rafael nadal

Can Rafael Nadal Win ‘La Decima’ of French Open Titles?

May 22, 2017 by Admin

No man has won one of the Grand Slam singles titles 10 times or more in any era – the only woman to do so was Margaret Court, who claimed the Australian Open on 11 occasions. But in-form Rafael Nadal now has a brilliant chance of making history once again by adding another French Open crown to his trophy cabinet and complete ‘La Decima.’ It certainly seems that 2017 is a year of round numbers for the superstar Spaniard.

After recently becoming the first man in the Open Era to win a singles tournament 10 times – the Monte Carlo Masters – he now heads to the Barcelona Open in attempt to do the same thing. On top of that, after triumphing in Monaco, he now overtakes Guillermo Vilas in claiming his 50th clay court title. Surely it’s written in the stars that Nadal should claim his 10th French Open trophy, three years after his last at Roland Garros? He’s even been made the favourite for the title with the bookies, and you can pick out the best odds through Online Bookmakers.

Injuries have ravaged Nadal’s career, particularly in the past couple of years, yet he still sits second-equal in the all-time Grand Slam title list with 14 – four behind Roger Federer and level with Pete Sampras. That gives him yet another incentive to rule the clay once more.

The 30-year-old has looked back to his best this year, after reaching the Australian Open final – narrowly losing out to old nemesis and fellow revitalised veteran Federer in five sets. Swiss great Federer may even chose to sit out the Paris event in 2017, with an aim to focus on his favoured Wimbledon and US Open tournaments.

With world’s number one and two Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic respectively suffering from fitness and form issues, it’s all set up for Nadal to capitalise. While younger pretenders Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, Kei Nishikori, Juan Martin Del Potro, Alexander Zverev and Milos Raonic, as well as 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, will of course be threats, but on his day Nadal will not be stopped by any of them.

Rafael Nadal Continues His Clay Court Dominance – Mondays with Bob Greene

May 14, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (8) 6-4 to win the Mutua Madrid Open men’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Simona Halep beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 6-7 (5) 6-2 to win the Mutua Madrid Open women’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Frances Tiafoe beat Jeremy Chardy 6-3 4-6 7-6 (5) to win the Open du Pay d’Aix in Aix en Provence, France

Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-3 to win the Open de Cagnes-Sur-Mer Alpes-Maritime in Cagnes -Sur-Mer, France

Thomas Fabbiano beat Soon Woo Kwon 1-6 6-4 6-3 to win the Fila Seoul Open Challenger in Seoul, South Korea

SAYING

“Today is a day to be satisfied, to be happy and to have this trophy.” – Rafael Nadal, after defeating Dominic Thiem and winning the Mutua Madrid Open.

“Sometimes against the best players in the world, you even lose when you play well. That’s the thing in tennis: there’s only one winner.” – Dominic Thiem.

“I feel that actually I have the game to win big tournaments. I have just to be consistent mentally. I started pretty bad this year. Now I’m back with the confidence.” – Simona Halep, after successfully defending her Mutua Madrid Open title.

“I tried to fight over the pain, continue to enjoy and fight till the end, give everything I had. We had an amazing final, and I don’t want to say my lower back was the reason why I couldn’t win that match.” – Kristina Mladenovic, after losing to Simona Halep.

“I was actually quite inspired before the match because I had a lot of players coming up to me privately wishing me good luck, players I don’t normally speak to, getting a lot of texts from people in the tennis world that were just rooting for me. So I wanted to do it for myself, but also all these people.” – Eugenie Bouchard, on wanting to beat Maria Sharapova in their Madrid meeting, which she did. Bouchard has been an outspoken critic of Sharapova receiving wild card entries into tournaments.

“My tennis speaks for itself, and that’s what I focus on.” – Maria Sharapova.

“Rafa was obviously a better player today. He deserved to win. He was controlling the game from beginning to the end. His quality was very high and he managed to do whatever he wanted.” – Novak Djokovic, following his Madrid semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal.

“Obviously, he didn’t play very good today. That was very obvious. I have noticed it from the beginning.” – Borna Coric, after beating top-ranked Andy Murray.

“Most things weren’t working particularly well. I started the match OK, but when I started to get behind I didn’t find any way to improve my game or to make it more difficult for him. I just kind of let the same things keep happening, making mistakes very early in a lot of the rallies.” – Andy Murray.

“I’m a big competitor. What you work for for so many hours every single day is to be on the winning end of matches. Of course I’m disappointed. That’s what’s going to make me a better player. That’s what’s going to win me more tournaments and more Grand Slams.’” – Maria Sharapova, after losing to Eugenie Bouchard in Madrid.

“I have already answered that at least a million times. I understand why it is interesting and I get it. The curiosity is not lost on me so I don’t mind telling the story.” – Tennys Sandgren, on answering questions about being “Tennys from Tennessee playing tennis.”

SUPREME ON CLAY

Rafael Nadal strengthened his position as French Open favorite when he captured the Mutua Madrid Open, his third clay-court title in four weeks. “This is a very emotional period of the season,” Nadal said after stopping Dominic Thiem to win his fifth Madrid crown and a record-breaking 30^th ATP 1000 title. “I really enjoy these tournaments. I just try to go for all of them. I try to compete. I did well in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and also here. I hope to do the same in Rome.” Playing in his first ATP 1000 final, Thiem gave Nadal a lot of problems, but the 30-year-old Spaniard solved them all. Thiem dictated play from the middle of the court, keeping Nadal on the run. But the Spaniard elevated his defense to level the first set at 3-3. Then, with his forehand smoking strokes deep to the baseline, Nadal eventual capitalized on Thiem’s errors and closed out the tiebreak 10-8. Nadal took the lead early in the second set and beat back every chance by his Austrian opponent to get back into the match. “I gave everything that I could,” Thiem said. “But it was a final of a Masters 1000, my first one, against the best player on this surface ever.”

SIMONA TRIUMPHANT

It took three sets before Simona Halep overcame an injured but determined Kristina Mladenovic and successfully defended her Mutua Madrid Open title. I feel great that I could defend this title,” the third-seeded Romanian said. “It means a lot because it’s very big and gives me confidence for the bigger tournaments.” The first woman to reach the Madrid final three times, Halep joins Serena Williams (2012-2013) as the only ones to win the crown in consecutive years. Visibly hampered by a lower back injury, Mladenovic grabbed a 5-3 opening set lead, only to have Halep win the next four games. Mladenovic took the second-set tiebreak 7-5 before Halep dominated the decisive set to win the crown. “I just tried to stay positive and just playing till the end of the match, till the last point,” Halep said. “I did it well.” It was Halep’s 22^nd clay court win in 25 matches. Despite visibly wincing after every few points, Mladenovic refused to take anything away from Halep’s performance. “I had some tensions, some pain here and there,” she said. “I was trying not to show anything, not to think about it. I tried to fight over it, continue to enjoy and fight till the end, give everything I had.”

SHOCKED

The appearance of Ilie Nastase during the women’s final ceremonies at the Mutua Madrid Open was “irresponsible and unacceptable,” according to the WTA. Nastase is serving a provisional suspension by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after his foul-mouthed outburst during last month’s Fed Cup playoff between Romania and Great Britain. Nastase began with a derogatory remark about Serena Williams’ unborn child. Then he made rude remarks to two members of Great Britain’s Fed Cup team and the umpire. But he showed up on court at Madrid after his countrywoman Simona Halep successfully defended her title. “The only shadow cast on the day was Mr. Nastase’s invitation to participate in the award ceremony,” said WTA chief executive Steve Simon. “He had no place on court. He is currently under a provisional suspension by the ITF for his prior offensive actions and we revoked his credential privileges at WTA events while the investigation is being completed. It was both irresponsible and unacceptable of the Madrid Open to bestow him an official role.”

STREAKING TIAFOE

Jeremy Chardy was in a position to serve out a victory when American Frances Tiafoe ripped off the final five points of the match to come from behind and capture a clay-court Challenger tournament. The 19-year-old Tiafoe broke Chardy twice to earn the opening set, but the Frenchman won the second to send the match into a decisive third set. Tiafoe had two match points on Chardy’s serve, but the third-seeded Frenchman held and the two battled into a tiebreak. Chardy jumped out front 5-2 and had two serves coming. But Tiafoe won the next five points to earn his second Challenger title of the season, earlier winning in Sarasota, Florida, USA. The win will send Tiafoe’s ranking into the top 70 in the world for the first time.

SICK BAY

Citing pain in his right wrist, Kei Nishikori withdrew from his Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinal, giving Novak Djokovic a spot in the semifinals. “I think it’s not 100 percent,” Nishikori said of his wrist. “I don’t want to risk it too much today. I want to fight again in every match. It’s been taking a long time since Miami, so I don’t want to go too hard on my wrist.”

STRUGGLING STILL

Borna Coric may be called a “lucky loser,” but he was definitely a winner against top-ranked Andy Murray. Coric lost in the qualifying for the Mutua Madrid Open, but gained a berth in the main draw when Richard Gasquet withdrew with a back injury – consequently the label “lucky loser.” Against Murray, however, Coric was dominant, handing the tournament’s top seed a 6-3 6-3 third-round defeat. It was Murray’s fifth loss this year against only one tournament title. “It’s a huge win, for sure,” said Coric, who became the first lucky loser to reach the quarterfinals in Madrid. “It’s going to mean to me a lot.”

STOPPED

Eugenie Bouchard has been in the news recently not for winning tennis matches but for calling Maria Sharapova a cheat and calling for the Russian to be banned for life for doping. So, when they met in the Madrid Open, it was felt it was Sharapova’s chance for a payback. Wrong. The Canadian backed up her outspoken criticism by handing Sharapova a 7-5 2-6 6-4 second-round defeat. “As soon as I stepped on the court I really just wanted to make it about tennis,” Bouchard said. “We both did that. We just battled our hearts out.” Several players, including Bouchard, believe Sharapova, who served a 15-month suspension for taking a banned substance, should go through qualifying and work her way back from the bottom instead of receiving wild card entries into main draws. Madrid was Sharapova’s second tournament since her ban, getting wild card entries into both. “Each point was a battle from the first point,” Bouchard said of her win. “It was really a fight. I’m just proud that I came out stronger in the end and held it together in the third set.” Sharapova said she needs to regain the confidence for critical points in a match. “There’s no way to train but be a part of it,” the Russian said.

SUPPORT NEW FORMAT

Three of the top men – Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – like the new World Cup-style tennis tournament suggested by Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique. Chris Kermode, ATP president, and others met with Pique, who hopes to create a 16-team knockout competition that would take place in one location over a 10-day period. The Davis Cup is an international team competition, but it currently is spread over four weekends in February, April, September and November. While all three have led their countries to Davis Cup titles, Murray, Nadal and Djokovic have pulled out of matches to target other objectives. “I don’t know what the future of Davis Cup will look like, but there is definitely something radically that has to change,” Djokovic said. But Nadal believes Pique’s plans aren’t necessarily bad news for Davis Cup. “It’s not in opposition to the Davis cup, which is an important competition which I’ve had the luck to compete in for many years,” Nadal said. Murray called Pique’s idea “really exciting.” The world’s top-ranked player said: “If it comes off, I think it would be a really good thing for tennis.”

SPOT ASSURED

Tennys Sandgren will be playing in a Grand Slam tournament main draw for the first time at this year’s French Open. The 25-year-old Sandgren topped the U.S. Tennis Association’s Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge by winning a USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Savannah, Georgia, USA, two weeks after reaching the final of an ATP Challenger in Sarasota, Florida, USA. “I am still kind of trying to soak it in,” Sandgren said. “It’s been something that’s been on my mind. I knew I could do this and make this jump. I knew it was definitely possible and within my capabilities.” After winning Savannah, Sandgren reached a career-high ranking of 114^th in the world. A native of Tennessee, Sandgren has tried to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament 12 times, compiling a 3-12 record.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Aix en Provence: Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop beat Andre Begemann and Jeremy Chardy 2-6 6-4 16-14 (match tiebreak)

Cagnes-Sur-Mer: Chang Kai-Chen and Hsieh Su-Wei beat Raluca Olaru and Renata Voracova 7-5 6-1

Madrid (men): Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5 6-3

Madrid (women): Chan Yung-Jan and Martina Hingis beat Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova 6-4 6-3

Seoul: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Peng Hsien-Yin beat Thomas Fabbiano and Dudi Sela 5-1, retired

SURFING

Rome: www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/

Busan: www.busanopen.org/new/main.html

Bordeaux: www.tournoi-primrosebordeaux.com/

Trnava: www.empireslovakopen.sk

Geneva: http://http//banqueericsturdzagenevaopen.com/

Lyon: http://http//openparc.com/

Nürnberg: www.nuernbergercup.de/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/en

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$7,035,470 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$150,000 Busan Open Challenger, Busan, South Korea, hard

$116,375 BNP Paribas Primrose 2017, Bordeaux, France, clay

WOMEN

$2,775,745 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay

$100,000 Empire Slovak Open 2017, Trnava, Slovakia, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$588,203 Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open, Geneva, Switzerland, clay

$588,203 Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon, Lyon, France, clay

WOMEN

$226,750 Nürnberger Versicherungs Cup, Nürnberg, Germany, clay

$227,750 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, clay

Rafael Nadal Adds Barcelona to 10-Victories List – Mondays with Bob Greene

May 1, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 6-4 6-1 to win the Barcelona Open Sabadell in Barcelona, Spain

Laura Siegemund beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 2-6 7-6 (5) to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany

Lucas Pouille beat Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-1 to win the Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest, Hungary

Elina Svitolina beat Elise Mertens 6-2 6-4 to win the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup in Istanbul, Turkey

Janko Tipsarevic beat Quentin Halys 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4 to win the Kunming Challenger in Anning, China

Zheng Saisai beat Zanna Diyas 7-5 6-4 to win the Hotspring Peninsula ITF in Anning, China

SAYING

“It is two consecutive weeks winning, in Monte Carlo and here, two special tournaments for me, it is a dream start on clay.” – Rafael Nadal, winning in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for a record 10^th time.

“There are worse things than to lose against the greatest player on clay ever.” – Dominic Thiem, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the Barcelona Open final.

“Clay is very tough, and it can kill your body if you’re not prepared.” – Elina Svitolina, who won in Istanbul, her third WTA title of the year.

“I’d play in the juniors if I had to. I’m not getting wild cards to receive a trophy or a golden platter. It’s my job to win matches.” – Maria Sharapova, when asked if she would accept a wild card to play in the French Open.

“I feel very privileged to be back on a tennis court.” – Roger Federer, while playing an exhibition in Seattle, Washington, USA.

“I have said it once and I will say it again, this world has come so far but yet we have so much further to go.” – Serena Williams, referring to Ilie Nastase’s comments by quoting from Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise.”

“Roger is the best one-two striker on the planet, his opening shots in the point are at the next level. Rafa is the best competitor there is, he’s there and on it regardless of the score for each and every point. Novak returns better than anyone I’ve faced, his ability to get behind each ball is scary.” – Nick Kyrgios, on the strengths of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“With the Grand Slams, it’s me who has to catch up to her, and she has to catch up to me with the baby. It’s a funny timing, but I do hope she is coming back and we can have some more of our battles, because she’s one of the people I can’t imagine the tour without.” – Victoria Azarenka, who is planning on returning to the WTA tour following the birth of her son, about Serena Williams, who announced she was taking time off to have a baby.

SUPER RAFA

For the second week in a row, Rafael Nadal has won a tournament for the 10^th time. No other player has done it once. Playing on a court named after the Spanish great, Nadal captured his 10^th Barcelona Open, ousting Dominic Thiem of Austria. “It means a lot for me to reach number 10 here in Barcelona, in front of the people of my club. I am very happy and emotional,” the left-hander said. Winning the last two weeks also has stamped Nadal as a favorite to win his 10^th French Open later this month. Thiem, who had upset top-ranked Andy Murray in the semifinals, reached his only break point on Nadal’s serve to begin the match. “The first set was vitally important,” Nadal said. “It was hard. I was having a few more chances than him, but it was very even and that is why I celebrated with so much energy at the end.” The 14-time Grand Slam champion didn’t drop a set all week on the Barcelona court named after him.

SIEGEMUND TRIUMPHANT

Laura Siegemund feels at home in Stuttgart – literally. A resident of the German city, Siegemund reached the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final for the second straight year, winning it this time by beating French youngster Kristina Mladenovic. Siegemund was a qualifier when she gained a berth in the title match last year. This time she was given a wild card entry in the tournament, and made the most of it. Both players earned their spots in the final. Mladenovic eliminated top-ranked Angelique Kerber, Carla Suárez Navarro and three-time champion Maria Sharapova. Siegemund beat Svetlana Kuznetsova, Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep before annexing the biggest title of her career. Trailing 1-4 in the decisive tiebreak, Siegemund won six of the next seven points, clinching the victory with a passing shot.

SECOND TITLE

Lucas Pouille had very little problem annexing his second ATP World Tour title. The Frenchman overpowered qualifier Aljaz Bedene in the Hungarian Open final, dropping just four games. “I feel very happy with the way I started the clay court season,” said Pouille, who was a semifinalist in Monte Carlo the week before. “To win here gives me a lot of confidence for the future.” Bedene, who has never won a title on the ATP World Tour, had won 16 consecutive matches going into the title contest against his French foe. “I wasn’t close to the level I should be at to beat Lucas, but he was playing really well,” Bedene said. “It was like everything went in for him.”

SVITOLINA A WINNER

It took just over an hour for Elina Svitolina to capture her third WTA crown. Playing Elise Mertens for the first time, Svitolina won the first five games of the match before the Belgian finally could get on the scoreboard. The top-seeded Svitolina was always in command while winning her third title of 2017, tops in the WTA. “Last time I played on clay I got injured in the early part of the season, so it was difficult for me to come back on this surface and trust my body and my legs,” Svitolina said. “This year I prepared better, took more time off, and I was very happy that physically I could make it through this week.” Mertens, who discovered her clay court form while leading Belgium to a Fed Cup win over Russia, was playing in only her second career final and found Svitolina too powerful.

SCANDAL MATERIAL?

Facing criticism from his own Fed Cup players, Ilie Nastase is having problems trying to step back from the remarks he made about Serena Williams and two members of Great Britain’s Fed Cup squad. “Anything I say, I am the bad boy,” Nastase complained. “Why write a news story like this? Just to have a scandal? There are more important things going on.” Before the Great Britain-Romania Fed Cup competition began, Nastase, the Romanian captain, was heard questioning the color of Williams’ baby. “Let’s see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?” Nastase said. Then, during the competition, he argued with the umpire before being abusive to British captain Anne Keothavong and player Johanna Konta. The 1973 French Open winner said his remarks about Williams’ baby were not racist. “If I said she would have an ugly, black (baby), that would have been racist,” he told Press Association. Romania’s top player, Simona Halep, said the Romanian Fed Cup team will not defend Nastase, who has been suspended by the International Tennis Federation because of his statements. “I didn’t like the way he talked and I cannot accept that,” Halep said. We cannot defend him in that direction.”

STOPS NUMBER ONE BID

Angelique Kerber’s bid for a third straight Porsche Tennis Grand Pix title was ended by Kristina Mladenovic. The second-round loss also kept Kerber from regaining the WTA’s number one ranking. Kerber would have regained the top spot over Serena Williams if she had reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart. Instead, it was Mladenovic who came up with the winning game. “I prepared my match a little bit differently,” the Frenchwoman said. “I played Angie already three times, always lost. I think that was our first one on clay and I really wanted to take advantage of the surface, being a bit more consistent, smarter, playing more angles but also aggressive. She began by winning the first three games of the one-hour, 37-minute match and also took a 3-0 lead in the second set.

SHARAPOVA TO PARIS?

Maria Sharapova will find out in the middle of this month exactly where she’ll begin her bid for a third French Open title. French tennis federation president Bernard Giudicelli said the players receiving wild cards into this year’s event will be made on May 16 at 7 p.m. Paris time. “The only guarantee I gave her is to call her beforehand,” Giudicelli said when asked if Sharapova would receive a wild card entry into the women’s singles main draw. “There is no reason why we should make an exception for Maria Sharapova, there is no reason why we should announce a wild card before the others.” Sharapova returned to competition in Stuttgart, Germany, last week following a 15-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. The Russian won Roland Garros in 2012 and 2014.

Several top players, including Angelique Kerber and Andy Murray, have questioned whether Sharapova should be given wild cards into main draws without having to play her way back through qualifying. She received wild cards into the Stuttgart tournament and in this month’s Italian Open in Rome.

SWISS MASTER PLANS

Roger Federer will return to tennis at this month’s French Open. It will be his first action since he won hard-court Masters events in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, Florida. He began this year by capturing the Australian Open, his 18^th Grand Slam tournament title, and is currently ranked fourth in the world. “I am registered and my intention is the play Roland Garros,” Federer said after defeating John Isner in an exhibition at Seattle, Washington, USA. The 35-year-old Swiss star won in Paris in 2009 to complete a career Grand Slam.

SICK BAY CALL

Bernard Tomic withdrew from his second-round match at the Barcelona Open due to a lower back injury. The Australian was to face top-ranked Andy Murray in the clay court tournament, who advanced with the walkover. Tomic’s first-round victory over Dustin Brown in three sets was his first after five straight first-round losses. The 24-year-old retired from a tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, last month because of the heat, and withdrew from the Miami Open citing a back problem.

SAYONARA

Albert Montanes called it a career after losing in the second round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell to fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-2 6-2. Montanes had announced the week before that his hometown clay court event would be his last tournament after nearly 20 years on tour. The 36-year-old won six ATP World Tour titles was ranked as high as 22^nd in the world in August 2010. His first-round victory over another Spaniard, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, was the 255^th of his career.

STAYING THE COURSE

Blaž Rola of Slovenia took the extended route to win the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. “It’s been a long, long week,” Rola said. “But I can’t really rest. Maybe a day or two and then I’ll head to Savannah (Georgia, USA) and hopefully keep the run going.” Rola won eight matches in eight days after going through qualifying, then the main draw to win his third ATP Challenger tournament. He captured the title by outlasting unseeded Ramkumar Ramanathan of India 6-2 6-7 (6) 7-5.

STILL WINNING

Like “Old Man River,” Leander Paes continues to roll on. The 43-year-old veteran from India teamed with Scott Lipsky to win the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger doubles, stopping third-seeded Maximo Gonzalez and Leonardo Mayer 4-6 7-6 (5) 10-7 (match tiebreak) in the final. Paes, who has won 18 Grand Slam tournament titles – all of them in doubles – stayed long after his match was completed to sign autographs for fans. Currently ranked 52^nd in the world in doubles, Paes sat atop the world rankings 18 years ago.

SEEKING MORE TESTS

Players on the professional tennis tours will undergo more doping tests this year The International Tennis Federation (ITF) together with ATP, Grand Slam Board and WTA said the number of tests this year will increase to 8,000 from 4,899 in 2016. They also said more samples will be placed in long-term storage. “Protecting the integrity of tennis is an ongoing priority of the governing bodies of tennis to ensure that tennis is and remains a clean sport, and these enhancements will make a positive contribution to achieving that priority,” said ITF president David Haggerty.

STADIUM PROJECT

Usually a player gets a tennis stadium named in his honor after he has finished his playing career. But Rafael Nadal is not your normal player. The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell named its main court after the Spanish star, who then went on to capture the clay court event for a record-tying 10^th time, but his first on Pista Rafa Nadal. “This place has meant a lot to me and the club deciding to name the center court with my name makes it even more special,” Nadal said during the special court naming ceremony earlier in the week.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Anning (men): Dino Marcan and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn beat Steven De Waard and Blaz Kavcic 5-7 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Anning (women): Han Kinyun and Ye Qiu Ya beat Prathana G. Thombare and Xun Fang Ying 6-2 7-5

Barcelona: Florin Mergea and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya 6-4 6-3

Budapest: Brian Baker and Nikola Mektic beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6 (2) 6-4

Istanbul: Dalia Jakupovic and Nadia Kichenok beat Nicole Melichar and Elise Mertens 7-6 (6) 6-2

Stuttgart: Raquel Atawo and Jelena Ostapenko beat Abigail Spears and Katarina Srebotnik 6-4 6-4

SURFING

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Estoril: http://millenniumestorilopen.com/en/

Istanbul: http://istanbulopen.kozawos.com/

Rabat: http://frmt.ma/frmt/

Prague: www.jtbopen.cz/en/news

Madrid: www.madrid-open.com/

Aix en Provence: www.opendupaysdaix.com/

Cagnes-sur-Mer: www.opendecagnes.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$579,299 BMW Open by FWU, Munich, Germany, clay

$579,299 Millennium Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal, clay

$533,137 TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, Istanbul, Turkey, clay

WOMEN

$226,750 GP SAR La Princesse Laila Meryem, Rabat, Morocco, clay

$226,750 J&T Banka Prague Open, Prague, Czech Republic, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$6,979,330 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

$138,318 Aix en Provence, Aix en Provence, France, clay

$100,000 Fila Seoul Open Challenger, Seoul, South Korea, hard

WOMEN

$5,439,350 Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, clay

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

Rafa Nadal Collects Incredible 10th Title In Monte Carlo

April 23, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 6-3 to win the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters in Monte Carlo, Monaco

Yen-Hsun Yu beat Tatsuma Ito 6-1 7-6 (4) to win the Santaizi Challenger in Taipei, Taiwan

Janko Tipsarevic beat Oscar Otte 6-3 7-6 (9) to win the International Challenger 2017 Qingdao in Qingdao, China

Wang Qiang beat Peng Shuai 3-6 7-6 (3) 1-1, retired, to win the Biyuan Cup Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open in Zhengzhou, China

Frances Tiafoe beat Tennys Sandgren 6-3 6-4 to win the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open in Sarasota, Florida, USA

FED CUP

World Group Semifinals

United States beat Czech Republic 3-2 at Wesley Chapel, Florida, USA

Belarus beat Switzerland 3-2 at Minsk, Belarus

World Group Playoffs

France beat Spain 4-0 at Roanne, France; Belgium beat Russia 3-2 at Moscow, Russia; Germany beat Ukraine 3-2 at Stuttgart, Germany Netherlands beat Slovakia 3-2 at Bratislava, Slovakia

World Group II Playoffs

Italy beat Chinese Taipei 3-1 at Barletta, Italy; Romania beat Great Britain 3-2 at Constanta, Romania; Australia beat Serbia 4-0 at Zrenjanin, Serbia; Canada beat Kazakhstan 3-2 at Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Group II

Europe/Africa Zone round-robin at Siauliai, Lithuania: Slovenia and Sweden promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group I in 2018; Lithuania and Egypt relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group III in 2018

SAYING

“I feel lucky to keep playing tennis, being healthy all those years, to compete in one of the most beautiful events of the year, without a doubt. Very happy to win another one. For me is a very important day in my career.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning a record 10^th Monte Carlo Masters.

“We expected a patriotic crowd for the Romanian team, but we don’t expect abusive language to be used … What he said directed to both Johanna (Konta) and myself is … language that is not appropriate for anyone to speak to any other human. – Anne Keothavong, British Fed Cup captain, on comments made by Romanian Fed Cup captain Ilie Nastase that caused him to be ejected from the tie.

“This is unacceptable behavior by a Fed Cup captain. No player, official, member of the media or fan should have to endure any kind of abuse, and Mr. Nastase will rightly play no further part in this tie.” – David Haggerty, president of the International Tennis Federation.

“I’m happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall.” – Kelly Bush Novak, a spokeswoman for Serena Williams confirming the pregnancy.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m doing everything that I can to play well.” – Novak Djokovic, when asked why he has been losing matches this year.

“You never win a tennis match by chance – football sometimes, but not tennis – so there is no doubt that Belarus was the better team. It seems to me that in key moments they were a little bit more courageous than we were, and this sport does reward the courageous.” – Heinz Guenthardt, Fed Cup captain of Switzerland’s team that lost its semifinal tie against Belarus.

“We all came together when it mattered most, and that’s what you expect out of a Fed Cup tie. We deserve to be in the finals.” – CoCo Vandeweghe, after leading the United States to a Fed Cup semifinal win over the Czech Republic.

“We were the underdog here. They are much better ranked, but I repeat from Day One: ‘We have to take our chance to win.’ I think the girls believed that.” – Dominique Monami, captain of the Belgium Fed Cup team that beat Russia 3-2.

“I never expected to beat Jo. I certainly didn’t expect to beat him on clay. But I tried not to think he was on the other side of the net. I just focused on what I had to do.” – Adrian Mannarino, after upsetting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Monte Carlo.

“I really want to congratulate him. He played a very good match. He was better than me today.” – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, on Adrian Mannarino.

“Today I did everything (right). I was very focused. I was really motivated after yesterday, and I’m really motivated to win this tie.” – Simona Halep, after beating Johanna Konta 6-1 6-3 and leading Romania to a 3-2 Fed Cup win over Great Britain.

SAME OLD NASTY

Ilie Nastase has once again lived up to his nickname “Nasty.” Nastase was kicked out of Romania’s Fed Cup tie against Britain for “unsportsmanlike conduct” following comments he made about Serena Williams’ unborn child, to British player Johanna Konta and visiting captain Anne Keothavong as well as aiming abuse at the umpire. “Mr. Nastase was also removed from the grounds due to his serious misconduct,” the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said in a statement. His accreditation was removed and he will play no further part in the tie.”

Nastase, captain of Romania’s Fed Cup team, was overheard at the official draw telling one of his team members about Williams’ baby. “Let’s see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?” he was quoted by Romanian and some British media as saying. At the official pre-match dinner, Nastase put his arm around Keothavong and asked for her room number, which the British captain said made her feel “uncomfortable.” Then, during the first day of play, Nastase was booted from the court by the umpire after a tirade of abuse left Konta in tears, causing play to be suspended briefly. “The ITF has launched an investigation into this matter as well as previous comments made by Mr. Nastase during the week,” the ITF said.

Now 70 years old, Nastase won the US Open in 1972 and the French Open in 1973.

Romania won its World Group II playoff tie, edging Great Britain 3-2. With the loss, Great Britain falls back to Europe/Asia Zone Group I play in 2018.

SPANISH SOVEREIGN

Rafael Nadal is back on clay, which means the Spaniard is back grabbing the biggest trophies at the end of tournaments. Nadal crushed fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas to win Monte Carlo for the 10^th time – the first time any player has won the same ATP tournament 10 times. Yet, Nadal can duplicate that remarkable feat at Barcelona this week and at the French Open next month. “Is really unbelievable, no?” Nadal said. “Win 10 times in such an important event like Monte Carlo is something difficult to describe the feeling. Yeah, is a little bit of luck; lot of things together should happen to make this 10^th title in an event like Monte Carlo.” Against Ramos-Vinolas, Nadal never faced a break point as he won a record 50^th clay title and his 70^th career crown. “The next step is not Roland Garros,” Nadal said. The next step is Barcelona. That’s the real thing. Today is a good start of the clay court season.”

SERENA EXPECTING

Announcing she is pregnant, Serena Williams has stepped away from tennis to await the birth of her first child. Williams has not played since winning the Australian Open in January, her record-breaking Open Era 23^rd Grand Slam tournament singles title snapping a tie with Steffi Graf. Margaret Smith Court of Australia has won 24 major titles, but 13 came before the Open Era began in 1968. In December, Williams announced that she and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian were engaged. She announced on Snapchat that she is 20 weeks pregnant, which means she was pregnant when she won in Melbourne, Australia. The 35-year-old Williams withdrew from two hard-court events in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, Florida, citing a knee injury.

The news of her pregnancy also came just before she returned to the number one spot in the WTA rankings. Her stay will be short, however. Angelique Kerber can regain the top spot by reaching the semifinals this week in Stuttgart, Germany. Williams has been ranked number one for 317 weeks, the third longest in the WTA Rankings history behind Stefanie Graff (377) and Martina Navratilova (332).

SERB SHOCKER

Novak Djokovic’s 2017 campaign took another step backwards at the Monte Carlo Masters, thanks to David Goffin. The Belgian finally prevailed 6-2 3-6 7-5 on his fifth match point to post his first career victory over Djokovic in six meetings. Goffin trailed 4-2 in the final set before breaking Djokovic in the eighth game, then held in a tight 11^th game. In the next game, Djokovic was hit with a time violation for taking too long to serve. “That’s fair from the chair umpire to tell me that I’m taking a little bit too much time,” the Serb said. “It was just in a very awkward moment to give me a warning. It’s just that sometimes there should be maybe a little bit more tolerance and understanding for certain situations like that one, where it was very long point at 6-5 in the third.” After Djokovic saved four match points, he committed a sloppy error to give Goffin a fifth chance. The Belgian hit a deep forehand to Djokovic netted. “I’m really happy with the way I finished the match,” Goffin said. “It was a great feeling, great atmosphere.”

Goffin failed to duplicate that performance in the semifinals, falling easily to Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-1.

SET FOR NEW CHAMPION

CoCo Vandeweghe had a hand in all three points as the United States eliminated three-time reigning Fed Cup champions Czech Republic to grab a spot in the final of the international team competition. The Czechs had won five of the last six Fed Cup trophies, but were no match for Vandeweghe, who has now won her last nine Fed Cup matches, including singles and doubles. “It was an amazing day as a team, and it shows that every point counts in this event,” said Vandeweghe, who won both of her singles matches, then teamed with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to capture the decisive doubles match. The victory will send the United States to surprising Belarus in November for the title. It is the first time in seven years that the Americans have reached the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final.

SASNOVICH AND SABALENKA

Two young players – Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Aryna Sabalenka – teamed up to give Belarus a surprising victory over Switzerland and a spot in the Fed Cup final against the United States. Sabalenka, a hard-hitting 18-year-old, downed Viktorija Golubic 6-3 2-6 6-4 to clinch the Belarus semifinal victory. That came after the 23-year-old Sasnovich surprised Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 7-6 (2). Sasnovich is ranked 96^th in the world, 74 spots below Switzerland’s top player. “She was better than me today,” Bacsinszky said. “She played amazing and was there at the right moments.” Belarus reached the Fed Cup final without former world number one Victoria Azarenka, who has recently indicated she is close to returning the WTA tour after giving birth to her first child.

SIGNS FOR PARIS

A two-time Wimbledon champion is keeping her options open to play this year’s French Open. Petra Kvitova, who has been sidelined since she was cut in the hand by an intruder in her home, has entered the Paris Grand Slam tournament. “My name will appear on the entry list for Roland Garros .. because, as the entry deadline approached, I had made good progress in my recovery process and I want to give myself every last opportunity to be able to compete at one of my favorite events,” Kvitova wrote on Instagram. “This unfortunately does not mean necessarily that I will be ready to play in Paris, but that I’m doing everything possible to give myself the chance and keep a positive mindset.”

SURPRISING WIN

A qualifier reached the third round at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters by upsetting seventh-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (3) 6-2 6-3. Adrian Mannarino used his powerful backhand and surprising forays to the net to post just his second career victory over a Top 10 player. “It is an important victory for me, beating Jo in a big tournament,” Mannarino said. “I’m very satisfied with the match. I had the right attitude.” Tsonga won the first three games of the match and had a 4-1 lead in the tiebreak before winning the opening set before Mannarino forced a tiebreak. Mannarino surged to a 5-0 lead in the second set, then broke Tsonga to move in front 3-1 in the decider. “He played a really good match,” Tsonga said of his conqueror. He’s one of the players who are really giving it their all on the Tour. He’s improving a lot.” Tsonga was playing his first match since the birth of his son, Shugar, last month. The Frenchman also celebrated his 32^nd birthday at the clay court tournament.

SUPERB MERTENS

Playing brilliantly, Elise Mertens won both of her singles matches and helped capture the doubles, leading Belgium to a surprising win over Russia in their Fed Cup World Group playoff tie staged in Moscow. “It means a lot to me,” a visibly exhausted Mertens said after the clinching doubles win. “If it didn’t I wouldn’t come here.” After the teas finished the opening day knotted 1-1, Mertens gave Belgium a 2-1 lead by defeating Elena Vesnina 6-4 1-6 6-2. Daria Kasatkina pulled Russia level again with her win over Maryna Zanevska, setting up the decisive doubles match. And it was the Belgians who prevailed as Mertens and An-Sophie Mestach beat Vesnina and Kasatkina in straight sets. “I had nothing to lose,” Mertens said. “We came all the way to represent Belgium.”

STAYING HOME

Nick Kyrgios won’t begin his clay-court campaign until next month. The 21-year-old Australian, fresh off a brilliant Davis Cup performance against the United States, will begin his French Open preparation at Estoril, Portugal, which begins May 1. While Kyrgios did not give a reason for pulling out of last week’s Monte Carlo Masters, it is believed he is suffering from fatigue.

SEXY TENNIS

It definitely was a love match, although it didn’t take place on the court at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open. The first-round match between Frances Tiafoe and Mitchell Krueger was interrupted by loud noises made by a couple enjoying themselves in a nearby condo. The moaning, which could be heard throughout the James T. Driscoll Stadium, caused Krueger to hit a ball in the direction of the noise. One point later, Tiafoe shouted at the couple, “It can’t be that good,” drawing laughter from the crowd, some of whom covered their ears with their hands. Tournament director Tony Driscoll said: “It’s quiet while you’re playing, obviously. You could hear a pin drop and it was, yeah, interesting.” Tiafoe won the match 6-3 6-2. He went on to win the title, stopping fellow American Tennys Sandgren in the final 6-3 6-4.

SPECIAL HONOR

Rod Laver will be honored during the 117^th Ojai Valley Tennis tournament this week. The native of Australia, who won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, including all four in both 1962 and 1969, will be the tournament’s special guest on Friday at the California club. “To have a player the stature of Rod Laver chosen as our tournament honoree is absolutely a dream come true,” said Mark Weil, an organizer of the event. “A true living legend of the game, we are so excited to honor him this year at the 117^th Ojai.” Among others participating in the ceremony will be fellow International Tennis Hall of Famer Tracy Austin and actor Malcolm McDowell.

STADIUM PROJECT

The Australian Open will build a 5,000-seat stadium in an effort at keeping the year’s first Grand Slam tournament at its current site. Work on the new facility will begin in 2019 and will be used for basketball, concerts and other sports besides tennis. The Australian Open has been played in Melbourne since 1988, but there have been suggestions in the past few years that the event, known as the “Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific,” be shared with Sydney, Australia, as well as Shanghai, China, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tim Pallas, Victoria state treasurer, said the Australian Open is staying put in Melbourne. “It is a pretty good facility, but we want the best facility, not only in the nation but in the world,” Pallas said.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Monte Carlo: Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas beat Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-3 3-6 1-4 (match tiebreak)

Qingdao: Gero Kretschmer and Alexander Satschko beat Andreas Mies and Oscar Otte 2-6 7-6 (3) 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Sarasota: Scott Lipsky and Jurgen Melzer beat Stefan Kozlov and Peter Polansky 6-2 6-4

Taipei: Marco Chiudinelli and Franko Skugor beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 4-6 6-2 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Zhengzhou: Han Xinyun and Zhu Lin beat Jacqueline Cako and Julia Glushko 7-5 6-1

SURFING

Barcelona: www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com/es

Budapest: www.huntennis.hu/

Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de/

Istanbul: http://istanbulcup.kozawos.com/

Anning: www.tennis.org.cn

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Estoril: http://millenniumestorilopen.com/en/

Istanbul: http://istanbulopen.kozawos.com/

Rabat: http://frmt.ma/frmt/

Prague: www.jtbopen.cz/en/news

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$2,762,920 Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, clay

$573,209 Gazprom Hungarian Open, Budapest, Hungary, clay

$150,000 Kunming Challenger, Anning, China, clay

WOMEN

$710,900 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, clay

$226,750, TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup, Istanbul, Turkey, clay

$100,000 Hotspring Peninsula ITF, Anning, China, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$579,299 BMW Open by FWU, Munich, Germany, clay

$579,299 Millennium Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal, clay

$533,137 TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, Istanbul, Turkey, clay

WOMEN

$226,750 GP SAR La Princesse Laila Meryem, Rabat, Morocco, clay

$226,750 J&T Banka Prague Open, Prague, Czech Republic, clay

A Look At The 2017 Monte Carlo Open

April 12, 2017 by Admin

The Monte Carlo Open marks the official start of the clay court season on the ATP World Tour.

The luxurious haven for the rich and famous along the Mediterranean coast will be an early indicator of who will be in early clay court form leading into the French Open in May.

Monte Carlo is one of the most historic events in tennis with a long list of great and interesting players who have won the championship. The event started in 1897 and was one by British great Reggie Doherty, who ended up winning the title six times, while his brother Lawrence won the tournament four times. Anthony Wilding, the swash-bulking New Zealander won the title five times, Henri Cochet of France, Nicola Pietrangeli of Italy, Ilie Nastase of Romania, Bjorn Borg of Sweden and Thomas Muster of Austria have won the title three times each. Americans have not fared well, and often don’t even bother playing on the slow red clay event. Bill Tilden won the title in 1930 and Frank Parker in 1949. American Straight Clark won an All-American final in 1951 beating Fred Kovaleski, who at the time, was a CIA spy! The last American to win in Monte Carlo was Hugh Stewart in 1956.

Three players to keep an eye on for the 2017 edition of the event are Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic, who lives in Monte Carlo, will be returning to play after missing the Miami Open due to elbow issues. With Djokovic’s relative “slump” and Andy Murray’s elbow injuries, many are targeting Wawrinka to potentially seize the No. 2 ranking and his charge up to that slot could start in Monte Carlo, where he won the title in 2014, beating Roger Federer in the final.

Federer will not be playing in Monaco – saying he will take most if not all of the clay-court season off leading into the French Open. During his victory speech after winning the Miami Open final over Nadal, Federer joked that his Spanish rival would likely beat up on all comers once again during the clay season and Monte Carlo will be the first test. Nadal has won Monte Carlo nine times, including last year against Gael Monfils in the final, but has not won a title since he won on clay in Barcelona almost a year ago. That makes Nadal especially hungry to return to the winner’s circle and bite into another trophy as he traditionally does. No one is more motivated for the clay-court season than Nadal at the moment, so look out.

Roger Federer Continues “Dream” Season, Wins Miami – Mondays with Bob Greene

April 3, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4 to win the Miami Open men’s singles in Miami, Florida, USA

Johanna Konta beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-3 to win the Miami Open women’s singles in Miami, Florida, USA

SAYING

“The dream continues. What a start to the year. Can’t believe it.” – Roger Federer, who added the Miami Open to his Australian Open and Indian Wells titles.

“I think I am close to what I need to be. I am at a very high level of tennis and I believe I am ready to win titles.” – Rafael Nadal, after losing to Roger Federer in the Miami Open final.

“I probably won’t play any clay court events except the French (Open).” – Roger Federer.

“I had no more gas in the second and third sets. But at the end of the day, you have to try with what you have that day, and today was not enough.” – Stan Wawrinka, after losing to Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-2 6-1.

“Is it the best I’ve ever played? For me, it’s hard to say yes to that question. … Maybe on the offensive side, overall, I think I’m doing definitely a few things better than I ever have. I do feel that I have improved. The game has evolved, I had to adjust, but overall I do believe I’m probably a better player than I was 10 years ago.” – Roger Federer, responding to a question.

“This wasn’t the best start I would have wished for, but it’s not a drama because I’m still playing good and winning matches. I’m looking forward to playing again.” – Angelique Kerber, after losing to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals at Miami.

“I started normal, and then like at 3-3 or something like this I started to feel headache, pain in my stomach. And then it kind of went more and more during the match. When I was getting to the 5-4, something like this, I started to feel a little bit dizzy. I think it was the heat?” – Garbiñe Muguruza, who retired after losing the first set while playing Caroline Wozniacki.

“It’s just my personality to be hard on myself. I want to change that in the future. I can say that I’m better than before, and I’m working on it.” – Simona Halep, who was two points from victory before losing to Johanna Konta 3-6 7-6 (7) 6-2.

“I think I’ve always had the belief of wanting to become a Grand Slam champion, wanting to become the best in the world. I think that stays throughout, with every player I imagine, their career. Without that, I don’t think it makes … victories as sweet and I think also the defeats as motivating. I think that stays.” – Johanna Konta.

SUPER FED

“It’s been a fabulous couple of weeks,” Roger Federer said. He was so right. The 35-year-old Swiss star defeated Rafael Nadal for the fourth straight time to win the Miami Open, his third title of the year. He has won 19 of 20 matches this year, won a major for the first time since 2012 and captured two Masters titles for the first time since 2014. “I was more in fight-mode today, just trying to stay afloat,” Federer said of the Miami final. “Physically and emotionally it has been a draining week. I think I did very well.” Federer broke Nadal just twice. It was all he needed as once again he rifled winners from the baseline or ended points with sharply angled volleys as Nadal lost in the Miami Open title match for the fifth time in his career. “Maybe if you didn’t see the match and just saw the score, you might think it was some sort of straightforward match with a couple of breaks,” Federer said. “But that is not the full story.” The full story is that Federer is playing some of the best tennis of his career.

SOFT LANDING

With a perfectly placed lob, Johanna Konta wound up with the biggest title of her career. Konta out-gunned former world number one Caroline Wozniacki to win the Miami Open women’s singles. The final-point lob caught Wozniacki at the net, and the Dane race back to the baseline, then waited for instant replay to confirm the call. “I couldn’t believe it was really over,” Konta said. “I was convinced there were more points coming.” It was one of the few things Konta was wrong about on the day she won the tournament she failed to qualify for just two years ago. Against Wozniacki, Konta was the more aggressive, finishing with 33 winners to just eight for her Danish opponent. “She’s very aggressive,” Wozniacki said. “She takes the ball early and stresses the opponent. With her third career title, Konta climbed to a career-high seventh in this week’s WTA rankings.

SIDELINED?

On her way to the Miami Open semifinals, Venus Williams knocked off top-ranked Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. “I have to play well against the number one in the world,” Williams said. “She’s on top of her game and she played well, so I had to find a way to play a little better.” It was the first time Williams had played Kerber since the two clashed in the semifinals at Wimbledon last summer. The German won that encounter in straight sets. She broke Williams in the game’s opening match, but the American’s aggressive play proved to be too much for Kerber. “She was really aggressive from the beginning and was hitting the balls really hard,” Kerber said. “I think I didn’t move too well today and made a lot of mistakes, which isn’t normal for my game. It wasn’t my best game, but she deserved to win because she played really well.” Williams lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Johanna Konta.

SERENA’S RETURN

Serena Williams has picked the Madrid Open in May as her first tournament since winning the Australian Open in January. She pulled out of both the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and the Miami Open because of a knee injury. Sitting on the sidelines caused her to lose her number ranking to Germany’s Angelique Kerber. Williams has been selective over which tournaments she will play to give herself every chance of winning more Grand Slam events.

SO CLOSE

Nick Kyrgios came out of his latest loss a winner. Roger Federer in the Miami Open semifinals edged the 21-year-old Australian 7-6 (9) 6-7 (9) 7-6 (5) in the tournament’s best match. “My draw was incredibly tough this week,” Kyrgios said. “I thought (Ivo) Karlovic third round, I could have lost there. Playing (David) Goffin, then (Alexander) Zverev, then Federer. Maybe if I played a couple of easier rounds I could have got over the line (against Federer). Who knows?” Known previously for his hijinks as well as his tremendous talent, Kyrgios has beaten Novak Djokovic twice this year. And he matched Federer almost stroke for stroke before the Swiss master pulled out the three-hour victory. “I feel like my level of tennis has always been high,” Kyrgios said, “but mentally I’m competing for every point. That’s making a difference. I need to keep putting that in every day. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m 16^th in the world. There are 15 players better than me.”

SENIOR CHAMPION

Leander Paes just won’t quit – and he shouldn’t. The 43-year-old teamed with Canadian Adil Shamasdin to win the Leon Challenger Tour event in Leon, Mexico, beating Luca Margaroli of Switzerland and Caro Zampieri of Brazil 6-1 6-4 in the USD $75,000 hard-court event. It was the 20^th ATP Challenger title for Indian veteran, who has now won at least one title every year for the past 26 years. Paes has been named a reserve on India’s Davis Cup team that will meet Uzbekistan in a Group I second-round tie this week.

SAYS NO

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission again has said no to tennis great Bill Tilden. A year ago, a commission pan voted 4-1 against recommending a historical marker honoring Tilden be installed at Philadelphia’s Germantown Cricket Club, citing Tilden’s convictions in the 1940s on charges involving teenage boys. Karen Galle, coordinator of the historical marker program, said the panel again voted 4-1 against approving the marker, a recommendation that was confirmed by the full commission. Tilden was the first American to win Wimbledon in 1920 and won seven US Championships. In 1950, The Associated Press voted him the greatest player of the first half of the century. After his convictions, Tilden’s Germantown membership was revoked and his portrait was removed. In recent years the club has been lobbying for a historical marker at the site.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Miami (men): Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Nicholas Monroe and Jack Sock 7-5 6-3

Miami (women): Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan beat Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova 6-46-3

SURFING

Charleston: www.volvocaropen.com/

Monterrey: http://abiertognpseguros.com/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/en/

Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/

Marrakech: www.gphassan2tennis.com/

Biel: www.ladiesopen.ch/

Bogota: www.copaclarocolsanitas.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

WOMEN

$710,900 Volvo Car Open, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay

$226,750 Abierto Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

DAVIS CUP

World Group Quarterfinals

Belgium vs. Italy at Charleroi, Belgium, hard

Australia vs. United States at Brisbane, Australia, hard

France vs. Great Britain at Rouen, France, clay

Serbia vs. Spain at Belgrade, Serbia, hard

Group I

Americas Zone, Second Round: Ecuador vs. Brazil at Ambato, Ecuador, clay; Colombia vs. Chile at Medellin, Colombia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Kazakhstan vs. China at Astana, Kazakhstan, clay; India vs. Uzbekistan at Bangalore, India, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone Relegation Playoff: New Zealand vs. Korea at Auckland, New Zealand, hard

Europe/Africa Zone, Second Round: Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Netherlands at Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina, hard; Belarus vs. Austria at Minsk, Belarus, hard; Portugal vs. Ukraine at Portugal, clay

Group 2

Americas Zone, Second Round: Barbados vs. Guatemala at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Venezuela vs. El Salvador at Miami, Florida, USA, hard

Americas Zone, Relegation Playoff: Mexico vs. Paraguay at Zapopan, Mexico, hard; Bolivia vs. Bahamas at Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Thailand vs. Philippines at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone, Relegation Playoff: Iran vs. Vietnam at Isfahan, Iran, clay; Indonesia vs. Kuwait at Solo, Indonesia, hard

Europe/Africa Zone, Second Round: Turkey vs. Sweden at Antalya, Turkey, clay; Georgia vs. Lithuania at Tbilisi, Georgia, hard; Norway vs. Denmark at Stavanger, Norway, hard; South Africa vs. Slovenia at Centurion, South Africa, hard

Europe/Africa Zone, Relegation Playoff: Cyprus vs. Tunisia at Nicosia, Cyprus, hard; Finland vs. Madagascar at Hanko, Finland, hard; Morocco vs. Latvia at Marrakech, Morocco, clay; Estonia vs. Monaco at Tallinn, Estonia, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$600,345 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Houston, Texas, USA, clay

$575,419 Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

WOMEN

$226,750 Ladies Open Biel Bienne, Biel, Switzerland, hard

$226,750 Claro Open Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, clay

Miami Open Is A Rare Title Missing From Rafael Nadal’s Career Resume

March 29, 2017 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Every all-time great tennis player not only plays against their opponents and rivals, but against history too.

Players of this ilk always have an eye on their career resumes and are looking to add to legacy in the game with titles, records and accomplishments. Winning a major title is certainly a goal, becoming a world No. 1 is another. Winning an Olympic medal and the Davis Cup are also top goals.

In the case of Rafael Nadal, one big title that has eluded him as been the Miami Open. This title, as well as the year-end ATP World Tour Finals, are the only two big tournaments that Rafael Nadal has never won.

Nadal has been a runner-up in Miami on three occasions – in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 – being points away from the title twice. In 2005, was just two points from the title, leading Roger Federer two sets to love and 4-2 in the third set and 5-3 in the third-set tiebreaker, before losing 2-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-1 in the best-of-five set final. In 2008, one of Nadal’s best years when he first achieved the No. 1 ranking, he lost the Miami final to No. 4-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-2, a match he was a heavy favorite to win. In 2011, Nadal won the first set from Novak Djokovic in the final, but eventually lost in three-and-a-half-hour marathon just three points from victory 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), a Nadal double-fault at 2-2 in the decisive tie-breaker being the difference in the match. In 2014, Nadal once again lost to Djokovic, but by a more decisive 6-3, 6-3 scoreline.

Nadal has won nine French Championships, as has been so well documented, as well as two Wimbledon titles, two U.S. Open titles and one Australian Open title. He won Olympic gold in singles in 2008 (and gold in doubles in 2016!) and led Spain to the Davis Cup title four times.

And then there are the ATP 1000 level events, in the past referred to as the “Super 9” of which some have long and storied histories and others that are starting traditions and are only prestigious now due to ATP points and prize money offered. At these events, Nadal has won in Indian Wells three times (2007, 2009 and 2013), Monte Carlo nine times, Rome seven times and also in Madrid in its two incarnations as an indoor hard event in the Fall in 2005 and as a clay event in the Spring in 2010 and 2014.

During the summer hard court season, Nadal has won in Canada three times (2005, 2008 and 2013) and also in Cincinnati in 2013.

Nadal has not won in Shanghai and at the Paris Indoors, two of the more recent additions to this elite level of events, without as much of the history and tradition as the others. Nadal, however, did also win at the German Championships in Hamburg when it was a “Super 9” event in 2008.

By comparison, the only missing titles on Federer’s resume are Monte Carlo and Rome, but has also has won all four major titles, the Davis Cup for Switzerland, Olympic gold in doubles (silver in singles) and the ATP World Tour Finals six times. For Djokovic, Cincinnati remains the missing link on his career resume, in addition to an Olympic gold medal, although the Serbian did win a bronze medal in singles in 2008.

Andy Murray and Milos Raonic May Be Out With Injuries – Mondays with Bob Greene

March 26, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Miami Open, first week

Jared Donaldson won when third-seeded Milos Raonic withdrew from their match because of injury

Borna Coric beat fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-1 7-5

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni beat fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0 6-3

Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-4

Guido Pello beat ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 7-6 (4)

SAYING

“A win is a win. I don’t wish to have matches this tough every day, but I’m very happy with the way I’m facing them.” – Garbiñe Muguruza, after beating Zhang Shuai in three long sets.

“I want to get everything better, form movement to shot selection, shot technique, improve my serve. … Physically I want to be stronger. I want to work smart to prevent injuries. Overall, I’m always looking to improve.” – Victoria Azarenka, who is planning to return to the tennis tour this summer.

“He makes it look so easy. That’s what’s so frightening.” – Tommy Haas, on Roger Federer’s game.

“Luckily, I’m strong enough and stubborn enough, and patient enough, that I was waiting for my opportunities. That’s why I’m here at (age) 35.” – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, explaining her remarkable year that saw her reach the Australian Open semifinals.

SWEPT AWAY

For the second time this year Agnieszka Radwanska has had to play Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. And for the second time this year, Lucic-Baroni has come away the winner. “She was playing unbelievable tennis today,” Radwanska said after losing to Lucic-Baron 6-0 6-3. “She was very solid from the beginning, very aggressive, hitting everything with unbelievable speed. I couldn’t do much.” Lucic-Baroni also beat Radwanska at the Australian Open in January. Radwanska was seeded fifth at the Miami Open, Lucic-Baroni 26^th. “She was just too good today,” Radwanska said. This is the fifth consecutive tournament that Radwanska has failed to win at least two matches. Since reaching the final of the Shenzhen Open in January, Radwanska has posted a 4-5 record.

SHOCKER

Guido Pella? The Argentine pulled off a stunning second-round shocker at the Miami Open when he knocked off ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 7-6 (4). It was the first time Pella, ranked 158^th in the world, has beaten a player ranked in the Top 15 since he felled John Isner at the Rio Open in February 2016 when the American was ranked 11^th. Dimitrov struggled throughout the nearly two-hour match, finishing with 38 unforced errors against only 18 winners. Nerves got to Pella and he double faulted on his first match point while leading 6-3 in the second-set tiebreak. But Dimitrov sailed a backhand wide on the next point to give Pella the victory.

STILL PLAYING

Rafael Nadal struggled at the start before making sure his 1,000^th career match was yet another victory. The Spaniard lost the opening set to Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-0, just the 14^th time in his career he was bageled in a set. The fifth-seeded Nadal went on to win 0-6 6-2 6-3. Nadal is the 11^th played in the Open Era to play in 1,000 singles matches, including ATP World Tour, Grand Slam, Davis Cup and WCT events. Jimmy Connors leads with 1,535 matches played, while Roger Federer, at 1,340, is second on the list, followed by Ivan Lendl (1,310), Guillermo Vilas (1,215) and Andre Agassi (1,144). The only other active player on the list is another Spaniard, David Ferrer, who is ninth at 1,034.

SIDELINED?

According to his brother, top-ranked Andy Murray could miss next week’s Davis Cup because of injury. Jamie Murray said Andy is suffering from a “tear in the elbow.” There is a possibility Murray, who pulled out of this week’s Miami Open citing an injury to his right elbow, won’t return to competition until the Madrid Masters in six weeks. “He said he can do everything except serve, and he told me rest was all he had to do,” Jamie Murray said of his brother. “I am not planning that he is going to be there (in Rouen, France, next week when Britain takes on France in a Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal tie). If he is, then obviously great for the team and we’ll see what happens. But the most important thing for him is just to get healthy because he has had a few issues now.” This year Andy Murray has suffered from shingles, the elbow and with the flu.

SHE’S COMING BACK

Now that she’s given birth to a boy, Leo, Victoria Azarenka is preparing to return to the WTA tour. Azarenka told Tennis Channel that she also has a new coach, Michael Joyce, the long-time coach and hitting partner to Maria Sharapova. “My goal now is to be ready for summer, the US Open Series, and we’ll see where it goes, the former world number one said. “This is realistically where I want to start. … I don’t want to rush anything. I’ve done it before after injuries and it didn’t work out well.” Azarenka won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013. She began last year by winning three of four tournaments, including Indian Wells and Miami, before announcing she was taking off to give birth to her baby.

SKIPPING PAKISTAN

Hong Kong forfeited its second-round Davis Cup tie against Pakistan, citing security concerns. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said it “regrets and respectfully disagrees” with the decision to withdraw from the Asian/Oceania Zone Group match. The Davis Cup committee had ruled that the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad could hold the April 7-9 second-round tie. Pakistan hosted a first-round tie against Iran in February. The ITF said the Internal Adjudication Panel will consider Hong Kong’s default “to determine whether a breach has been committed.” Pakistan advances to the third round where it will face the winner of the second-round tie between the Philippines and Thailand.

SICK CALL

Third-seeded Milos Raonic withdrew from the Miami Open prior to his third-round match because of a hamstring injury. “It’s related to the previous injury I sustained almost four weeks ago, if not a little bit more than four weeks ago, in Delray Beach,” Raonic said. “It’s the same muscle in the hamstring up high. It got progressively worse after my first round, after practicing yesterday, and it seemed like it was not possible for me to compete today without putting myself at significant risk.” The walk-over gave American Jared Donaldson a spot in the Miami Open Round of 16.

SENIOR PLAYER

Younes El Aynaoui played in a Futures event, which is an oxymoron. The 45-year-old Moroccan won three matches before losing to a player 25 years his junior. Viktor Durasovic won the Bahrain F1 Futures second-round match 7-6 (2) 6-4 in Manama, Bahrain. El Aynaoui won two qualifying matches to enter the main draw of the USD $15,000 tournament, then captured his first-round match. They were his first wins at a professional level since he reached the second round of the ATP event in Doha, Qatar, seven years ago. El Aynaoui reached four Grand Slam tournament quarterfinals and was ranked as high as 14^th in the world in 2003. That was the year he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals by defeating then world number one Lleyton Hewitt in four sets before losing to Andy Roddick 21-19 in the fifth set of a match that lasted over five hours. El Aynaoui was in Manama to coach several players in the Futures event and was given a wild card into the qualifying by tournament organizers.

SWITCH IN WORKS?

Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, reportedly wants to build a tennis complex adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium and move the Miami Open tennis tournament from Key Biscayne to Miami Gardens. Ross and Tom Garfinkel, president of the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, have met with Miami Open executive to discuss their plan. According to reports, they would build a stadium court inside the football stadium for marquee matches, a smaller permanent grandstand stadium, permanent match courts and permanent practice courts. The proposal would be privately funded.

SURFING

Miami: www.miamiopen.com/

Charleston: www.volvocaropen.com/

Monterrey: http://abiertognpseguros.com/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/en/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

Miami Open presented by Itaú, Miami, Florida, USA (second week)

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

WOMEN

$710,900 Volvo Car Open, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay

$226,750 Abierto Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

DAVIS CUP

World Group Quarterfinals

Belgium vs. Italy at Charleroi, Belgium, hard

Australia vs. United States at Brisbane, Australia, hard

France vs. Great Britain at Rouen, France, clay

Serbia vs. Spain at Belgrade, Serbia, hard

Group I

Americas Zone, Second Round: Ecuador vs. Brazil at Ambato, Ecuador, clay; Colombia vs. Chile at Medellin, Colombia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Kazakhstan vs. China at Astana, Kazakhstan, clay; India vs. Uzbekistan at Bangalore, India, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone Relegation Playoff: New Zealand vs. Korea at Auckland, New Zealand, hard

Europe/Africa Zone, Second Round: Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Netherlands at Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina, hard; Belarus vs. Austria at Minsk, Belarus, hard; Portugal vs. Ukraine at Portugal, clay

Group 2

Americas Zone, Second Round: Barbados vs. Guatemala at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Venezuela vs. El Salvador at Miami, Florida, USA, hard

Americas Zone, Relegation Playoff: Mexico vs. Paraguay at Zapopan, Mexico, hard; Bolivia vs. Bahamas at Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Thailand vs. Philippines at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone, Relegation Playoff: Iran vs. Vietnam at Isfahan, Iran, clay; Indonesia vs. Kuwait at Solo, Indonesia, hard

Sam Querrey Stuffs Rafael Nadal In Acapulco – Mondays with Bob Greene

March 5, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Andy Murray beat Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-2 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sam Querrey beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 7-6 (3) to win the men’s singles at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico

Lesia Tsurenko beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 7-5 to win the women’s singles at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico

Ashleigh Barty beat Nao Hibino 6-3 6-2 to win the ALYA WTA Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Jurgen Melzer beat Michael Przysiezny 6-4 6-3 to win the Wroclaw Open 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland

SAYING

“I defended pretty well and moved well. I served a lot better as the match went on. It was obviously good to win the first tournament here.” – Andy Murray, after winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the first time.

“He’s number one in the world right now. It was obviously a really difficult final to win, but I came trying everything and giving everything.” – Fernando Verdasco, after losing to Andy Murray in Dubai.

“After the match against (David) Goffin, I knew I could go far here if I continued to play at that level. My forehand and backhand were great and my serve bailed me out of trouble when I needed it.” – Sam Querrey, after upsetting Rafael Nadal to win in Acapulco.

“He played very well, almost reaching perfection.” – Rafael Nadal, explaining why he lost to Sam Querrey in the Acapulco final.

“Losing is always disappointing, but I’m not sad. I played great tennis, one of my best matches. We both played almost the best tennis we can play.” – Philipp Kohlschreiber, after losing a brilliantly played second-set tiebreak and eventually the match to Andy Murray in Dubai.

“I’m over the moon. I don’t really know what to say. I’m a bit speechless.” – Ashleigh Barty, a qualifier, after winning her first career singles title, the ALYA Malaysian Open, then teaming with Casey Dellacqua to win the doubles.

“That tiebreak: we did really well after being 5-1 down.” – Casey Dellacqua, who with Ashleigh Barty won rallied to the doubles in straight sets in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“I wasn’t thinking about winning at any stage. I knew I had to stay in the moment because I’ve been in situations where matches have gotten away from me, so I had to stay switched on the whole time. I knew that if I just waited and waited, eventually I’d get my chance.” – Nick Kyrgios, following his win over Novak Djokovic.

STOMPIN’ SCOT

Fernando Verdasco proved to be no match for Andy Murray as the Scot dominated his Spanish opponent to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Murray’s first title of 2017 and the 45^th of his career. The world’s top-ranked player needed just 73 minutes to close out the victory on his first match point. “It’s obviously nice to finally win here,” Murray said, referring to his loss in the Dubai final to Roger Federer in 2012. “It feels great to take the trophy for the first time.” In their 14 career meetings, Murray has lost just once. It also was his second final of the year, with Murray losing to Novak Djokovic in Doha in January. Murray is the first British player to win the Dubai tournament in its 25-year history.

SAM THE MAN

Sam Querrey grabbed the biggest title of his career by shocking Rafael Nadal in the final at Acapulco, Mexico. “It’s definitely a tournament that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Querrey said after beating Nadal for the first time in his career. “It’s just one of those weeks where I got in the zone and everything was working for me. I hope I can have more like this.” Nadal reached the title match without dropping a set. Querry proved to be an obstacle too big to overcome. The winner pounded out 19 aces and repeatedly struck huge forehand winners. “I played under a lot of pressure because of his serve and baseline game,” Nadal said. “He left me with very few options, and the few I had he also played good.” Nadal had six break points in the match, but Querrey saved them all. His ninth career title was deserved by Querrey, who during the week also beat Dominic Thiem, David Goffin and Nick Kyrgios.

SWEET SWEEP

It was a dream week for Ashleigh Barty. The Australian not only qualified for the main draw singles at the ALYA WTA Malaysian Open, she won the title, beating Nao Hibino. Then Barty teamed with Casey Dellacqua to capture the doubles, stopping Nicole Melichar and Makotoa Ninomiya. “I feel great – very tired, but great,” Barty said. “It’s been a monster week for me. I don’t think I could have physically played any more matches.” The 20-year-old Barty put pressure on Hibino’s serve from the beginning of the match, and after wrapped up the 73-minute final by serving it out with a love game. Then came the doubles. The Australian pair trailed 5-1 in the first-set tiebreak before ripping off the next six points to win the set. “In tennis, you’re never out of it,” Dellacqua said. “I think that was pretty crucial to get that first set, and then just to get a break in the second, to space that lead out a little bit. That tiebreak: we did really well after being 5-1 down.”

STOPPED BY RAIN

Rain halted play in the second set of the Brasil Open, which was to be completed on Monday. With Albert Ramos-Vinolas leading Pablo Cuevas 7-6 (3) 3-3, the rain began again, this time much heavier and causing play to stop. Just one point into the second set rain briefly delayed the action. Cuevas played better and took a 3-1 lead. But Ramos-Vinolas got the break back. With Ramos-Vinolas serving at 3-3, the rain began again and the players were taken off the court. In the first-set tiebreak, Cuevas committed four straight errors to give Ramos-Vinolas a 6-2 lead. Another error, this time on the forehand side, gave the Spaniard the opening set.

SURVIVING

Andy Murray survived seven match points before beating Philipp Kohlschreiber and advancing to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. After dropping the first set, Murray outlasted Kohlschreiber 20-18 in the second-set tiebreaker. “I have never played a tiebreak that long ever,” Murray said. “I’ll probably never play another one like that again. I mean, I have been playing on the tour for 11, 12 years now, and nothing’s been close to that.” The tiebreak wasn’t just long. It featured great shots by both players. And it was so intense that umpire Renaud Lictenstein and both players forgot to change ends at 15-15. They changed two games later, at 16-16. “There was definitely some unbelievable points in that second-set tiebreak,” Murray said. “We both missed a couple of shots, but in general I think the level was extremely high. It’s a special match to win because of how it went.”

SAYING GOODBYE

The most successful Israeli woman to play on the WTA tour has retired. Shahar Peer, who was ranked as high as 11^th in the world, called it quits. “I made this decision following a chronic inflammation in my shoulder that has been lasting for over two years and prevents me from competing at the high level that I am used to and expect from myself,” Peer wrote on Facebook. “At the same time, I lost my desire for the game of tennis and the intense way of life I have lived since I was 6.5 years old. Besides winning five WTA titles and becoming the first Israeli woman to reach the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam tournament, Peer in 2008 became the first Israeli to compete in a WTA tournament in the Arabian Peninsula. She compiled a 45-31 record in Fed Cup play and in 2008 represented Israel at the Beijing Olympics. “I look back on this experience with a huge smile, a lot of happiness and satisfaction,” she wrote.

STUNNER

Twice Roger Federer reached match point against Evgeny Donskoy – at 6-4 and 7-6 in the second-set tiebreak. Twice Donskoy, a qualifier, battled back, eventual won the tiebreak and force a third set. That’s where he stunned Federer, a seven-time former champion, in an early round match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “I surprised everyone today,” Donskoy said. “I think whoever wins against Roger surprises himself. I can say it’s a dream come true, but I don’t like this because you always want to win, even if it’s Roger.” Donskoy also staved off a third match point, when Federer served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. But he lost his serve at 30 and Donskoy eventually forced another tiebreak. This time Federer raced out to a 5-2 lead with two serves to come. In an astonishing turn of events, Donskoy won the final five points of the match to pull off the upset. It was just the third time since 2007 that Federer has lost to a qualifier, and it was his first defeat of the year.

STOP AT THE TOP

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares finally won a title this year. The pair beat John Isner and Feliciano Lopez to capture the crown at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico. “We did well to win the first match this week because we were down for most of the match tiebreak,” Murray said of their battle against Marin Cilic and Nikola Mektic, which they won 6-3 2-6 10-8 (match tiebreak). “But that’s what often happens in doubles. You squeeze through the first match and go on to win the tournament.”

SURPRISED

Like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic was shocked out of tournament in mid-week. The top-seeded Serb was ousted by Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (9) 7-5 at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. “It’s what I dream of as a little kid, playing on these great venues against some of the greatest players in the world,” Kyrgios said. “I never have a problem getting up for these matches.” The Australian now has career victories over Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

Troubles seemed to pile up for a former ESPN announcer. Doug Adler said he suffered a heart attack that he says is linked to stress from his legal dispute with his former employer. Adler was fired by ESPN after he apparently described Venus Williams as using “gorilla tactics.” The announcer said he said “guerilla tactics.” He claims he was fired even though ESPN and its executives knew he used the word “guerilla.” Adler said doctors blamed the heart attack on stress stemming from people calling the former announcer a racist.

STILL SIDELINED

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has refused to allow Aljaz Bedene to play Davis Cup for his adopted Great Britain. After an arbitration hearing, the ITF said he remains ineligible because he has already represented his native Slovenia three times in the team competition. The ITF introduced the new rule in 2015, shortly before Bedene became a British citizen.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Acapulco (men): Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares bet John Isner and Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-3

Acapulco (women): Darija Jurak and Anastasia Rodionova beat Veronica Cepede Royg and Mariana Duque-Marino 6-3 6-2

Dubai: Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau beat Rohan Bopanna and Marcin Matkowski 4-6 6-3 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Kuala Lumpur: Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua beat Nicole Melichar and Makoto Ninomiya 7-6 (5) 6-3

Sao Paulo: Rogerio Dutra Silva and Andre Sa beat Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demoliner 7-6 (5) 5-7 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Wroclaw: Adil Shamasdin and Andrei Vasilevski beat Mikhail Elgin and Dennys Molchanov 6-3 3-6 21-19 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/

Irving: http://irvingtennisclassic.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard, first week

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$7,913,405 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard, second week

$150,000 BMW of Dallas Irving Tennis Classic, Irving, Texas, USA

WOMEN

$6,99,450 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard, second week

Where Does The Federer vs. Nadal 2017 Australian Open Final Rate Among The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time?

February 1, 2017 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played what people are calling the most historic men’s Grand Slam singles final ever at the 2017 Australian Open. Federer won his 18th major singles title with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over his arch rival to stave off Nadal, a winner of 14 career major singles titles, from closing the gap on his record of major championships. The 35-year-old Federer, playing in his first tournament in six months due to injury, came back from 1-3 down in the fifth set to win the final five games of the match.

It indeed was a hallmark event in the history of tennis and attracted major attention across the globe. But where does this match really stack up in the pantheon of the greatest tennis matches of all time? How does it compare with the other Federer vs. Nadal matches or others epic matches like Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe at 1980 Wimbledon or Don Budge and Gottfried von Cramm in Davis Cup in 1937.

Steve Flink is the authority on the greatest tennis matches of all time being the author of the book by the same name “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257936/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_6DKKyb8WK95HH Flink, recently announced for election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was in Australia and watched the match in person and labeled the final as a “classic” but not among the very greatest ever.

“This was a classic final but not an epic like the Novak Djokovic – Rafael Nadal final of 2012,” Flink said via email en route back to the United States.

The 2012 Novak Djokovic – Rafael Nadal Australian Open final, won by Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 actually stopped the presses for “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” as it was inserted as the No. 7 match of all time and a photo of Djokovic and Nadal was placed and the new cover of the book.

The inconsistency of high-level play, however, was one of the reasons why Federer vs. Nadal at the 2017 Australian Open did not measure up against other epic matches.

“Both players were brilliant sporadically but the level was choppy from Rafa in the first and third sets and Federer in the second and fourth,” wrote Flink. “The fifth was riveting and Roger’s comeback in the final set was one of the most impressive of his career.”

Flink rates Nadal’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-7 (9), 9-7 win over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final as the greatest match of all time, just ahead of the McEnroe vs. Borg Wimbledon final from 1980.

While this match was historic, it does not even rank in the top three of their epic matches, according to Flink.

“Rafa and Roger have had many clashes that surpassed this one like Wimbledon in 2008, the Australian Open 2009 and Rome in 2006,” he wrote. “They are both enduringly great but they are past their primes so their standard in this contest was extraordinary under the circumstances.”

“The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” book features profiles and rankings of the greatest matches of all time dating from the 1920s featuring Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen up through the modern era of tennis featuring contemporary stars Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Flink breaks down, analyzes and puts into historical context the sport’s most memorable matches, providing readers with a courtside seat at these most celebrated and significant duels. Flink also includes a fascinating “greatest strokes of all time” section where he ranks and describes the players who best executed all the important shots in the game through the years. Other champions featured in the book include Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf among many others.

“The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time,” a hard-cover book that retails for $28.95, can be purchased via this link http://m1e.net/c?110071729-mFSTVX3uyJ5zw%407612075-hqIGItXY8SJAw at www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold.

Flink, one of the most respected writers and observers in the game, is currently a columnist for TennisChannel.com. A resident of Katonah, N.Y., he is the former editor of World Tennis magazine and a former senior columnist at Tennis Week.

The book has received high praise from some of the most respected names in the sport, including Chris Evert, a winner of 18 major singles titles, who wrote the foreword to the book.

Said seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras, “Steve Flink was there reporting on almost every big match I played in my career. He has seen all of the great players for the last 45 years. I encourage you to read this book because Steve is one of the most insightful writers on the game that I have known and he really knows his tennis.”

Said former U.S. Davis Cup captain and player Patrick McEnroe, “As a writer and a fan, Steve Flink’s knowledge of tennis history and his love of the sport are second to none, which is why you should read his new book.”

Said ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, “To see tennis through the eyes of Steve Flink is to wander through a wonderland. These are not fantasies because Steve captures the essence of tennis matches in graphic detail. There is no one more passionate or caring about his subject. In this absorbing book, I can relive matches that I have called on television.”

Said CBS, NBC and Tennis Channel commentator Mary Carillo, “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time is a masterful tennis epic. Its pages are brimming with insight, hindsight. And as always with Steve Flink, the 20/20 vision of the subtleties and complexities of a match. From Budge to Nadal and “Little Mo” to Serena Williams, Steve will guide you through the greatest matches you ever saw, or never saw. The game’s finest players and brightest moments will come alive and play again, right before your eyes. This book is a tennis treasure.”

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time” by Sand Harwitt, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “The Days of Roger Federer” by Randy Walker, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker (www.TennisHistoryApp.com) “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “The Lennon Prophecy” by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), “Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Susan Anson, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According To Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk” by Emily Filloramo, “Lessons from the Wild” by Shayamal Vallabhjee among others.

Record-Breaking Performances by Roger Federer and Serena Williams – Mondays with Bob Greene

January 29, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Australian Open

Men’s Singles: Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal 6-3 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3

Women’s Singles: Serena Williams beat Venus Williams 6-4 6-4

Men’s Doubles: Henri Kontinen and John Peers beat Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 7-5 7-5

Women’s Doubles: Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova beat Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-3

Mixed Doubles: Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal beat Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig 6-2 6-4

Junior Boys Singles: Zsombor Piros beat Yshai Oliel 4-6 6-4 6-3

Junior Girls Singles: Marta Kostyuk beat Rebeka Masarova 7-5 1-6 6-4

Junior Boys Doubles: Hsu Yu Hsiou and Zhao Lingxi beat Finn Reynolds and Duarte Vale 6-7 (8) 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Junior Girls Doubles: Bianca Andreescu and Carson Branstine beat Maja Chwalinska and Iga Swiatek 6-1 7-6 (4)

Men’s Wheelchair Singles: Gustavo Fernandez beat Nicolas Peifer 3-6 6-2 6-0

Women’s Wheelchair Singles: Yui Kamiji beat Jiske Griffioen 6-7 (2) 6-3 6-3

Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Joachim Gerard and Gordon Reid beat Gustavo Fernandez and Alfie Hewett 6-3 3-6 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Women’s Wheelchair Doubles: Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot beat Diede De Groot and Yui Kamiji 6-3 6-2

Quad Wheelchair Singles: Dylan Alcott beat Andy Lapthorne 6-2 6-2

Quad Wheelchair Doubles: Andy Lapthorne and David Wagner beat Dylan Alcott and Heath Davidson 6-3 6-3

OTHER

Uladzimir Ignatik beat Andrey Rubley 6-7 (6) 6-3 7-6 (5) to win the Open de Rennes in Rennes, France

SAYING

“Tennis is a tough sport, there are no draws in tennis, but I would have been happy to accept one tonight and share it with Rafa.” – Roger Federer, after outlasting Rafael Nadal in five sets to win the men’s singles title.

“It was a great match and I think Roger probably deserved it a little more than me.” – Rafael Nadal.

“Thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I can be and inspiring me to work hard.” – Serena Williams, after beating her older sister, Venus, to win her 23^rd Grand Slam tournament title.

“Serena Williams, that’s my little sister, guys. Congratulations Serena on No. 23. I have been right there with you. Some of them I have lost right there against you. It’s been an awesome thing, your win has always been my win, you know that. All the times I couldn’t be there, wouldn’t be there, didn’t get there, you were there.” – Venus Williams.

“I will never ever ever forget this day. This has truly made my life and everything bad that happened, it has made it OK.” – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, after losing her semifinal match to Serena Williams.

“I have a lot to give to the game. I feel like I have a lot of great tennis in me. So, any time you feel that way, you continue. Why not? I have nothing to lose, literally.” – Venus Williams, following her 6-4 7-6 (3) quarterfinal win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“At the end of the day, it really helps me to realize that you have to always go for your dreams.” – Serena Williams.

“Everyone knows that both Serena and Venus, they’re like legends in tennis.” – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“I try to believe. Should I look across the net and believe the person across the net deserves it more? This mentality is not how champions are made. I’d like to be a champion, in particular this year. The mentality I walk on court with is: I deserve this.” – Venus Williams.

“This is what I’ve been dreaming about, this is what I’ve been training for. At 34 years old, I have a wonderful home. I’m happily married. I would be perfectly OK being at home enjoying my family. But I really knew deep down in my soul that I have these results in me. To now be here and actually live these moments, it’s incredible.” – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, after reaching the semifinals.

“What I will say about sport, I think why people love sport so much, is because you see everything in a line. In that moment, there is no do-over, there’s no retake, there is no voice-over. It’s triumph and disaster witnessed in real-time. This is why people live and die for sport, because you can’t fake it. You can’t. It’s either you do it or you don’t.” – Venus Williams, following her semifinal victory.

“I don’t have anything to prove. I don’t have to win another match as long as I live. I just have to have fun and do what I do best. That’s what I’ve been doing this tournament.” – Serena Williams, after winning her semifinal match.

SENIOR POWER

Talk about reviving the past! The 2017 Australian Open provided a flood of memories as past champions took over almost every event. The men’s and women’s singles finals brought together players who had won 60 Grand Slam titles between them – not counting this year’s haul. And only the two 25-year-old semifinalists – Grigor Dimitrov and CoCo Vandeweghe – have yet to play in a Grand Slam tournament final. The other losing semifinalists were 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and 31-year-old Stan Wawrinka.

Then there were the losing finalists in the men’s doubles, 38-year-old twins Bob and Mike Bryan. And only one player under the age of 30 appeared in the title matches in both the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles, that being 29-year-old Lucie Safarova. She turns 30 in February.

SWISS MASTERFUL

It was a blast from the past, and it didn’t disappoint. In a five-set thriller, Roger Federer outlasted rival Rafael Nadal to win his record-extending 18^th Grand Slam tournament title – his first since 2012. And it was the first time in four Australian Open meetings that Federer had triumphed over his Spanish foe. “I would have been happy to lose, to be honest, the comeback was as good it was,” said Federer, who had not played since Wimbledon last year until this month. “I hope to see you next year, but if not then it was a wonderful year here and I couldn’t be happier tonight.” Federer took the opening set, only to have Nadal match him by grabbing the second. The repeated that scenario in the third and fourth sets, bringing up a decisive fifth set. And it was Nadal who struck first, taking a 3-1 lead. He didn’t win another game. “I played a great quality of tennis,” Nadal said. “That’s great news for me. I believe that if I have my body in the right condition, I can have a great year.” Like Federer, Nadal had missed a large part of last year with an injury. “Now it’s time to celebrate in a massive way,” Federer said. “(But) at 35 years old, I don’t like to say it, but I’m so old and so the body hurts, it aches.”

SISTER ACT IX

The women’s singles final was a family affair. And in their ninth meeting in a Grand Slam tournament title match, it was Serena Williams who bested her older sister, Venus. The victory was Serena’s seventh Australian Open crown – the most in the Open era for both men and women – and her 23^rd major title, the most of any player in the Open era. Yet Serena, in her post-match comments, wanted to talk about her sister. “I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person. She’s my inspiration,” Serena said. “There’s no way I would be at 23 without her. There’s no way I would be at one without her.” Venus was playing in her first Grand Slam tournament final in 7½ years, and her seventh loss to her sister in a major final. The win also boosted Serena back into the top spot in the WTA rankings. It was the oldest major tournament final in the Open era with the Williams sisters combining for 71 years, 11 months.

SINGULAR ACHIEVEMENT

Henri Kontinen became the first player from Finland to win a Grand Slam tournament title when he teamed with John Peers to beat American twins Bob and Mike Bryan. Peers also became the first Australian to win a Grand Slam doubles title since 2001. “I was looking through some of the names on the trophy,” Peers said. “To be alongside some of the guys and idols I looked up to in the past is something that hasn’t sunk in yet.” Kontinen and Peers teamed up for the first time at last year’s Australian Open. They won five titles together in 2016, including the Paris Masters and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Bryans were seeking their 17^th Grand Slam tournament doubles crown, including a seventh Australian Open title.

SECOND STRAIGHT SLAM

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucid Safarova have found the winning touch. The two won their second straight Grand Slam tournament women’s doubles title, this time besting Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai in a tight three-setter. “We were celebrating like 5-year-old kids out there,” Mattek-Sands said. “I mean, it still feels amazing to win it. It’s a Grand Slam. When we got the trophy, we saw our names written on it. … It’s just special.” Since last summer, Mattek-Sands and Safarova have dominated the doubles, winning their third Grand Slam title at the US Open and taking an 18-match winning streak into the final of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals. “We played a lot of great teams to get to the finals,” Mattek-Sands said. “Part of it is really enjoying the journey, enjoying each match. Really, the celebrations kind of go quick. We’re going to make sure we enjoy this moment for a little bit.”

SEIZING THE MOMENT

American Abigail Spears and Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Cabal can finally call themselves Grand Slam tournament champions. The two won the mixed doubles by stopping Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Sania Mirza of India in straight sets. Spears and Cabal won the first four games of the match, losing just six points, then grabbed the title by winning the last five games to rally from a 1-4 deficit. Until now, Cabal’s best Grand Slam tournament finish was in 2011 when he and Eduardo Schwank reached the French Open men’s doubles final. Spears was runner-up with Santiago Gonzalez in the 2013 and 2014 US Open mixed doubles.

SIMPLY AWESOME

After reaching the junior girls final, winning the title became a secondary thing for Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. “I was more excited yesterday when I got through the semis,” Kostyuk said after knocking off top-seeded Rebeka Masarova for the title. Then there was the picture she took with Roger Federer. Kostyuk has been working with Ivan Ljubicic since last spring. “He did a lot,” she said of Ljubicic, who also coaches Federer. “He gave me a bit of his experience and big tennis. And I met finally Roger today. He congratulated me. And I took a photo with him, so I was very excited.”

SENT HOME

Maria Vittoria Viviani was disqualified from the Australian Open junior girls’ singles when a ball she hit in frustration struck a ballperson. After sailing a forehand long on set point, the 17-year-old Italian hit her second ball in frustration. The ball reportedly hit a ballperson in the chest. Viviana immediately raised her hand in an apologetic fashion, but the chair umpire disqualified her and awarded the match to Wang Xin Yu of China.

SKIPPING DAVIS CUP

Milos Raonic will miss Canada’s first-round Davis Cup tie against Great Britain after suffering his fourth abductor muscle injury in 12 months. Ranked third in the world, Raonic was hurt during his quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal. Raonic said the injury will sideline him for several weeks. He was replaced on the Canadian Davis Cup squad by Peter Polansky. The tie will be played in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

SUCH A GENTLEMAN

When Jo-Wilfried Tsonga noticed a ballgirl trying to hold back tears, he went to check on her. It turns out the girl was in pain, although she was trying to contain herself so as not to interrupt the match. Tsonga determined that she wasn’t OK, so he wrapped his arm around her and escorted her off the court to the cheers of the crowd. The Frenchman tweeted later that he had received a letter from the ballgirl, apologizing “for the times when you asked for the ball but I did not service it to you or acknowledge you. I had picked up a virus which I was unaware of and it caused me to become dizzy and lightheaded. This also affected my vision and hearing. I apologize for not being a le to perform my duties as a ball kid to the high standards that are expected.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Rennes: Evgeny Donskoy and Mikhail Elgin beat Julian Knowle and Jonathan Marray 6-4 3-6 11-9 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

St. Petersburg: http://wta.formulatx.com/en/

Taipei: www.taiwanopen.com.tw/

Dallas: www.tennischampionshipsofdallas.com/

Davis Cup: www.davisup.com

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com

Midland: www.dowtennisclassic.com

Quito: www.ecuadoropen.com.ec/

Montpellier: www.opensuddefrance.com/fr/home

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$125,000 RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA, hard

WOMEN

$710,900 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard

$226,760 Taiwan Open, Taipei, Taiwan, hard

$100,000 Dow Tennis Classic, Midland, Michigan, USA, hard

DAVIS CUP

World Group

First Round

Argentina vs. Italy at Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay

Germany vs. Belgium at Frankfurt, Germany, hard

Australia vs. Czech Republic at Melbourne, Australia, hard

United States vs. Switzerland at Birmingham, Alabama, USA, hard

Japan vs. France at Tokyo, Japan, hard

Canada vs. Great Britain at Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hard

Serbia vs. Russia at Nis, Serbia, hard

Croatia vs. Spain at Osijek, Croatia, hard

Group I – First Round

Americas Zone: Ecuador vs. Peru at Guayaquil, Ecuador; Dominican Republic vs. Chile at Santo Domino, Dominican Republic, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: Chinese Taipei vs. China at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, hard; Korea vs. Uzbekistan at Gimcheon, Korea, hard; India vs. New Zealand at Pune, India, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Poland at Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina, hard; Belarus vs. Romania at Minsk, Belarus, hard; Portugal vs. Israel at Lisbon, Portugal, clay

Group I – Second Round

Europe/Africa Zone: Slovakia vs. Hungary at Bratislava, Slovakia, hard

Group 2 – First Round

Americas Zone: Paraguay vs. Barbados at Asuncion, Paraguay, clay; Guatemala vs. Mexico at Guatemala, Guatemala, hard; El Salvador vs. Bolivia at San Salvador, El Salvador, hard

Venezuela vs. Bahamas at Doral, Florida, USA, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: Pakistan vs. Iran at Islamabad, Pakistan, hard; Vietnam vs. Hong Kong-China at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, hard; Philippines vs. Indonesia at Manila, Philippines, clay; Kuwait vs. Thailand at Meshref, Kuwait, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Tunisia vs. Sweden in Tunis, Tunisia, hard; Cyprus vs. Turkey in Nicosia, Cyprus, hard; Lithuania vs. Madagascar in Siauliai, Lithuania, hard; Georgia vs. Finland in Tbilisi, Georgia, carpet; Latvia vs. Norway at Jelgava, Latvia, hard; Denmark vs. Morocco in Aarhus, Denmark, carpet; South Africa ccs. Estonia in Centurion, South Africa, hard; Slovenia vs. Monaco in Maribor, Slovenia, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$540,310 Ecuador Open, Quito, Ecuador, clay

$577,748 Garanti Koza Sofia Open, Sofia, Bulgaria, hard

$577,748 Open Sud de France, Montpellier, France, hard

$100,000 Kunal Patel San Francisco Open, San Francisco, California, USA, hard

FED CUP

Group I

Americas Zone in Metepec, Mexico, Round-robin, hard: Pool A: Canada, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela; Pool B: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Mexico

Asia/Oceania Zone in Astana, Kazakhstan, Round-robin, hard: Pool A: Thailand, Kazakhstan, Korea; Pool B: China, India, Japan, Philippines

Europe/Africa Zone in Tallinn, Estonia, Round-robin; hard: Pool A: Poland, Austria, Georgia; Pool B: Croatia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Hungary; Pool C: Great Britain, Latvia, Portugal, Turkey; Pool D: Bulgaria, Estonia, Israel, Serbia

Roger Federer’s 18th Major, Serena Williams’ 23rd Make 2017 Australian Open Most Historic Grand Slam Ever

January 29, 2017 by Admin

Roger Federer’s historic Australian Open championship capped what may go down as the most historic Grand Slam tournament ever held. Here are five moments that made this event stand out from all the rest (soon to be added to my “On This Day In Tennis History” mobile app (www.TennisHistoryApp.com)

Jan. 29, 2017: Roger Federer wins his 18^th major singles title with an historic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over arch rival Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. The win incredibly comes in Federer’s first tournament back from a six-month sabbatical to heal his knee after a semifinal loss at Wimbledon. Federer, seeded No. 17, trails Nadal 1-3 in the final set, but wins five games in a row to extend his men’s record for most major singles titles won, but also stave off Nadal, a winner of 14 career major singles titles, from closing the gap on his record. The 35-year-old Federer becomes the oldest man to in a major singles title since Ken Rosewall wins the Australian Open at age 37 in 1972. Federer wins three straight five-set matches to take the title, his fifth at the Australian Open, beating No. 5 Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals and No. 9 Nadal in the final. Federer’s win is his first major title since he won at Wimbledon in 2012 for his 17^th major. Despite the loss, Nadal still holds a 23-12 head-to-head advantage over Federer in their careers, including 6-3 in major finals. It marks the first time that Federer beats Nadal in a major final since the Wimbledon final in 2007.

Jan. 28, 2017: Serena Williams wins her 23^rd major singles title, breaking the Open Era record of Steffi Graf with 22, beating older sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win the Australian Open. Williams becomes the oldest woman to win a major title in the Open Era at the age of 35 years, 124 days and the final against her 36-year-old sister marks the oldest combined age in a major final. The victory, her seventh career singles title at the Australian Open, also returns Williams to the No. 1 ranking. It marks the 28th time that she and sister have played in their first professional career, Serena holding the 17-11 advantage in their career head-to-head as professionals that started at the 1998 Australian Open. Says Serena of her historic championship, “My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.”

Jan. 22, 2017: Mischa Zverev, ranked No. 50 in the world, upsets No. 1 seed and five-time finalist Andy Murray 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Later in the night session, American Coco Vandeweghe upsets world No. 1 and defending champion Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round. The losses by Murray and Kerber mark the first time since the 2003 U.S. Open where the world No. 1 men and women lose on the same day at a major championship when Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Andre Agassi in the semifinals and Justine Henin defeated Kim Clijsters in the women’s final.

Jan. 19, 2017: Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan registers one of the biggest upsets ever at the Australian Open and tennis history upsetting six-time Australian Open champion and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic 7-6 (8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in four hours, 48 minutes in the second round of the Australian Open. Istomin, ranked No. 117, was only into the Australian Open field after winning the Asia-Pacific wild card tournament, where he saved three match points in the semifinals against India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran. “All the credit to Denis for playing amazing,” Djokovic says. “He deserved to win. No doubt, he was a better player in the clutch moments.” Writes Chris Clarey in the New York Times “It was also the latest blow to Djokovic’s battered aura of invincibility. In June, after winning the French Open for the first time, the elastic Serb held all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time. Now, he is the reigning champion only in Paris.”

Jan. 17, 2017: Ivo Karlovic re-writes the Australian Open record book in defeating Horacio Zeballos from two sets to love down 6-7(6), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20 in the first round. Karlovic, 37, fires 75 aces in the five hour, 14 minute victory, breaking the previous Australian Open record of 51 set by Joachim Johansson in 2005, while the 84-game match also breaks the tournament record of most number of games in a match since the introduction of the tie-break in 1972, surpassing Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui‘s 2003 record of 83 games. The 42-game fifth set is also the longest fifth set in Australian Open history, breaking the 21-19 fifth-set scoreline of Roddick – El Aynaoui. “This match is what I will, after my career, remember,” says Karlovic. “If it was easy match or I lost easily, I wouldn’t remember it. But this one I will definitely remember forever.