopping after Roland Garros,” Llodra said. “I decided to play until the end of the year, so I didn’t think I’d feel a lot in terms of my emotions. But then people saw my emotion on the court, I probably am one of the most Parisian of all the French; I was here when I was five years old. At the beginning, of course, probably not to come and watch tennis, but to make paper airplanes on center court. And then I started as a junior, and then my first senior match. Then an incredible number of matches where it turned around and the tremendous pleasure shared with the crowd and the family.” His first main-draw match at Roland Garros was in 1999 against two-time champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain.

 

STRANGE FLAG

When Victor Estrella Burgos took to the court in his first-round match at Roland Garros, he became the first player from the Dominican Republic in more than a half-center to compete in a Grand Slam tennis tournament – and only the second to do so. The only other Dominican to compete in the main draw of a major was Manuel Morales, who lost in the first round of the 1956 French Open. “This day, I’ll remember. I’m never going to forget,” Estrella Burgos said of this year’s tournament. “When I get into the court I almost want to cry for the first time. There are so many people from the Dominican who come to see me.” In March, Estrella Burgos, who plays mostly on the lower-level Challenger tour, became the first Dominican to break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings. He turned pro in 2002, then stopped playing to work as a coach. After resuming his career, he considered retiring after injuring his right elbow two years ago. His first Grand Slam tournament appearance ended in a 6-1 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4 loss to Jerzy Janowicz of Poland.

 

SURFACE SWITCH

Stanislas Wawrinka wants to atone for his surprising loss on the red clay of Roland Garros. But he’s seeking his atonement on the grass courts of The Queen’s Club in London. After his brief stint in Paris, Wawrinka accepted a wild-card entry into the Aegon Championships, a grass-court warm-up event for Wimbledon. The Australian Open champion, Wawrinka joins a field in the London tournament that includes Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Grigor Dimitrov and four-time winner Lleyton Hewitt. “I love London,” Wawrinka said. “I love the atmosphere, it is an important tournament with a lot of history, and playing at The Queen’s club gives me the best possible chance to become comfortable on grass.”

 

SHARING A SEAT

Like all tennis professionals, when he’s on the court during a match Novak Djokovic is unrelenting in trying to beat his opponent. But when rain suspended play in his match against Joao Sousa, Djokovic sat down while a ball boy stood over him with an umbrella. Djokovic had the young man join him on the bench, then held the umbrella over them both while the young man held the Serb’s racquet. When play resumed, the two shook hands and Djokovic went to the baseline while his most recent companion returned to ball boy duties.

 

SICK BAY

Kei Nishikori probably shouldn’t have even tried to play Roland Garros this season. After all, he had suffered a hip injury in the Madrid Open final two weeks ago. He underwent treatment in Florida before flying back to Europe for the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. His movement was visibly hampered in his 7-6 (4) 6-1 6-2 first-round loss to Slovak Martin Klizan. “I’m actually happy to finish the match,” Nishikori said. “I was really disappointed that my performance was – I mean, not very bad, but it wasn’t a perfect match for me today. And I didn’t have much practice. So I knew this is going to be happen.” The first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world, Nishikori had appeared to be a strong challenger for this year’s Roland Garros title. After all, he won his first clay-court title last month, the Barcelona Open, and reached the Madrid Open final by defeating David Ferrer in the semifinals. In the title match he led Rafael Nadal by a set and a break, 6-2 4-2, before retiring with the injury. It wasn’t the first time injuries have derailed Nishikori’s career. He had right elbow surgery in 2009 and an abdominal injury forced him to skip Roland Garros in 2012. “It’s tough for me, but I guess this is my tennis life, you know,” he said. “I have to take care of my body and injury will come again, for sure. So I have to mentally be ready. I have to do whatever I can do to get healthy.”

 

SOLACE, PERHAPS?

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki found a way to forget about their quick exits from the French Open. The two players – Williams the current number one and Wozniacki a former number one – flew from Paris to Miami, Florida, USA, where they attended Game 6 of the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 117-92 to return to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year. After the game, Wozniacki posted a photo of her and Williams posing with the Heat’s Greg Oden.

 

SURFING

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com

Prostejov: www.czech-open.cz

Marseille: www.tennisclubmarseille.fr

Halle: www.gerryweber-open.de

London: www.lta.org.uk

Birmingham: http://www.lta.org.uk/

Caltanissetta: www.atpcaltanissetta.com/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

$145,242 UniCredit Czech Open, Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay

 

WOMEN

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

$100,000 Open Féminin de Marseille, Marseille, France, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$968,182 Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, grass

$968,182 Aegon Championships, London, Great Britain, grass

$145,021 Caltanissetta, Italy, clay

 

WOMEN

$644,900 Aegon Classic, Birmingham, Great Britain, grass

 

Ernests Gulbis and Roger Federer
Ernests Gulbis and Roger Federer

Novak Djokovic Claims Clay Win Over Rafael Nadal In Rome – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 4-6 6-3 6-3 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia men’s singles in Rome, Italy

Serena Williams beat Sara Errani 6-3 6-0 to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia women’s singles in Rome, Italy

Julien Benneteau beat Steve Johnson 6-3 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France

Heather Watson beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-6 (5) 6-0 to win the Sparta Prague Open in Prague, Czech Republic

 

SAYING

“Beating Rafa on clay is definitely a confidence booster. Let’s hope it’s something I can take into Roland Garros.” – Novak Djokovic, following his victory over Rafael Nadal in the final in Rome.

“Rome now is the past for me.” Rafael Nadal.

“I’m like a fine wine, I guess – at least my tennis is. My game gets better with age.” – Serena Williams, who at age 32 won her third Italian Open title.

“I’m sorry. You were unbelievable all week. I tried to do my best and stayed on the court only for you.” – Sara Errani, speaking to the crowd after she played the entire final after injuring her left thigh music in the opening set.

“I think this week is important for me. ,,, I was able to play in another final here. I was able to compete well against one of the best players of the moment. I arrive to Roland Garros now more encouraged than how I felt a few weeks ago.” – Rafael Nadal.

“It’s always nice to go back-to-back. I think the way we have been winning, we have shown a lot of resilience and we have dealt with situations that arise in matches. I think it is good going into a Grand Slam and if we keep that up at Roland Garros – because nothing is easy – and are mentally tough as we are now, we will give ourselves a chance to win.” – Daniel Nestor, after teaming with Nenad Zimonjic to win the Italian Open men’s doubles.

“We were down in both sets and played some great games to get back in the match. The whole week was completely different to Madrid, where we started really well and did not lose a set. We had a tough draw this week, with really good opponents, but found a way to win. We saved a match point in the first match and match point in the semifinals. It was very, very difficult.” – Nenad Zimonjic.

“It was a special day, but it was also a very difficult day for me. I tried my best but I couldn’t do anything more with the injury, so it ended up being a sad day for me in the end.” – Sara Errani, who suffered a thigh injury and lost the title matches in both singles and doubles.

 

STOPPING THE KING

Novak Djokovic left the King of Clay chocking in his red dust in Rome in the last major stop before tennis heads to Roland Garros and the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. The Serb defeated Rafael Nadal for the fourth straight time, but only for the fourth on clay in their 41 career matches. And Djokovic has won eight of the last nine sets the world’s top two ranked players have contested. “Let’s hope it’s something I can take into Roland Garros,” Djokovic said of his victory in Rome. “It’s been a great week considering where I was a few weeks ago with the wrist injury.” Djokovic injured himself at the Monte Carlo Masters last month and missed the Madrid Masters. Against Nadal, the Serb dropped serve twice as he lost the opening set. After that he was dominant. “I tried to be aggressive from the beginning to the end,” Djokovic said. “It didn’t work at the start but I didn’t change the game plan and I found the right rhythm and everything started going in.” Nadal was seeking his eighth title in Rome; instead Djokovic won his third and 44th of his career. It was Nadal’s third clay-court loss of the season – the first time that’s happened in a decade – and raised questions about his chances at Roland Garros where he has been almost unbeatable. “I have to start thinking about Roland Garros next week, and if my chance of playing well in Paris wasn’t very high a few weeks ago, now I think that I have a better chance,” Nadal said.

 

SERENA AGAIN

Serena Williams captured the Italian Open women’s singles title for the second straight year and the third time in her career. Her victim was local favorite Sara Errani, who reached the title match of her country’s biggest tournament for the first time, becoming the first Italian to play in the final since Raffaella Reggi in 1985 – before Errani was born. Unfortunately Errani pulled a muscle in her left thigh in the eighth game of the first set and never won a game after that. “Sara played really well in the first set,” Williams noted. “She was doing everything right and I could tell she had obviously improved since our last meeting in Paris last year. It was unfortunate she got injured in the last game of the set, but overall I thought she was playing really well out there.” Of course, Williams played better – much better. She is 53-2 on clay since the start of the 2012 clay season, losing only in the first round of the 2012 French Open and the first round at Charleston this year. Serena has won 60 titles in her career, just seven shy of sixth-place Billie Jean King on the all-time list. The five highest on the all-time list for most WTA titles are Martina Navratilova, who won 167 titles; Chris Evert, 154; Steffi Graf, 107; Margaret Court, 92, and Evonne Goolagong, 68.

 

SUPPORT FOR SERBIA

Torrential rain and catastrophic flooding in his native Serbia has been on Novak Djokovic’s mind while he went on to win the Italian Open. After he beat Canada’s Milos Raonic in the semifinals, Djokovic and countryman Nenad Zimonjic invited fans to meet him in the stands to take a group photo with a banner that read: “Support Serbia and Bosnia.” The two players also wore stickers during their respective matches bearing the same message. In what is being called the worst flooding in more than a century in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, the death toll has risen to more than 20. Thousands have also been evacuated from towns under threat of rising flood waters. “I’m following it as much as I can,” Djokovic said. “I am on the phone, following the news online. A flood like this hasn’t been seen in the history of my country. It’s a total catastrophe of biblical proportion. Half of the country is in danger, not having electricity, mobilization, and we are talking about cities not small villages.” Djokovic won the singles title while Zimonjic teamed with Canadian Daniel Nestor to capture the doubles crown.

After he beat Rafael Nadal to win the singles title, Djokovic drew a heart on the red clay with his racquet. “This heart on the court is for you,” Djokovic, speaking in Italian, told the fans during the victory celebration. “It’s also a special dedication to my country, which is suffering a lot right now. My heart is with them.”

 

STAYING HOME

Victoria Azarenka is still suffering from her left foot injury and will miss the French Open. “Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in Roland Garros this year. Working hard on my recovery & getting back on the court,” the former top-ranked player said on Twitter. Azarenka hasn’t played a tour match since Indian Wells, California, USA, on March 7. The Belarus star has won the Australian Open twice and been runner-up at the US Open twice.

 

STIRRING VICTORY

Britain’s Heather Watson will enter the French Open qualifying with a new title under her belt. Watson beat Anna Schmiedlova in the final to capture the Prague Open and move back to the world’s top 100 rankings. Watson won the ITF tournament – a tier below the WTA tour – 7-6 (5) 6-0. It was a busy final day for Watson, who also beat Hungary’s Timea Babos 7-6 (3) 6-3 in a semifinal match. Rain had delayed play on Saturday.

 

SET FOR NEWPORT

Three Hall of Famers and a recently retired one will play an exhibition doubles match on Sunday, July 13, before the final of the International Tennis Hall of Championships is held. Participating in the grass-court exhibition match will be Monica Seles, Tracy Austin, Gigi Fernandez and Jill Craybas. The exhibition will be the first women’s tennis event played in Newport in many years and will be held the day after the Class of 2014 enshrines are inducted into the tennis shrine. The enshrines are former world number one Lindsay Davenport, wheelchair tennis champion Chantal Vandierendonck, coach Nick Bollettieri, tennis industry leader Jane Brown Grimes and tennis broadcaster and historian John Barrett.

 

STEPPING DOWN?

The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, has broken ground on the first project of a USD 15.7 million capital campaign and improvement project.  “This is the largest, most exciting project the International Tennis Hall of Fame has ever taken on,” said International Tennis Hall of Fame chairman Christopher Clouser. “The Hall of Fame welcomes thousands of tennis fans from all over the world each year. Our goal within this project is to make the Hall of Fame a must-see international destination for all tennis fans, and to ensure that the facility is an asset to our local community.”

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bordeaux: Marc Gicquel and Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Ryan Harrison and Alex Kuznetsov, walkover

Prague: Lucie Hradecka and Michaella Krajicek beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova 6-3 6-2

Rome (men): Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Robin Haase and Feliciano Lopez 6-4 7-6 (2)

Rome (women): Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik beat Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 4-0 retired

 

SURFING

Nice: www.opennicecotedazur.com/

Düsseldorf: www.world-team-cup.com/

Nürnberg: www.nuernberger-versicherungscup.de/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$668,279 Open de Nice Côte d’Azur, Nice, France, clay

$643,571 Düsseldorf Open, Düsseldorf, Germany, clay

 

WOMEN

$226,750 Nürnberger Vesicherungscup, Nürnberg, Germany, clay

$226,750 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN & WOMEN

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (first week)

 

Djokovic
Djokovic

Rafael Nadal Wins Madrid Open with Lots of Help – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Kei Nishikori 2-6 6-4 3-0 retired to win the Mutua Madrid Open men’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Maria Sharapova beat Simona Halep 1-6 6-2 6-3 to win the Mutua Madrid Open women’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Sharon Fichman beat Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 6-2 to win the Open de Cagnes-Sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France

 

SAYING

“Winning at home is always more special than winning anywhere. Having the chance to play in front of your home crowd … is unforgettable for me. This city gives me a lot. This is a very important victory for me.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning the Madrid Open.

“It was very sad, especially as I was winning, playing almost the best tennis in my life. But there is some, you know, good side, too. There is a lot of confidence I get from this tournament.” – Kei Nishikori, who retired with an injury in the third set of the Madrid Open final.

“I was just fighting because if I had the chance I was going to be there to take it.” – Rafael Nadal, admitting Kei Nishikori dominated play through the first 15 games of their title match.

“I didn’t have a great first set today, but I knew it wasn’t over until the last point was played.” – Maria Sharapova, who rallied to win the Madrid Open women’s singles by defeating Simona Halep in three sets.

“I played really well all week and I beat top players and I had a very high level of my tennis. Maria is a great player and a great champion. She played really well, and I think she deserved to win this title. The difference I think is the experience. She has more experience than me.” – Simona Halep, after following her loss to Maria Sharapova.

“This is not the way I wanted this week to end.” – Serena Williams, after pulling out of the Madrid Open because of an injured left thigh.

“Now I’m hurting because I’ve lost a really tough match. … Tomorrow I’ll see it another way. I’ll be more positive. .. It hurts me not being able to be in the final tomorrow.” – David Ferrer, after losing his semifinal to Kei Nishikori.

“I was thinking ‘OK, I’m going to play until I’m 30 and then I’m going to quit.’ But then comes the moment when you’re 25 and you wake up one day and it’s like. ‘OK, I cannot go anymore. I cannot suffer.’” – Dinara Safina, announcing she has officially retired from the WTA tour.

 

SLIM WIN WITH HELP

Two games from victory, Kei Nishikori’s back injury resurfaced and Rafael Nadal ended up winning his second straight Mutua Madrid Open. After taking the first set 6-2, Nishikori was up a break in the second and serving at 4-3 when he pulled up clutching his back. Nadal broke Nishikori to pull even as the Japanese 10th seed failed to win another game. At 3-0 in the final set, Nishikori could barely walk to the net to shake hands with the Spanish champion.  “It was my hip and actually everywhere after the second set, my legs were hurting too much, Nishikori said. Nadal took advantage of the injury, capturing his 63rd career title and 44th on clay, just two short of the all-time record of 46 held by Guillermo Vilas. The win also increased Nadal’s record to 27 Masters titles. Even Nadal admitted Nishikori was dominant through the first 15 games of the match. “There was some moments where, I don’t know, I couldn’t find myself,” Nadal said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play or I was missing intensity, I was just mentally blocked. When you’re blocked, you just need a spark to go out there and compete again.” The spark came when Nishikori suffered the injury. “I’m very sorry for Nishikori,” Nadal said. “He’s an unbelievable player that will fight to be in London (at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals). I am sure of that. I really hope that the injury is not too bad and he will be able to compete in Roland Garros.” Nadal was presented with the winner’s trophy by Queen Sofía of Spain. “Even though I think that today I did a not so good first set, I think I did a great tournament,” Nadal said. “This is the reality of the situation.”

With his 63 career titles, Nadal is now sixth on the Open Era list, one behind Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg.

 

SOARING

Japan’s Kei Nishikori has put the tennis world on notice: Consider him a strong contender for a Grand Slam tournament title. While a back injury cost him the victory at the Madrid Open, the clay court tournament showed that Nishikori is ready to make the next step to the top of the rankings. By reaching his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, Nishikori is the first Japanese man ever to rank in the Top 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and the first Asian male since Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan in March 2004. Nishikori secured the ranking with a marathon win over David Ferrer in the semifinals, needing just under three hours and 10 match points to edge his Spanish opponent 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3. That was Nishikori’s 14th straight win, including a semifinal in Miami where he was forced to pull out prior to the match. The 24-year-old right-hander won his first ATP World Tour clay-court title two weeks ago at the Barcelona Open. The back injury that caused Nishikori to retire in the final also had troubled him in both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Still, he came away from the week feeling confident. “It’s going to be very exciting at (Roland Garros) because I’ve never felt like this on clay,” he said. “I’m very confident of whatever I hit going for winners. I can hit from either side – forehand or backhand – so it’s a very good feeling that I have on clay right now.”

 

SHARAPOVA VICTORIOUS

Shaking off a slow start, Maria Sharapova overpowered Simona Halep to win the Madrid Open women’s singles. Sharapova has now posted a 47-3 record on clay since the 2011 French Open, with all three losses administered by Serena Williams. Sharapova held her serve just once in the opening set as she hit four double-faults. But the Russian’s ground strokes began finding the corners and lines, keeping her opponent running from side to side. Sharapova converted both of her break points in the second set to level the match, then was never really challenged in the decisive set. “I don’t know how I pulled it off,” Sharapova said of capturing her 32nd career title and second of 2014. “In the first set I wasn’t doing much to hurt her, and that’s the tennis she’s capable of playing. I knew I had to do some different things after the first set to win this match.” That, she did. Sharapova is a perfect 11-0 on clay courts this year and will rise to seventh in the world on the new WTA Rankings. “I don’t take these moments for granted because I know what it’s like to be out and injured and trying to find your way back just to play tennis,” said Sharapova, who has had her career disrupted several times by injury.

 

SWISS PAIR – AGAIN

Apparently having twins was a winning move for Roger Federer the first time. The Swiss master, who has won numerous titles more than once in his career, had twins again, this time two boys to go with the two girls his wife Mirka gave birth to four years ago. “Twins again … miracle, Federer wrote on his Facebook page when he announced the new additions to his family. Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, confirmed to The Associated Press that the baby boys – named Leo and Lenny – were born in Zurich, Switzerland. Earlier in the week Federer withdrew from the Madrid Open in order to be with Mirka when she gave birth. Godsick said the 17-time Grand Slam tournament champion intends to enter the French Open, which begins May 25, and could possibly play this week’s ATP World Tour event in Rome, Italy. “Roger has plans to play the French Open, and he’ll take it step-by-step as to what he plays before that,” Godsick said.

 

STOPPING THE BRYANS

Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan ran into a familiar foe – and this time the foe won. Daniel Nester and Nenad Zimonjic beat the American twins to capture the Mutua Madrid Open doubles, their second title since reuniting at the start of the 2014 season. It was the winning pair’s 26th ATP World Tour team title and snapped the Bryans’ 24-match win streak. Nestor, a 41-year-old Canadian, has now won 84 tour-level titles, third best in the Open Era behind Mike Bryan, who has captured 100 titles, and Bob Bryan, who has 98. Zimonjic, a 37-year-old Serbian, won his 51st tour-level title.

 

SERENA OUT

Serena Williams halted her bid for a third straight Madrid Open title when she withdrew from the quarterfinals of the clay court tournament because of a left thigh injury. The American had her thigh heavily bandaged in her earlier matches. Williams was injured during her first-round victory over Belinda Bencic. And while she showed signs of improvement during her following two matches, she announced her withdrawal before she was to take on Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals. “I have a left thigh injury and, unfortunately, have to withdraw from this year’s Mutua Madrid Open,” Williams said. “It happened during my first round match. It started to get better, but most importantly right now, I just need some time to rest and recover. It’s beyond words. It’s so frustrating. We couldn’t ask for a better tournament and I love it here in Madrid. I love being a champion here.”

Serena continues to pile up the numbers in her career. When she beat Carla Suárez Navarro, Williams became the 11th player in WTA history to reach 650 career match wins – just one behind her older sister, Venus Williams. And Serena continued her brilliant history against Spaniards. She has won her last 29 matches against Spanish players and hasn’t lost since she retired with an arm injury in Berlin against Hall of Famer Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1999 – 15 years ago.

 

SPANIARDS STOPPED

Two Spanish players parlayed their wild card entry into the Mutua Madrid Open into a run to the doubles final. That’s when they ran into an unstoppable Italian pair. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci ended the surprising run of Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro 6-4 6-3 to take their third WTA doubles title of the year. “Tonight was a very tough match,” Vinci admitted. “Garbiñe and Carla are tough opponents and they had a great week. This is the second time we have won the title here in Madrid and are glad we could finish the week with another trophy.” The Italians now have 19 WTA doubles titles, including four Grand Slam tournament crowns. Muguruza and Suárez Navarro beat a slew of seeded teams to reach the final, including the top-seeded pair of Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai.

 

SU-WEI SOARS

In the WTA’s new doubles rankings, Hsieh Su-Wei has joined her partner Peng Shuai as co-world number ones. Earlier this year Peng became the first player from China ever to hold a world number-one ranking in tennis, male or female, singles or doubles. Now Hsieh achieves the same feat for Chinese Taipei. “Reaching number one in the world is a great feeling,” Hsieh said. “We have been working really hard as a team. I was very proud of Peng reached number one earlier this year and now I am happy we can share it.” They are the 10th team ever to become co-world number ones in doubles in the WTA rankings.

 

SOUND WRIST?

Novak Djokovic says he’s ready to return to work. The Serbian right-hander said his right wrist has been pain-free for 10 days and he plans on playing in this week’s Italian Open. “Right now I feel much more confident at the state of my wrist and I know that I’m ready much more to play a match than I was one week ago,” Djokovic said while practicing in Rome with Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka.  When Djokovic lost to Roger Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals last month, his wrist was heavily taped. “It’s a wiser decision if you try to heal it 100 percent than 50 percent and compromise the next weeks,” Djokovic said. “The second time that it comes back it becomes a chronic injury, which you definitely don’t want to have.  From now on I will be extra careful about my wrist.”

 

SURLY SCENE

It was not the best of days for Fabio Fognini. The Italian’s frustration boiled over after he blew a 4-2 lead in the first set of a three-set loss to Alexandr Dolgopolov in the opening round of the Madrid Open. When he was given a code violation for ball abuse after he slammed a ball out of the stadium, Fognini argued that he should have only received a warning because it was his first offense. But chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani said he gave the player a code violation because he hit the ball out of the stadium. That prompted Fognini to tell Lahyani, “You have to think (with) your mind sometimes. I know that’s difficult for you.” After losing the first set, Fognini smashed his racquet and called for the trainer for a hip injury. But the ATP trainer refused to treat the playing because it was a pre-existing injury. Fognini then turned his ire toward some fans and asked Lahyani to summon security. Later he expressed his displeasure when the umpire agreed with an out call. When the match ended, Fognini had words with Lahyani during the handshake.

 

SAFINA STOPS

Remember Dinara Safina? Well, once ranked number one in the world, Safina has officially announced her retirement from professional tennis. The Russian hasn’t played since nagging back injuries forced her away from the WTA tour three years ago. She won 12 WTA titles, but no Grand Slam tournaments, although she reached the title match at the 2008 French Open, the 2009 Australian Open and the 2009 French Open. Her biggest title came at the inaugural Mutua Madrid Open in 2009. Ironically, her last match was also in Madrid, when she lost in an early round in 2011. Dinara and her brother, Marat Safin, are the only brother-sister to both reach the number-one world ranking.

 

SET FOR PARIS

A former world number one junior, Taylor Townsend will make her Grand Slam tournament main draw debut at Roland Garros in May. The American won the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge when she reached the final of the USTA Pro Circuit event in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, USA. Townsend, a four-time junior Grand Slam tournament champion, won the Florida tournament. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement in which wild cards into the 2014 French and US Opens are exchanged. Robby Ginepri, who last competed in the French Open in 2010, won the men’s wild card into the clay-court event.

 

SIGNED UP

Lleyton Hewitt, who won Wimbledon in 2002, Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis have signed to play at this year’s AEGON Championships, a Wimbledon warm-up event. They join reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the strong field, which also includes Grigor Dimitrov and Alex Dolgopolov. Also entered in the The Queen’s Club tournament are 2010 champion Sam Querrey, 2007 runner-up Nicolas Mahut and Australian Bernard Tomic. Murray is seeking to join Andy Roddick, Hewitt, John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the only four-time winners of the grass-court event.

 

SHOOTING DEATHS

A man fatally shot his wife and two teenage children before setting their house and fire and then shooting himself, according to police in Tampa, Florida, USA. The house where the family lived was owned by former tennis star James Blake. The family was found dead in the burning home. Blake was not believed to be in Florida at the time. Authorities identified the dead as Darrin Campbell, his wife Kimberly Campbell and their teenage children, Megan and Colin. Hillsborough County sheriff’s Col. Donna Lusczynski said investigators don’t know Darrin Campbell’s motive. Blake starred at Harvard before breaking into professional tennis. Ranked as high as fourth in the world in November 2006, Blake retired from the ATP World Tour last year.

 

STEPPING DOWN?

Caroline Wozniacki is hinting that she may soon retire from the WTA tour and begin to have children. Once ranked number one in the world, Wozniacki was quoted by a London magazine as saying she wants to start a family with fiancée Rory McIlroy, one of the world’s top golfers. “I want to be a relatively young mother, and I don’t see it as being too far in the future,” the Danish player was quoted as saying by Lime magazine. “Therefore I have no dream to make my mark. Instead, I enjoy economic freedom my hard work has given me.” The right-hander, who will turn 24 in July and is currently ranked 14th in the world, and McIlroy announced their engagement on January 1 this year.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Cagnes-Sur-Mer: Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson beat Tatiana Bua and Daniela Seguel 7-6 (4) 6-4

Madrid (men): Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 6-4 6-2

Madrid (women): Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro 6-4 6-3

 

SURFING

Bordeaux: www.atp-primrosebordeaux.com/

Rome: www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/

Prague: www.expoprag.cz

Nice: www.opennicecotedazur.com/

Düsseldorf: www.world-team-cup.com/

Nürnberg: www.nuernberger-versicherungscup.de/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,000,610 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$117,882 BNP Paribas Primrose, Bordeaux, France, clay

 

WOMEN

$2,328,050 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$100,000 Sparta Prague Open, Prague, Czech Republic, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$668,279 Open de Nice Côte d’Azur, Nice, France, clay

$643,571 Düsseldorf Open, Düsseldorf, Germany, clay

 

WOMEN

$226,750 Nürnberger Vesicherungscup, Nürnberg, Germany, clay

$226,750 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

Carlos Berlocq and Martin Klizan Pull Off Big Upsets in ATP Play

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Carlos Berlocq beat Tomas Berdych 0-6 7-5 61 to win the Portugal Open men’s singles in Qeiras, Portugal

Martin Klizan beat Fabio Fognini 2-6 6-1 6-2 to win the BMW Open by FWU AG in Munich, Germany

Carla Suárez Navarro beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the Portugal Open women’s singles in Qeiras, Portugal

Simone Bolelli beat Julian Reister 6-4 6-2 to win the Tunis Open in Tunis, Tunisia

Andrey Kuznetsov beat Miloslav Mecir 2-6 6-3 6-0 to win the Prosperita Open 2014 in Ostrava, Czech Republic

 

SAYING

“To come through qualifying – playing eight matches in nine days – is tough. It is difficult to be fit every day. I beat many good players, from (Mikhail) Youzhny to Tommy (Haas). I am very proud of myself that it ended happily.” – Martin Klizan, after winning the title in Munich, Germany.

“It was a great week to have reached a final. Tomorrow is another day.” – Fabio Fognini, after losing to Martin Klizan in the BMW Open final.

“On match point I was only thinking to put the ball in, and that’s what I did, and I felt so good when I finally finished the match. The ceremony was very special for me. I really love this tournament.” – Carla Suárez Navarro, after winning her first WTA title.

“To win a title, and against a Top 10 player, carries double merits. To close the match the way I did was very emotional.” – Carlos Berlocq, who shocked sixth-ranked Tomas Berdych in the final of the Portugal Open.

“The first set looks easy, but it doesn’t show what was going on. Carlos is a big fighter and he completely changed his game, finding a way to win.” – Tomas Berdych, who won the first set 6-0 before losing the Portugal Open final to Carlos Berlocq.

“I feel pressure every day. I think it’s a good thing a little bit because it means I’m still really hungry. If I didn’t, then I would be like, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter.’” – Serena Williams, in an interview to promote the Madrid tournament.

“If Venus and I ever looked at each other and reflected on what we did, we wouldn’t be here. We would be vacationing on some exotic island somewhere. We can’t become satisfied yet because there are still some things that we want to do. I think there’s some pioneering to be done. Obviously, Venus has done some pioneering of her own with everything that she’s done for equal prize money and things of that nature, so I definitely think there’s still lots of room. We’ve opened so many doors, I have to think about what the next steps are.” – Serena Williams,

“Next year? That’s still a long way away. I have thought at times that enough is enough and wrestled with the idea (of quitting), but I’ve managed to overcome those feelings so far.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, at age 43 still on the WTA Tour.

“I don’t have any problem with people mentioning my age. Of course my recovery time after matches is slower and I feel the fatigue more the next day. On the way back to the hotel, you feel sore and sometimes the ice baths don’t work.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm.

 

SLOVAKIAN CHAMPION

It wasn’t pretty, but Martin Klizan has the second title of his career and a brand new car. Ranked 111th in the world, the Slovakian qualifier dropped the opening set before overcoming top-seeded Fabio Fognini in the BMW Open in Munich. Although he had lost his last three meetings with Fognini, Klizan beat the Italian the only other time he reached a final, at St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2012. Klizan called for medical treatment in the opening set, suffering from abdominal pains. The Slovakian continued to complain at each changeover. “I felt very bad and took two tablets because of stomach cramps after the first set,” Klizan said. “That was a crazy game from both of us.” In the third set, Fognini also was treated for a similar complaint. After the match, the Italian told news agency DPA: “Hopefully he’s doing better now than he was during the match.” Asked if he thought Klizan had used the illness to throw off his game, Fognini said: “I think so. Let’s see how many matches he’s won in this manner at the end of the year.” Klizan became the first qualifier to win an ATP World Tour event since Nicolas Mahut captured a Dutch tournament in 2013.

 

SECOND TITLE FOR BERLOCQ

Like at Munich, the Portugal Open also saw the heavy favorite lose in the final. Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq failed to win a game in the opening set 6-0 rallying to upset Tomas Berdych 0-6 7-5 6-1. “In the second set, when I changed my tactics I saw the ball better, committed less errors and it opened the door,” Berlocq said, explaining the change in fortune. He broke Berdych five straight times to close out the match and join three other Argentinians who have won the Portugal Open, Juan Martin del Potro in 2011 and 2012, David Nalbandian in 2002 and 2006, and Juan Ignacio Chela in 2004. “It’s very nice to know Nalbandian, Del Potro and Gaudio won this title and that I join this list,” Berlocq said. “It is very special for me to be with such great players.” Berlocq won his first game of the match by breaking Berdych to begin the second set. He broke Berdych again in the 11th game to send it into a tiebreak. The deciding set was all Berlocq, who won his second career ATP World Tour title, having captured the SkiStar Swedish Open last year. Berlocq went into the tournament with a 0-19 record against Top 10 opponents, but knocked off ninth-ranked Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals before upsetting Berdych in the title match. “It’s a very strong, very beautiful feeling (to win here),” Berlocq said. “It was a very special match for me. I didn’t have any pressure to win and it’s not my culture to conform to expectations.”

 

SUCCESS – FINALLY

Carla Suárez Navarro has won more matches this year than anyone else on the WTA Tour. On Sunday, she won her first career title, beating two-time Grand Slam tournament champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to capture the Portugal Open. “I was a little bit nervous today,” Suárez Navarro admitted. “It was a difficult match, too. It was windy today and we were both making mistakes, and we know each other well. But the most important thing for me today was just to be solid all the time.” It was the sixth career final for the Spaniard and she was the top seed. Still, she was not favored in the final since she has lost three of her previous four meetings to Kuznetsova, who once was ranked as high as number two in the world. “I tried to fight, but unfortunately it didn’t happen today,” Kuznetsova said. It was the third year Suárez Navarro had reached the Portugal Open final. This time she emerged the champion. “For me, it’s a very special moment of the season because we don’t have a lot of tournaments on clay,” Suarez said. “Now there’s Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, which to me is the best tournament of the year.” After this past week, the Spaniard has won 26 WTA-level matches this season, two more than Agnieszka Radwanska and Dominika Cibulkova.

 

SUCCUMBS TO CANCER

Elena Baltacha, Britain’s top female player for nearly three years, has died of liver cancer at the age of 30. Baltacha retired from professional tennis last year and revealed she had liver cancer only a couple months ago, having been diagnosed in January. When she was 19, she was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition which compromise3s the immune system. A native of Ukraine who was raised in Scotland, Baltacha won 11 singles titles, reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2002, made it to the third round of the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010, and was a member of Great Britain’s Fed Cup team for 11 years. “We are heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented and determined Bally,” her husband, Nino Severino, said in a statement. “She was an amazing person and she touched so many people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness.” Tennis stars, including Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, Jamie Murray and Heather Watson, will participate in “Rally For Bally.” a cancer fundraising event that will be held in Baltacha’s memory on June 15.

 

SPECIAL SEEDING

Although his ranking has currently dropped to eighth in the world, Andy Murray will be seeded much higher when he defends his Wimbledon title. “We have a surfaced-based seeding system here at Wimbledon,” All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chairman Philip Brook said. “So we take the ranking points of each player, and add to that the ranking points they hypothetically received last year on grass, and we add to that 75 percent of the best-performing tournament in the previous year. So to put it into context for Andy Murray, as winner of Queen’s last year and winner here last year, and a finalist here in 2012, there will be a significant impact on him. There will also be quite a significant impact on (Roger) Federer and (Novak) Djokovic. There will be some adjustment.” A higher seeding would mean Murray would not have to play any of the other top players until late in the tournament. All four Grand Slam tournaments have the right to change seedings and not follow the rankings, but only Wimbledon has actually done so. This year’s Wimbledon will be played June 23 to July 6.

 

STRAIGHT IN

Thanks to the United States Tennis Association’s reciprocal agreement with the French Tennis Federation, Robby Ginepri has gained a wild card into the main draw at this year’s Roland Garros. The 31-year-old Ginepri clinched the wild card by defeating James McGee 6-1 6-4 in the semifinals of the Wild Card Challenge in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. Players vie for the wild card based on results on the USTA Pro Circuit. “I’m thrilled to go back to Paris, it’s a special place for me,” said Ginepri, who was a US Open semifinalist in 2005.  He returned to tennis in 2012 after missing almost two years following a mountain-bike accident in which he broke his left elbow.

 

SOUND POUND

Total prize money for this year’s Wimbledon tournament will increase by nearly 11 percent, with a lot of the money going to early-round losers. Still, the men’s and women’s singles champions won’t be hurting. Their prize money will increase 10 percent to 1.76 million pounds (USD $2.9 million). Players who fail to get past the third round will receive 12.5 percent more than they did in 2013. “We’ve placed emphasis on the large group of players who need our help the most, those players who lose in qualifying and in the early rounds of the championships,” Wimbledon chairman Philip Brook said. “We also had an eye to being competitive internationally, and we do keep our watch on what is going on in other tennis events and in particular the other Grand Slams.” The French Open champions this year will receive 1.65 million euros (USD $2.3 million).

 

SICK BAY

The right wrist injury that bothered Novak Djokovic when he lost in the semifinals at Monte Carlo to Roger Federer has caused the Serbian star to pull out of the Madrid Open. “I did everything possible in order to play in Madrid, but unfortunately my right arm injury has flared up again,” Djokovic said. Ranked second in the world, Djokovic said he will now work toward playing in Rome, which starts May 11.

Angelique Kerber played in the Madrid Open, but retired with a bad back from her first-round match while trailing Carolina Garcia of France 6-3 2-0. ‘”I’ve been feeling my back for a few days now and felt it again in the first set, and it was getting worse as the match went on,” said Kerber, who was seeded seventh. “I’m disappointed I had to retire from the match. But I’d like to give all the credit to Caroline, who played an amazing match today.”

 

SET TO RETURN – BRIEFLY

Marion Bartoli retired right after winning the Wimbledon singles last year. Now she’s returning in June to play an exhibition tournament. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman will play in the Liverpool Hope University International Tennis Tournament from June 18-22, which will also feature retired players Greg Rusedski and Virginia Wade. While she struggled with all kinds of injuries during her 14-year career, Bartoli said her shoulder forced her retirement because she couldn’t serve properly. She won Wimbledon in her 47th start at a Grand Slam tournament – the most ever played by a woman before winning a major championship. And she won the title without dropping a set.

 

SITTING DOWN ON THE JOB

Eugenie Bouchard was playing Alisa Kleybanova in an opening round match at the Portugal Open when her feet went out from her on the clay and she ended up sitting on the court. Still, when the ball came close enough, the 20-year-old Canadian was able to hit a looping backhand that barely cleared the net. She then got back on her feet and ended up winning the point with another backhand. The play brought a smile to her face as she ended up with a 6-4 6-1 victory.

 

STAYING AWAY

Richard Williams says he will never return to the tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, where he said his family was booed and subjected to racial epithets. The father of Serena and Venus Williams wrote about the incident in his new book, “Black and White: The Way I See It,” which is being published this week. “I would never go back” to Indian Wells, Williams said in a telephone interview. But he said it was up to his daughters to decide if they want to play the southern California tournament again. “She was taught to make terrific decisions,” Richard said of Serena. “Any decision she makes, I would be behind one-thousand percent.” Serena was on the entry list for this year’s tournament but withdrew, citing a back injury.

 

SEES IMPROVEMENT

Six weeks after his surgery, Juan Martin del Potro says he is starting intense rehabilitation on his left wrist. Del Potro got encouraging words from Dr. Richard Berger, when he visited his surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. The Argentine has been using a special splint to support the wrist while the ligaments healed. The player wrote on his Facebook page: “The doctor is satisfied with the recovery and, even though I need to keep using the splint, now I can start the rehabilitation exercises to recover the mobility in my left wrist.” No date has been set on when del Potro will be able return to the ATP World Tour.

 

SO LONG

Andy Ram of Israel is calling it quits. Ram announced he will retire from the game after the upcoming Davis Cup World Group Playoff tie at home against Argentina in September. The 34-year-old Ram has been half of Israel’s most successful doubles team in both Davis Cup and on the pro circuit. “The time has come, today is the day, it is time to hang up the racquets after a long career,” Ram said. “I have been involved in tennis since the age of five and today I’m 34. It has been a very long path during which I have experienced many things and I would not exchange them for anything … all the injuries, the victories, I will never forget them.” Ram teamed with Vera Zvonareva to win the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2006 and with Nathalie Dechy to capture Roland Garros in 2007. In 2008, Ram and fellow Israeli Jonathan Erlich won the Australian Open men’s doubles title. With Erlich, Ram also represented Israel at the last three Olympic Games, most notably knocking out Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2012 Games in London before being defeated in the quarterfinals by the eventual gold medalists, American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan.

 

SAD NEWS

Karl Meiler, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 1973, has died at the age of 64. The German had been in a coma since he fell down the stairs at his home last November. Meiler won four ATP World Tour singles titles, reaching a career-high ranking of 20th in the world in 1973. He also won 17 doubles titles, including the WCT World Doubles Championships in 1976 with Wojtek Fibak. He represented West Germany in Davis Cup from 1968 until 1980. After retiring, Meiler coached many German players, including Michael Stich, Carl-Uwe Steeb and Bernd Karbacher.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Munich: Jamie Murray and John Peers beat Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins 6-4 6-2

Ostrava: Andrey Kuznetsov and Adrian Menendez-Macciras beat Alessandro Motti and Matteo Viola 4-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Qeiras (men): Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky beat Pablo Cuevas and David Marrero 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Qeiras (women): Cara Black and Sania Mirza beat Eva Hrdinova and Valeria Solovyeva 6-4 6-3

Tunis: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Adil Shamasdin beat Stephan Fransen and Jesse Huta Galung 6-3 7-6 (5)

 

SURFING

Madrid: www.madrid-open.com

Cagnes-Sur-Mer: www.opendecagnes.com

Bordeaux: www.atp-primrosebordeaux.com/

Rome: www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/

Prague: www.expoprag.cz

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$5,077,700 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

WOMEN

$5,077,700 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

$100,000 Open de Cagnes-Sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes, Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,000,610 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$117,882 BNP Paribas Primrose, Bordeaux, France, clay

 

WOMEN

$2,328,050 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$100,000 Sparta Prague Open, Prague, Czech Republic, clay

Carlos Berloq
Carlos Berloq

Maria Sharapova, Grigor Dimitrov Win Titles On Same Day – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Kei Nishikori beat Santiago Giraldo 6-2 6-2 to win the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in Barcelona, Spain

Maria Sharapova beat Ana Ivanovic 3-6 6-4 6-1 to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany

Grigor Dimitrov beat Lukas Rosol 7-6 (2) 6-1 to win the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest, Romania

María-Teresa Torró-Flor beat Romina Oprandi 6-3 3-6 6-3 to win the Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Marrakech, Morocco

 

DAVIS CUP

Asia/Oceania Zone Group II Playoff: Indonesia beat Hong Kong China 3-1

 

SAYING

“This is an important win for my career.” – Nicolas Almagro, after upsetting top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open.

“I had a lot of opportunities in the second set. I didn’t take advantage of break points, so credit goes to him.” – Rafael Nadal, following his loss to Nicolas Almagro.

“I just tried to hang in there. For the first half of the match I thought it might not be my day today, but somehow I turned it around.” – Maria Sharapova, who came from behind to beat Ana Ivanovic and win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the third time.

“She’s just a great player, and that’s what happens when you play against great players in big matches like this. You need to use your opportunities.” – Ana Ivanovic, after losing the Stuttgart final to Maria Sharapova.

“I was playing well. I felt I should be in the final and I’m very happy to win.” –Kei Nishikori, who won his first clay court title at Barcelona, Spain.

“I feel great about the week. It was not an easy day for me. Kei played very good. I have good feelings about my play and my improvement.” – Santiago Giraldo, who lost to Kei Nishikori in the Barcelona final.

“It’s a funny story, because on Friday I asked (Robert) to play doubles but we weren’t sure if we would be playing. We got in as lucky losers and we won the tournament. It is an amazing tournament.” – Jesse Huta Galung, who teamed with Stephane Robert to win the doubles in Barcelona.

“I have worked really hard to start winning titles. I have put in enough effort, time and sacrifices to get here.” – Grigor Dimitrov, after capturing the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest, Romania.

“A run to a final was very good. It was a perfect week … If you had told me I would have reached the semifinals at the start of the week, I would have taken it.” – Lukas Rosol, who lost to Grigor Dimitrov in Bucharest.

 

SUCCESS ON CLAY

Kei Nishikori bested Santiago Giraldo to win his fifth tour-level title and second of the year. The key, however, is it was his first triumph on clay. The first Japanese-born player to win a clay-court title, Nishikori dropped his opening serve. No problem. After Giraldo held for a 2-0 lead, he didn’t win another game until deep into the second set as the quickness and fire-power of Nishikori was too much for the Colombian. “This title and (my run in) Miami helped my confidence, especially this week on clay,” Nishikori said. There are three big tournaments coming up in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, so I hope I can do well and increase my (Emirates ATP Rankings) points. My next goal is to get to the Top 10.” Nishikori is the first non-Spaniard to win in Barcelona in 12 years. “I was good on clay when I was little – like 14 (years old). I was winning all the European juniors events,” Nishikori said. “Now it’s much tougher than hard courts and I was struggling a bit. But I’ve been playing well these past couple years so there’s no fear to play on clay.”

 

SHARAPOVA SHARP

Stuttgart, Germany, is rapidly becoming Maria Sharapova’s favorite stop on the WTA Tour. The Russian captured the Porsche Grand Prix for the third straight time, coming from behind to defeat Ana Ivanovic. It was Sharapova’s first title of the year and 30th of her career. It also is the first time she has won a tournament three times. In the battle of former world number ones, Ana Ivanovic ripped through the first five games of the match, captured the first set and grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second before Sharapova found her big game, blasting winners off both sides. “From the first moment it was always a close match,” Ivanovic said. “It was always a few close balls to decide each game, and it went on the whole match,” Ivanovic said. “In the second set she definitely went for those big shots, though, and she made some amazing points.”

 

SHOCKED AGAIN

His domination on clay no longer a sure thing, Rafael Nadal is finding it difficult to add to his great record on his favorite surface. The world’s top-ranked player saw his 41-match winning streak at the Barcelona Open snapped by Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals. Seeking his ninth title in Barcelona, Nadal lost to his fellow Spaniard 2-6 7-6 (5) 6-4. The left-hander hadn’t lost in Barcelona since his debut in 2003 when he was just 15 years old. Injuries forced Nadal to miss the tournament in 2010. It was Almagro’s first career win over Nadal, who failed to convert any of his five break points in the second set. Almagro’s winning the second set snapped Nadal’s streak of 44 straight sets in Barcelona. Nadal saved the first match point. He didn’t survive the second. Nadal hadn’t been eliminated this early in consecutive clay-court tournaments since 2004, when as an 18-year-old he also failed to get past the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Båstad. “That’s sport,” Nadal said. “Obviously it’s not the happiest day for me, but obviously I never thought I would win here 70 matches in a row. It was not my day today. I felt I did a lot of things well today to win the match, but at the end, (there) remained a little bit. Just accept the situation and keep fighting.”

 

STEPPING STONE

Grigor Dimitrov moved a step closer to the top 10 when he sailed through the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest, Romania, without dropped a set. In the final, Dimitrov, the top seed in a tournament for the first time in his career, toppled Lukas Rosol, who was trying to defend his title. It took only 81 minutes for the 22-year-old Dimitrov to win his second title of the year. “It feels good to have won,” Dimitrov said. “I lifted my game, not having been happy with my previous matches in the tournament. I knew I had to lift my level, especially after the first set. Lukas is a very good winner who hit some outstanding winners.” The two battled evenly until Dimitrov easily captured the tiebreak 7-2. After that, the Bulgarian dominated. The win moved Dimitrov to 13th in the rankings. “Grigor was just amazing today,” an impressed Rosol said. “I played good tennis, but Grigor was better on the court and I had no answer. I am sure he will break into the Top 10 very soon.”

 

SUPER PARTNER

Horia Tecau can team with seemingly anyone else and win his home tournament, the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, doubles title. Or it seems that way. Tecau won Bucharest for the third straight year, this time teaming with Jean-Julien Rojer to stop the Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4 6-4 in the final. Tecau had partnered Robert Lindstedt to the title in 2012 and Max Mirnyi to last year’s trophy. “It’s always great to win at home,” Tecau said. “We got great support from the crowd, but, of course, you also feel some extra pressure here. I’m very happy that I won this title with Jules after winning here during the past two years as well.” It was the third title this year for Tecau and Rojer. They also captured the PBZ Zagreb Indoors and the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca.

 

STARTING PERFECT

They were a pickup team that lost in qualifying. Yet there they were, collecting the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell doubles title. Jesse Huta Galung and Stephane Robert teamed up the Friday before the main draw began in the Spanish city. They got into the main draw as “lucky losers,” then refused to be defeated. “We played our own games all week,” Huta Galung said. “Maybe the other teams don’t know us as well, so we didn’t have anything to lose. Maybe the pressure was on them.” The Dutch-French team became just the third duo to win a WTA Tour-level title as “lucky losers.” In the final, they knocked off Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, who had two won the Barcelona. So, where do the winners go from here? “We don’t know,” Robert said. “Next week I will be at my highest ranking and Jesse will be around No. 70. So it is still not possible to play regularly on the ATP World Tour, so we might need to play with other players to earn more points before teaming up again.”

 

STAR ARISING

The final battle at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem came down to two unseeded players seeking their first title. It was María-Teresa Torró-Flor who became the sixth first-time WTA champion of the year as she beat Romina Oprandi in a see-saw battle. Neither player had ever been in a final before. “It was a difficult match,” Torró-Flor said. “In the second set I started to lose my focus and Oprandi took advantage of that and took the set. I called my coach to the court and he told me I had to keep focusing and work hard like I always do, and after that I started to play a bit better. It was difficult, and I had to fight a lot, but I feel really happy to win my first title.” Torró-Flor took a 5-1 lead in the final set, then lost a chance to serve out the match. In her next service game, she never faltered. Other first-time WTA champions this year include Garbiñe Muguruza, Tsvetana Pironkova, Kurumi Nara, Caroline Garcia and Donna Vekic. With the exception of Pironkova, all of the first-timers are age 22 and under.

 

STEPPING INTO FATHERHOOD

Novak Djokovic is preparing to join Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka as the only members of the current Top 10 to have children. The Serbian right-hander announced that he and fiancée Jelena Ristic are expecting their first child. “Jelena and I are truly blessed to soon become parents! My love is pregnant!,” the world number two and six-time Grand Slam tournament champion wrote on Facebook. Djokovic and Ristic were engaged last September. Federer, who had twins with wife Mirka in 2009, is expected a third child in the coming weeks.

 

SOB STORY

Andy Murray broke into tears when he accepted a civic honor in his Scottish hometown of Dunblane. When the local council awarded their favorite son “the freedom of Stirling,” Murray stopped to compose himself and several times wiped his eyes. “I think everyone knows I’m extremely proud of where I come from,” Murray said, his voice cracking. “Moving away was one of the sacrifices I had to make for my job, and every time I come back it’s quite emotional.” Among those in attendance were Murray’s parents, grandparents and girlfriend Kim Sears. Murray also received an honorary degree from the University of Stirling, whose courts he practiced on when he was young. “Tennis players don’t really come from Scotland, so it’s a strange story, but shows that anything can happen if you believe and you dream and work hard, then you can achieve whatever you want to,” said Murray, who currently is ranked eighth in the world.

 

SLIPPING IN, BRIEFLY

An injury to Caroline Wozniacki’s left wrist opened the door slightly for Johanna Konta of Britain. Konta lost in the final round of qualifying at the Porsche Grand Prix to Italy’s Giola Barbieri. But when Wozniacki withdrew from the clay-court tournament, Konta, as a “lucky loser,” gained a spot in the main draw. Unfortunately Konta’s stay in Stuttgart didn’t last long. She was ousted in the first round by Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 7-6 (4) 6-4.

 

SICK BAY

Victoria Azarenka’s season is getting shorter and shorter. The world’s fourth-ranked player has pulled out of clay-court tournaments in Madrid and Rome as she recovers from a foot injury. Since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, the Belarusian has played in only one tournament, at Indian Wells, California, USA, where she lost her first match. The left foot problem flared up at the Australian Open, where she was seeking her third consecutive title. “Hey, everybody, unfortunately I won’t be competing in Madrid and Rome this year,” Azarenka said in a video posted on her Twitter account. Missing the Madrid Open and the tournament in Rome leaves Azarenka with little time to gain match fitness ahead of Roland Garros, which begins on May 25.

 

SEEKING OFFICE

Ilie Nastase, at one time one of the highest-paid players in Europe, is running for a seat in the Romanian parliament. Once known as the “bad boy” of tennis, Nastase will stand in the Bucharest by-election for a seat in the Romanian Senate. Now 67 years old, Nastase will be a candidate for the Conservative Party, a small group that was founded by Dan Voiculescu, a former collaborator of the Communist Political Police, the Securitate. “Today, I want to get involved (in politics) to help sports in Romania,” Nastase said. “I want to fight for the adoption of a law on sponsorship, without which sport in this country is going to die.” Nastase led Romania to the Davis Cup final three times. He won the US Open in 1972 and in 1976 was the first European to exceed USD $1 million in career prize money. He retired from competition in 1984. Nastase ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Bucharest in 1996. The by-election will be held on May 25.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Barcelona: Jesse Huta Galung and Stephane Robert beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-3

Bucharest: Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4 6-4

Marrakech: Garbiñe Muguruza and Romina Oprandi beat Katarzyna Piter and Maryna Zanevska 4-6 6-2 11-9 (match tiebreak)

Stuttgart: Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Cara Black and Sania Mirza 6-2 6-3

 

 

SURFING

Ostrava: www.prosperitaopen.cz/

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Qeiras: www.portugalopen.pt/

Tunis: www.tct.org.tn/

Madrid: www.madrid-open.com

 

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$590,148 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

$590,148 BMW Open by FWU AG, Munich, Germany, clay

$125,000 Tunis Open, Tunis, Tunisia, clay

$117,586 Prosperita Open 2014, Ostrava, Czech Republic, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$5,077,700 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

 

WOMEN

$5,077,700 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

$100,000 Open de Cagnes-Sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes, Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, clay

 

Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova

Stan Wawrinka Beats Roger Federer In All-Swiss Final at Monte-Carlo: Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Roger Federer 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-2 to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Donna Vekic beat Dominika Cibulkova 5-7 7-5 7-6 (4) to win the BMW Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nick Kyrgios beat Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (10) 6-4 to win the Sarasota Open in Sarasota, Florida, USA

 

FED CUP

World Group

(Semifinals)

Czech Republic beat Italy 4-0 at Ostrava, Czech Republic

Germany beat Australia 3-1 at Brisbane, Australia

 

World Group Playoffs

Russia beat Argentina 4-0 at Sochi, Russia

Canada beat Slovak Republic 3-1 at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

France beat United States 3-2 at St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Poland beat Spain 3-2 at Barcelona, Spain

 

World Group II Playoffs

Romania beat Serbia 4-1 at Bucharest, Romania

Netherlands beat Japan 3-2 at ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Sweden beat Thailand 4-0 at Lidkoping, Sweden

Switzerland beat Brazil 4-1 at Catanduva, Brazil

 

SAYING

“I can see that when mentally I’m there and I’m fighting, I can play tennis, I can beat all the players. I did an amazing job.” – Stanislas Wawrinka, after beating Roger Federer in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

“Of course, I’m very happy for Stan. It’s a huge win for him after winning his first Grand Slam this year, also to win his first Masters 1000. To take the opportunities when they’re there, that’s key in a tennis player’s career. So I’m very happy for him.” – Roger Federer, following his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in Monte-Carlo.

“It’s always special to play Roger. We know it’s always a strange match, especially being in the final here. He’s my best friend on the tour. We respect each other so much. I’m just trying on the court to win the match. Before and after, we are still very good friends. During the match, we just try everything to win. Today I’m really happy to take that one.” – Stanislas Wawrinka.

“I have had to wait 10 years to beat him on clay. It was a long wait but I am pleased with the win and the way I played.” – David Ferrer, after beating Rafael Nadal on the clay in Monte-Carlo.

“I didn’t play the right way. I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand. I played too short. I gave him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.” – Rafael Nadal.

“I just rest now. I cannot play tennis for some time. How long, I don’t know. It’s really not in my hands anymore. I’m going to rest and see when it can heal 100 percent, then I will be back on the court.” – Novak Djokovic,

“Rafa’s not a machine. Sometimes he can play not so good. Maybe today he didn’t play his best tennis, and I played very good.” – David Ferrer.

“I was frustrated, let’s be honest. I did chuck a ball out of the stadium, I did scream sometimes. I was aggravated to a degree, but not to the extent where I totally lost it.” – Roger Federer, after hitting a ball out of the stadium in frustration during his match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“It’s amazing to hit triple digits. It’s a great milestone to say that you have a hundred, to be the first player to hit a hundred titles. Kind of snuck up on us pretty quick. Last few years we’ve been really hot. We always wanted to beat the Woodies’ record of 61. Then trying to clip Todd Woodbridge’s 83 titles. All of a sudden I’m at 99. It will feel a lot better when we do it as a team. We’ve always looked at our career as team titles, doing it together. That’s the huge goal for this year, to do it together.” – Mike Bryan, who won his 100 career doubles title and teamed with his twin brother Bob to capture their 98th crown.

“I think of myself as two different people. There’s the Serena Williams that everyone knows: She’s crazy. She can’t make a mistake. And she’s angry and just not nice, to be honest. I’m only that person for three hours a day, when I’m on the court. The rest of the time I’m just Serena. I’m the class clown.” – Serena Williams, in comments she told Fitness Magazine.

 

SWISS SWITCH

Stanislas Wawrinka has shown that being ahead of Roger Federer in the ATP Tour Rankings is no fluke. The “other Swiss” beat Federer for only the second time in their careers to capture his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. “When I came here, for me it was more like a test. I knew I was playing good tennis, but I didn’t expect to win because the draw was so strong,” Wawrinka said. Instead, the 29-year-old Wawrinka came on strong in the second half of the final to capture the Monte-Carlo crown to go along with the Australian Open title he won in January. “When you win a match like this, it’s only one or two points, especially in the tiebreak,” Wawrinka said. “But I think I did a great tiebreak. I was serving big and being really aggressive. Then I took the advantage at the beginning of the third set. I saw that he was a little bit tired. Me, I was playing better and better, especially moving better.” Federer, who has never won Monte-Carlo, agreed with Wawrinka. “I think it’s one of those finals that I could have won,” Federer said. “But Stan was tougher at the end. I think he deserved it just a little bit more.” It was the first all-Swiss final on the ATP World Tour in 14 years, and was the fourth time Federer had reached the final at Monte-Carlo and lost, the first three times to Rafael Nadal. “I would have loved to have won a second title (this season) because I’ve come close a few times,” Federer said. “That’s my next objective, that I get to the very end more frequently. But clearly I’m happy that the clay court season started so well for me.”

 

SIDELINED

Fresh off from winning two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, Novak Djokovic’s season is on hold because of an injury to his right wrist. With his right arm heavily taped, the Serb was visibly hampered in his semifinal loss at the Monte Carlo Masters to Roger Federer. The injury severely hampered Djokovic’s serve and backhand. “I just rest now,” Djokovic said. “I cannot play tennis for some time. How long, I don’t know. It’s really not in my hands anymore.” Ranked second in the world, Djokovic said there was one positive thing about his injury. “The good thing is I don’t need to have a surgery,” he said. “I don’t have any rupture or something like that.” He had complained earlier in the week about the pain, but said he felt better after taking a day off from playing and training. But a long quarterfinal win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez aggravated the injury. “Long match, long rallies, heavy balls, definitely did not help the state of my arm,” said Djokovic, who was seeking to win his fifth straight Masters title. “The pain was there every single day from 10 days ago. At some stages it was very painful.”

 

STRUGGLING

A back injury and defeat in the Australian Open final has cost Rafael Nadal his confidence. At least that’s what the world’s top-ranked player is saying. “I don’t have to lie to anybody,” Nadal said. “After what happened in Australia it was little bit harder for me to find again the intensity, the confidence, the inside power that I always have.” Although he won a clay court tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the Australian Open, Nadal fell in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters and lost the final of the Miami Masters. Then came the Monte-Carlo Masters where Nadal lost in the quarterfinals to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Asked if his back was still bothering him, Nadal said: “No, no, the back is not an excuse. The back is in good shape. The physical performance is fine. No problem about that.” The left-hander vowed: “I’m going to fight to try to find that solution soon.”

 

SUCCESS, FINALLY

It took 10 years, but David Ferrer has finally posted a win over fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal on clay. Ferrer’s 7-6 (1) 6-4 win snapped Nadal’s 30-match clay-court winning streak and came in the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo. The last time Ferrer beat Nadal on clay was in their first ATP World Tour meeting in Stuttgart, Germany. “I have had to wait 10 years to beat him on clay,” Ferrer said. “It was a long wait but I am pleased with the win and the way I played. I spoke with my coach and we had a clear game plan. But with Rafa, it’s always tough because he doesn’t allow you to follow it. The good thing was I was able to deal with his attacks and stay strong physically for the whole match.” Nadal said he failed to stay with his own game plan. “I didn’t play the right way,” the world’s top-ranked player said. “I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand. I played too short. I gave him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.” Nadal has won Monte-Carlo eight straight years until he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final last year.

 

SIBLING POWER

The records keep falling for the Bryan brothers. Mike Bryan became the first player to win 100 tour-level doubles titles when he and twin Bob Bryan captured the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, defeating Ivan  Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak). It was the 98th team title for the Americans. It was the fifth title in a row for the Bryans and extended their winning streak to 21 matches. The 35-year-olds have not lost since the Memphis, Tennessee, USA, final in February. The brothers’ goal now is to win 100 titles together. “I will feel a lot better when we do it as a team,” Mike Bryan said. “We’ve always looked at our career as team titles, doing it together. That’s the huge goal for this year, to do it together.” Brother Bob said their goal is to hit the century mark before Roland Garros. “We’ve got two tournaments or three coming up before the French,” Bob Bryan said. “It’s incredible to see what he’s done. I guess I’m knocking on the door. The Californian pair have now won the Monte-Carlo Masters four times and lead with 29 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles together.

 

STAR ARISING

Donna Vekic is out to prove she belongs with the best players on the WTA tour. The 17 year old from Croatia won her first WTA title – the BMW Malaysian Open – by posting her first win over a Top 10 player, Dominika Cibulkova. “I’m so happy – I don’t know what to say, I’m so, so happy,” Vekic said. She was runner-up in her first two WTA finals – at Tashkent in 2012 and Birmingham in 2013. And she was close to losing at Kuala Lumpur as she trailed Cibulkova 7-5 5-4. But Vekic reeled off seven straight games to take the second set and grab a 4-0 lead in the third. Cibulkova, herself a young player on the rise in the rankings, did not go down easily. She staved off three match points at 5-2 and eventually forced a tiebreak. When Vekic closed out the 5-7 7-5 7-6 (4) victory with a forehand winner, she finished the match by winning one more point than her Slovakian opponent, 122 to 121. Vekic also had 11 aces to just two for Cibulkova. At 17 years, 10 months and 23 days old, Vekic is the first player under 18 to win a WTA title since American Vania King captured Bangkok in 2006. “It was a very tough match,” Vekic said. “She played very well throughout the whole match. I was up 5-1 in the third set and she came back out playing insane. So I’m happy I was able to get through in the end.”

 

S’IL VOUS PLAIT

Not surprisingly, the French Open will pay out more this year than ever before. The men’s and women’s champions will each earn 1.65 million euros (USD $2,277,640), an increase of 150,000 euros (USD $207,059) from last year. Gilbert Ysern, tournament director at Roland Garros as well as French Tennis Federation director, said “this notable increase in Roland Garros prize money is part of the plan that was put in place for 2013 until 2017.” In all, total prize money for the clay court Grand Slam tournament increased by 3 million euros (USD $4.1 million) from last year. The biggest increases have come for those losing in the early rounds.

 

SKIPPING PARIS?

Being with his wife when she gives birth is Roger Federer’s top priority. Consequently the Swiss star could possibly miss this year’s French Open. The day before Christmas Federer announced he and his wife Mirka were expecting their third child, although they have not said when. The 32-year-old Federer says he still does not know the due date. “So we’re just waiting,” Federer said. “It’s a priority for me trying to be there, trying to support my wife. I’ve played enough tennis matches. Missing a tournament or missing a match wouldn’t change anything for me.”

 

SHORT PROBLEM

Normally when Rafael Nadal misses his first serve, he just reaches into his pocket for the second ball. At Monte-Carlo, however, he had to get the second ball from a ball person. That’s because of a problem the Spanish ace had with the pockets in his shorts. “The ball comes out of the bottom of them and gets in the way,” the world’s top-ranked player told Teledeporte. “We’ll try to sort it out for the next tournaments, but here it won’t be possible.” Pete Sampras always had just one ball at a time, as does Serena Williams. But Nadal, like many of today’s male players, grabs two balls and puts one in his pocket. “When you have been doing something the same way for so many years, when there is a change you have to think about it and it makes things a bit more difficult,” Nadal said. “But it’s better to do it that way than have the ball popping out of the bottom of your shorts, which is quite uncomfortable.”

 

SIDELINED

Great Britain’s top woman player, Laura Robson, has decided to undergo surgery on her left wrist, meaning she will miss both the French Open and Wimbledon. She was plagued by the left wrist problem throughout this year, playing just one match, and losing that to Kirsten Flipkens 6-3 6-0 in the first round of the Australian Open. She had retired because of the long-standing injury I her opening match against Yanina Wickmayer at a warm-up event in Hobart, Australia. Currently ranked 64th in the world, Robson announced on her Facebook page that she will have the operation, which will be performed by the same Minnesota-based doctor who operated on the wrist of former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. “I wanted to inform my lovely supporters that I have decided to have minor wrist surgery at the Mayo clinic with one of the best wrist doctors in the world, Dr. Richard Berger,” Robson wrote. “Dr. Berger is very confident that I will be able to return to the tennis court pain free before you even have time to miss me.” The 20-year-old Robson won the Wimbledon girls’ singles title in 2008 and reached a career-high of 27thin the rankings last year.

 

SEEKING A COACH

Andy Murray hopes to have a new coach by next month’s French Open. The 26-year-old Murray won the London Olympics singles gold, the US Open and Wimbledon with Ivan Lendl as his coach. But the two announced their split last month and Murray is seeking a replacement. “The plan is to think exactly what I need over the next week, two weeks,” Murray told BBC Sport. “There’s a lot of factors you need to look at and I would hope I would have someone in place by the French Open, but I don’t want to rush it. I don’t want to get someone just because they’ve won a lot of tournaments or were great players.”

 

SAID WHAT?

No one was more surprised than Donald Young when an umpire assessed him a warning for what he said in a first-round match at the Sarasota ATP Challenger tournament in Sarasota, Florida, USA. What Young muttered after putting a backhand into the net was “son of a biscuit.” After being given the warning for his comment, the former world junior number one told the umpire: “Come on Keith, don’t give me crap for that, man, I said ‘son of a biscuit.’ That’s a problem? That’s a problem now?” Despite the warning, Young won his first-round match, beating Alexander Zverev, a 16-year-old qualifier from Germany. He then beat Zverev’s brother, Mischa, in the next round before losing to Nick Kyrgios of Australia. Kyrgios went on to win the Sarasota tournament, stopping Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (10) 6-4 in the final.

 

SENT PACKING

The men’s tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia, is moving to Tel Aviv, Israel. The ATP Board of Directors, meeting in Monte-Carlo, approved the tournament’s move, and now needs only a final agreement of conditions between the tournament and the ATP World Tour. “After 19 memorable years in St. Petersburg, the time has come for us to take the tournament in a new direction,” said Ruslan Linkov, a tournament representative. “We are very excited about the opportunities that lie in Tel Aviv and look forward to hold a successful event in September.” The tournament will be held at the Israel Tennis Centre at Ramat HaSharon this September and will offer USD $1,000,000 in prize money. It will be the first ATP World Tour event held in Israel since 1996.

 

STALWARTS ALL

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, Romania’s Simona Halep, Brazil’s Teliana Pereira and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Sharipova have been named the first four winners of the 2014 Fed Cup Heart Award. The four recipients were decided more than 60,000 fans casting ballots on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es. The winners will receive a check to be donated to their chosen charity. It is Radwanska’s second career Heart Award for her performance in the World Group and World Group II first-round category. The other three were Zone Group I winners. The Fed Cup Heart Award recognizes players who have represented their country with distinction in Fed Cup competition.

 

STARTING YOUNG

The top eight ranked boys and girls on the 18-and-under International Tennis Federation Junior World Rankings at the end of the year will compete in the ITF Junior Masters, a new event that be held next April at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre in Chengdu, China. According to the ITF announcement, the competition will consist of two knock-out singles events, with each player guaranteed three matches to determine their final finishing position. The Sichuan International Tennis Centre, which was built in 2008, has already hosted a number of international events. The new competition will be played three match courts, including a 6,000-seat stadium court.

 

SPLIT ENDS, TOO?

When Danish star Caroline Wozniacki showed up to caddy for her fiancé Rory McIlroy at a par-3 hit and giggle event prior to The Masters, she had dyed her hair pink. By the final round other the golf major, Wozniacki’s hair was its normal blonde. But returning to her natural color may not have been easy. The tennis star posted on social media: “Does anyone know if semi-permanent hairy dye from the brand Manic Panic washes off completely after a little while?” Gold Digest writer Dan Jenkins wrote on social media: “High-level talk on Augusta National veranda: ‘Exactly what color is Caroline Wozniacki’s hair?’ I’m going with a blend of violet and stupid.”

 

SALUTED

The chairman and CEO of the WTA, Stacey Allaster, is the first person from the tennis industry to be given the Great Wall Friendship Award. The award, established by the Beijing Municipal Government, acknowledges global professionals and experts who have played instrumental roles in facilitating the development of China’s capital. “It is an honor to receive this award, and this is an accomplishment to be shared with the entire China Open team,” Allaster said. “Together we shared a vision to build the China Open into one of the world’s most exciting sports entertainment events in the world. With the success and growth of the China Open, the WTA will host 10 events in China in 2014 as women’s tennis continues to grow and develop within the region.” Since the Great Wall Friendship Award was first given in 1999, 176 honorees from 30 countries have been selected. Of those 176, only three have been from the sports industry: Allaster; Hein Vergruggen of the Netherlands, chairman of the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; and American basketball star Stephen Marbury, who now plays for the Beijing Ducks. Besides Allaster, 14 other foreign experts received the Great Wall Friendship Award.

 

SCHOOL TIME

Paul Annacone, an Australian Open doubles champion and coach of both Roger Federer and Pete Sampras; Judy Murray, mother of Andy Murray and Great Britain’s Fed Cup captain, and Patrick McEnroe, USTA Player Development general manager, will be among the keynote speakers at this year’s Tennis Teachers Conference, which will be held in New York City in conjunction with the US Open. The four-day conference, beginning August 22, will bring together the leading tennis teaching professionals and coaches to share best practices. The event offers educational resources, facilitating innovative teaching techniques and creating networking opportunities among the members of the various associations. The conference also will include a series of interactive on-court sessions and presentations.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Kuala Lumpur: Timea Babos and Chan Hao-Ching beat Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Saisai 6-3 6-4

Monte-Carlo: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Sarasota: Marin Draganja and Henri Kontinen beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo and Franko Skugor 7-5 5-7 10-6 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

Barcelona: www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com/

Bucharest: http://brd-nastase-tiriac-trophy.ro/2014/

Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de

Marrakech: www.lallameryemtennis.com/

Ostrava: www.prosperitaopen.cz/

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Qeiras: www.portugalopen.pt/

Tunis: www.tct.org.tn/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$2,562,150 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, clay

$592,239 BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, Bucharest, Romania, clay

 

WOMEN

$644,900 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, clay

$250,000 Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$590,148 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

$590,148 BMW Open by FWU AG, Munich, Germany, clay

$125,000 Tunis Open, Tunis, Tunisia, clay

$117,586 Prosperita Open 2014, Ostrava, Czech Republic, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

 

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka
Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka
Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic stops Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams Beats Li Na In No. 1 vs No. 2 Battles – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

By Bob Greene 

 

STARS

Sony Open Tennis

Key Biscayne (Miami), Florida, USA

Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3

Women’s singles: Serena Williams beat Li Na 7-5 6-1

Men’s doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6 (8) 6-4

Women’s doubles: Martina Hingis and Sabine Lisicki beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Venina 4-6 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak)

 

OTHER

Gilles Muller beat Denis Kudla 6-2 6-2 to win the Zurich Jalisco Open in Guadalajara, Mexico

 

SAYING

“I played a great match, from the start to the end everything was working really well.” – Novak Djokovic, after dominating Rafael Nadal in the Sony Open Tennis men’s singles final.

“In no other tournament have I lost this many finals, but it’s always a very special tournament to me. The energy and passion from the crowd is unforgettable.” – Rafael Nadal, who was runner-up at Key Biscayne for the fourth time.

“This crowd is amazing. I have so many friends and so many fans here, and I love, love, love playing in this crowd. It just feels really, really good to play at home. There’s really no better feeling.” – Serena Williams, who won a record seventh Key Biscayne title.

“I don’t think I was playing bad. Maybe she just start a little bit better after 5-2 down.” – Li Na, who won only one of the final 14 games while losing to Serena Williams.

“This is incredible for us, especially to win in such a hostile environment. There were a lot of Colombians out there. They were bringing the noise. Juan and Robert should play Davis Cup here because the Colombian fans are loud. They had the flags out.” – Bob Bryan, after he and brother Mike beat Colombian pair Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the men’s doubles final.

“Just couldn’t find my rhythm on the serve, which was surprising. Maybe the (cool, mid-60s) temperature had something to do with it. Haven’t played that many matches in the dark. It’s a bit frustrating, but Kei did well to stay with me. He was more consistent in the second and the third, which are the ones he won. To his credit.” – Roger Federer, following his loss to Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals at Miami.

“Yeah, it was second time to beat him. I was hitting balls deep and striking well. And I was fighting.” – Kei Nishikori, who now holds a 2-1 career record over Roger Federer.

“Despite my results against her, I still look forward to playing against her because you learn so much from that type of level which she produces. There is no reason for me to have any pressure because of my results against her. She’s an incredible champion. That’s the reason she’s at the top.” – Maria Sharapova, after losing her 15th consecutive match to Serena Williams.

“I have always felt when I’m playing at my best, then it’s hard for people to beat me. But I have to get there, and it’s hard to always be at your best.” – Serena Williams.

“Was really playing well and beating (Grigor) Dimitrov, David (Ferrer) and Roger (Federer), I was really excited to play here. But unfortunately I couldn’t move side-to-side. Just tried to warm up today, but I couldn’t move.” – Kei Nishikori, who withdrew with a groin injury from his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic.

“I had a few game plans. I wanted to get out there and see what works the best. He serves and likes to move to the backhand corner. He runs around his backhand, so that he opens the court for his opponent on forehand side.” – Novak Djokovic, on playing Rafael Nadal.

 

SUPER NOVAK

It was no contest when Novak Djokovic took on Rafael Nadal in the Sony Open men’s singles final. And the super Serb, who is ranked second in the world behind Nadal, took no prisoners as he blasted his Spanish opponent to win the Key Biscayne tournament for the fourth time. “I played a great match, everything was working really well,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t give him a chance to come back in the match. I am really excited.” He should be. Djokovic blasted five aces and dominated with his serve and huge ground strokes. It was the Serb who controlled most of the points, moving Nadal from side to side before ripping winners. “He was better than me in everything,” Nadal said. “He was able to find the right spot, the right position. Playing against him is the worst thing that can happen to me because he has a better return than mine, he has a better serve than my one, especially on this surface.” Djokovic moved ahead when he broke Nadal in the fifth game of the opening set, taking a 3-2. He closed out the set by serving a love game, then broke Nadal again to open the second set. “I just started swinging freely and had good percentages on my first serves,” Djokovic said. “He had a hard time reading my serve.” It was Djokovic’s second straight Masters title, having won two weeks ago at Indian Wells, California, USA. It was the second time he had pulled off the Indian Wells-Key Biscayne double, matching Roger Federer as the only two to achieve the feat. It was the Serb’s 43rd tour-level title and 18th at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. Djokovic is now 14th on the all-time title winners list, one behind Thomas Muster. He also passed Andre Agassi for third on the all-time Masters 1000 titles list.

 

SWEET SERENA

Li Na is the reigning Australian Open champion and won at Indian Wells earlier this month. She is behind only Serena Williams in the WTA Tour rankings. So it may not have been a great surprise when she grabbed a 5-2 lead in the first set of the women’s singles final at Key Biscayne. Li was to win only one more game as Williams captured her unprecedented seventh Key Biscayne title. “Oh, I definitely don’t do it on purpose,” Williams said of the slow start. “I don’t know. Maybe I get a little nervous because I want to do so well, and I want to – I just want to win, and then sometimes if you get too nervous you’re not able to play.” Even in defeat, Li thought she played well. “I think it was a pretty good match,” Li said. “I don’t think today I was doing like a wrong game plan or I was playing totally wrong. Yeah, that’s what I think.” Williams increased her Key Biscayne record total. Last year she moved ahead of Steffi Graf, who held the previous record with five. Serena is one of only four players to win the same WTA event seven or more times, joining Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Graf. Asked how she managed to turn the match around after trailing 5-2, Williams said: “At that moment I felt like I had nothing to lose, and I was able to relax. And whenever I relax, I enjoy myself.”

 

SEMIFINAL BAGEL

What if they played the semifinals and nobody showed up. That’s exactly what happened at the Sony Open when the men were to battle the penultimate round. Novak Djokovic was the first to gain a spot in the final without striking a ball when his semifinal opponent, Kei Nishikori, withdrew from the hard-court tournament with a groin injury. A few hours later, Tomas Berdych announced he was withdrawing from his semifinal against Rafael Nadal because of gastroenteritis. Fans at the Key Biscayne, Florida, tournament were left to watch two women’s doubles matches. There was an angry chorus of boos when it was announced that the Nadal-Berdych match would not be played. “Sorry for Kei. Sorry for Tomas. Sorry for the tournament. Especially sorry for the fans,” Nadal said. “It’s very unlucky, very unusual for something that can happen. “I cannot remember that (ever happening).” It hadn’t. This was the first time in the Open Era – since 1968 – that an ATP World Tour event had no semifinal matches.

 

STILL WINNING

Martina Hingis won enough tournaments during her career that she earned entry into the International Tennis Hall of Fame following her retirement. Now she’s back on the WTA Tour – and winning again. Now 33 years old, Hingis teamed with Sabine Lisicki to win the Sony Open women’s doubles title by defeating the Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. Gaining a spot in the draw with a wild card, the Hingis-Lisicki team won the last seven points of the super tiebreaker to capture the trophy. Hingis had been retired for nearly six years when she returned to play doubles in last year, entering five events with Daniela Hantuchova. Following the US Open, Hingis didn’t play against until earlier this month at Indian Wells with Lisicki. The Sony Open was her 38th WTA doubles title, but first since Doha in 2007.

 

SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE

When a suspicious package was found at the Sony Open, the tournament was locked down while the Miami-Dade Police Department bomb squad investigated. That meant thousands of spectators were prevented from entering or leaving the sprawling tennis complex. Four-lane traffic in both directions in front of the complex was halted. “Earlier this evening a suspicious package was left unattended at the front gate,” the tournament said in a statement. “For the safety of the public the Miami-Dade police have set up a perimeter and cordoned off the area until the package can be secured. We apologize for the inconvenience but the safety of the public must be placed first.” An all-clear was given some 30 minutes after officials had confirmed the lockdown. Security has been beefed up around major North American sporting events since last year’s Boston marathon bombings left three people dead and wounded 264.

 

SLOVAKIAN MOVER

Match after match, Dominika Cibulkova is proving she belongs with the top players in women’s tennis. The Slovakian has moved into the Top 10 in the rankings after reaching the semifinals of the Sony Open with a 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory over third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, including staving off three match points. “I knew before the match that this was the match I needed to win to become top 10,” Cibulkova said. “So it was some more pressure, but I’m obviously very happy with the way I handled it today.” But the tournament’s 10th seed had the misfortune of running into China’s Li Na in the semifinals – and losing. Cibulkova also lost to Li in the Australian Open final and in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, California, USA, earlier in the month.

 

SIBLING PERFECTION

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their 96th title as a team, the Sony Open, with a 7-6 (8) 6-4 pounding of the Colombian duo of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. It took only 90 minutes for the Bryans to capture their 28th ATP World Tour Masters level crown and their third at Miami, but first since 2008. It was the third title in five weeks for the brothers and their first Indian Wells-Miami double. The won their second BNP Paribas Open title earlier this month. “This is a match we’ll remember for a long time,” Mike Bryan said. “The crowd support was unreal for both teams. The first set was pivotal and it was huge to save those set points. Bob and I are very excited to play so well and win Miami again for a third time.” Cabal and Farah were the first South American team to reach the Miami final in tournament history. It was their fifth final as a team in 2014, their lone championship coming in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in February. They also reached the final in Brisbane, Vina del Mar and Sao Paulo.

 

SENIOR STARS

The top two players in the WTA ranking have more in common than just playing winning tennis. Both Serena Williams and Li Na are 32 years old, almost ancient in tennis terms. Both have sparkled this year, with Li winning her second Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open in January, and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, earlier this month. In beating Li in the Sony Open final, Williams improved her career record against her Chinese opponent to 12-1. The American has been as dominant in her career against the other top players on the women’s tour. She is 8-0 against third-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska, 14-3 against fourth-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 16-2 against seventh-ranked Maria Sharapova. Williams has lost just twice this year – to Ana Ivanovic at the Australian Open and to Alize Cornet at Dubai. Following their Sony Open match, which Williams won 7-5 6-1, the two were seen giggling. “We’re playing great tennis and we’re number one and number 2, and we’re both the same age,” Williams said. “For me it was just an honor to be there with her. We’re living the same life, and at this stage, to be on top, I don’t think it’s been done before, and I think it’s really awesome. … I feel like we both have his never-give-up fight. It shows that you can still shine at any age.”

 

SIGNED UP

Alex Dolgopolov has joined Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych in the field for the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club, a grass-court warm-up event for Wimbledon. Dolgopolov has beaten three of the four highest ranked player in the world this year in rising from 57th in the rankings at the end of 2013 to 23rd. His highest ranking was 13th in the world, but Dolgopolov says he’s playing better tennis now. This year he holds victories over Rafael Nadal, Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka and David Ferrer. The tournament is scheduled to be played June 9-15.

 

SWEDE APPOINTMENT

Former Swedish tennis pro Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer has been appointed vice chairman of the Enshrinee Nomination Committee at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The committee develops the annual ballot of nominees for enshrinement in Hall of Fame, located in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The committee is chaired by five-time major champion Stan Smith and is comprised of 22 individuals from all aspects of the sport, including former players, journalists, historians and administrators. One of the founders of the WTA, Lofdahl-Bentzer was ranked in the top 15 in the world in the 1970s and was Sweden’s top-ranked player. She won five STA Tour titles and was a member of the Swedish Fed Cup team for eight years. She currently serves on the Fed Cup Committee.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Guadalajara: Cesar Ramirez and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela beat Andre Begemann and Matthew Ebden 6-4 6-2

 

SURFING

Charleston: www.familycirclecup.com/

Monterrey: http://abiertomonterrey.com/2014/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

Casablanca: www.frmt.ma/

Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/

Katowice: www.bnpparibaskatowiceopen.com/pl

Bogota: www.copaclarocolsanitas.com/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

WOMEN

$644,900 Family Circle Cup, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay

$500,000 Abierto Monterrey presentado por Afirme, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group

Quarterfinals

Japan vs. Czech Republic at Tokyo, Japan, hard

France vs. Germany at Nancy, France, hard

Italy vs. Great Britain at Naples, Italy, clay

Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan at Geneva, Switzerland, hard

 

Group I

Second Round

Americas Zone: Ecuador vs. Brazil at Guayaquil, Ecuador, clay; Colombia vs. Dominican Republic at Cali, Columbia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. Uzbekistan at Tianjin, China, hard; South Korea vs. India at Busan, South Korea, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Poland vs. Croatia at Warsaw, Poland, hard; Slovenia vs. Israel at Portoroz, Slovenia, clay; Sweden vs. Ukraine at Malmo, Sweden, hard; Slovak Republic vs. Austria at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard

Group II

Second Round

Americas Zone: Barbados vs. El Salvador at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Mexico vs. Peru at Puebla, Mexico, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines vs. Pakistan at Manila, Philippines, clay; Thailand vs. Kuwait at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: South Africa vs. Lithuania at Centurion, South Africa, hard; Finland vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Helsinki, Finland, hard; Moldova vs. Belarus at Chisinau, Moldova, clay; Denmark vs. Luxembourg at Hillerod, Denmark, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$586,650 Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco, clay

$474,005 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship, Houston, Texas, USA, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 BNP Paribas Katowice Open, Katowice, Poland, hard

$250,000 Copa Claro Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, clay

 

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Surgery For Del Potro; Few Sony Open Upsets So Far – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

by Bob Greene 

 

STARS

Sony Open (First Week)

Key Biscayne, Florida, USA

Varvara Lepchenko beat seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-3 2-6 7-6 (2)

Ekaterina Makarova beat ninth-seeded Sara Errani 6-3 2-6 6-4

 

SAYING

“No, I cannot feel that way (sorry) for him. I am here to try my best. I know how dangerous Lleyton is and I admire him so much. He’s a great example for me, he keeps playing with passion and love for the game, and that is a great example for the kids, too.” – Rafael Nadal, after beating Lleyton Hewitt 6-1 6-3.

“I think it (the racquet) just gives me easier power, especially on the first serve. And I think as time now goes by, I’m getting a better feel for how is the ball going to react, you know, how much spin do I need to put on to stay really accurate and put it really close to the line. But then again, this wasn’t Andre Agassi on the other side, or (Novak) Djokovic. It’s just important for me to keep that up and remind myself it’s going well so far.” – Roger Federer, after beating Dutch qualifier Thiemo De Bakker 6-3 6-3.

“She’s number two in the world for a reason. She just won the Australian Open for a reason. She’s a great player. I played well at times, but she just played the bigger points really well.” – Madison Keys, after losing to second-ranked Li Na.

“She’s much, much better than I was at her age. Americans have a long history in tennis. They have high goals – Serena, Venus, Lindsay Davenport – they have so many tennis stars in America, and they’re looking forward for another number one in the world. For China, it has still been a short time. I was just learning tennis in my mind – to me Top 10 was huge. We had much different goals. But as for Madison, I think she will definitely be a very good player in the future.” – Li Na, after beating Madison Keys.

“Obviously I wasn’t at my best. I had 40 something errors. It’s not the way to play professional tennis. Maybe amateur.” – Serena Williams, after narrowly getting past Caroline Garcia 6-4 4-6 6-4 in a third-round match at Key Biscayne.

“I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far. As a team we’ve learned a lot, and it will definitely be of benefit in the future. I’ll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here.” – Andy Murray, after spitting with coach Ivan Lendl.

“The benefits and the effects of our incorporation, Boris and mine, hopefully we will see in the rest of the season.” – Novak Djokovic, talking about his new coach Boris Becker undergoing surgery and unable to be at the Sony Open.

“I changed to be more aggressive on the court. And I was more relaxed. That was the secret. I want to fight for every point, but also to enjoy the match.” – Simona Halep, explaining to ESPN.com her rapid rise in the WTA rankings.

“She was doing a little bit of everything. She was hitting hard; she was hitting soft; she was doing a little bit of everything.” – Serena Williams, explaining why she had problems in her second-round match against Yaroslava Shvedova.

“This time a good thing is I won’t lose so much time seeking a diagnosis. In 2010, it took me two to three months to find the right diagnosis and the right doctor. This time, luckily, I know.” – Juan Martin del Potro, who is having surgery on his left wrist done by Dr. Richard Berger, a wrist specialist who operated on the Argentine’s right wrist in 2010.

 

SINO CHARGE

It took a long time for Australian Open champion Li Na to play her first match at the Sony Open Tennis. And when she did, she found herself in the fourth round at the Key Biscayne, Florida, USA, tournament. As the number two seed, Li had a first-round bye. Then the Chinese star advanced to the third round without stepping onto the court as her opponent, Russian Alisa Kleybanova, withdrew from the tournament because of illness. Li was a little rusty to start her third-round match against Madison Keys. The American won four straight games to take a 5-3 lead. But Li staved off three break points in the ninth game and finally won the opening set 7-6 (3). Her 6-3 win in the second set put her into the fourth round. “Madison was playing very well today – big serve, big forehand,” Li said. “I think if she won the first set she would have been more confident going into the second set and we would have had a different result in the end.”

 

SWIFT DAY

Jarkko Nieminen of Finland blazed his way into the record book with a 28-minute, 20-second roasting of Australian Bernard Tomic. It was the quickest match in ATP Tour history, besting the mark set by Greg Rusedski when he defeated Carsten Arriens 6-0 6-0 in 29 minutes in 1996. The ATP Tour began keeping official records in 1991. It was Tomic’s first match since he retired with an injury while playing Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open in January. Against his Finnish foe, Tomic won just 13 points. “I felt like I did the best that I could and I’m happy with the way I’m coming back,” said the 21-year-old Tomic, who underwent hip surgery after the Australian Open. “Hopefully in a little bit of time I can get back to 100 percent. It’s not easy, but I’m trying, doing everything, doing my best to get there.” Tomic reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2011. Once ranked as high as 27th in the world, he currently is ranked 74th.

 

SURGERY AGAIN

For the second time in his career, Juan Martin del Potro has been sidelined and will undergo a wrist operation. Argentine media reports that the big right-hander will miss the rest of the season. Del Potro pulled out of the Sony Open before the tournament began this past week. Once ranked as high as fourth in the world, del Potro hasn’t played since Dubai nearly a month ago. He currently is ranked eighth. Four years ago, shortly after he won the US Open, del Potro underwent an operation on his right wrist. After he returned to the tour, he won the bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012. This time del Potro is having his left wrist operated by American surgeon Richard Berger, who also did the earlier surgery. “I have the experience of how the rehabilitation is, the time it takes,” del Potro told the Buenos Aires, Argentina daily newspaper La Nacion.

 

STILL WINNING

Another Australian reached a longevity mark at the Sony Open. Lleyton Hewitt became the third ATP player still on the tour to win 600 matches when he beat Robin Haase of the Netherlands 3-6 6-3 6-3 in a first-round match at Key Biscayne. Once ranked as high as number one in the world, Hewitt joins Roger Federer (942 wins) and Rafael Nadal (675) in reaching the milestone. “Not many people get the opportunity to get close to that, so it means I have been around for an awfully long time,” the 33-year-old Hewitt said of the achievement. Hewitt has spent more than half his life playing tennis professionally. He won his first ATP World Tour title at Adelaide, Australia, in 1998 when he was 16 years old. He won the US Open in 2001, beating Pete Sampras, and Wimbledon the next year, when he bested David Nalbandian in the title match. He led Australia to the Davis Cup title in 1999 and was first ranked number one in the world on November 19, 2001.

 

SPLITTSVILLE

Andy Murray will go it alone after he and coach Ivan Lendl decided to go their separate ways. Murray said the two abruptly ended their partnership in a Miami restaurant. “We went and had dinner,” Murray said. “We chatted for an hour about other stuff, and then we chatted about us moving forward. … It wasn’t going to happen. The best thing to do was just to move on.” With Lendl coaching, Murray reached his first Wimbledon final, won the 2012 Olympic gold medal, and then became Britain’s first male Grand Slam tournament champion in 76 years when he beat Novak Djokovic to win the US Open. Last year, Murray beat Djokovic again in the final to become the first Wimbledon men’s singles champion from Britain since Fred Perry in 1936. “It’s a tough one for me because he’s been a big part of my life,” Murray said of Lendl. “He’s been a big part of my team. He made a huge difference to my tennis.” Before Lendl became his coach, Murray had lost four times in Grand Slam tournament finals. Although he has not win a title since Wimbledon, Murray missed the final two months of last season after undergoing surgery on his back. He lost to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January and in the fourth round in Indian Wells, California, USA in his most recent outing before the Sony Open. “The thing that he was brought in to do was to help me get over the line in the big events, and that’s what he did,” Murray said of Lendl. “My game was kind of there. It was the mental side in dealing with pressure situations that he was there to help with. That was the biggest influence he had on my game.”

 

SENT PACKING

This year CoCo Vandeweghe finally made it past the opening round at the Sony Open. After getting past Marina Erakovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the American found the 2011 US Open champion in her path. A qualifier ranked 104th in the world, Vandeweghe proceeded to knock off Samantha Stosur of Australia 5-7 7-5 7-5 in a match that ended at 2:29 in the morning. Only a handful of spectators remained in the stadium when Vandeweghe completed the upset. And what was her reward for the victory? Why, she face top-ranked Serena Williams in a fourth-round clash.

 

SAID WHAT?

Remember John McEnroe’s outburst at Wimbledon: “You are the pits of the world”? Add Novak Djokovic’s choice words directed at the umpire in his Sony Open match. While playing Jeremy Chardy in a second-round match, Djokovic was handed a time violation by the umpire. “You have to understand the game,” Djokovic said. The Serb had fewer problems with Chardy, defeating the Frenchman 6-4 6-3 in an entertaining match that lasted one hour, 24 minutes.

 

SURPRISES

The big surprises at the Sony Open Tennis came in the women’s doubles. The top-seeded pair of Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai and the third-seeded team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci first fell on the first day of doubles action. Kimiko Date-Krumm and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova rallied from a 5-1 second-set deficit to upset Hsieh and Peng 6-2 7-6 (7). It was just the second loss of the year for Hsieh and Peng. “When we were losing 5-1 in the second set, we calmed down and stopped making as many mistakes,” Date-Krumm said. Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro ousted four-time Grand Slam doubles champions Errani and Vinci 7-6 (7) 1-6 12-10 (match tiebreak). The losers actually won four more points than they lost and had two match points in the match tiebreak. It was the first time Muguruza and Suárez Navarro had played as a team.

 

STANDING ALONE

Like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic is playing the Sony Open without his coach. Unlike Murray, Djokovic has not split with his new coach, Boris Becker. It’s just that Becker is undergoing surgery on both hips. “In these particular situations you can’t do much about it,” Djokovic said. “If he has an operation on his hips, he cannot move, cannot walk, unfortunately. It has been something that has been an issue he has been carrying for many years.” Becker, a six-time Grand Slam tournament champion, began working with Djokovic at the beginning of this year. The Serb won his first title of 2014 a week ago at Indian Wells, California, USA. “The benefits and the effects of our incorporation, Boris and mine, hopefully we will see in the rest of the season,” Djokovic said. Becker hopes to resume traveling with Djokovic beginning with the Monte Carlo tournament, which starts April 13.

 

SWITCHING SITES

The WTA Tour’s Paris Open will no longer be in Paris – or at least not for the next five years. Organizers said the tournament will leave the French capital and relocate to Toulouse, France, for the next five years. Next year’s tournament will retain the same spot on the WTA calendar after the Australian Open, running from February 7-15. Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won this year’s Paris Open, defeating Italy’s Sara Errani in the final, 3-6 6-2 6-3.

 

SALUTED

Two Americans – John Isner and Justin Gimelstob – were presented USD $15,000 grants from their charity work. The two received their ATP ACES For Charity grants from Chris Kermode, ATP executive chairman and president, in support of their charitable causes, the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Justin Gimelstob Children’s Fund. One of the leading cancer centers in the United States, the UNC Lineberger successfully treated Isner’s mother, Karen, after she had been told that her cancer was incurable. Isner hosts an annual charity event in North Carolina in support of UNC Lineberger. The Justin Gimelstob Children’s Fund provides financial support to a variety of children’s charities in northern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan region. It has raised more than USD one million dollars since its establishment in 1998. The main beneficiary of the JGCF is The Valerie Fund, which supports comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders. The Valerie Fund Children’s Centers treats more than 5,000 children annually.

 

SURFING

Miami: www.sonyopentennis.com

Guadalajara: http://jalisco-open.com/

Charleston: www.familycirclecup.com/

Monterrey: http://abiertomonterrey.com/2014/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

$100,000 Zurich Jalisco Open, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

WOMEN

$644,900 Family Circle Cup, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay

$500,000 Abierto Monterrey presentado por Afirme, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group

Quarterfinals

Japan vs. Czech Republic at Tokyo, Japan, hard

France vs. Germany at Nancy, France, hard

Italy vs. Great Britain at Naples, Italy, clay

Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan at Geneva, Switzerland, hard

 

Group I

Second Round

Americas Zone: Ecuador vs. Brazil at Guayaquil, Ecuador, clay; Colombia vs. Dominican Republic at Cali, Columbia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. Uzbekistan at Tianjin, China, hard; South Korea vs. India at Busan, South Korea, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Poland vs. Croatia at Warsaw, Poland, hard; Slovenia vs. Israel at Portoroz, Slovenia, clay; Sweden vs. Ukraine at Malmo, Sweden, hard; Slovak Republic vs. Austria at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard

Group II

Second Round

Americas Zone: Barbados vs. El Salvador at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Mexico vs. Peru at Puebla, Mexico, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines vs. Pakistan at Manila, Philippines, clay; Thailand vs. Kuwait at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: South Africa vs. Lithuania at Centurion, South Africa, hard; Finland vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Helsinki, Finland, hard; Moldova vs. Belarus at Chisinau, Moldova, clay; Denmark vs. Luxembourg at Hillerod, Denmark, hard

 

Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro

Novak Djokovic, Flavia Pennetta Capture BNP Paribas Open Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

By Bob Greene

 

STARS

BNP Paribas Open

Indian Wells, California, USA

Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6 (3)

Women’s singles: Flavia Pennetta beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-1

Men’s doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 6-4 6-3

Women’s doubles: Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai beat Cara Black and Sania Mirza 7-6 (5) 6-2

OTHER

Lukas Rosol beat Steve Johnson 6-0 6-3 to win the Irving Tennis Classic in Irving, Texas, USA

Thomas Enqvist beat Stefan Edberg 6-2 6-3 to win the Kings of Tennis in Stockholm, Sweden

 

SAYING

“Today was my day and I really enjoyed this moment. After so many years of working hard, this is the best moment.” – Flavia Pennetta, who won the BNP Paribas Open women’s singles title.

“Personally, I’m very happy. I think I’m playing great tennis now and I’m really enjoying myself. Of course, I would have liked to have more won a few more points at the end but Novak made it tough, so congratulations to him for winning.” – Roger Federer, after falling to Novak Djokovic in the final at Indian Wells.

“The disappointing feeling always comes first, especially when you really, really have ambition to win the tournament. Of course, still good two weeks. First final here. Big event. And still good result. But it’s always disappointing that I really couldn’t play my 100 percent today.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after losing to Flavia Pennetta.

“I just went for the winner.” – Alexandr Dolgopolov, who rifled a forehand on match point to upset top-ranked and defending champion Rafael Nadal.

“I am fine with the back. I didn’t have bad feelings with my back. The bad feelings were with the forehand and the backhand.” – Rafael Nadal, referring to his back injury at the Australian Open after losing to Alexandr Dolgopolov at the BNP Paribas Open.

“We are old, but we still good athletes. We are strong. We have so many years on the tour, and we know how to handle the emotion and everything.” – Flavia Pennetta.

“To get broken two consecutive times in that situation isn’t good enough. I played poor tennis at that stage. I didn’t make enough balls (and) missed easy shots … So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that’s going to add up to a negative result.” – Andy Murray, following his 4-6 7-5 6-3 loss to Milos Raonic.

“We’re the number one team, and people may know us more now, but we still feel the same as before. All of this is nice because it helps us become more confident and believe in ourselves more on the court, and we’re more motivated now. too, but nothing has changed. We’re still the same people.” – Peng Shuai, who with partner Hsieh Su-Wei has never lost once they reach the final.

“We’ve known each other a very long time. Sometimes we don’t practice together – like at Wimbledon we never practiced together – but every time we go on court together, we try every point. If she misses a shot, I give her support. When I miss, she supports me. It’s very important in doubles. When we get into a final, we don’t think, we just try every point. This is the key for us.” – Hsieh Su-Wei.

 

STANDING TALL

In a battle of giants, Novak Djokovic reigned supreme by edging Roger Federer and capture his first title of 2014, the BNP Paribas Open. “Today was an incredible match,” Djokovic said when he was presented with the winner’s trophy. “It was an incredibly difficult match. Roger is playing great and it’s always a pleasure playing with him.” If Federer was playing great, Djokovic was just a few points better. The Serb lost his opening service game and subsequently the first set. Then, serving for the match, he was broken again. That necessitated a tiebreak, which Djokovic won 7-3. “I would have liked to have won a few more points at the end, but Novak made it tough,” Federer said. The hard-fought win gave Djokovic his third title in the California desert tournament, one less than Federer. Despite the loss, Federer leads their head-to-head record 17-16.

 

SPECIAL TITLE

One year after contemplating retirement, Flavia Pennetta has won the biggest title of her career. “After so many years and so much work and everything, this is the moment I’ve always waited for,” the Italian said. Best known as a doubles player, Pennetta seriously considered quitting the tour last year when her ranking dropped and victories were few. But she reached the semifinals at the US Open last September and now has won one of the biggest titles outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments. “And it’s coming when you don’t expect it, because in the beginning of the week I never expected to be the champion or to be in the final or semifinal,” Pennetta said. The champion’s victory was made much easier when her opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, struggled with a knee injury that severely limited her movement. The Pole called for a medical timeout early in the second set and received treatment twice. “I’m sorry I could run as much as I could,” Radwanska tearfully told the crowd. “But I had a great week; it was my first final here.

It’s disappointing to lose, but Flavia was just playing too good today.” Pennetta proved her run to the title wasn’t a fluke dependent on Radwanska’s injury. The Italian beat American Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals and Australian Open champion Li Na in the semis. It was her 10th career singles title, but her first in four years. “For me it was something I was waiting a long time, and finally I have a good trophy in my hands.”

 

SUPREME PAIR

It took 15 years for brothers Bob and Mike Bryan to win their first BNP Paribas Open doubles title. Now, the 35-year-old American twins have won two straight, beating in the final the second-seeded team of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. “It was a great couple weeks for us and for the sport of doubles,” Bob Bryan said. “We’re excited to win our hometown ATP Masters 1000 and play so well against Bruno and Alex, who continue to put up great results.” The Bryans, who were the top-seeded duo, improved their record to 7-1 against Peya and Soares as they increased their record number of doubles titles to 95. It was the third time this season that Peya and Soares finished as runners-up, matching their finishes at Doha and Auckland in January.

 

STILL PERFECT

When Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai reach the final, they are perfect. Hsieh and Peng increased their record to 11-0 together in WTA doubles finals. Their latest came in Indian Wells, where they stopped Cara Black and Sania Mirza in the BNP Paribas Open title match. The winning duo is currently the top-ranked doubles team in the world. Together they have captured Bali in 2008; Sydney, Rome and Beijing in 2009; Rome, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Guangzhou and the WTA Championships last year, and Doha earlier this year. “We didn’t think about it,” Peng said when asked if they thought about their streak when they were on the court. “Every time we just try to fight every point.”

 

SURPRISE

The third round proved to be as far as top-ranked Rafael Nadal could get at the BNP Paribas Masters. The defending champion fell to Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 3-6 7-6 (5) in the tournament’s biggest upset. Nadal had reached the semifinals at Indian Wells every year since 2006, winning the title in 2007, 2009 and last year. Dolgopolov, ranked 31st in the world and from Ukraine, beat Nadal for the first time after five losses, including in the clay court final at Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago. Serving for the match at 5-3 in the third set, Dolgopolov was broken at love, the final point coming when he double-faulted. “The point was just not to get too nervous,” he said. “I knew he’s going to make me play that game and not miss much, and I just gave it away. That was all me. I just tried to forget about that and come back.” Dolgopolov thought he won the match with an ace, but the call being overturned on a challenge from Nadal. “I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Dolgopolov said. “I was thinking he’s going to challenge because I didn’t really raise my hands up or anything after that ace because I knew it was close and I wasn’t sure it was on the line. Then I just tried to come back as fast as I could to the line so I didn’t have enough time to think about it and just serve and start the point.” Dolgopolov hot his second serve in and followed with a blistering forehand that Nadal couldn’t return. Point, game and match, Dolgopolov.

 

SENT PACKING

On the same day that Rafael Nadal was ousted from the BNP Paribas Open, Maria Sharapova was also sent packing in an upset. The fourth-seeded Russian fell to Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi, 6-3 4-6 7-5. “I did not play a good match at all,” Sharapova said. “She’s quite aggressive, but some shots she hit incredible for a long period of time. But, you know, if I’m speaking about my level, it was nowhere near where it should have been.”

 

SIDELINED

Injuries the past two years are keeping Victoria Azarenka from adding to the number of titles she has won at Key Biscayne, Florida, USA. A two-time winner of the event, Azarenka withdrew from this week’s tournament because of a lingering foot injury. Last year, she missed the event because of an ankle injury. After missing more than a month, Azarenka lost her opening match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA

 

SWITCHEROO

Caroline Wozniacki is once again seeking a new coach – perhaps. Michael Mortensen was hired earlier this year, but last week told Danish newspaper Esktra Bladet that he no longer will be working with the right-hander. He noted that Wozniacki will continue working with her father. “I can’t do much more right now,” Mortensen said. “It’s better if the two of them continue working alone.” Mortensen, an experienced coach, said he wanted the player to make changes in her game, but she disagreed. “She wants to work on the things she emphasizes, and that’s totally fine,” Mortensen said. “There’s a lot of pressure on her and a lot of points she has to defend, and she wants to become familiar with her own game again.” Once ranked number one in the world, Wozniacki keeps returning to working with her father. Her previous coach, Thomas Hogstedt, also lasted only a few months.

 

SENIOR TOPPER

Defending champion Stefan Edberg didn’t stand a chance against fellow Swede Thomas Enqvist when the two clashed for the Kings of Tennis crown at Stockholm’s Waterfront Centre. Playing in his first final at the Stockholm event, the 40-year-old Enqvist kept Edberg back of the baseline, let alone the net. “I’m super happy to win this title,” Enqvist said. “I’m from Stockholm so I have a lot of friends and family here. It was always very special to play the Stockholm Open, and now to get to win this event in my home city is just as special.” It was the ninth ATP Champions Tour title for Enqvist, but his first since Rio de Janeiro in 2012. He now is jointly ranked atop the ATP Champions Tour rankings with Delray Beach Open champion Andy Roddick.

 

SPECIAL CEREMONY

An inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last year, Charlie Pasarell has received his official Hall of Fame ring. Pasarell was presented with his ring in a special ceremony at the BNP Paribas Open by Hall of Fame Chairman Christopher Clouser, Hall of Fame President Stan Smith.  Besides Smith, other Hall of Famers participating in the ceremony included Rod Laver, Donald Dell, Bud Collins, Butch Buchholz, Brad Parks, Rosie Casals, Roy Emerson and Mark Woodforde.

 

SCHOOL’S OUT

Eleven ATP World Tour players are recent graduates of the ATP University in Miami, Florida, USA. Players were schooled in media relations, finance, anti-corruption, marketing, rules and officiating, medical services, nutrition and giving back. The new graduates include Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Guilherme Clezar of Brazil, Thomas Fabbiano of Italy, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, Frenchmen Guillaume Rufin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, American Bradley Klahn, Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Colombia’s Alejandro Gonzalez. Almost 900 players have graduated from the university since it was established in 1990.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Irving: Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky beat John-Patrick Smith and Michael Venus 4-6 7-6 (7) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

Miami: www.sonyopentennis.com

Guadalajara: http://jalisco-open.com/

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

$100,000 Zurich Jalisco Open, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

 

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Tomas Berdych, Victoria Azarenka Bounced from BNP Paribas – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

BNP Paribas Open

(First Week)

Lauren Davis beat third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-0 7-6 (2)

Roberto Bautista Agut beat fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-2 6-4

Maria Teresa Torro beat fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber 2-6 7-6 (5) 6-4

Eugenie Bouchard beat ninth-seeded Sara Errani 6-3 6-3

Julien Benneteau beat ninth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-4

 

SAYING

“I played unbelievable. I was not serving very well, I had to play my best tennis from the baseline to win the match.” Roberto Bautista Agut, after upsetting Tomas Berdych in the BNP Paribas Open.

“Anything I touched today was basically bad and was wrong. It (was) definitely my worst match that I had this year.” – Tomas Berdych, following his upset loss to Roberto Bautista Agut.

“It was a very good start. I was happy with how I played. I felt my intentions were good out there. I played well. I created a lot of opportunities for myself on return and that’s really all I can ask for.” – John Isner, after hammering 15 aces in a 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory over Nikolay Davydenko.

“When you win a Grand Slam, people only see the two weeks of the tournament, but they don’t know how hard we’ve been working before these two weeks. You can prepare for these moments for years.” – Li Na, on the work that goes into winning a Grand Slam tournament.

“When I’m playing, I do feel like it’s about me a lot of the time. I play very aggressively, so a lot of times I’m in control. Unfortunately it’s not a happy ending every time.” – Petra Kvitova, when asked if she feels like it is her play that determines her matches.

“It took me time to realize really what I did in Australian Open. Still, when I’m saying that I won a Grand Slam, it’s still strange for me. But that’s why it was good to be home during three weeks. It was good to be with the family, to take more time for myself.” – Stanislas Wawrinka, who won the Australian Open men’s singles in January.

“I’m so honored by this incredible recognition. I feel very blessed to have had a wonderful tennis career, and now to be recognized in the Hall of Fame alongside the great champions who have always inspired me is just a tremendous honor.” – Lindsay Davenport, after being elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“Monica was my favorite player. I think she was pretty much everyone’s favorite player. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to do everything like her. I even styled my grunt after hers – I kind of changed it and made it my own. But Monica always inspired me. I’ve always loved Monica.” – Serena Williams, commenting about Monica Seles.

“They’re tough to compare. Carrying the torch was probably the biggest honor I could have received. It was one of those moments that happened so fast, but I was so happy, even in the lead-up of running into the stadium, the whole atmosphere before in the green room, to see everyone so excited for each other. We were creating a little part of history. It was also the first time I’ve had all my family in the stadium watching me – my grandparents, both of my parents as well. That never really happens.” – Maria Sharapova, when asked to compare carrying the torch in Sochi to carrying the Russian flag in the London Olympics.

“I know they know better. I just don’t understand what good they think they’re doing blasting every move American tennis is trying to make. If these guys are so brilliant and have all the answers, how come the decline in tennis has happened while they have been the unofficial leaders of the private sector? Where are all their players? And don’t make me sick with the finger pointing, blaming the USTA or Player Development or Patrick (McEnroe). We’re all to blame, private and public.” – Michael Joyce, former player and former coach of Maria Sharapova, commenting on the state of tennis in the United States.

“I think a big difference is that Serena’s grown up a lot and has become more and more of her own person. She is the youngest of five, and when you’re the youngest of five you want to be like all the oldest ones. Especially in the last two years, she’s been able to become her own person and really be her own self. I’m really proud of her.” – Venus Williams, on her sister Serena.

 

SPANISH POWER

Roberto Bautista Agut is trying to prove his Australian Open performance was not a fluke. And he’s doing a good job of it. The Spaniard used his punishing ground game to knock fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych out of the BNP Paribas Open 4-6 6-2 6-4. “I had to play my best tennis from the baseline to win the match.” Berdych reached the semifinals at the Australia Open where Bautista Agut reached the round of 16 by upsetting Juan Martin del Potro. Now he has another Top 10 scalp to his credit. Berdych said his off day started in the warm up. “I just started to feel not tight but not that crisp, like in the last couple of weeks,” he said. The Czech won Rotterdam earlier this year and was a finalist in Dubai, losing to Roger Federer. Berdych broke Bautista Agut in the eighth game to level the final set at 4-4. But the Spaniard broke right back, then held to close out the win.

 

SENT PACKING

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, was the first tournament for Victoria Azarenka since suffering a foot injury at the Australian Open. After one outing, she’s ready for her second tournament. The number three seed will have more time to recuperate after being ousted in her first match by American Lauren Davis 6-0 7-6 (2). Azarenka limped visibly at times, had trouble serving, fell to her knees several times smashed a racquet after double-faulting in the second set. “Basically all I had was my fighting spirit,” Azarenka said. “When I’m on the court I try to give as much as I can, even on one leg. I try to do my best in tough situations. That’s part of our job.” The nerve damage between the toes on her left foot required Azarenka to wear a boot for several weeks. Twice an Australian Open winner, Azarenka said she hasn’t made up her mind whether to play the Sony Open in Florida. “I want to be pain-free because it’s not the most fun to be out there like that,” she said.

 

STAN AND THE MAN

A pair of Grand Slam tournament champions from Switzerland – Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka – are playing doubles at the BNP Paribas Open. It’s not the first time they’ve played together. They won the 2008 Beijing Olympics men’s doubles gold medal for Switzerland, and reached the final at Indian Wells in 2011.  The last time they teamed up was a Davis Cup tie versus The Netherlands in September 2012. In their first match, the two knocked off the sixth-seeded team of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-2 6-7 (4) 10-6 (match tiebreak). It was the first match for the “Indo-Pak Express” since they won the doubles title in Dubai, a tournament that saw Federer capture the singles crown.

 

STEADY SERENA

Steadily Serena Williams is moving up the record book. The American has been ranked number one in the world for 179 weeks, breaking her tie with Monica Seles and moving along into fifth place for most weeks as the WTA Tour’s top-ranked player. Now 32 years old, Serena first reached the number one spot in July 2002 when she was 20 years old. Her current run at the top spot began in February 2013 when she became the oldest women’s number one since the computer rankings were introduced in 1975. The American now trails only Steffi Graf, who held the number one ranking for 377 weeks; Martina Navratilova, 332; Chris Evert, 260, and Martina Hingis, 209.

 

SELECTED TO HALL

Six-time Grand Slam tournament winner Lindsay Davenport is leading the 2014 class into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHoF) at Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Also entering the tennis shrine will be five-time Paralympic medalist Chantal Vandierendonck of The Netherlands; coach Nick Bollettieri; Jane Brown Grimes, who has held executive leadership roles with the WTA, USTA and the ITHoF; and British tennis broadcaster and author John Barrett. “Lindsay Davenport had a lengthy, successful career in which she reached the pinnacle of our sport as a competitor, world number one and a Grand Slam champion, said Stan Smith, president of the ITHoF. “This summer we look forward to celebrating her many accomplishments and contributions to tennis by presenting her with the sport’s highest honor – enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.” The Class of 2014 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2014, highlighting the Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, which will also feature the unveiling of museum tribute exhibits for the new Hall of Famers, celebratory parties and special events, as well as an exhibition match featuring great tennis legends. The ceremony and festivities will be held in conjunction with the annual Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event.

Lindsay Davenport. Now 37, Davenport held the world number one ranking for 98 weeks. She is one of four women since 1975 to have held the year-end number one ranking at least four times, in 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005. She was also ranked number one in doubles and is one of just six players to have held both top spots simultaneously. She won three Grand Slam tournament singles titles – 1998 US Open, 1999 Wimbledon and 2000 Australian Open. In 1996, she won the Olympics gold medal at the Atlanta Games. Davenport won the 1996 French Open doubles with Mary Joe Fernandez, the 1997 US Open doubles with Jana Novotna and 1999 Wimbledon doubles with Corrine Morariu. She also posted a 33-3 Fed Cup record for the United States and was a team member for 11 years, including three championship teams.

Chantal Vandierendonck. One of the early stars of Wheelchair Tennis, Vandierendonck, now 49, was the ITF World Champion three times, she won five Paralympic medals and was the world number one player for a total of 136 weeks in singles and 107 weeks in doubles. A national tennis player before being injured in a car accident in 1983, she quickly picked up the sport and became the first in a long line of top-ranked Dutch women.  She was crowned the first ITF World Champion in 1991, then won the title again in 1996 and 1997. Between 1985 and 1993, she won seven women’s singles titles and two doubles titles at the US Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships. She won the women’s singles gold medal at the 1998 Seoul Paralympic Games, when wheelchair tennis was a demonstration sport, then went on to win two women’s doubles gold medals, a women’s singles silver and a women’s singles bronze at the 1992 and 1996 Games, after wheelchair tennis was awarded full medal status.

Nick Bollettieri. Widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the world of tennis, Bollettieri has an unparalleled record of discovering and developing champions, having coached 10 world number one players, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Boris Becker. In addition, he has worked with Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Tommy Haas and many more. Four of his players have been enshrined into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. After more than 30 years of coaching, at 82 years old, Bollettieri is still active on the tennis courts for more than 10 hours a day, six days a week. In 1978, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA), the first full-time tennis boarding school that integrated intense athletic training on and off the court with academic curriculum. In 1987, IMG purchased the NBTA and evolved it into IMG Academy. Today, the IMG Academy campus spans 450 acres dotted with world-class facilities that support eight sports. More than 900 student-athletes call IMG Academy home year-round, and thousands more flock to the campus annually for training or competitions.

Jane Brown Grimes. Dedicating her life to the growth of tennis around the world for more than 35 years, Brown Grimes has had a major impact on three leading industry organizations: the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, the Women’s Tennis Association, and the United States Tennis Association, having held leadership roles with all three. She has also been highly active with the International Tennis Federation, having served on the Junior Competitions Committee and the Rules of Tennis Committee. She is currently an active member of the Fed Cup Committee, having served since 2004. From 2005 to 2008, she was the USTA’s representative on the Grand Slam Board. Having recently earned an MBA from City University of New York – Baruch College – Zicklin School of Business, Brown Grimes continues to remain active in the business side of the sport, through her roles on the Hall of Fame Board, ITF Committees, and youth tennis programs.

John Barrett. A leader in many areas of tennis, from broadcaster to tournament director, equipment representative to player. Barrett is one of the game’s premier historians and authors. Following a successful playing career as a junior, he became the Royal Air Force’s tennis champion in 1950 and 1951 and competed at Wimbledon for 20 years. In 1956, he was a member of Great Britain’s Davis Cup Team and served as the team captain from 1959-1962. In the world of junior development he founded the BP International Tennis Fellowship, and the BP Cup, which launched the international careers of Martina Navratilova and many others. In 1976 he founded the Pepsi Junior International Series, a points-linked program which was the forerunner of the ITF’s present Junior Ranking lists. From 1969-2001 Barrett edited and contributed to the World of Tennis, acknowledged as the bible of tennis and now the official yearbook of the ITF. The recently published third edition of “Wimbledon – The Official History” is his latest contribution to the history of the sport. He was the tennis correspondent for The Financial Times in London from 1963 to 2007. Now 82, Barrett for 35 years was the “Voice of Wimbledon” on the BBC from 1971-2006, and has also been on the air with Channel 9 Australia, Channel 7 Australia, ESPN, HBO and USA Networks. He is married to Angela Mortimer Barrett, a former world number one player and a 1993 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fam. The Barretts are the second married couple to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf.

 

SIDELINED

A left wrist injury forced Juan Martin del Potro to skip the Indian Wells tournament. It was the same injury that forced the world number seven to retire from his first-round match in Dubai last month. “It’s still hurting a lot, I’m not feeling 100 percent, I’m not in good condition to compete,” said the Argentine, who reached the BNP Paribas final last year. “I feel the same pain every day and it bothers me a lot,” del Potro said. “I’m trying to be very careful.” Wrist injuries have plagued del Potro his entire career. After he won the US Open in 2009, he played just three tournaments in 2010 because of a right wrist injury. He earned ATP Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2011 and has raised his ranking to seventh in the world. Del Potro’s spot in the draw – a second-round spot at that following a first-round bye – was taken by “lucky loser” James Ward, who then lost to Feliciano Lopez 3-6 6-2 6-4.

 

STARS ON PARADE

Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl were presented their International Tennis Hall of Fame rings during World Tennis Day festivities in London, Great Britain. All three former world number ones have been enshrined in the Newport, Rhode Island, facility and the Hall of Fame rings are a symbol of this success. The rings were presented by Hall of Fame chairman Christopher Clouser, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bittii and Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer, who serves as vice chairman of the Hall of Fame’s Enshrinee Nominating Committee. Introduced in 2011, the personalized rings are being presented to Hall of Famers at tennis events around the world over the next few years.

 

SPEAKS UP

Li Na wants the Chinese media to back off the country’s young players. Ranked second in the world, Li said the young stars should be left alone so they can develop both as players and as people. “Every junior has his or her uniqueness,” Li said. “I ask the press to give them space so they can develop as players and to give them encouragement rather than ask for opinions (on them) from me.” Le said some in the Chinese media tried to pry too much into her personal life, and said that was the reason she left the sport in 2002 to earn a degree in journalism at the Huazhong Institute of Science and Technology. “The first time I retired I felt I didn’t have good communication with some journalists,” she said. “So I wanted to learn why they always wrote the wrong thing. But when I studied I learned that this wasn’t always about the journalist; it was about their personality.” Li said she has been encouraged by the recent growth of tennis in China. “You see so many children picking up a tennis racquet,” she said. “It’s not a table tennis one any more, it’s tennis. So that’s good for the game.”

 

SOME CELEBRATION

Sixty-seven countries around the world celebrated World Tennis Day. It was a day that saw a Guinness World Record set when the United States Tennis Association’s Play Event at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, brought together 406 children for the “largest tennis less.” Judy Murray, mother of Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and captain of Great Britain’s Fed Cup team, helped out with the USTA’s festivities. The event was commemorated with a plaque and presentation at the World Tennis Day event at New York City’s Madison Square Garden featuring Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic as well as the Bryan brothers – Bob and Mike – and the McEnroe brothers – John and Patrick.

 

SHARAPOVA IN WAX

Tennis fans can check out Maria Sharapova whenever they are in Hong Kong. Not the real Sharapova, of course, but a wax version. Currently ranked fifth in the world, Sharapova joins other top athletes at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. On top of her tennis success, where she has won four Grand Slam tournament titles, the Russian superstar has been the face of many luxury brands and was listed as one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world. For Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Sharapova will be styled in her sports outfit as she appeared when she won the 2012 French Open and striking her winning forehand pose for victory. Kelly Mak, general manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, said: “Sharapova will be the first tennis star to be part of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and tennis fanatics can challenge her in a game of tennis with the interactive experience. We are excited to welcome Sharapova to the attraction and we hope to bring in many more rising stars from the sports world this year.” Other sports stars honored in the museum include soccer great David Beckham and NBA player Yao Ming. Originally opened in August 2000, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is the first permanent Madame Tussauds in Asia. There are fifteen Madame Tussauds around the world, located in London, New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Washington D.C., Berlin, Hollywood, Bangkok, Vienna, Blackpool, Wuhan, Sydney and Tokyo.

 

SAD NEWS

Great Britain’s Elena Baltacha, who retired from the WTA Tour at the end of last year, has revealed that she has cancer. “I have recently been diagnosed with cancer of the liver,” Baltacha said in a statement. “I’m currently undergoing treatment and fighting this illness with everything I have.” At the end of last year Baltacha announced her retirement from pro tennis after a 16-year career that saw her reach four WTA quarterfinals. Great Britain’s top female player, she represented her country at the London Olympics. “Throughout her tennis career Elena was admired for her friendly personality, her passion, energy and tenacity,” Stacey Allaster, chairman and CEO of the WTA said. “We know she will use these qualities to fight this illness and we’ll support her along this process in any way we can.”

 

SURFING

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/

Miami: www.sonyopentennis.com

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$6,169,040 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

$125,000 Irving Tennis Classic, Irving, Texas, USA

WOMEN

$5,427,105 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard

 

Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka

Roger Federer Shows He’s Still In Hunt for Major Titles – Mondays With Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Roger Federer beat Tomas Berdych 3-6 6-4 6-3 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Grigor Dimitrov beat Kevin Anderson 7-6 (7) 3-6 7-6 (5) to win the men’s singles at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico

Federico Delbonis beat Paolo Lorenzi 4-6 6-3 6-4 to win the Brasil Open in São Paulo, Brazil

Klara Zakopalova beat Garbiñe Muguruza 4-6 7-5 6-0 to win the Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis, Brazil

Dominika Cibulkova beat Christina McHale 7-6 (3) 4-6 6-4 to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel women’s singles in Acapulco, Mexico

 

SAYING

“Things definitely went my way out here tonight, but I have had a lot tougher matches in the last one and a half years, so this is nice to get a lucky break again.” – Roger Federer, after winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“I’m quite good in that I don’t keep the losses in my head for a long time. I will definitely try to learn from the mistakes in the second set. I will just try to take positives from that and just leave all the negatives behind.” – Tomas Berdych, following his loss to Roger Federer in the final in Dubai.

“You just stand on the baseline, try to hit a few good shots and hope he doesn’t keep hitting the big serves.” – Roger Federer, on playing Tomas Berdych.

“Belief is the only thing that kept me going today. I didn’t think I was going to come back after last night’s match. I’m really happy. This title means a lot to me. Every match I played was really tough, especially the last three where I played three sets.” – Grigor Dimitrov, following his triumph in Acapulco, Mexico.

“I know it’s difficult but it’s not an easy sport. You have got two options – either to get down or get even more motivated.” – Kevin Anderson, after losing in the title match for the second straight week.

“I was losing the whole match, but anything can happen in a final. I think I got a little bit lucky here and there and I’m very happy I could make it through and win the third set and win the title.” – Klara Zakopalova, who won the last 11 games of the match to beat Garbiñe Muguruza and win the Brasil Tennis Cup.

“We are happy to be back to winning ways and winning a title. We got back this year hoping to continue the streak and doing well. We started off well in Sydney. We lost to (Nestor) Zimonjic and (Daniel) Nestor there in the final and happy to win this title against them and get a little sweet revenge back.” – Rohan Bopanna, after he and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Zimonjic and Nestor in the Dubai doubles final.

“We had in our mind we had to go all out, because the last time we lost to them, and this time we just had to go out aggressively. I think we had a very aggressive mindset, and luckily it just paid off. I’m really happy that we ended up getting a win today.” – Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.

 

SWISS STANDARD

Playing from behind, Roger Federer showed that he is still to be reckoned with this season as he won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the sixth time, beating Tomas Berdych in the final. “It was a tough match,” Federer said, stating the obvious. “Tomas had the advantage and could have, should have, brought it home, but maybe I got a little lucky.” In the semifinals, Federer also lost the opening set before rallying to knock off top-seeded Novak Djokovic. Against Berdych, Federer lost the first set and was a break down in the second at 3-2. But the Swiss star immediately broke back, then held at love to begin his winning surge. “I was able to break back right away, which was key. I stayed calm and once I got even I started to play better,” Federer said. The 32-year-old Federer won his 78th tour-level title, moving him ahead of John McEnroe to stand third alone in the all-time titles leaders list. He has won as least one ATP World Tour title every year since 2000 and has passed the USD $80 million mark in career earnings. Berdych had an 11-match winning streak snapped. “I would say many things [went wrong],” Berdych said. “The match started pretty well. I had really many chances, and then I basically just gave him the game and that’s it. It’s very disappointing for me the way I handled that situation. I was in the better shape and playing really well and made my chances, but unfortunately I didn’t execute it in the end.”

 

SIZZLING IN MEXICO

Grigor Dimitrov has been tagged the “new Federer.” He proved it in Acapulco, Mexico, by knocking off Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in the semifinals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, then outlasting South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the title match. The 22-year-old Dimitrov became the first Bulgarian to win on the ATP World Tour when he captured Stockholm last year. With the win in Acapulco, Dimitrov becomes the second player born in the 1990s to win multiple titles, joining Canadian Milos Raonic. It was the second straight week Anderson has suffered a heartbreaking. The week before, the South African lost to Marin Cilic in the Delray Beach Open final. “Right now it’s really disappointing … to come so close. It was possibly a match where I felt I was going to get it,” Anderson said. “I’m going to have to move on, need to take positives and take belief.”

Anderson was able to leave Acapulco with a winner’s trophy, however. He and Matthew Ebden defeated Feliciano Lopez and Max Mirnyi for their first ATP World Tour team title. It was Anderson’s first doubles crown on the ATP World Tour, while Ebden has now won four titles. “It was the first time for us playing together,” Ebden said. “I’ve known Kevin since we were kids. We grew up playing junior tennis together. I was just really thankful that he was able to play through the doubles and the singles. It’s a massive effort by him. I really owe it to him.”

 

STOPPED BY INJURY

A shoulder injury forced Tommy Haas to retire during his semifinal match at the Brazil Open and could affect his future. Haas said he “felt a lot of pain” in his right shoulder when he slammed his racquet to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the opening set. He received several medical treatments but continued to play until he retired while trailing 6-3 3-2 to Paolo Lorenzi of Italy. “After I threw my racquet when I got broken at three-all, I felt a lot of pain in my shoulder and it never really got away,” the 35-year-old German said. “The pain was getting worse. And the smart player’s decision has to be not to continue, unfortunately.” Haas said the latest injury could be a factor in his decision on when to stop playing. “I’ve had three shoulder injuries and one elbow injury, so my shoulder is not the youngest, not the way it needs to be,” Haas said. “I’m very happy that I can still play at a high level, but sometimes the shoulder is very, very tired, very, very stiff, and it tells me not to continue. But I’ll try to play as long as I can, hopefully for the rest of the season, then we will see.”

In Acapulco, Mexico, top-seeded David Ferrer withdrew from his quarterfinal against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the second set because of a left leg strain. The Spaniard was leading 6-4, 2-2 when he suffered an inner thigh strain in his left leg. After seeking treatment in the locker room, Ferrer returned to the court but lost the next two points before retiring. “I’m very sad because I was playing great.” Ferrer said. “The day was going so well for me and then this happened.”

 

SUDDEN SUCCESS

It took one streak to break another for Klara Zakopalova. Ranked 32nd in the world, Zakopalova had lost 12 straight finals before reaching the title match of the Brasil Cup. Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain was serving for the match8 at 6-4 5-2 when Zakopalova went on an 11-game streak to capture the title 4-6 7-5 6-0. “I was playing well in the first set but she was just playing a little bit better, but in the second set she was just playing amazing,” Zakopalova said. “But then maybe she started making a few mistakes and I was a little bit more patient. After I won the second set I told myself that anything could happen.” It was Zakopalova’s third WTA title, but first title in more than eight years. “Winning this title is just incredible. I really have no more words for it,” she said.

 

SLOVAKIAN WINNER

By winning the Mexican Open women’s singles, Dominika Cibulkova is one step away from the WTA Top Ten. Top-seeded in Acapulco, Mexico, Cibulkova beat American Christina McHale and secured a new career-high of 11th in the world. Cibulkova was runner-up to China’s Li Na in January’s Australian Open. Against McHale, Cibulkova had all she could handle. “I expected a really tough match and this was over my expectations,” Cibulkova said of the 2-hour, 54-minute battle. “I have to say, it was an extremely tough match. Her defense was amazing today. We had so many long rallies and the match was so up and down, but I was fighting for every point and I’m really happy I could win this. I’m really, really tired right now because I had to dig so deep, physically and mentally.” It was also a breakthrough week for McHale. “It was really nice to make my first WTA final here,” the American said. “II was happy with the way I fought today.”

 

STUNNER

Perhaps it was the quicker surface that suited Roger Federer’s game. Maybe it was the crowd getting behind him. Whatever, Federer played some of his best tennis in years to upset Novak Djokovic 3-66-3 6-2 in the semifinals of the Dubai Championships. From midway through the second set, the 32-year-old Federer dominated his opponent. “There was a buzz out there tonight. I was fully able to enjoy myself,” Federer said in a courtside interview after he knocked off the top seed. “It’s never easy against Novak. Today I had a difficult start that put me on the back foot, but the crowd kept pushing me on. It’s a quick court and I’m always going to play aggressively.” Djokovic had won nine of his previous 12 meetings with Federer and had not lost to the Swiss star in 18 months. Until now. “This is a big step in the right direction for me, gives me a lot of confidence,” Federer said.

 

SINGLE ACHIEVEMENT

You can now refer to Federico Delbonis as a champion. In a battle of unseeded players, Delbonis defeated Paolo Lorenzi to capture the Brasil Open. The Argentine failed to convert on three match points in the Hamburg, Germany, final last year. But this time he didn’t waste the opportunity, firing 12 aces and winning 84 percent of his first-serve points in besting Lorenzi in three sets. “All the matches were complicated,” Delbonis said. “I remember moments from each one of them, especially the one I had with Nico (Almagro) when I lost the first set. It was a hard moment, but I was able to come back. I think that everything happened because of the calm attitude I had when facing the key moments. That allowed me to always find a solution and find again my best game.” At 32 years old, Lorenzi was seeking to become the oldest first-time winner since Wayne Arthurs won in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, in 2005 at the age of 33. Until now, Lorenzi had never advanced past the quarterfinals of an ATP World Tour event. “For me, it felt like my home,” Lorenzi said of the tournament. “It has been incredible and I’m very happy. I tried to win the final, but he played the important points better, and that’s tennis.”

 

SERENA NOMINATED

Tennis star Serena Williams and Jamaican sprint act Usain Bolt are on a star-studded short list for this year’s Laureus Award. Others nominated for the prestigious “Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award” are Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal, British distance runner Mo Farah, American basketball star LeBron James, Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and German Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel. Besides Williams, the “Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year” nominees include German soccer player Nadine Angerer, American swimmer Missy Franklin, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia and Slovakian skier Tina Maze. American golfer Tiger Woods has been nominated for “Laureus World Comeback of the year” along with Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho, Naday, Isinbayeva and two others. The awards will be announced at a ceremony on March 26 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The winners of the awards are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, whose jury is made up of 46 sports stars.

 

SIGNED

Spain’s Rafael Nadal is teaming up with soccer great Ronaldo in Brazil. Ronaldo’s sports marketing agency announced it will manage Nadal’s advertising contracts in Brazil. The agency said the “non-exclusive” agreement was reached with Goramendi Siglo XXI, which handles the tennis player’s image rights worldwide. “Nadal is a lot more than just a new partner, he’s an idol that all of us learned to admire for his talent on the courts and for the kind of person that he is,” Ronaldo said in a statement.

 

STARS ON PARADE

The top names in tennis – Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams – have been drafted to compete in the new International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) this December. The draft was held Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where USD $23,975,000 was spent on players for four teams which will be based in Bangkok, Mumbai, Dubai and Singapore. Nadal will be joined on Team Mumbai by 14-time Grand Slam tournament winner Pete Sampras, while Novak Djokovic will have fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki on Team Dubai. Serena Williams will play for Team Singapore. “We’ve got some unbelievably strong teams. I think out of the 28 players that got drafted we have about 21 Grand Slam champions. We have 14 present and past number ones. It’s a pretty blockbuster field,” said Indian doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi, who is managing director of the league. Andy Murray was selected for Team Bangkok, where he will be joined by former world number one Carlos Moya. The Spanish star is also the league’s vice president of player relations. The league will play during the tennis off-season, between November 27 and December 14, and will feature 24 matches across the four host cities. Each match will have a best-of-five format comprised of separate sets contested in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and past champions singles. Play is scheduled to start in Singapore, followed by Bangkok, Mumbai and Dubai.

The much-talked about league will take place during the off season of the tennis calendar, between November 27 and December 14, and will feature 24 matches across the four host cities in the Middle East and Asia.

Each match will follow a best-of-five format comprised of separate sets contested in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and past champions singles, with the home team choosing the order of play prior to each match.

Play is scheduled to start in Singapore, followed by Bangkok, Mumbai and will finally conclude in Dubai.

Team Singapore will include: Serena Williams, Tomas Berdych, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova and Nick Krygios.

Team Bangkok: Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Victoria Azarenka, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya and Kirsten Flipkens

Team Mumbai: Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Pete Sampras. Rohan Bopanna, Ana Ivanovic, Sania Mirza and Fabrice Santoro

Team Dubai: Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Goran Ivanisevic, Janko Tipsarevic, Nenad Zimonjic, Malek Jaziri and Martina Hingis

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Acapulco (men): Kevin Anderson and Matthew Ebden beat Feliciano Lopez and Max Mirnyi 6-3 6-3

Acapulco (women): Kristina Mladenovic and Galina Voskoboeva beat Petra Cetkovska and Iveta Melzer 6-3 2-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Dubai: Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-4 6-3

Florianopolis: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova beat Francesca Schiavone and Silvia Soler-Espinosa 7-6 (1) 2-6 10-3 (match tiebreak)

São Paulo: Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Philipp Osward beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 5-7 6-4 15-13 (match tiebreak)

 

 

SURFING

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$6,169,040 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$5,427,105 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$6,169,040 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

$125,000 Irving Tennis Classic, Irving, Texas, USA

WOMEN

$5,427,105 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Venus Williams Is Back In Winner’s Circle: Mondays with Bob Greene

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Venus Williams Is Back In Winner’s Circle

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Venus Williams beat Alise Cornet 6-3 6-0 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Rafael Nadal beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 7-6 (3) to win the Rio Open by Claro hdtv men’s singles in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ernests Gulbis beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (5) 6-4 to win the Open 13 in Marseille, France

Marin Cilic beat Kevin Anderson 7-6 (6) 6-7 (7) 6-4 to win the Delray Beach Open by The Venetian® Las Vegas in Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Kurumi Nara beat Klara Zakopalova 6-1 4-6 6-1 to win the Rio Open by Claro hdtv women’s singles in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Somdev Devverman beat Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3 6-1 to win the ONGC-GAIL Delhi Open in New Delhi, India

 

SAYING

“It’s great to be back.” – Venus Williams, referring to winning the Dubai title for the third time, but the first time in four years.

“I haven’t talked to my mother yet, but I think she’s crying again.” – Kurumi Nara, after winning her first WTA title, talking about how her mother had cried when she reached the final.

“I think (the top players) feel threatened by my game, because they know if I serve well and I’m aggressive, then it’s tough to play against me. I don’t feel I’m in the same league as the (top four) yet; I need to prove it. Game-wise, I think that I can be.” – Ernests Gulbis, after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to capture the Open 13 title.

“I have no regrets. I gave everything I had. I played a pretty good match, but I needed a bit more belief and needed to show a bit more instinct on my returns of serve. But he was solid, he served very well and took a lot of risks.” – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, after losing the Marseille final to Ernests Gulbis.

“Winning all those Grand Slam titles and playing deep and getting to the final so many times, those are amazing accomplishments. It takes a lot of nerve, takes a lot of mental prowess, so I’d like to think I’m on that path. I’m not looking to do anything I did in the past because I already did that. I’m looking to improve and be a better, smarter Venus. I think, obviously, this week is a step.” – Venus Williams.

“I’m so excited. I didn’t expect that definitely, and I’m really, really happy and proud of myself. She’s one – or maybe THE biggest champion of history, and, wow, just thinking that I beat her today.” – Alize Cornet, following her upset win over Serena Williams in the semifinals of the Dubai Championships.

“I’m a wee bit embarrassed. She played really well. I just didn’t play today. I tried, though.” – Serena Williams, after losing to Alize Cornet.

“I know her, and I know she feels the moment when she has to put more into making the opponent feel that she’s still here. But I did it, too. I showed her that I would be there till the end. So when she was screaming louder, I was screaming louder. She was hitting harder, I was hitting harder.” – Alize Cornet, after her win over Serena Williams.

“I didn’t really feel like I could go out and play what I wanted to play. Once I got going, she started to play better as well. It was kind of uphill today.” – Carolina Wozniacki, after losing to Venus Williams in an early round match in Dubai.

“I’ve had a few wins I’ll never forget, and this is one of them.” – Steve Johnson, after upsetting Tommy Haas at Delray Beach.

“I struggled at times with the lights and my focus, but I’m not going to take anything away from (Johnson). I hate to lose, but I’m happy for him.” – Tommy Haas, following his loss to Steve Johnson.

“I feel my best tennis is around the corner. I’ve said that quite a few times, but I feel this time it’s really the case. I wake up with zero pain. I’m excited playing tournaments.” – Roger Federer.

 

STANDING TALL AGAIN

It was the Venus Williams of old who captured the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the third time – but the first time in four years. At the age of 33, it was Venus who proved she could still win, collecting her first title in 16 months. The older sister, Venus needed a wild card to enter the Dubai tournament. The only Williams stutter in the hard court event was when sister Serena Williams – the world’s top-ranked player – was upset in the semifinals by Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, thus denying the tournament of an all-Williams final. “I was expecting to be playing Serena,” Venus said, “but Alize played an amazing game in the semis, so congratulations on that.” While Venus had a huge smile on her face, Cornet twice broke into tears during the match. The win ensured that Venus would climb back into the world’s top 30 in the rankings. “I have continued being able to practice, and I have been getting healthier,” Williams said, referring to the long-term effects of the immune deficiency which has threatened her career. “It hasn’t been easy. I have to thank the tournament for a wild card, and my family and Serena for encouraging me. They all kept me up when I was down.”

By winning five matches at Dubai, Venus remains ahead of sister Serena as the active player with the most WTA Tour wins, 647 to Serena’s 641. “When things got tough, I definitely got going this week,” Venus said. “If I was down break point, when push came to shove, I was pushing and shoving, I guess.”

 

SPANISH FLAIR

Rafael Nadal continued his victorious cruise through the WTA World Tour, capturing his 62nd tour-level title at the inaugural Rio Open Presented by Claro hdtv. The victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov also moved the Spaniard up in the record books, tying Guillermo Vilas with number of titles won in the Open Era, and now just two titles away from Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras. Nadal now has a 16-1 record in 2014, his lone loss coming in the Australian Open final to Stanislas Wawrinka. The 27-year-old left-hander barely got past countryman Pablo Andujar in the semifinals, staving off two match points. The same wasn’t true in the final as he needed just one hour and 41 minutes to hoist the trophy.

 

STRONG FINISH

Whenever Ernests Gulbis reaches a final, he becomes unbeatable. The Latvian extended his perfect record in finals to 5-0 by stopping defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and winning the Open 13 title. “It’s a really nice record for me. Five-nil is really good,” Gulbis said. “I remember when I used to play Futures and Challengers, I think I lost maybe one or two finals. When I get into finals I really have good form and good confidence and play my best tennis.” Ranked 23rd in the row, Gulbis needed only the minimum of four sets to beat France’s top two players in the Marseille, France, tournament. He beat Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-2 in the semifinals and Tsonga 7-6 (5) 6-4 in the title match. “My long-term goal in tennis isn’t to be Top 20,” Gulbis said. “It’s to be number one. Anything less than that wouldn’t make me fully satisfied. I don’t want to get to 30 years old, look back on my career and say I didn’t make something of it. Everybody’s looking for satisfaction in life.” The 25-year-old Gulbis finished with 14 aces and hit 41 winners compared to just 22 for Tsonga.

 

SUCCESS

Japan’s top player is now a WTA champion. Kurumi Nara beat Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-1 4-6 6-1 to win the women’s singles title at the Rio Open presented by Claro hdtv. The 22-year-old was seeded fifth in the tournament. She is Japan’s top player and is ranked 62nd in the world. Zakopalova saw her losing streak in title matches stretch to 12 in a row. She had won two WTA titles 10 years ago before the long losing streak began. With the victory, Nara moves into the Top 50 in the WTA rankings. “It’s really amazing,” she said. “I try not to think about being number one in Japan. I really just try to focus on my game and my tennis every day. I just try my best every time and now I have my first WTA title. I’m so happy right now.”

 

SEEKS CHANGES

Tomas Berdych believes the Davis Cup competition should be held every other year. Berdych, who has led the Czech Republic to the last two Davis Cup titles, said the international team competition has come at a considerable cost. “In my last two years I missed eight weeks for Davis Cup – four to play the matches and then a week after. You are dead to play a tournament or even prepare yourself,” said Berdych who criticized the Cup’s schedule, with the first round played in the beginning of February, the quarterfinals in April, the semifinals in September and then a two-month break before the final in late November. “It ends up so late and makes a difficult season even more difficult,” Berdych said. “I think it would make sense and the players would really like to play if the Davis Cup was every two years. Berdych, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2010, calls the two Davis Cup championships the greatest achievements of his career.

 

STOPPED BY INJURY

Japan’s Kei Nishikori’s bid to win this second straight title was halted by a hip injury. Seeded third in the Delray Beach Open, Nishikori had to retire from his second-round match against Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia. “I tried to play, but if you’re not 100 percent, it’s tough,” Nishikori said. “I couldn’t do anything today. It’s going to take some time to recover. It’s shocking this happened, especially since I’ve been playing well.” The right-hander won his fourth ATP World Tour title last week in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. After retiring, Nishikori withdrew from next week’s tournament in Acapulco, Mexico.

 

SUPER STEVE

Steve Johnson is one of those players who seem to travel the world, toiling in qualifying, and only rarely making it to a main draw. And even if they are successful, they are little more than fodder for first-round winners. Not so this past week. The unheralded American knocked off top-seeded Tommy Haas in the second round of the Delray Beach Open, 6-4 2-6 7-6 (2). Johnson banged out 13 aces and dominated the tiebreaker for the huge win.

 

SOME WORDS

One thing’s for sure. It wasn’t pleasantries Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic were exchanging during their Dubai Open match. And it wasn’t the first time. The two have exchanged testy words on several occasions, the last time at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, in October when Jankovic appeared to question Serena’s sportsmanship. In Dubai, the dispute came over the time taken between points. When Jankovic appeared to take her time before serving, Williams held her arms out wide in a questioning gesture. Jankovic walked towards umpire Kadir Nouni while complaining, and once gesturing towards Serena as she did so. Four points later Williams wrapped up her 6-2 6-2 win and there was a further exchange of words between the two players. Jankovic later suggested the umpire might have been at fault. “First he tells me I’m serving too fast,” the Serbian said. “Then when I took my time, it was like one minute. So you never know what to do. Usually if I go over 25 seconds with whoever I play, you know, warning, time violation. Here it’s like you can do pretty much whatever. I have to follow who knows which rules. If it’s 25 seconds, you play 25 seconds. If it goes over, someone’s not ready, you should be ready. I follow when she (Serena) serves, no matter how fast or slow she plays.” Talking after the match, Serena refused to be drawn into a disagreement. The world’s top-ranked player said, “I told her at the end I didn’t mean anything, and I’m sorry if I played slow. She was like, ‘no,’ it was more that they say she plays too fast and then they say she played too slow.”

 

STRENGTHENING THE MIND

In an attempt to regain the world’s number one ranking, Novak Djokovic says his new coach, Boris Becker, will held him acquire more mental toughness. Djokovic hired Becker in December after losing to Rafael Nadal at the US Open and to Andy Murray at Wimbledon. “We’re not significantly changing anything in my game. No one-handed backhands, stuff like that,” said Djokovic, who has won six Grand Slam tournament titles. “The biggest part he can contribute is the mental approach. That’s one of the reasons Boris is here, because of the big matches and Grand Slams. I felt I dropped two or three titles in the last two years I could have won. I felt there was a mental edge I was lacking.”

 

SWISS PAPA

After dominating men’s tennis for a decade, holding the number one ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks, Roger Federer has slipped down the rankings to number eight in the world. Still, the 32-year-old Swiss master is convinced he will have a good season this year. “What was very encouraging was my off-season,” Federer said. “I trained really hard in Dubai for a month. That was key, for me to know my body was able to handle that stress level. For that reason I’m confident for the year.” The father of twin girls, Federer will become a dad again later this year. “They are coming to matches from time to time, depending on the stadiums,” Federer said of his family. “In the beginning it was very much different. You’re not as flexible and can’t just change flight tickets or just leave after you lost. It’s almost better to stay on the road.”

 

STIFFED BY STATE

Rio de Janeiro’s state government reportedly owes the ATP World Tour USD $3 million. And the men’s tennis organization doesn’t expect to get paid. ATP President Chris Kermode said the Brazilian state government and the tour agreed to end a contract that allowed Rio de Janeiro to promote itself at ATP events. Rio de Janeiro is the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The conflict is the latest in a string of cancellations of sports-related events in Rio de Janeiro. The Soccerex football conference was called off last year in a funding dispute. In January, the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards – which were to be held in Rio – were called off. Brazilian officials are under pressure to stop funding sports events. Brazil is estimated to be spending about USD $14 billion on this year’s World Cup and a similar amount on the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It’s left a very bad taste, to be honest,” Kermode said of the decision to end the contract. “We had an agreement with Rio Tourism. We came to a mutual agreement to terminate and the terms were very clear. Unfortunately we haven’t been paid. It doesn’t look as though we are going to be paid.”

 

STENNING SUCCESSOR

Former player Todd Martin is the new CEO-designate of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Martin will succeed Mark L. Stenning, who is stepping down in September after 35 years with the ITHF, the last 14 as CEO. Ranked as high as fourth in the world, Martin will begin his new post on April 1. “Not only was Todd a great player – one of the very best in the world – but he is also a tremendous leader and he has been widely respected in his role as president of the ATP Players Council and as a member of the USTA Board of Directors,” said Christopher E. Clouser, ITHF chairman of the board.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Delray Beach: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Frantisek Cermak and Mikhail Elgin 6-2 6-3

Dubai: Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova beat Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-2 5-7 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Marseille: Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Paul Hanley and Jonathan Marray 4-6 7-6 (6) 13-11 (match tiebreak)

New Delhi: Saketh Myeni and Sanam Singh beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 7-6 (5) 6-4

Rio de Janeiro (men): Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah beat David Marrero and Marcelo Melo 6-4 6-2

Rio de Janeiro (women): Irina-Camelia Begu and Maria Irigoyen beat Johanna Larsson and Chanelle Scheepers 6-2 6-0

 

SURFING

Acapulco: www.abiertomexicanodetenis.com/

São Paulo: www.brasilopen.com.br

Florianopolis: www.brasiltenniscup.com.br/

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,928,340 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard

$1,309,770 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Acapulco, Mexico, hard

$474,005 Brasil Open 2014, São Paulo, Brazil, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Brasil Tennis Cup, Florianopolis, Brazil, hard

$250,000 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Acapulco, Mexico, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$6,169,040 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$5,427,105 BNP Parabas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

Venus Williams
Venus Williams