DOWN THE TEE

DOWN THE TEE is on vacation!

2009-02-03T23:50:00.001-05:00

DOWN THE TEE is currently on vacation, but will be back very soon to give you the latest updates from around the ATP Tour!

This Week's Biggest Movers*

2009-02-02T16:24:00.002-05:00

On the rise:

#89 (+19) Dudi Sela (ISR)
#98 (+17) Wayne Odesnik (USA)
#65 (+14) Tommy Haas (GER)
#86 (+14) Brian Dabul (ARG)
#85 (+12) Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)

Moving down:

#108 (-38) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
#122 (-37) Kristof Vliegen (BEL)
#101 (-36) Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
#109 (-27) Vince Spadea (USA)
#119 (-26) Andrey Golubev (KAZ)

*Each week, this features players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the previous week.

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Jan. 25-Feb. 1)

2009-02-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

Carson, California, USA (Hard)
No. 4 Wayne Odesnik (USA) def. Scoville Jenkins (USA), 6-4, 6-4

Heilbronn, Germany (Carpet)
Benjamin Becker (GER) def. Karol Beck (SVK), 6-4, 6-4

Bucaramanga, Colombia (Clay)
No. 4 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. WC Carlos Salamanca (COL), 7-5, 6-2

Key Terms
WC = Wild Card

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

No. 1 Nadal conquers No. 2 Federer in five-sets to win Australian Open title

2009-02-01T18:30:00.003-05:00

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal captured his first career Australian Open title and sixth Grand Slam crown by defeating No. 2 Roger Federer, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2, on Sunday night in Melbourne in a match that last four hours and 22-minutes. By defeating Federer in a major final for the third straight time, Nadal denied Federer a chance at tying Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. Nadal currently owns a 13-6 all-time record against the Swiss.

In the first game of the opening set, Federer came out of the gates nervous, getting broken easily after hitting a double fault and miss hitting two backhands. Nadal couldn’t consolidate the break, as the 13-time Grand Slam champion quickly broke back to even the set at 1-1. In the sixth game, Federer broke serve and went ahead 4-2. In the next game Nadal was able to break serve right back by smashing two running forehand winners and getting help from Federer as he double-faulted on break point. Nadal broke serve to go up 6-5 and easily held to win the opening set in 58-minutes.

After both players comfortably held serve, the 22-year-old Spaniard broke serve and looked as if he was about to run away with the match, but the 27-year-old from Basel returned the favor by breaking serve on a Nadal double fault. Federer started to find his form on his groundstrokes and was able to win four straight games to capture the second set and level the match at one set apiece.

In the sixth game of the third set, Federer managed to dig himself out of trouble with huge shot making to level the match at 3-3. In the ninth and 11th games of the set, Federer wasted multiple break point chances on Nadal’s serve, as the set headed to a tiebreak. From the start of the tiebreak, the Spaniard was on cruise control and would win the set on his first set point.

In the fifth game of the fourth set, Federer decided to test out Nadal’s fitness with a couple drop shots due to the Spaniard’s semifinal five-set thriller that lasted over five hours on Friday night. Nadal was able to chase the drop shots down and had five break point opportunites but was unable to convert on those chances. Federer went on to win three straight games and win the 45-minute set to level the match and take the match to a fifth and final set.

Despite having plenty of momentum on his side following the fourth set, Federer hit many unforced errors and a few crucial double faults that ultimately cost him the match. At 2-5 down, Federer continued to play very tense tennis and committed a double fault and an unforced error. On his third match point, Nadal won the title when Federer hit his 64th error of the match. Nadal fell to the ground in excitement as his coach, father and other members of the Nadal camp embraced each other with enthusiasm.

“I had many chances. I missed them and they cost me dearly,” said Federer. “It was a tough match. I don't think I served particularly well, unfortunately. And I think that was the key to the match in the end.”

Currently the reigning champion at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and now the Australian Open, Nadal becomes the fourth man to win Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces. At 22 years and seven months old, Nadal is the second youngest man in the Open Era to have won six Grand Slam singles titles. Nadal also becomes the first left-hander to capture the Melbourne title since Petr Korda won the crown in 1998.

Having played in 14 of the past 15 Grand Slam finals, Federer is the third man in history to play the finals at each Grand Slam at least three times. The owner of 168 career wins in Grand Slam matches, Federer will now have to wait until the French Open to try and tie Pete Sampras’ all-time Grand Slam singles title record.

Throughout the five-set thriller, Nadal hit 50 winners and 41 unforced errors compared to 71 winners and 64 unforced errors by Federer. Nadal made 64 percent of first serve points and won 66 percent of those points while breaking serve on seven occasions. Despite only managing to make 52 percent of first serves, Federer won 73 percent of those points. The Swiss was 6 of 19 on break point opportunities.

Nadal wins five-hour Aussie Open classic; Federer awaits in championship match

2009-01-30T21:47:00.002-05:00

Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
January 19-February 1, 2009
$10,142,240 (AUS) / 128 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Semifinal

No. 1 Rafael Nadal def. No. 14 Fernando Verdasco, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(1), 6-4

MATCH FACTS
Aces—Nadal: 12; Verdasco: 20
Doubles Faults—Nadal: 3; Verdasco: 4
Winners—Nadal: 52; Verdasco: 95
Unforced Errors—Nadal: 25; Verdasco: 76
First Serve Percentage—Nadal: 74%; Verdasco: 69%
Percentage of First Serve Points Won—Nadal: 72%; Verdasco: 71%
Percentage of Second Serve Points Won—Nadal: 62%; Verdasco: 55%
Receiving Points Won—Nadal: 34%; Verdasco: 31%
Net Points Won—Nadal: 70%; Verdasco: 65%
Break Point Conversions—Nadal: 4 of 20; Verdasco: 2 of 4
Total Points Won—Nadal: 193; Verdasco: 192

Total Time of Match—5 hours and 14 minutes

Federer thumps Roddick to reach Aussie Open final; seeks 14th Grand Slam title

2009-01-29T14:27:00.002-05:00

On Thursday night at the Australian Open in Melbourne, second-seeded Roger Federer (pictured) put together another dominating performance by ousting seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5, in two hours and seven minutes. By reaching his fourth career Australian Open final, Federer is within one victory of equaling Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles.

Having won their previous meeting at the Masters Series Miami last year in three sets, Roddick was determined to give it all he had. However, in the third game of the opening set things already started going Federer’s way as the Swiss struck first by breaking the American’s serve with a forehand passing shot. Roddick had a break point opportunity in the next game but the 27-year-old Swiss saved break point with a brilliant forehand passing shot and would eventually win the game. The 13-time Grand Slam singles champion would never look back. The former World No. 1 clinched the opening set in 32-minutes when the American missed a backhand service return.

“I served well in the first set and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Federer said.

Things looked like they were slipping away from Roddick after falling behind two break points on his opening service game of the second set, but he quickly recovered to hold serve. At 5-5, Federer broke Roddick at love and would hold his serve at love to take the 43-minute second set in convincing fashion. In the second set, Federer only hit one unforced error.

In a close third set that highlighted Federer’s brilliant tennis game and mind, Roddick showed his frustration at 2-2 when he was called for a audible obscenity by chair umpire Eric Molina when he needed to fight off two break point opportunities. Despite holding serve at love on five occasions throughout the match and saving three break points in the 11th game of the third set, Roddick couldn’t save another when Federer ripped a forehand cross court. Federer smoothly held serve at 6-5 to capture his ninth win of the season and reach his 18th career Grand Slam singles final.

“I do feel better mentally (than last year). I'm obviously healthy so I can focus on playing well. I'm really pleased about my performance so far in the tournament. The draw was difficult and dangerous if you look back on who I had to play,” said Federer. “I'd like to play Fernando because he's never played a Grand Slam final before. “I have an edge there. Playing Rafa is obviously more exciting because of the history we have playing in so many Grand Slam finals.”

En route to his 16th victory in 18 meetings against Roddick, Federer smashed 16 aces and no double faults compared to eight aces and two double faults by the American. The World No. 2 smashed 51 winners, won 83 percent of first serve points, won 63 percent of net approaches and broke serve on four occasions throughout the match. Attempting to win his fourth Australian Open, Federer is hoping to join Andre Agassi, Ken Rosewall and Jack Crawford as the only men to win four titles at the year’s first Grand Slam. Having spent 12 hours and 35 minutes on court through six matches, Federer would move into a second place tie with Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi with 48 victories in Melbourne since 1968 if he wins the championship on Sunday.

Federer now awaits the winner of No. 1 Rafael Nadal or No. 14 Fernando Verdasco, who will clash in an all-Spanish semifinal tonight on Rod Laver Arena. Nadal owns a 6-0 series edge against Verdasco, with the top-ranked Spaniard losing only two sets total in all six encounters.

Australian Open semifinal matchups set; Nadal vs. Verdasco; Federer vs. Roddick

2009-01-28T16:19:00.002-05:00

Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
January 19-February 1, 2009
$10,142,240 (AUS) / 128 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Quarterfinals

No. 2 Roger Federer def. No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0
MATCH FACTS
Aces—Federer: 12; Del Potro 5
Double Faults—Federer: 0; Del Potro: 2
Unforced Errors—Federer: 9; Del Potro: 24
First Serve Percentage—Federer: 70%; Del Potro: 59%
Percentage of First Serve Points Won—Federer: 86%; Del Potro: 46%
Net Points Won—Federer: 84%; Del Potro: 45%
Receiving Points Won—Federer: 59%; Del Potro: 17%
Break Point Conversions—Federer: 7 of 11; Del Potro: 0 of 0
Total Points Won—Federer: 83; Del Potro: 36

No. 7 Andy Roddick def. No. 3 Novak Djokovic, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2, 2-1, ret. injury
MATCH FACTS
Aces—Roddick: 16; Djokovic: 8
Double Faults—Roddick: 5; Djokovic: 5
Unforced Errors—Roddick: 14; Djokovic: 39
First Serve Percentage—Roddick: 71%; Djokovic: 62%
Percentage of First Serve Points Won—Roddick: 87%; Djokovic: 63%
Net Points Won—Roddick: 54%; Djokovic: 50%
Receiving Points Won—Roddick: 43%; Djokovic: 25%
Break Point Conversions—Roddick: 5 of 12; Djokovic: 1 of 1
Total Points Won—Roddick: 114; Djokovic: 88

No. 1 Rafael Nadal def. No. 6 Gilles Simon, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5
MATCH FACTS
Aces—Nadal: 5; Simon: 4
Double Faults—Nadal: 2; Simon: 4
Unforced Errors—Nadal: 24; Simon: 41
First Serve Percentage—Nadal: 67%; Simon: 55%
Percentage of First Serve Points Won—Nadal: 73%; Simon: 71%
Net Points Won—Nadal: 87%; Simon: 66%
Receiving Points Won—Nadal: 44%; Simon: 32%
Break Point Conversions—Nadal: 7 of 12; Simon 3 of 7
Total Points Won—Nadal: 105; Simon: 83

No. 14 Fernando Verdasco def. No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
MATCH FACTS
Aces—Verdasco: 7; Tsonga: 9
Double Faults—Verdasco: 3; Tsonga: 3
Unforced Errors—Verdasco: 29; Tsonga: 40
First Serve Percentage—Verdasco: 78%; Tsonga: 65%
Percentage of First Serve Points Won—Verdasco: 69%; Tsonga: 72%
Net Points Won—Verdasco: 70%; Tsonga: 61%
Receiving Points Won—Verdasco: 36%; Tsonga: 33%
Break Point Conversions—Verdasco: 4 of 4; Tsonga: 2 of 13
Total Points Won—Verdasco: 129; Tsonga: 114

No. 21 Verdasco stuns No. 4 Murray at Australian Open; No. 1 Nadal advances

2009-01-26T14:09:00.001-05:00

Spaniard No. 21 seed Fernando Verdasco (pictured) rallied to upset pre-tournament favorite and No. 4 seed Andy Murray, 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne. World No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam singles champion Rafael Nadal also advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating 2007 runner-up No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez.

Attempting to become the first British player to win a Grand Slam title since 1936, Murray got off to a quick start winning the opening set in 35-minutes backed by breaking serve in the third and seventh games of the set. In the second set Verdasco converted on three of 11 break point opportunities to win the set in 41-minutes. In the third set, Murray raced ahead to a 3-0 lead and broke serve again in the sixth game. En route to winning the 31-minute set, the 21-year-old Scot smashed 10 winners and hit three unforced errors, while Verdasco hit only three winners and committed 11 unforced errors. After the 25-year-old Spaniard Davis Cup hero got ahead 3-0 in the fourth set, the British fans got increasingly loud, hoping to spark Murray for a comeback. Verdasco remained very poised by ripping many inside out forehand winners and making a high percentage of first serves, winning the set in 35-minutes and sending the match to a deciding set. In a pivotal sixth game of the final set, Verdasco saved two break points and leveled the match at 3-all after a six deuce game. In the very next game the Madrid native, who had never advanced past the second round in Melbourne until this year, broke serve and went ahead 4-3. Holding serve during his final two service games, Verdasco won the match on his third match point after the visibly worn out Murray netted a service return.

“I was feeling confident and fit,” Verdasco said. “I just tried to play my game.”

A finalist at the Brisbane International during the first week of this season, Verdasco smashed 51 winners and 10 aces and won 69 of 100 first serve points throughout the three hour and 12 minute match. Both players were able to break serve on five occasions, but it came down to who was the fittest in the final set and Verdasco clearly showed that he had lots of energy left in him. Verdasco has recently spent countless hours training in Las Vegas with Gil Reyes, former physical trainer for Andre Agassi. The win by Verdasco marks the first time he has reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal and now improves to 8-31 lifetime against Top 10 players on the ATP World Tour. An owner of nine career ATP singles titles, Murray falls to 8-1 on the season and drops his first loss to a left-hander that is not Rafael Nadal. Verdasco next faces 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semifinals.

In another routine performance by defending Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion in the grueling Melbourne heat, Nadal easily defeated Gonzalez, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in one hour and 55-minutes. Wasting no time in the opening set, the 22-year-old Spaniard won 12 of 13 points to start the set and broke the hard-hitting Chilean’s serve twice. In the third set, Nadal got down 0-3, but quickly rallied to go ahead 5-3, before closing out the match in convincing fashion on his own serve. Backed by 33 winners and four aces, Nadal advances to the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. The left-hander from Mallorca is looking to win his first career hard court Grand Slam singles title. Nadal will next clash with No. 6 seed Gilles Simon for a place in the final four.

Other Fourth Round Results from Monday
No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. No. 9 James Blake, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3)
No. 6 Gilles Simon def. No. 12 Gael Monfils, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, ret. injury

No. 2 Federer rallies from two sets down to win five-set thriller at Australian Open

2009-01-25T19:22:00.002-05:00

Three-time champion Roger Federer (pictured) came from two-sets-to-love down to defeat No. 20 Tomas Berdych, 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in Melbourne for the sixth consecutive year. A 13-time Grand Slam singles champion, Federer has now reached an impressive 19 straight quarterfinals in majors.

Second-seeded Federer struggled to find his form right from the start as Berdych broke in the first and fifth games of the opening set. Federer tried to close the gap as he broke serve at 1-4, but the 23-year-old Czech would eventually close out the first set with a huge ace.

In the second set, the former World No. 1 jumped out to a 2-0 lead before getting broken due to many unforced errors. The second set was decided in a tiebreak and after the score was leveled at 4-4, Berdych separated himself from Federer by winning three straight points to win the set in 48-minutes.

After surrendering an early lead in the beginning of the third set and exchanging service breaks in the middle of the set, it was a sloppy seventh game by Berdych that gave Federer the momentum for good. After blowing five game points and missing three easy wide-open volleys, Federer would break and eventually win the set, 6-4, in 45-minutes.

In an exciting 49-minute fourth set, Federer broke Berdych to start the set and never looked back. The Czech, who earlier in the match was ripping flat forehand and backhand winners one after another, began to play more conservative and started hitting many unforced errors. Berdych also received a medical timeout due to an upper thigh injury that has hampered him recently. Up 5-4 and serving to level the match at two sets all, Federer played several loose points to give Berdych a break point opportunity, but the Czech was unable to capitalize as Federer fired numerous big serves to send the match into a deciding set.

Wasting no time in the final set, Federer quickly got in front 4-0 and then 5-2. The match came down to Federer’s serve and despite squandering two match points on errors and then giving Berdych a break point chance after a double fault, Federer ripped a huge serve out wide on his third match point to seal the deal.

“It was difficult, because the opponent was dangerous and tough and playing well, I thought,” said Federer. “He put me under a lot of pressure, but thank God I was able to react, you know. He doesn't give you that many chances, so I was happy. I hung in there. I know the danger of playing Tomas. I wish he was higher up in the rankings so you don't have to play him that early. I think today he showed why he could be a wonderful player. It’s good to have five-setters to see where you’re at. In the end it becomes very mental, and I know that this is where my biggest strengths always come into play.”

The 27-year-old Federer, who is looking to become just the fifth man to win four or more Australian Open titles, improves to 8-1 lifetime against the 6’5” Czech player. Throughout the five-set thriller, Federer smashed 20 aces and 61 winners compared to only eight aces and 58 winners by Berdych. An owner of 57 career ATP singles titles, Federer was able to break serve eight times compared to only five by Berdych. The win marked the fourth time in Federer’s career that he rallied from a two-sets-to-love deficit to win, the most recent during the 2005 Masters Series Miami championship match against Rafael Nadal. On his quest to tie Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam title record of 14, Federer will next face No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina for a place in the semifinals.

Other Fourth Round Results from Sunday
No. 3 Novak Djokovic def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 6-2
No. 7 Andy Roddick def. No. 21 Tommy Robredo, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3
No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro def. No. 19 Marin Cilic, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Gonzalez saves match point at Aussie Open; No. 1 Nadal, No. 4 Murray advance

2009-01-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

In the most exciting match of the Australian Open so far, No. 13 seed Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) saved a match point in the third set tiebreak en route to a 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(10), 6-2, 12-10, victory over No. 24 seed Richard Gasquet on Saturday, in four hours and 10 minutes. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and World No. 4 Andy Murray had little trouble in reaching the fourth round, as both players won in straight sets.

Looking to become the fourth Frenchman to reach the fourth round, Gasquet dominated the early portions of the match and held a match point in the third set tiebreak before letting opportunities pass him by on several occasions. After Gonzalez won the third set, the 2007 runner-up quickly won the fourth set in 32-minutes, sending the match to a final set. At 10-10 in the fifth set, Gasquet held a break point but the Chilean ripped an outstanding forehand that clipped the line. Gonzalez would hold serve to go up 11-10 and would win the match in the next game by breaking the 22-year-old Frenchman’s serve. Both players put together impressive stats, as Gonzalez smashed 85 winners to only 51 unforced errors compared to 80 winners and 58 unforced errors by Gasquet. Both players won 191 points throughout the match and were 6 of 14 on break point opportunities, but it was Gonzalez who won the crucial points during the latter stages of the final set. After starting the season reaching the semifinals in Brisbane and Sydney, the Frenchman falls to 4-9 in five set matches in his young career. Currently ranked No. 14 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Gonzalez has now come from two sets to love down to win for the fifth time in his career. A winner of 10 career ATP singles titles since turning pro in 1999, Gonzalez next faces Nadal for a place in the final eight.

Nadal continued his domination down under by cruising past unseeded German Tommy Haas, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal smashed 51 winners, won 81 percent of first serve points, won 20 of 23 net approaches and broke serve on six occasions. A five-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal improves to 4-0 lifetime against Haas. Haas, a former Top 10 player and three-time Australian Open semifinalist falls to 23-9 in Melbourne. A winner of 31 career singles titles including seven hard court titles, Nadal owns a 4-3 series edge against his next round opponent, Gonzalez.

A heavy favorite to capture his first career Grand Slam singles title, Murray put together another impressive performance, this time defeating No. 31 seed Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3, in one hour and 40 minutes. Murray, who advances to the fourth round in Melbourne for the second time in his career, smashed eight aces, hit 32 winners and only 10 unforced errors. The 21-year-old Scot was able to break the Austrian’s serve on seven occasions throughout the routine match. Capturing his ninth career ATP singles title earlier this year in Doha, Qatar after winning five titles in 2008, Murray improved to 8-0 on the season. Murray, who spent a month training for the 2009 season at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., next faces Spain Davis Cup hero and No. 14 seed Fernando Verdasco for a place in the quarterfinals.

Other Third Round Results from Saturday
No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Dudi Sela, 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
No. 6 Gilles Simon def. Mario Ancic, 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-2
No. 9 James Blake def. No. 18 Igor Andreev, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
No. 12 Gael Monfils def. No. 17 Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
No. 14 Fernando Verdasco def. No. 22 Radek Stepanek, 6-4, 6-0, 6-0

Federer ousts Safin at Australian Open; Cilic, Berdych, Baghdatis pull off upsets

2009-01-23T14:36:00.002-05:00

In the lower-portion of the men’s draw on Friday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, No. 19 Marin Cilic, No. 20 Tomas Berdych (pictured) and Marcos Baghdatis pulled off impressive upsets to advance to the fourth round. In a highly anticipated match between former champions, World No. 2 Roger Federer outplayed Russian Marat Safin to advance to the fourth round, while defending champion and World No. 3 Novak Djokovic defeated American lucky loser Amer Delic in a thrilling four-set match.

Cilic, who put his name on the ATP radar after reaching the fourth round in Melbourne last year, ousted No. 11 seed David Ferrer, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4. The 20-year-old Croatian fired seven aces, hit 33 winners, won 68 percent of first serve points, won 20 of 27 net approaches and was able to break serve 4 times throughout the match. Cilic, currently ranked at a career-best No. 20, will next face No. 8 seed Juan Martin Del Potro for a place in the quarterfinals. Del Potro came from behind to defeat Gilles Muller, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3, 7-5. Both players won a singles title in their season opener, Cilic winning the Chennai title over Somdev Devvarman, while Del Potro defeated American Sam Querrey in the championship match in Auckland.

Berdych came from behind to defeat No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the fourth round for the third consecutive year. Both players hit a large amount of unforced errors, Wawrinka hit 49 and Berdych hit 46, but it was the Czech star that smashed 49 winners compared to only 39 by Wawrinka. The 23-year-old was also able to break serve five times compared to only once by Wawrinka. In a repeat of his fourth round match in 2008, Berdych will next take on Federer for a place in the quarterfinals.

In a match that finished just after 1:00 a.m. local time, Baghdatis easily defeated No. 23 Mardy Fish, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. The popular Cypriot who reached the 2006 finals in Melbourne, smashed 34 winners, won 80 percent of first serve points and was able to break serve on six occasions. Baghdatis will clash in the fourth round against Djokovic.

In a night session blockbuster that featured three-time champion Federer and 2005 champion Safin, the Swiss former World No. 1 prevailed without much trouble, winning 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(5). Despite Safin hitting 14 aces and 33 winners compared to only nine aces and 26 winners by Federer, the 13-time Grand Slam champion took control by breaking serve three times, while Safin had no break point opportunities throughout the match. Federer now leads the series 10-2 against Safin. Federer, who lost in the semifinals last year to Djokovic, improves to 44-6 at the Australian Open.

In an exciting afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic prevailed against Delic, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), in three hours and six minutes. After dropping the second set, which was the first set he has lost in his last ten matches in Melbourne, Djokovic regrouped to win the third set at ease after Delic dropped serve at the beginning of the set. The 26-year-old Delic held two set points late in the fourth set but Djokovic was able to get back in the game by consecutive big serves. After falling behind 1-3 in the tiebreak, Djokovic recovered quickly and would win the match as Delic netted a return of serve on match point. The 21-year-old Serbian smashed 11 aces, won 79 percent of first serve points and was able to break serve three times.

Other Third Round Results from Friday
No. 7 Andy Roddick def. Fabrice Santoro, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
No. 21 Tommy Robredo def. Yen-Hsun Lu, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2

Roddick, Safin, Baghdatis advance at Australian Open; Nalbandian eliminated

2009-01-21T16:54:00.001-05:00

Russian Marat Safin, the 2005 champion, cruised to victory on Wednesday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, while seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick (pictured) was pushed to the limit en route to a four-set win over Belgian Xavier Malisse. Also victorious was 2006 finalist Marcos Baghdatis, who pulled off an upset victory over No. 16 Robin Soderling on Show Court 2, while No. 10 David Nalbandian lost his bid for a chance to win his first Grand Slam title, losing to Yen-Hsun Lu.

Determined to turn around his career with the addition of Larry Stefanki as coach, Roddick came from behind to defeat Malisse, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(1), 6-2, in two hours and 43 minutes to improve to 8-0 lifetime against the Belgian. The 26-year-old smashed 19 aces, while only hitting 27 unforced errors compared to 11 aces and 50 unforced errors by Malisse. A three-time semifinalist in Melbourne, Roddick hit 45 winners, won 60 of 72 first serve points and broke serve on five occasions. Roddick will next face French veteran Fabrice Santoro, who at the age of 36, became the oldest male player to win two straight matches at the Australian Open since 1978, winning 5-7, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in three hours and 56 minutes.

Struggling with several injuries over the last couple years, Baghdatis was able to overcome a slow start in the first set and a half to beat Soderling, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3, in two hours and 58 minutes. The Cypriot smashed 13 aces, hit 38 winners and broke serve eight times. Soderling, who was looking to reach the third round in Melbourne for the first time in his career, only managed to make 51 percent on first serves and sluggishly hit 69 unforced errors in the loss. Baghdatis will clash in the third round against No. 23 Mardy Fish, a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5, winner over Italian Simone Bolelli. The match will be the first meeting between the pair.

Announcing earlier this year that 2009 will be his last season as a professional tennis player, Safin powered his way past Spaniard Garcia-Lopez, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. The Russian smashed 18 aces past his opponent, while winning 85 percent of first serve points. The former World No. 1 hit 31 winners compared to 23 unforced errors. Safin was also able to break serve on 5 of 12 chances, while Garcia-Lopez was unsuccessful during his two break point opportunities. Safin will next face No. 2 Federer, an easy 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, winner over Russian qualifier Evgeny Korolev. Federer owns a 9-2 edge against Safin, but Safin won their last meeting, 9-7 in the fifth-set in the semifinals at the Australian Open in 2005.

Currently ranked No. 61 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Lu shocked World No. 11 Nalbandian, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in three hours and 55 minutes. Lu, who advances to the third round for the first time in any Grand Slam tournament, smashed nine aces and 51 winners past the Argentine. Winner of last week’s Medibank International in Sydney, Nalbandian committed 61 unforced errors in his eighth appearance in Melbourne.

Other Second Round Results from Wednesday
No. 3 Novak Djokovic def. Jeremy Chardy, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3
No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro def. Florian Mayer, 6-1, 7-5, 6-2
No. 11 David Ferrer def. Dominik Hrbaty, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka def. Brydan Klein, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 19 Marin Cilic def. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
No. 20 Tomas Berdych def. Brian Dabul, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
No. 21 Tommy Robredo def. Viktor Troicki, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
Amer Delic def. No. 28 Paul-Henri Mathieu, 1-6, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 9-7
Gilles Muller def. Bernard Tomic, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Australian Open results (January 20)

2009-01-20T23:48:00.000-05:00

Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
January 19-February 1, 2009
$10,142,240 (AUS) / 128 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – First Round
No. 1 Rafael Nadal def. Christophe Rochus, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 Andy Murray def. Andrei Pavel, 6-2, 3-1, ret. injury
No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Juan Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0
No. 6 Gilles Simon def. Pablo Andujar, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
No. 9 James Blake def. Frank Dancevic, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
No. 12 Gael Monfils def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-1, 6-3, 7-5
No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez def. Lleyton Hewitt, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
No. 14 Fernando Verdasco def. Adrian Mannarino, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2
No. 17 Nicolas Almagro def. Nicolas Massu, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3
No. 18 Igor Andreev def. Peter Polansky, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
No. 22 Radek Stepanek def. Nicolas Lapentti, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 24 Richard Gasquet def. Diego Junqueira, 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4
No. 25 Ivo Karlovic def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 31 Jurgen Melzer def. Kei Nishikori, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
Flavio Cipolla def. No. 29 Dmitry Tursunov, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(7), 7-5
Dudi Sela def. No. 30 Rainer Schuettler, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Tommy Haas def. Eduardo Schwank, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Mario Ancic def. Wayne Odesnik, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Ivan Ljubicic def. Igor Kunitsyn, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-3
Chris Guccione def. Nicolas Devilder, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Arnaud Clement def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Guillermo Canas def. Dieter Kindlmann, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-0, 7-5
Stefan Koubek def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Ernests Gulbis def. Albert Montanes, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Denis Istomin def. Vince Spadea, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4
Michael Berrer def. Carsten Ball, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Andreas Beck def. Colin Ebelthite, 7-5, 6-1, 6-0
Marcel Granollers def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-4, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-0
Sebastien De Chaunac def. Steve Darcis, 2-6, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2, 6-2
Victor Hanescu def. Jan Hernych, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(4), 8-6
Fabio Fognini def. Andrey Golubev, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-2
Roko Karanusic def. Florent Serra, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, Nalbandian cruise to victory at Australian Open

2009-01-19T16:47:00.001-05:00

Second-seed Roger Federer (pictured) made a strong start on Monday at the Australian Open in his bid to win his fourth title in Melbourne, as well as a record equaling 14th Grand Slam singles title, as he defeated World No. 35 Andreas Seppi, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-5. Defending Champion and third-seed Novak Djokovic, seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick and tenth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian were also winners on opening day.

Federer, Australian Open champion in 2004, 2006 and 2007, easily won the opening set in 24-minutes, before being forced to save a set point on his serve late in the second set. The former World No. 1 would go on to win the second set in a tiebreak and on his fifth match point in the third set, seal the victory when Seppi’s forehand sailed wide. The Swiss won 52 of 68 first serve points, smashed 45 winners, hit nine aces and broke serve three times. In the second round, Federer will do battle against 20-year-old Russian qualifier Evgeny Korolev, who sent Spaniard Carlos Moya packing in the first round for the fifth straight year, winning 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(7), in one hour and 51 minutes.

Djokovic, currently ranked No. 3 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, survived a close third set en route to victory over Italian Andrea Stoppini, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. After falling behind 0-4 in the third set, Djokovic was able to capitalize on three straight break point chances to prevent the match from being extended to a fourth set. Djokovic smashed eight aces, won 68 percent of first serve points, hammered 34 winners and broke serve seven times throughout the match. Djokovic, who lost only one set last year en route to winning the title, next faces Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, a 6-4, 6-4, 6-1, winner over Brazilian Marcos Daniel.

Currently ranked No. 9, Roddick wasted no time letting the rest of the playing field know that he is a contender at this year’s tournament, cruising past Swedish qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2, in the first match of the event played on Rod Laver Arena. In the opening set that lasted only 28-minutes, the former World No. 1 dropped only nine points, while breaking serve twice. The Texas resident, who is currently coached by Larry Stefanki, hit five less winners than Rehnquist’s 22, but committed only 10 unforced errors compared to 37 by the Swede. Roddick, a three-time semifinalist in Melbourne, next faces former Top 20 player Xavier Malisse, a 7-6(8), 6-1, 6-1, winner over Frenchman Michael Llodra.

Nalbandian, winner of last week’s Medibank International in Sydney, opened up his tournament with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, victory over Frenchman Marc Gicquel. The Argentine, who reached the semifinals in Melbourne in 2006 and the quarterfinals three times, smashed 36 winners, won 71 percent of first serve points and was able to break serve seven times. Nalbandian will next face Yen-Hsun Lu, a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, winner over Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci.

Other First Round Scores from Day One
No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro def. Mischa Zverev, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
No. 11 David Ferrer def. Denis Gremelmayr, 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4
No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka def. Ivo Minar, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(9)
No. 16 Robin Soderling def. Robert Kendrick, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
No. 19 Marin Cilic def. Kevin Anderson, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3
No. 20 Tomas Berdych def. Robby Ginepri, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
No. 21 Tommy Robredo def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1
No. 23 Mardy Fish def. Samuel Groth, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5, 6-0
No. 26 Marat Safin def. Ivan Navarro, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Gilles Muller def. No. 27 Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 7-6(5), 4-6, 4-6, 16-14
No. 28 Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-2, 4-1, ret. injury
No. 32 Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Sam Querrey, 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-2
Marcos Baghdatis def. Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2
Fabrice Santoro def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2
Dominik Hrbaty def. John Isner, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Amer Delic def. Taylor Dent, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Janko Tipsarevic def. Oscar Hernandez, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
Viktor Troicki def. Alberto Martin, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Florian Mayer def. Lamine Ouahab, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Agustin Calleri, 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-0
Brydan Klein def. Bjorn Phau, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Brian Dabul def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Simone Bolelli def. Kristof Vliegen, 7-6(5), 7-6(3), 7-5
Bernard Tomic def. Potito Starace, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5(8)

Sixteen-year veteran Spadea chats with DOWN THE TEE about life on ATP Tour

2009-01-17T00:14:00.003-05:00

No matter how you want to perceive the longevity of the 16-year career of pro tennis player Vince Spadea, it’s been successful based on hardwork, dedication and lots of determination. While many suggest it’s time for Spadea to hang up the racquets and pursue another career, the former Top 20 player feels there is plenty more to accomplish on the ATP Tour.

Born in Chicago to Hilda and Vincent Sr., the Spadea family eventually relocated to their current hometown of Boca Raton, Fla., so Vince and his two sisters could pursue tennis more vigorously. In the competitive world of junior tennis, Spadea quickly joined the upper echelon of players, showing signs he could take his tennis game to the next level. After winning the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in 1992 and finishing the year ranked No. 4 in the ITF World Rankings, Spadea turned professional in 1993.

Spadea showed promise early on in his professional career, finishing the 1994 and 1995 seasons as the youngest American in the Top 100. In 1999, Spadea beat Andre Agassi in the 4th round of the Australian Open en route to a quarterfinal performance. Other noteworthy performances that year included a victory over Roger Federer at the Masters Series Monte Carlo, winning the second set, 6-0. To this day, Federer has only lost three sets at love in his illustrious career.

Despite a very stable career throughout the 1990s, most athletes eventually suffer a bad moment in their career, Spadea was soon to experience that act. In 2000, Spadea hit rock bottom, setting an ATP-record by losing his 21st-straight match before defeating Greg Rusedski in five sets at Wimbledon. Deciding to rededicate himself to all aspects of tennis, on and off the court, Spadea played challenger tournament after challenger tournament, aiming to raise his ranking. All the hard work eventually paid off in 2004 when he defeated Nicolas Kiefer to capture his first career ATP singles title at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic.

The 34-year-old is still grinding on the ATP Tour and recently finished in the Top 100 for the 13th time in 15 seasons. In his 2008 campaign, Spadea reached the semifinals in Newport, quarterfinals in Adelaide and Nottingham, and advanced to the 3rd round at the Australian Open after two five-set thrillers in his first two matches. He also won two challenger tournaments at the end of the season.

Throughout his lengthy career, Spadea has appeared in 52 grand slam tournaments as a singles player, has represented the USA in Davis Cup and in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and has earned about $4.9 million in prize money. In addition to the aforementioned victories over Agassi and Federer, he has also defeated Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Jim Courier, Gustavo Kuerten, Michael Chang, Patrick Rafter, and Andy Roddick. To date, Spadea has won 309 career matches, one ATP-level singles title, three doubles titles and eight challenger tournaments. Spadea, currently ranked No. 81 in the World, spends time training in Los Angeles, as well as in Boca Raton. Next week in Melbourne, Spadea will start his 2009 season by playing in his 12th Australian Open.

Q & A with Vince Spadea

DOWN THE TEE: You have spent much of your career ranked inside the Top 50, what does it take for a pro to consistently be ranked in the Top 50, let alone the Top 100?

VS: Having been ranked in the top hundred consistently has not been easy at all, and being in the Top 50 is another level that needs to be done carefully, strategically, and physically. I think the basic factors are that improving shots, being passionate about the game, and mentally rising to every match—regardless of who you're beating or losing to—allows you to reach your optimal level all the time. I think the most difficult step in tennis is to go from (the Top) 200 to 100. From 100 to 50 is also very difficult. I enjoy going to the gym, I stay in shape and I try to be fitter, faster and get my game ready and sharp to play every opponent no matter the circumstances, the surface, or the score. I play every match as if I'm trying to carry out the dream that got me there in the first place. It inspires me to continue on and rise above all the young, talented, up and coming players. Fitness is a huge part of this element, especially when you go from 100 to 50, and I love doing it. That's what makes it consistent.

DOWN THE TEE: Having the perfect diet is a must for players to compete at the highest level. What is your diet like?

VS: I've worked with two nutritionists over the course of my career and they have helped me a huge amount, knowing what to eat and when to eat it. My diet plan consists of five smaller meals per day. It includes proteins, dairy, fruit, and carbohydrates. I take an over-the-counter multivitamin and drink lots of water per day. I personally enjoy pasta, chicken, cereals, and orange juice, and I can't get away from having my occasional Starbucks latte. Eating every two to three hours keeps my energy at an even flow. I'm never too hungry or too full. But I enjoy eating throughout the day, the right energy foods, and once a week I have “garbage day.” Garbage day I can obviously eat whatever I want in moderation.

DOWN THE TEE: I noticed in your book and on You Tube that you are a big fan of Starbucks, how often are you able to go there?

VS: I love Starbucks! Not only do I like the variety and creativity of the drinks, but the atmosphere, the ambience and friendly environment allows me to have a relaxing, yet pick me up moment, throughout my day. I travel so much that it's difficult to see the same places every day besides McDonald's. Starbucks creates a warm environment; the couches, music and Internet availability seduce me every day that I can get there.

DOWN THE TEE: It seems that life on the ATP Tour might get pretty lonely at times, since you are always traveling and rarely spend time at home with family and friends. What is your perspective on the life as a professional tennis player?

VS: Life on the pro circuit can be lonely. This is true. Sometimes you feel like you've been put in isolation because of the travel and distances from your normal and homely environments. At the same time, it's an opportunity to experience new cultures, new ambitions, and irreplaceable memories that I can speak and write about for the rest of my life. I've grown to learn to enjoy the times of struggle and solitude, even if it's just sitting in my hotel room trying to accomplish something else on my laptop, reading a book, or watching a movie.

DOWN THE TEE: Your book "Break Point: The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player," sheds light on what's going on "behind the scenes" in tennis. What led you to writing that book and now your soon-to-be-released second book, "The Greatest Comeback"?

VS: It was a very interesting experience to write my first book Break Point. I did shed some light on the behind-the-scenes life of the pro tennis circuit. I put a lot of effort into the writing, and describing what I feel like, and what I see in the game and my life. I like trying to give the fan a different concept and angle on what you would normally read in another book on the stand about tennis. It was honest, and it was unique. Sometimes honesty is unique and that's what I was trying to point out. As far as the other projects I have in the works, I don't have a lot to talk about right now until it gets closer to doing so.

DOWN THE TEE: What have you enjoyed most about your professional career? What, if you could, would you change about your career?

VS: The biggest thing I enjoy about my professional career is knowing that people appreciate the love and dedication that you put into your job. Tennis players sacrifice many countless hours to become that precise and skilled athlete, fighting to be the best in a certain trade, and sometimes we forget why we do it. Even though the money is there, we still forget. Even though the fame and the rankings are there, we still forget. But when you're walking on the Center Court or shaking the hand of the top-ranked opponent that you've just beaten or played even closely, the fans let you know why and remind you that all the repetitions were worth it. There's nothing better than to impact someone's life for even a second, a smile, or lifetime.

DOWN THE TEE: In your mind, what has been your biggest win during your career and why?

VS: In my mind, my biggest win has been against Andre Agassi at the 1999 Australian Open. Andre was an idol of mine as I grew up playing tennis. He was the rebel, living a rock star life, and a top ranked tennis player since the age of 18. To beat him in a Grand Slam during his prime, and doing it on Center Court at Rod Laver Arena, it didn't get much better than that in my career.

DOWN THE TEE: If you weren't playing on the ATP Tour, what would you be doing today?

VS: If I wasn't playing on the ATP tour today, I probably would like to be in the stock market, figuring out how to invest and when to invest. I like trying to solve puzzles and problems and using numbers and creative ways of doing it my own way. I think that world would allow me that freedom and the opportunity for pressure like tennis does.

DOWN THE TEE: As a 34-year-old pro tennis player with wins over the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal what continues to drive you to travel the world and still compete at the highest-level?

VS: Even though I've beaten all those players at different times of my long career, I still feel the urge to compete and succeed. I believe I can win, that's why I'm out here. I still want to rekindle some of that magic that got me in the circles of beating the best and being one of the Top 20 best.

DOWN THE TEE: How much longer do you see yourself competing on the ATP Tour? What are your ambitions or aspirations for whenever you do decide to retire? Would you consider TV commentary?

VS: It's difficult to put a time frame on it. I would say (a) two to three year range; might be more, maybe less. Even though I am 34, I still feel young, act young, and explore ways to rejuvenate my mind and body. There are success stories in different sports that are more straining than tennis at older ages than (mine). But not looking at anyone as competition, I feel this is my own journey to seek out and enjoy. I will let the chips fall where they may and work my butt off while I do it until I can't do it or until I don't feel like doing it.

DOWN THE TEE: Many of your fans love hearing your freestyle rap, so should we be looking for a Spadea rap CD in the near future? Can you drop a rap about the DOWN THE TEE tennis blog?

VS: I enjoy rapping and rhyming, and I'm glad people out there have seen the fun and diversity of it. It's about being yourself and that's just a part of me, a part of my enjoyment when I'm not hitting tennis shots.

Vince Spadea raps about DOWN THE TEE!

Spadea does want to say thanks to DOWN THE TEE,
hopefully people will see that I'm just not a wannabe.
I just wanna be free and playing tennis is me,
that's the key to playing past 33.
Hopefully the readers from DOWN THE TEE and me,
can sit at Starbucks and grab a tea and coffee.
Because we got nobody to please, just one day at a time is my Creedand when I look in the mirror...I believe.

Australian Open preview

2009-01-16T00:37:00.004-05:00

Australian Open
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Dates: January 19-February 1, 2009
Draw Size: 128
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $10,142,240 (AUS); men’s singles champion: $2,000,000 (AUS)
2008 Singles Final: Novak Djokovic, SRB, def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(2)

Official Web site: http://www.ausopen.org/

Top story lines:
1. In 2008, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic accounted for all four Grand Slam titles, who has the best shot at winning this year in Melbourne?
2. Can red-hot Andy Murray continue his remarkable tennis and win his first career Grand Slam title?
3. Handed a tough draw, does Australian Lleyton Hewitt have any shot at getting out of the first round?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez vs. Lleyton Hewitt (Gonzalez leads 3-2; Gonzalez won most recently at the 2007 Australian Open; Last season, Gonzalez won singles titles in Munich and Vina del Mar, a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics and was a quarterfinalist in Beijing, Tokyo, Vienna and at Roland Garros; Gonzalez is currently ranked No. 14; Last season, Hewitt reached the quarterfinals in Adelaide and Queen’s Club in London and reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon; Hewitt is currently ranked No. 74)
2. No. 28 Paul-Henri Mathieu vs. Jarkko Nieminen (Nieminen leads 1-0; winning in Adelaide in 2006; Last season, Nieminen was a finalist in Adelaide, semifinalist in Stockholm and a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and in Bastad; Nieminen is currently ranked No. 40; In 2009, Mathieu has already reached the semifinals in Brisbane; Last season, Mathieu was a finalist in Metz and a semifinalist in Marseille and Munich; Mathieu is currently ranked No. 29)
3. No. 32 Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Sam Querrey (Querrey leads 1-0; winning at the 2006 US Open; Querrey won first career title in 2008 in Las Vegas and reached the semifinals in Delray Beach and Indianapolis; Querrey is currently ranked at a career-best No. 36; Kohlschreiber reached the quarterfinals in Doha during the first week of the 2009 season; Last season, Kohlschreiber won the Auckland title, reached the finals in Halle and the quarterfinals in Doha, Stuttgart and at the Masters Series Cincinnati; Kohlschreiber is currently ranked No. 33)
4. Guillermo Canas vs. Nicolas Kiefer (Series tied 1-1; Last season, Canas reached the semifinals in Las Vegas and s-Hertogenbosch; Canas is currently ranked No. 77; Last season, Kiefer was a finalist at the Masters Series Canada, semifinalist in Halle and quarterfinalist at the Masters Series Hamburg; Kiefer is currently ranked No. 37)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 6 Gilles Simon, Quarterfinals
· Nadal leads 2-1; Simon won most recently at the Masters Series Madrid in three sets in 2008
· Nadal finished the year ranked No. 1 in 2008, won 82 matches and eight titles, including the French Open, Wimbledon and a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics
· Simon won three singles titles in 2008

No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro, Quarterfinals
· Federer leads 3-0; with a 2-0 edge on hard courts
· Federer won four titles in 2008 including his fifth-straight US Open
· Del Potro won four singles titles during a 23-match win streak in 2008

No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 7 Andy Roddick, Quarterfinals
· Djokovic leads 2-1; with a 2-1 edge on hard courts
· Djokovic won four titles in 2008 including the Australian Open and Tennis Masters Cup
· Roddick won three titles in 2008

No. 4 Andy Murray vs. No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Quarterfinals
· Series tied 1-1; both matches played on hard courts
· Murray won five titles in 2008 and reached the US Open finals
· Tsonga won two titles in 2008 and reached a career-best ranking of No. 6

Watch out for…
1. No. 9 James Blake
2. No. 10 David Nalbandian
3. No. 12 Gael Monfils
4. No. 14 Fernando Verdasco
5. No. 19 Marin Cilic
6. No. 22 Radek Stepanek
7. Kei Nishikori

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 4 Andy Murray

Medibank International results (January 14)

2009-01-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

Medibank International
Sydney, Australia
January 12-17, 2009
$484,750 / 28 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles - Second Round
(1)(WC) Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA), 6-1, 6-2
Richard Gasquet (FRA) def. (2) Gilles Simon (FRA), 6-4, 6-4
(3) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. Simone Bolelli (ITA), 6-4, 6-1
(4) David Nalbandian (ARG) def. Michael Llodra (FRA), 6-1, 6-3
(Q) Jeremy Chardy (FRA) def. (5) Igor Andreev (RUS), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Mario Ancic (CRO) def. (7) Tommy Robredo (ESP), 6-2, 6-1
(WC) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB), 7-5, 6-4
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. (WC) Chris Guccione (AUS), 7-6(8), 6-3

Heineken Open results (January 14)

2009-01-14T13:39:00.000-05:00

Heineken Open
Auckland, New Zealand
January 12-17, 2009
$480,750 / 28 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles - Second Round
(1) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. Ernests Gulbis (LAT), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
(2) David Ferrer (ESP) def. Marc Gicquel (FRA), 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4
(3) Robin Soderling (SWE) def. (Q) Bobby Reynolds, (USA), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
(4) Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2
(5) Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) def. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5)
(6) Sam Querrey (USA) def. (Q) Gilles Muller (LUX), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Viktor Troicki (SRB) def. (8) Juan Monaco (ARG), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
(Q) John Isner (USA) def. Robby Ginepri (USA), 6-4, 6-7(1), 7-6(5)

Medibank International results (January 13)

2009-01-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Medibank International
Sydney, Australia
January 12-17, 2009
$484,750 / 28 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles - First Round
(WC) Chris Guccione (AUS) def. (6) Tomas Berdych (CZE), 6-3, 6-4
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. (8) Mardy Fish (USA), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) def. Andreas Seppi (ITA), 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
(WC) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. J Benneteau (FRA), 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
(Q) Jeremy Chardy (FRA) def. Radek Stepanek (CZE), 6-4, 3-0 ret. (illness)
Richard Gasquet (FRA) d Dmitry Tursunov (RUS), 7-6(4), 6-4

Heineken Open results (January 13)

2009-01-13T14:49:00.001-05:00

Heineken Open
Auckland, New Zealand
January 12-17, 2009
$480,750 / 28 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles - First Round
(5) Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) def. (WC) Dominik Hrbaty (SVK), 6-1, 6-2
(Q) John Isner (USA) def. (7) Albert Montanes (ESP), 7-6(4), 7-5(8)
Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Victor Hanescu (ROU), 6-3, 6-4
(Q) Gilles Muller (LUX) def. Florent Serra (FRA), 6-3, 6-4
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) def. Steve Darcis (BEL), 7-6(5), 6-2
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP), 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1
(Q) Bobby Reynolds (USA) def. (Q) Oscar Hernandez (ESP), 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-2
Marc Gicquel (FRA) def. Agustin Calleri (ARG), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Robredo, Andreev, Nieminen victorious in Medibank International openers in Sydney

2009-01-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

Seventh-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo (pictured) defeated Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 6-3, 6-4, on Monday in the first round at the Medibank International in Sydney. Robredo earned his first win of the year in his 2009 season debut.

Currently ranked No. 22 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Robredo saved all seven break point chances he faced, while breaking Melzer’s serve twice in six opportunities throughout the 90-minute match. The steady right-hander who has won 332 career ATP singles matches, won 67 percent of first serve points, 63 percent of second serve points and smashed three aces compared to only one double fault. In six appearances in Sydney, this victory marks just the second time Robredo has made it past the first round. His best performance to date was in 2004 when he lost to countryman Carlos Moya in the quarterfinals in three sets. Robredo next faces Croatian Mario Ancic, who defeated Belgian qualifier Xavier Malisse, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Fifth-seeded Russian Igor Andreev, who was eliminated in the first round last week in Doha, started things off on the right note this week by defeating Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic, 7-6(2), 6-3, in 77-minutes to advance. Currently ranked No. 19, Andreev smashed 11 aces compared to only two aces by Dancevic. The Russian, winner of a career-best 43 matches last season, won 34 of 38 first serve points, while breaking serve three times. Andreev will next face either last week’s Brisbane champion Radek Stepanek or French qualifier Jeremy Chardy.

Finland native Jarkko Nieminen, currently ranked No. 40, edged past Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 6-2, 7-6(9), in 84 minutes. Nieminen, who won 81 percent of first serve points and broke serve on three occasions, now owns a 5-0 lifetime record against the left-hander from Madrid. Nieminen awaits the winner between sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych and 2008 finalist Chris Guccione. Nieminen has never faced Guccione but is 0-3 lifetime against Berdych, having never won a set against the big-serving Czech star.

Other First Round results from Monday
Michael Llodra def. Denis Gremelmayr, 6-0, 6-2
Simone Bolelli def. Potito Starace, 7-6(1), 6-4

Querrey defeats local wild card entrant in Auckland; Ferrero, Ginepri also advance

2009-01-12T15:53:00.003-05:00

Sixth-seeded American Sam Querrey advanced to the second round on Monday at the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, with a routine, 6-4, 7-5, victory over local wild card entrant Daniel King-Turner. The 22-year-old Californian earned his first career victory in Auckland, having lost in his debut last year to Florian Mayer.

Currently ranked at a career-best No. 36 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Querrey was able to put together an all-around strong performance to earn his first win of the 2009 season despite tossing in six double faults. The 6’6” American smashed eight aces, won 28 of 37 first serve points and was able to break serve on three of four opportunities in the 74-minute match. King-Turner, who is currently ranked No. 463, now falls to 7-8 lifetime in ATP-level main draw matches. In the second round, Querrey will face either Frenchman Florent Serra or qualifier Gilles Muller.

Former World No. 1 and Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero (pictured) advanced to the second round when Japanese rising star Kei Nishikori retired with a right forearm injury. Ferrero was leading 5-3 at the time of the injury, backed by three aces and two service breaks. A finalist in Auckland last year, Ferrero improves to 7-4 at the event. The Spaniard will next face either defending champion and fifth-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber or wild card entrant Dominik Hrbaty.

American Robby Ginepri and Serbian Viktor Troicki were also victorious on opening day in Auckland by winning their matches with simplicity. Ginepri cruised past local wild card entrant Jose Statham, 6-2, 6-3, while Troicki smashed eleven aces and broke serve four times against Russian Igor Kunitsyn en route to an easy, 6-1, 6-2, victory. In the second round, Ginepri faces either seventh-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes or American qualifier John Isner. Troicki will clash with either eighth-seed Juan Monaco or Romanian Victor Hanescu for a place in the quarterfinals.

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Jan. 5-11)

2009-01-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

Noumea, New Caledonia (Hard)
Brendan Evans (USA) def. (WC) Florian Mayer (GER), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Sao Paulo, Brazil (Hard)
Ricardo Mello (BRA) def. No. 3 Paul Capdeville (CHI), 6-2, 6-4

Key Terms
WC = Wild Card

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Medibank International preview

2009-01-11T16:57:00.004-05:00

Medibank International
Location: Sydney, Australia
Dates: January 12-17, 2009
Draw Size: 28
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $484,750; men’s singles champion: $78,500
2008 Singles Final: Dmitry Tursunov, RUS, def. Chris Guccione, AUS, 7-6(3), 7-6(4)
Official Web site: http://www.medibankinternational.com

Top story lines:
1. Can Australian Open defending champion Novak Djokovic rebound in Sydney after a first round exit last week in Brisbane?
2. Does defending champion Dmitry Tursunov have any shot at winning again in Sydney despite an extremely tough draw?
3. Will wild card entrant Lleyton Hewitt win a fifth singles title in Sydney?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 6 Tomas Berdych vs. Chris Guccione
2. No. 7 Tommy Robredo vs. Jurgen Melzer
3. No. 8 Mardy Fish vs. Janko Tipsarevic
4. Dmitry Tursunov vs. Richard Gasquet
5. Jarkko Nieminen vs. Feliciano Lopez

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 7 Tommy Robredo, Quarterfinals
No. 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. No. 6 Tomas Berdych, Quarterfinals
No. 4 David Nalbandian vs. No. 8 Mardy Fish, Quarterfinals

Watch out for…
1. No. 2 Gilles Simon
2. Radek Stepanek

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Heineken Open preview

2009-01-11T16:52:00.002-05:00

Heineken Open
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Dates: January 12-17, 2009
Draw Size: 28
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $480,750; men’s singles champion: $78,000
2008 Singles Final: Philipp Kohlschreiber, GER, def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, ESP, 7-6(4), 7-5
Official Web site: http://www.heinekenopen.co.nz/

Top story lines:
1. Can defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber survive a brutal lower half of the draw to win a second straight title in Auckland?
2. Can No. 2 seed and 2007 champion David Ferrer make a run at another title in Auckland?
3. Will No. 1 seed Juan Martin Del Potro have a winning streak by the time next week’s Australian Open begins?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 5 Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Dominik Hrbaty
2. Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. Kei Nishikori

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Juan Martin Del Potro vs. No. 8 Juan Monaco, Quarterfinals
No. 2 David Ferrer vs. No. 5 Philipp Kohlschreiber, Quarterfinals
No. 4 Nicolas Almagro vs. No. 6 Sam Querrey, Quarterfinals

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Robin Soderling
2. Ernests Gulbis

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 3 Robin Soderling

No. 8 Stepanek rallies past No. 3 Verdasco to win Brisbane International title

2009-01-11T16:50:00.002-05:00

For the third straight match, eighth-seeded Radek Stepanek (pictured) rallied from behind to win, this time upsetting third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to claim the Brisbane International title in Australia on Sunday. Stepanek now owns three career ATP singles titles, having already raised the champion’s trophy in Rotterdam in 2006 and Los Angeles in 2007.

The 30-year-old Czech veteran, who is currently ranked No. 26 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, got off to a slow start in the serving department, making just 29 percent of first serves in the opening set. However, he quickly gained momentum in the second set by breaking Verdasco’s serve in the fourth game of the set, which ultimately led him to win the second set and take a commanding 4-1 lead in the final set. Verdasco, the Davis Cup hero for Spain in last year’s championship win against Argentina, broke serve then held his own to cut the lead to 4-3. Having a chance to break serve and even the match at 4-4, Verdasco lost that chance and eventually the game when Stepanek used a tricky drop shot to deny the Spaniard another break of serve. Stepanek, currently coached by former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, closed out the match on his own serve. Despite making 86 percent of first serves and winning 64 percent of those points, Verdasco only managed to break serve twice compared to three times by Stepanek.

“It’s my third title and my first tournament of the new season,” explained Stepanek. “I have the trophy, so I can’t find the words right now. I’m very happy with the way I played this week; I fought from the first point to the last point in every match. Three times I came back from a set down. I played very good tennis and here is the reward for it.”

Stepanek, currently the boyfriend of WTA Tour star Nicole Vaidisova, improves to 3-0 lifetime against the 25-year-old Spaniard after his victory in front of a jam-packed crowd of 5,500 at the Patrick Rafter Arena at the new $82 million Queensland Tennis Center. Stepanek earned a champion’s paycheck of $77,200 by winning the Brisbane title. Verdasco, who now holds a 2-5 record in ATP singles finals, earned a finalist paycheck of $40,500.

No. 3 Cilic defeats two-time NCAA singles champ Devvarman to win Chennai Open

2009-01-11T16:48:00.003-05:00

Third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic (pictured) claimed his second career ATP singles title on Sunday by defeating wild card entrant and World No. 202 Somdev Devvarman, 6-4, 7-6(3), to win the Chennai Open title in India. Both singles titles Cilic has won to date have been on hard courts, winning his maiden title in New Haven in August 2008.

In an exciting 52-minute opening set, Devvarman had plenty of opportunities to take the lead, holding three break points in both the fifth and seventh games of the set, only to see the 6’6” Croatian eventually hold serve both times and win the set, 6-4. Things looked to be headed south for Devvarman when he got broken at love in the second game of the second set, but the former University of Virginia two-time NCAA singles champion responded by breaking back and sending the match to a tiebreak. The 20-year-old Cilic was able to use his big match tournament experience and jump out to an early 4-1 lead in the tiebreak and clinch the title in exactly two hours. Cilic smashed nine aces compared to only one by Devvarman and allowed the 23-year-old rising star from India only one service break in 10 opportunities.

“I've been working very hard during this off-season and I'm glad that the work has paid off so fast,” said Cilic. “I'm feeling well even if today wasn't my best performance during the week. But I played well at crucial moments, which is the most important thing.”

Currently ranked No. 27 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Cilic lost only one set this week, losing 6-0 in the second set of his quarterfinal match against Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. For winning the title, Cilic earned a champion’s paycheck worth $73,000. Devvarman, who turned professional last year, was appearing in just his sixth ATP-level main draw and was vying to become the first Indian player to win an ATP singles title since Leander Paes won the Newport title in the summer of 1998. He was also looking to become the first former collegiate player to win an ATP singles title since Sargis Sargsian in 1997.

“This was a great week for me and I hope to play more tour events in the upcoming months,” said Devvarman. “It is my goal to move up further in the rankings and to become a better player.”

After an astonishing week of tennis that led to a runner-up performance, Devvarman walks away with a $37,000 paycheck, the biggest singles check of his career. Devvarman will move to approximately No. 153 in the new rankings that will be released on Monday morning. This upcoming week Devvarman is entered in the Australian Open qualifying tournament, looking to become one of the 16 players to earn main draw spots for the first grand slam event of the 2009 season.

World No. 4 Murray cruises past Roddick to win second straight Qatar Open title

2009-01-10T21:58:00.001-05:00

Red-hot World No. 4 and third-seeded Andy Murray (pictured) successfully defended his Qatar ExxonMobil Open title by defeating fourth-seeded American Andy Roddick, 6-4, 6-2, on Saturday in Doha. Murray now owns two titles in three appearances in Doha, having lost in the finals to Ivan Ljubicic in his tournament debut in 2007.

In the opening set, Murray jumped out to an early lead by breaking Roddick’s serve to go ahead 3-2, eventually claiming the first set, 6-4. The second set went very smoothly for the 21-year-old Scotland native, as he broke serve in the third and fifth games of the set, to claim the match and second set, 6-2, in a match that lasted 70 minutes. Both players hit 70 percent on first serves, as Murray won 80 percent of those points compared to only 66 percent by Roddick. Murray saved the only break point he faced by hitting an ace. In the 50 service games he played this week, Murray was only broken three times.

By claiming his second straight Doha title, Murray has now successfully defended three tournament titles, having accomplished it in San Jose in 2005-2006 and in St. Petersburg in 2007-2008. Murray is now the owner of nine ATP singles titles, having won five titles in 2008 including two Masters Series events.

“The semi-final and final matches were very good against two top players so I am very pleased,” said Murray. “It is great to start the season with a title. I have defended my title in three different tournaments now so I like to go back to the same places. I've always felt very comfortable in Doha.”

To go with the champion’s trophy, Murray earned $183,000 in prize money, while Roddick collected a runner-up check for $96,250. Both players will next compete at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Murray rallies past Federer in Doha; Roddick defeats Monfils to reach finals

2009-01-09T17:20:00.002-05:00

World No. 4 Andy Murray (pictured) came from behind in his semifinal match against Roger Federer on Friday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha to defeat the Swiss, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2. Fourth-seeded American Andy Roddick also advanced by defeating fifth-seeded Gael Monfils, 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-3, to earn his first win against the Frenchman in his last four outing, but more importantly a place in the championship match.

In defeating Federer for the third straight time, Murray rebounded nicely after losing the first set, as he was able to break serve twice in the second and third sets. Both players fired seven aces, but the Scot won an impressive 89 percent of first serve points compared to 69 percent by the former top-ranked star.

“It was a very tough match, I relaxed a bit after I got the break in the second set,” said Murray. “It is great to have such a great record against Federer. He's arguably the best player in the history of tennis.”

Having lost last year to Murray at the Masters Series Madrid and Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, Federer now falls to 2-5 lifetime against the in-form Scot. The 13-time grand slam champion, who won the Doha title in 2005 and 2006, now falls to 15-2 at this event.

Despite three solid performances to reach the final four, Federer was clearly disappointed in his semifinal performance, saying: “It is disappointing to lose after winning the first set and also because I had played well in the first three rounds.”

Monfils, currently ranked No. 13 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, looked to have things under control against Roddick as he led 5-4 and held a set point, but quickly had his serve broken. Roddick, a former World No. 1 and US Open champion in 2003, then took the first set tiebreak in convincing fashion, losing only one point. The Frenchman, who is now coached by Lleyton Hewitt’s old coach Roger Rasheed, showed signs of life in the second set after receiving back treatment, winning the set, 6-3.

“I enjoyed the match even if I lost,” said Monfils. “I had the biggest chance when I served for the first set but did not play a good game.”

Despite having his serve broken early in the final set, Roddick managed to produce more consistent tennis than Monfils and earned a crucial break of serve at 4-3 in the final set. Roddick closed things out on his own serve, winning the final set, 6-3, in a three-set match that lasted just over two hours.

The 26-year-old, who won three ATP singles titles last year, will be making his first appearance in the Doha finals. Roddick is the first American to reach the Doha finals since Jan-Michael Gambill finished as runner-up in 2003. Despite having a 2-5 record against Murray, Roddick looks to become just the second American to win the Doha title. American legend Jim Courier won the Doha title in 1997 by defeating British star Tim Henman.

Brisbane International results (January 9)

2009-01-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

Brisbane International
Brisbane, Australia
January 4-11, 2009
$484,750 / 32 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Quarterfinals
No. 7 Richard Gasquet (FRA) def. No. 2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA), 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 8 Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. No. 4 Robin Soderling (SWE), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

Chennai Open results (January 9)

2009-01-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

Chennai Open
Chennai, India
January 5-11, 2009
$450,000 / 32 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Quarterfinals
No. 3 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. No. 7 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB), 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
Somdev Devvarman (IND) def. No. 4 Ivo Karlovic (CRO), 7-6(4), 6-4
No. 5 Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Bjorn Phau (GER), 6-2, 7-5
No. 8 Marcel Granollers (ESP) def. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE), 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

Monfils upsets World No. 1 Nadal in Doha; Federer, Murray, Roddick also advance

2009-01-08T15:23:00.001-05:00

Backed by 35 winners, No. 5 seed Gael Monfils (pictured) defeated World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, 6-4, 6-4, in 89 minutes to advance to the semifinals at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Thursday. 13-time grand slam singles champion Roger Federer and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick also advanced to the final four in Doha.

In their three previous meetings, Monfils had not won more than three games in a set against Nadal, which was not the case this afternoon. The Paris native smashed eight aces past the Spaniard, while dropping only seven first serve points. Monfils won 33 of 40 first serve points throughout the match and was able to break serve three times on seven opportunities. Nadal was somewhat sluggish in the serving department, hitting two double faults while not serving an ace the entire match. The defending Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion won only 29 of 46 first serve points, but did manage to break serve once. Monfils next faces Roddick, who easily defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu, 6-3, 6-2. Monfils owns a 3-1 edge against the American, winning their last three meetings.

Federer, Doha champion in 2005 and 2006, survived a close encounter with German Philipp Kohlschreiber, winning, 6-2, 7-6(6), in one hour and 26 minutes. The Swiss star quickly got ahead 6-3, 3-0, before the German picked up his style of playing becoming more aggressive. After Federer had a chance to break serve and go up 5-3, Kohlschreiber eventually held to even the match at 4-4. The second set went to a tiebreak, with Kohlschreiber jumping ahead 5-1. The young German then found himself up 6-3, holding three set points against the former top-ranked player. On the first set point, Kohlschreiber netted a forehand, followed by a lob winner by Federer on the second set point. Federer then smashed a service winner and an ace out wide to take the lead 7-6. On match point, Federer smashed a shot down the line to win the match and end the lengthy 56-minute second set. The Swiss legend smashed four aces throughout the match compared to only one by Kohlschreiber. Federer was also able to break serve four times, two more than his opponent. Federer next faces World No. 4 Andy Murray, who cruised past Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-4, 6-2. Last week, Murray upset Federer in three sets in the semifinals of the Capitala World Tennis Championship exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Although the match did not officially count for ranking purposes, Murray does currently own a 4-2 series edge against Federer, winning three of four meetings in 2008.

Chennai Open results (January 8)

2009-01-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

Chennai Open results
Chennai, India
January 5-11, 2009
$450,000 / 32 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Second Round
No. 3 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Denis Istomin (UZB), 6-0, 6-4
No. 4 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def. Ivo Minar (CZE), 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Simon Greul (GER), 6-4, 6-2
Somdev Devvarman (IND) def. No. 6 Carlos Moya (ESP), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 7 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Dudi Sela (ISR), 7-6(3), 6-4
No. 8 Marcel Granollers (ESP) def. Andreas Beck (GER), 6-4, 6-1
Bjorn Phau (GER) def. Flavio Cipolla (ITA), 6-1, 6-2

Brisbane International results (January 8)

2009-01-08T15:15:00.004-05:00

Brisbane International
Brisbane, Australia
January 4-11, 2009
$484,750 / 32 Draw
Hard Courts

Singles – Quarterfinals
No. 3 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Florent Serra (FRA), 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) def. Kei Nishikori (JPN), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles – Quarterfinals
Carsten Ball/Chris Guccione def. No. 1 Max Mirnyi/Andy Ram, 6-4, 6-4
Fernando Verdasco/Mischa Zverev def. No. 4 Martin Damm/Robert Lindstedt, 6-3, 6-3

Nadal, Federer, Roddick advance to quarterfinals at Qatar ExxonMobil Open

2009-01-07T18:02:00.002-05:00

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal advanced on Wednesday to the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha after a second straight lopsided victory, this time defeating Slovakian qualifier Karol Beck, 6-1, 6-2. Second-seeded Swiss Roger Federer (pictured) also had little trouble reaching the quarterfinals, as he defeated Italian Andreas Seppi, 6-3, 6-3.

After falling behind 0-2 in the second set, the lefty from Mallorca won six straight games to win the match in 61 minutes. Nadal, a quarterfinalist in 2005, won 18 of 20 first serve points, while breaking serve six times throughout the match.

“It’s been two very good matches to start the year and I am happy with how I am playing. 6-0, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-2, I did not expect that,” said Nadal.

After two fairly easy matches, Nadal will have to play strong tennis in the quarterfinals, as he next faces fifth-seed Gael Monfils, who is currently ranked at a career-best No.13. The Spaniard owns a 3-0 record against the young Frenchman, winning most recently last season in the Round of 16 at the Masters Series Paris. Monfils, a Doha finalist in 2006, earned his quarterfinal spot by battling past compatriot Nicolas Devilder, 7-5, 7-6(4).

Despite a few hiccups throughout the one hour and 19 minute match, Federer remained composed enough to cruise to victory by breaking serve four times and winning 71 percent of first serve points. Federer, a two-time former Doha champion now owns a 14-1 record at this event. The 27-year-old former World No. 1 next faces German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated Belgian Kristof Vliegen, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. Federer owns a 2-0 career record against the German, winning both meetings on grass.

In the night session match, fourth-seeded American Andy Roddick rolled past French wild card Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 7-5, in one hour and 43 minutes. Currently ranked No. 8 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Roddick pounded 11 aces past Clement without tossing in a double fault. Despite getting broken twice on serve, Roddick was able to quickly regroup and break Clement’s serve on four occasions. The 26-year-old Texas resident, a winner of three ATP singles titles in 2008, will next face Romanian Victor Hanescu for a place in the semifinals. Hanescu easily defeated former Doha semifinalist Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2, 6-4, in one hour and 39 minutes.

Others Second Round Results from Wednesday
No. 3 Andy Murray def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-2, 6-4
Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Alexander Peya, 7-5, 6-3

Tsonga survives three-set thriller in Brisbane; Nishikori stuns No. 5 Berdych

2009-01-07T17:54:00.007-05:00

Second-seeded French star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (pictured) came from behind on Wednesday at the Brisbane International in Australia to defeat Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(5). With the victory, Tsonga sets up a clash with compatriot Richard Gasquet for a spot in the semifinals.

A finalist at last year’s Australian Open, Tsonga started off extremely slow, winning only six points on serve and not capitalizing on four break point chances, ultimately losing the first set 6-0. The Frenchman recuperated in the final two sets, which was enough to send him through to his second straight quarterfinal appearance at this event. Tsonga smashed nine aces past Nieminen, while winning 73 percent of first serve points. Both players won 98 points throughout the match, but it was the final two points that Tsonga won in the third set tiebreak that was the difference. With the victory, Tsonga ties the series record against Nieminen to 1-1.

Third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, recently known as WTA Tour star Ana Ivanovic’s boyfriend, steam-rolled former World No. 7 Mario Ancic, 6-2, 6-3, in one hour and 18 minutes. A Davis Cup hero in the championship match against Argentina in 2008, Verdasco won 33 of 39 first serve points, fired six aces and broke serve on three of five opportunities. Ancic was unable to break serve despite five chances.

The upset of the day happened on the final match of the day as Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori defeated fifth-seed and current World No. 20 Tomas Berdych, 7-6(7), 6-3, in one hour and 39 minutes. Berdych hammered six aces compared to Nishikori’s five, but the youngster from Japan was able to break serve twice compared to only once by the Czech veteran. Nishikori will next face Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the quarterfinals. Mathieu defeated Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 6-3, 6-4, just one day after Gulbis shocked World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the opening round.

Other Second Round Results on Wednesday
No. 8 Radek Stepanek def. Michael Llodra, 7-6(2), 6-3
Florent Serra def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-4, 6-3

Gulbis stuns World No. 3 Djokovic in first round at Brisbane International

2009-01-06T22:58:00.001-05:00

The 2009 ATP Tour season has just started and Latvian Ernests Gulbis (pictured) has already pulled off an upset for the ages, defeating Serbian Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-4, in the opening round at the Brisbane International on Tuesday. The 20-year-old earned his biggest career victory by ousting the defending Australian Open champion, in a 90-minute thriller in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Patrick Rafter Arena at the Queensland Tennis Center in Australia.

“I was trying to keep my focus to the next point,” said Gulbis. “Not (thinking) about winning or losing because last season I lost a lot of matches because I was up, maybe a break up in the third set and I had match points and I started thinking about winning the matches. This time I was really focused till the last game on my serve.”

After getting ahead 4-2 and 0-40 on Djokovic’s serve in the opening set, Gulbis froze and was unable to break the Serbian’s serve despite four break point opportunities. However, the Latvian, who is said to be a possible Top 20 player someday, remained focused to eventually hold serve and take the opening set, 6-4. After four service breaks in the early stages of the second set, Gulbis ultimately broke Djokovic’s serve at 4-4, followed by a service hold to win the match in straight sets.

“We all study each other’s games and he took the best out of the two losses against me last year,” said Djokovic. “It’s not a good to start the year with a loss, nobody likes to lose. But on bright side it's only start of year and there are more tournaments to come.”

Gulbis, who reached a career-best No. 38 in last year’s rankings, defeated Djokovic for the first time after losing both previous meetings last season all in straight sets. The Latvian won 74 percent of first serve points, while managing to break serve on four different occasions. Gulbis will next do battle against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, for a place in the quarterfinals.

Other First Round Results from Tuesday in Brisbane
No. 2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Agustin Calleri, 6-2, 7-5
No. 5 Tomas Berdych def. Brydan Klein, 6-0, 6-4
Michael Llodra def. Joseph Sirianni, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2
Mario Ancic def. Amer Delic, 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 7-6(6)
Kei Nishikori def. Bobby Reynolds, 6-3, 6-2
Florent Serra def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3, 7-6(3)
Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 6-3

Second Round Results from Tuesday in Brisbane
No. 4 Robin Soderling def. Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 6-3
No. 7 Richard Gasquet def. Taylor Dent, 7-5, 6-4

Nadal, Federer, Murray waste little time advancing to second round in Doha

2009-01-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal (pictured) and former top-ranked Roger Federer both had little trouble advancing to the second round at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Tuesday. In-form Scotland native Andy Murray also cruised to victory by defeating Spaniard Albert Montanes, 6-2, 6-4.

After experiencing the most memorable year of his career in 2008, Nadal didn’t waste time letting the ATP World know that he is for real and has lots more to accomplish in his career. Nadal conquered French veteran Fabrice “Magician” Santoro, 6-0, 6-1, in a quick 46 minutes. Nadal, the defending French Open and Wimbledon champion, lost just 15 points throughout the match, four being in a fast opening set. Nadal won 19 of 20 first serve points, while dropping only two points on his second serve. The lefty from Mallorca smashed 28 winners past Santoro en route to victory. Nadal next faces Slovakian qualifier Karol Beck, who defeated Michal Przysiezny, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Federer started his 2009 season off on the right note by defeating Italian Potitio Starace, 6-2, 6-2, in 48 minutes. The Swiss star, a winner of 13 grand slam singles titles, lost only seven points on serve throughout the match, while breaking serve four times. The 27-year-old, who won the Doha title in 2005 and 2006, next faces Italian Andreas Seppi for a place in the quarterfinals. Federer improves his singles record in Doha to 13-1.

Third-seeded Murray, the defending champion, improved to 10-1 in Doha, by breaking Montanes’ serve on four occasions, while winning 77 percent of first serve points. Having already defeated Nadal and Federer last week to win an exhibition tournament, Murray is clearly a threat entering the Australian Open in two weeks.

First Round Results from Tuesday in Doha
Mikhail Youzhny def. No. 6 Igor Andreev, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Alexander Peya def. No. 7 Dmitry Tursunov, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 8 Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Marco Chiudinelli, 6-4, 6-3
Arnaud Clement def. Diego Junqueira, 6-1, 6-2
Kristof Vliegen def. Oscar Hernandez, 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-6(5)

Chennai Open results (January 6)

2009-01-06T22:05:00.001-05:00

Chennai Open
Chennai, India
January 5-11, 2009
$450,000 / 32-player draw
Hard Courts

Singles - First Round
(1) Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Daniel Koellerer (AUT), 6-2, 6-3
(Q) Flavio Cipolla (ITA) def. (2) Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI), 6-4, 6-1
(4) Ivo Karlovic (CRO) def. (Q) Rajeev Ram (USA), 6-4, 6-3
(6) Carlos Moya (ESP) def. (Q) Danai Udomchoke (THA), 6-3, 7-6(4)
(7) Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Pablo Andujar (ESP), 6-3, 6-2
Andreas Beck (GER) def. Roko Karanusic (CRO), 6-1, 6-0
Denis Istomin (UZB) def. (Q) Rohan Bopanna (IND), 6-4, 7-6(3)
Ivo Minar (CZE) def. Wayne Odesnik (USA), 6-3, 6-0
(WC) Somdev Devvarman (IND) def. Kevin Kim (USA), 6-3, 6-3

Nieminen defeats former Aussie Open champ Baghdatis; Melzer stuns No. 6 Fish

2009-01-05T21:12:00.002-05:00

World No. 41 and 2008 runner-up Jarkko Nieminen (pictured) defeated former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, at the Brisbane International in Australia on Monday, to claim his first victory of the 2009 season. Third-seeded Fernando Verdasco and Jurgen Melzer were also winners at the Queensland Tennis Center.

While Nieminen had a steady serving outing on Monday by making 72 percent of first serves, including winning 66 percent of those points, Baghdatis was not as fortunate. The Cyprus native who is playing in Brisbane as a wild card entrant served 11 double faults, won only 18 of 46 second serve points and had his serve broken five times.

“Marcos is a very good player; he had some bad luck with injuries last year,” said Nieminen. “I think he is very hungry this year to stay fit and play well. You never know what to expect in the first match of the year. It is important to win it. I did well to turn the match around after losing the first set, when I had some break points. I then started to play more aggressive, stay focused and fought hard.”

With the victory this afternoon, Nieminen improves to 3-2 against Baghdatis, having won the last two meetings. The Finland native will now await the winner of Tuesday’s match between second-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Agustin Calleri of Argentina.

Verdasco, a key Spain Davis Cup player in last year’s championship match against Argentina, glided past 16-year-old wild card Bernard Tomic, winning, 6-4, 6-2, in 65 minutes. The left-hander from Madrid was able to win 79 percent of first serve points, while breaking serve four times throughout the match. Verdasco will face either Mario Ancic or qualifier Amer Delic in the second round.

Melzer, a Beijing Olympics singles quarterfinalist, improved his career record against Mardy Fish to 3-1 by surviving a hard fought three-set battle, winning, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4), in two hours and 23 minutes. Both players put on a fine display of serving for the fans, as sixth-seeded Fish hammered 20 aces compared to Melzer’s 12. Both players were two of 10 on break point opportunities, but the lefty from Austria was able to win the critical points at the end of the third set tiebreak to advance. Melzer next faces either former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero or Florent Serra.

Eighth-seeded Czech star Radek Stepanek hit six aces, won 83 percent of first serve points and broke serve four times en route to an easy, 6-2, 6-2, victory over Russian Igor Kunitsyn in 69 minutes. Stepanek, currently the boyfriend of WTA Tour star Nicole Vaidisova, will clash in the second round against either defending champion Michael Llodra or Australian qualifier Joseph Sirianni.

No. 4 Roddick, No. 5 Monfils open 2009 season with forceful victories in Doha

2009-01-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

Fourth-seeded American Andy Roddick (pictured) and fifth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils were among the first round winners on Monday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Qatar. Roddick, who finished last year in the Top 10 for the seventh consecutive season, easily defeated Spaniard Ivan Navarro, 6-1, 6-3, while Monfils cruised past Jan Hernych, 6-2, 6-2.

Currently ranked No. 8 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Roddick smashed eight aces past Navarro, while winning 76 percent of first serve points and dropping only three points on his second serve. In the 61-minute match, Roddick broke serve four times, while Navarro was unsuccessful in his lone break point opportunity. In the second round, Roddick faces either wild card entrant Arnaud Clement or Diego Junqueira.

Currently ranked at a career-best No. 13, Monfils needed only 55 minutes to defeat Hernych in straight sets and start his 2009 season with a victory. Monfils fired nine aces, won 27 of 35 first serve points and was able to break serve on five of six opportunities. The former junior World No. 1 will clash with Nicolas Devilder in the second round.

Others winners on opening day in Doha included Victor Hanescu, Philipp Petzschner, Andreas Seppi and Sergiy Stakhovsky. Hanescu had little trouble with Serbian Viktor Troicki, winning, 6-4, 6-2, in 70 minutes. After surviving a close first set against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, Petzschner was able to close out the match in straight sets, winning, 7-6(2), 6-3. Seppi was able to break serve five times en route to an easy, 6-4, 6-2, victory over German Denis Gremelmayr, while Stakhovsky survived a three-set thriller against Belgian Christophe Rochus, winning, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).

No. 3 Cilic, No. 5 Schuettler, No. 8 Granollers advance to second round in India

2009-01-05T15:35:00.000-05:00

No surprises occurred on opening day at the Chennai Open in India, as third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic (pictured) and fifth-seeded German Rainer Schuettler started their 2009 season off on the right note as they both advanced to the second round. Spaniard Marcel Granollers also advanced on Monday.

Cilic, winner of his first career title last year in New Haven, battled his way past steady Spaniard veteran Alberto Martin, winning, 6-4, 6-4, in just over 90 minutes. Cilic, who reached the semifinals in Chennai last year by playing his way through the qualifying tournament, won 27 of 35 first serve points, while breaking the Spaniards serve once in each set. In the next round, Cilic will face either Denis Istomin or a qualifier.

Schuettler, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year, fought past a tough first round test in wild card entrant Prakash Amritraj, winning, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, in 84 minutes. The German veteran who has played in Chennai eight times previously, had a solid serving performance, winning 76 percent of first serve points, while losing only eight points on his second serve. The 32-year-old was able to break serve on four of five chances, while Amritraj could only manage to break once. Schuettler next faces Simon Greul, who defeated Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-3, 6-4, in 67 minutes.

The singles champion at last spring’s U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston by defeating James Blake, Granollers grinded out a, 6-4, 7-5, victory over Korea’s Hyung-Taik Lee in just under two hours, to set up a potential second round match against German Andreas Beck or Croatian Roko Karanusic. Granollers fired seven aces past his veteran opponent, while breaking serve on four occasions.

Israeli Dudi Sela and German Bjorn Phau also advanced to the second round. Sela, who put together spectacular results at the end of the 2008 season, had trouble all match against Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, but walked away victorious, winning, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1. Sela smashed four aces compared to one double fault, while breaking serve six times in the two hour and 24 minute battle. Phau cruised past clay court journeyman Santiago Ventura, 6-2, 7-5. Phau dropped only eight points on his first serve and broke serve five different times.

Gasquet wins first match of 2009 season; Soderling, Dent, Benneteau also advance

2009-01-04T19:44:00.001-05:00

In an all French battle at the inaugural Brisbane International on Sunday, No. 7 seed Richard Gasquet (pictured) defeated Marc Gicquel, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, to post the first victory of the 2009 ATP Tour season and advance to the second round. No. 4 seed Robin Soderling and American Taylor Dent also advanced on Day One at the tournament being held at the new $82 million Queensland Tennis Center in Australia.

In just over two hours, Gasquet was able to break Gicquel’s serve on five of 18 chances, while smashing six aces. Gasquet won 69 percent of his first serve points compared to 67 percent by Gicquel, helping the World No. 23 improve to 3-1 lifetime against his fellow Frenchman. The 22-year-old is trying to win his first ATP singles title since 2007 when he defeated Olivier Rochus to win the Mumbai tournament. Gasquet will next face Dent, who is on the comeback trail after having two back surgeries and missing two years on tour.

Dent, once ranked as high as No. 21 in the world, won his first ATP level match since February 2006 by defeating Belgian Steve Darcis, 7-6(0), 6-2. Currently ranked No. 865 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Dent played two ATP level events last season and three challenger tournaments, winning only two matches, which were both won at the challenger event in Champaign. Dent had a tremendous serving outing today, smashing eight aces and only losing six points on his first serve. The Newport Beach based American was able to break serve on four of five opportunities in the match that lasted one hour and 25 minutes. Dent’s second round clash with Gasquet will be only their second meeting with Gasquet winning last time in straight sets in Nottingham in 2005 on grass.

Soderling, who won the Lyon title last fall and is currently ranked at a career-best No. 17, cruised to victory over big serving American Sam Querrey, 6-3, 6-3, in just under an hour. Soderling won 26 of 30 first serve points, while firing seven aces past Querrey. The Swede was able to break serve on three different occasions, while Querrey did not have any break point chances. Soderling improves to 2-0 lifetime against the Californian and will next face Frenchman Julien Benneteau, a three set winner over Robby Ginepri.

Qatar ExxonMobil Open preview

2009-01-03T18:16:00.003-05:00

Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Location: Doha, Qatar
Dates: January 5-11, 2009
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $1,110,250; men’s singles champion: $183,000
2008 Singles Final: Andy Murray, GBR, def. Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Official Web site: http://www.qataropen.org/

Top story lines:
1. Can Andy Murray, a five-time singles champion last year, start off his 2009 season with a second straight Doha title?
2. After a season in which he dropped to No. 2, will Roger Federer start his climb back to the top by winning a third Doha title?
3. Can World No. 1 Rafael Nadal start off where he left off in 2008 by opening the year with a title against a talented group of players?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Fabrice Santoro (First meeting; Nadal became the first Spaniard to finish No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings; Nadal won eight titles including Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Masters Series events in Monte Carlo, Hamburg and Toronto, as well as winning the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics; Nadal won 82 matches in 2008, while winning over $6.6 million in tournament prize money; Santoro won the singles title in Newport for the second straight year, while becoming the oldest player in 2008 to win a title; Santoro was the oldest player to finish the year in the Top 100; Santoro is currently ranked No. 52)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 5 Gael Monfils, Quarterfinals
· Nadal leads 3-0; winning last fall on hard courts at the Masters Series Paris
· Nadal took over the No. 1 ranking from Roger Federer on August 18, 2008, which was helped by winning his fourth straight French Open title, as well as winning an epic five set thriller over Roger Federer the finals at Wimbledon
· Monfils reached the semifinals at the French Open last year
· Monfils is currently ranked at a career best No. 14
No. 3 Andy Murray vs. No. 7 Dmitry Tursunov, Quarterfinals
· Murray leads 5-0; with a 2-0 edge on hard courts
· Murray won five titles in 2008 and also reached the US Open finals
· Tursunov won titles last year in Sydney and Metz

Watch out for…
1. No. 5 Gael Monfils (Finalist in Vienna; semifinalist at Roland Garros, Nottingham and Bangkok; quarterfinalist at the Beijing Olympics and the Masters Series Madrid; had victories last year over Andy Roddick, Fernando Gonzalez, David Ferrer and twice over David Nalbandian; currently ranked at a career-high No. 14)
2. No. 6 Igor Andreev (Finalist in Gstaad and Umag; quarterfinalist in Basel, New Haven, Dubai, Buenos Aires and Masters Series events in Miami and Monte Carlo; won a career-high 43 matches last season; currently ranked No. 19)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 1 Rafael Nadal

Brisbane International preview

2009-01-03T17:23:00.004-05:00

Brisbane International
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Dates: January 4-11, 2009
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $484,750; men’s singles champion: $77,200
2008 Singles Final: Michael Llodra, FRA, def. Jarkko Nieminen, FIN, 6-3, 6-4
Official Web site: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Top story lines:
1. Which player will be crowned the champion at the inaugural tournament being held at the new $82 million Queensland Tennis Center in Brisbane?
2. 2008 Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are entered in Brisbane, who has the better chance of winning the title?
3. Does defending champion Michael Llodra have enough guts to grind out another title “Down Under”?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Ernests Gulbis (Djokovic leads 2-0; winning in straight sets at Roland Garros and at the Masters Series Cincinnati; Last season, Djokovic won the Australian Open, Masters Series Indian Wells and Rome and the Tennis Masters Cup; Djokovic finished last season with a 64-17 record, which included noteworthy victories over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, David Nalbandian, Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Juan Martin Del Potro; Djokovic is currently ranked No. 3; Gulbis finished 2008 with a 24-22 record, including reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and at the Masters Series Cincinnati; Gulbis is currently ranked No. 53)

2. No. 6 Mardy Fish vs. Jurgen Melzer (Melzer leads 2-1; winning their only hard court meeting in three sets in France in 2006; Fish recorded a 32-23 record in 2008, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Masters Series Indian Wells, which included victories over Nikolay Davydenko, Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian and Roger Federer; Fish also reached the finals in New Haven and was a quarterfinalist at the US Open; Fish is currently ranked No. 24; Melzer finished last season with a 30-26 record, including a quarterfinal finish at the Beijing Olympics, as well as reaching the third round at three of the four grand slams; Melzer is currently ranked No. 34)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 5 Tomas Berdych, Quarterfinals
Djokovic leads 1-0, winning 7-5 6-1 at the 2008 Thailand Open in Bangkok
Both residents of Monte Carlo were able to claim singles titles, Djokovic winning four singles titles in 2008, while Berdych was the champion at the AIG Japan Open

No. 2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. No. 7 Richard Gasquet, Quarterfinals
Series tied 2-2, with Tsonga winning at last year’s Australian Open in the fourth round in four sets
In 2008, Tsonga won singles titles at the Masters Series Paris and Thailand Open

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Fernando Verdasco (Winner in Umag; runner-up in Nottingham; semifinalist in Bastad, New Haven and St. Petersburg; finished in the year-end Top 20 for the first time in his career by winning a career-best 46 matches; currently ranked No. 16)
2. No. 4 Robin Soderling (Winner in Lyon; runner-up in Memphis, Rotterdam and Stockholm; won a personal-best 45 matches in 2008, while defeating five Top 10 players, including James Blake, Gilles Simon and twice against Andy Roddick; currently ranked No. 17

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 2 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Chennai Open preview

2009-01-03T15:58:00.006-05:00

Chennai Open
Location: Chennai, India
Dates: January 5-11, 2009
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $450,000; men’s singles champion: $73,000
2008 Singles Final: Mikhail Youzhny, RUS, def. Rafael Nadal, ESP, 6-0, 6-1
Official Web site: http://www.chennaiopen.org/

Top story lines:
1. Will two-time Chennai Open champion Carlos Moya win a third title in India?
2. Can 2008 Tennis Masters Cup finalist Nikolay Davydenko open up his 2009 season with a title?
3. Will the “King of Aces” Ivo Karlovic serve his way beyond last years quarterfinal performance?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 8 Marcel Granollers vs. Hyung-Taik Lee (First meeting; Granollers defeated James Blake in the championship match in Houston in 2008; Granollers is currently ranked No. 56; Lee won two challenger events at the end of 2008; Lee defeated David Ferrer and Jarkko Nieminen en route to a fourth round performance at the 2008 Masters Series Indian Wells. Lee is currently ranked No. 107.

Potential notable late round match:
No. 2 Stanislas Wawrinka vs. No. 5 Rainer Schuettler, Quarterfinals
Wawrinka won 38 singles matches in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 13
Wawrinka defeated Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Marat Safin en route to a runner-up finish at the 2008 Masters Series Rome event
Schuettler won 21 singles matches in 2008, finishing the year ranked No. 33
After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, Schuettler was a semifinalist in Beijing, while also reaching the quarterfinals in Kitzbuhel, Tokyo, Stockholm and St. Petersburg

No. 4 Ivo Karlovic vs. No. 6 Carlos Moya, Quarterfinals
Moya leads 4-0, with a 3-0 edge on hard courts
Moya won their last meeting on hard courts in Metz, France in straight sets
Karlovic reached a career-best ranking of No. 14 in August 2008.

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Marin Cilic (Winner in New Haven; won 37 matches in 2008 including victories over Andy Roddick, Fernando Gonzalez and Tommy Robredo; reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon; currently ranked No. 23)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 4 Ivo Karlovic

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 29)

2008-12-28T22:55:00.001-05:00

Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas and 2008 Roland Garros semifinalist Gael Monfils have received wild card entries into the Doha, Qatar tournament.
Britain’s Times Online reports that World No. 4 Andy Murray could be promised $100 million (Euro) by management companies that are vying to sign him.
Bob and Mike Bryan have pulled out of the doubles event at the ATP tournament in Chennai, India, which is scheduled to start on January 5th.
The ATP event held in Portschach, Austria will be moved to another location next year. Officials will announce the new site sometime in January.
Well-respected tennis coach Peter Lundgren, a former coach to Roger Federer, Marat Safin and Marcos Baghdatis, will begin working at a tennis academy in Paris starting in January.
25-year-old Prakash Amritraj, a US citizen based out of California, could be barred from representing India in Davis Cup play due to a newly released government order that says only Indian citizens can play on national teams that represent the country. This would keep Amritraj from playing Davis Cup in 2009, as well future Olympic and Asian Games competitions.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 21)

2008-12-21T18:01:00.001-05:00

Reports from “The Australian” website indicate that former Top 10 player Mark Philippoussis has called a press conference to be held on Monday, December 22nd at Melbourne Park that will possibly be to announce his retirement from professional tennis. A few days ago, the former US Open runner-up pulled out of an upcoming exhibition event in Adelaide, saying he is not in good enough playing shape.
John Isner defeated Jesse Levine, 6-3, 7-5, at the USTA play-off tournament in Boca Raton on Saturday to win a wild card into the main draw of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Canada’s Globe and Mail website reported that current World No. 1 doubles player Daniel Nestor and wife Natasha welcomed their first child, a daughter named Tiana.
Jamie Murray, brother of World No. 4 Andy Murray, announced that he plans to partner in 2009 with Serbian Dusan Vemic. Although Murray and Vemic will be regular partners throughout the season, Murray has already committed to play the Australian Open doubles tournament with former partner Eric Butorac, a former Division III tennis standout at Gustavus Adolphus in Minnesota.
Due to recently revised visa regulations because of the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistani tennis player Aisam–Ul-Haq Qureshi will not be able to play the Chennai Open in India that starts on January 5th. The new rules require Pakistan nationals to wait one month before being able to go to India, which means his visa will not be granted to him in enough time.
2002 French Open champion Albert Costa has been named the new Davis Cup captain for Spain.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 18)

2008-12-18T01:05:00.003-05:00

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was honored on Wednesday as the International Tennis Federation’s World Champion for 2008. Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia were named the ITF World Doubles Champions after finishing the 2008 season as the top ranked doubles team.
The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Ala., will host the 2009 first-round Davis Cup tie between the United States and Switzerland on March 6-8. Roger Federer has already announced that he will play in the first-round tie.
French star Sebastian Grosjean will be sidelined for four to six months due to shoulder surgery that he have on December 22nd. He hopes to return by the start of Wimbledon.
On Friday December 19th at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Donald Young, Wayne Odesnik, Jesse Levine and John Isner will take part in the Australian Open wild card play-off tournament. The winner of the three day tournament will receive a main draw wild card into the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Marcos Baghdatis announced that he will take part in the ATP International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach on February 21-March 1. Tommy Haas and Mardy Fish are also scheduled to play in the South Florida tournament.
American Mardy Fish recently donated $30,000 to the Pelican Island Elementary School in Florida to help 110 students receive free guitar, dance and drama lessons.
On May 17th, Wimbledon will host an exhibition match to test out the new Centre Court retractable roof, so officials can “test the new roof and air conditioning system.” The Daily Mail newspaper reported that former Great Britain tennis star Tim Henman might take part in the match. Pete Sampras has declined the offer to play in this match.
Former World No. 1 and two-time grand slam champion, Lleyton Hewitt and wife Bec welcomed their son Cruz into the world on December 11th. Hewitt and his actress wife already have a three-year-old daughter named, Mia.
In shocking Davis Cup news, 59-year-old Modesto Vazquez has been named Argentina’s new team captain.
Rafael Nadal finished third for the L’Equipe’s annual ‘Champion of Champions’ honor. Roger Federer had won the award the previous three years.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 11)

2008-12-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

Croatian standout Ivan Ljubicic and wife Aida had their first child on Wednesday, naming their new son, Leonardo.
Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas announced that he has resumed practicing on-court and hopes to compete in the Australian Open in mid-January. The 30-year-old German, who trains in Florida, has not played a competitive ATP match since losing to Gilles Muller in the second round of the 2008 US Open.
Regarding the Gillette Fusion Champions commercial featuring Roger Federer, golfer Tiger Woods and soccer star Thierry Henry, a British advertising industry magazine gave the commercial the honor of “worst ad of the year” in Campaign Magazine’s Top Turkeys of 2008 list.
Former French player Nicolas Escude has been named the new captain of the French Fed Cup team.
L’Equipe reports that rising French star Gael Monfils has cut ties with controversial acupuncturist Phillippe Manicom. The report said that the falling out between Monfils and Manicom was most likely due to a personality conflict between Monfils’ new coach Roger Rasheed.
United States top-ranked doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan are hosting a party in Las Vegas set for December 14th at Lavo, with doors opening at 11pm. It’s all apart of their Camp Bryan II weekend.
Spanish Davis Cup hero Fernando Verdasco will replace double-booked Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the upcoming Kooyong exhibition event. American James Blake also scheduled two events during that week and will be replaced by Carlos Moya, a former Australian Open finalist.
Google’s annual Zeitgeist report, which are figures based on the most searched phrases on Google indicate the following:
1. Rafael Nadal was the most searched athlete in Spain, while Roger Federer was No. 8 in Nadal’s home country.
2. In Switzerland, Roger Federer was the second most searched person behind USA President-Elect Barack Obama.
3. Tennis came in as the fourth most searched Olympic sport this year in the United States.
4. In the Czech Republic, tennis was the seventh most searched sport.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 9)

2008-12-09T20:31:00.001-05:00

Martin Verkerk, the 2003 French Open finalist and a two-time singles winner on the ATP Tour, has announced his retirement from the sport. The 30-year-old Dutchman, who played for 12 years and won roughly $1.5 million, said to the media on Tuesday, “It had been my plan to play more matches. It’s a pity it didn’t work out.”
According to a SportsBusiness Journal report by Don Muret, The United States Tennis Association is considering adding a retractable roof to the 22,547-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. The estimated cost of adding the roof would be around $100 million. Although the USTA has yet to figure out where the $100 million in funding would come from, Danny Zausner, managing director of the USTA, said an option could be to make Arthur Ashe Stadium a multi-purpose sports facility and have a professional sports team play their home games at the venue.
James Blake will play along side American Meghann Shaughnessy at the Hopman Cup in January after Serena Williams recently withdrew due to a hamstring problem.
Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka have been named the “Team of the Year” in Switzerland after winning the gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
According to reports by the Associated Press, Andre Agassi’s former agent has filed a lawsuit against Agassi’s wife, Steffi Graf, saying that he has not yet been paid $50,000 in fees that he was to earn. Agassi commented on the situation saying, “Several weeks ago, my agent, manager and lawyer, Perry Rogers, and I decided to sever our business relationship. At that time, I had every hope that we could do so amicably and in the interest of maintaining our long-term friendship. As a result, I am both saddened and disappointed to learn that Perry has filed a lawsuit, and sadder still that he has sued my wife, Stefanie. I remain hopeful that we will be able to resolve our business issues with minimal damage to our families and mutual friends.”
After an up and down year in 2008 for Latvian Ernests Gulbis, his 2009 season has already begun with a hiccup. Gulbis just received notice that he is signed up for two events the same week before the Australian Open, the Auckland tournament and the famous Kooyong exhibition.
Australian players Peter Luczak, Robert Smeets, Joe Sirianni and Carsten Ball all received direct entry into the upcoming Australian Open men’s wild card play-off. The winner of the play-off earns a main draw wild card into the Australian Open field of 128.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 5)

2008-12-05T18:03:00.002-05:00

Roger Federer ($35 million) was listed as No. 5 on the recently released Forbes’ Top 30 under 30 list. He also made the annual Switzerland’s richest people list for the very first time. It listed his wealth between $83-$167 million.
Tournament organizers of the Brisbane event said that French tennis star Gael Monfils missed the deadline to enter their event and all the wild cards have already been given out.
Spanish Davis Cup hero Fernando Verdasco was photographed walking to a tennis court in Mallorca with girlfriend Ana Ivanovic, a Top-10 ranked player on the WTA Tour.
Starting on February 1, 2009, Adidas will be re-launching tennis racquets throughout the tennis community. The Barricade, Response and Feather racquets will share similar characteristics to Adidas’ trademark three-stripe logo. The three-stripes will be located on the side of the frame. The Barricade will cost $185, while the Response can be purchased for $145, while the Feather runs at $165.
Current World No. 1 doubles player Nenad Zimonjic and wife Mina became parents of twins on Thursday. The couple named their son, Leon and daughter, Luna.
TennisWeek.com reports that Hall of Famer Rod Laver will be honored at the Australia Week 2009 Black Tie Gala presented by Penfolds in Hollywood on Sunday, January 18, 2009, at the Renaissance Hotel.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Royal Albert Hall seniors tournament, legendary player Pete Sampras discussed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, saying:
Roger Federer – “I think Roger's going to break [my] record over the next couple of years...There's a lot left in him. I think he's gotten to a stage where it's about the majors. We text each other quite a bit. He tells me how he's doing and asks what I'm up to. We had a week together in Asia and we clicked. Our personalities are similar. He's pretty sarcastic and pretty dry.”
Rafael Nadal – “Rafa's got as good a chance to win double digits as anyone...He could win some more French [Opens], he could win a couple more Wimbledon’s. He could have 10-12 majors when he's done, if not more. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Nadal next year. It takes so much work for him to keep it going, to stay healthy, to stay on top. That's one thing Roger has over him. I think it takes a lot less energy for Roger to stay on top than it does Rafa."
Five of the Top 20 players are entered in the ATP Sydney International that will be played in early January. World No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be seeded No. 1. World No. 7 Gilles Simon, No. 11 David Nalbandian, Igor Andreev, Tomas Berdych and Tommy Robredo are other notable ATP players entered in the field.
Roger Federer has announced his 2009 tournament schedule. He will start his season off on January 5th in Doha, followed by the Australian Open, Dubai, Davis Cup, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Madrid, French Open, Halle, Wimbledon, Montreal, Cincinnati, US Open, Tokyo, Shanghai, Basel, Paris Indoors and the London World Tour Finals.
Starting on Friday December 12th at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, Andy Roddick will join John Isner and WTA Tour stars Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki in a tennis charity event known as the “Rock-n-Racquets.” The event, which will also be played in the same format in Columbia, South Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee, has Roddick facing Isner in a singles match before teaming up with Williams to face Isner and Wozniacki in a doubles match.

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 1, 2009)

2008-11-30T22:51:00.000-05:00

Xavier Malisse told the Belgian newspaper La Libre that he has been training very hard in Florida on his tennis game, hoping to achieve better results in the 2009 season. “(This was) a year to forget as soon as possible,” said Malisse, who was also hampered by recurring wrist problems during the season. “My defeat at the Mons (challenger to the No. 551) was the last straw. I decided to start my day at 9 a.m. instead of 11 a.m., work harder physically and pay more attention to what I eat.”
Former Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis, says he is trying to make some kind of return to competitive tennis. The 32-year-old, who has not played a match since 2006 due to a knee injury, said he would not be ready for the Australian Open.
Andreas Vinciguerra of Sweden, who has been off the tour for over two years due to a knee injury, returns to competitive tennis this week in a handful of Swedish club matches. “I started (to come back) and got injured again, I started and got injured again,” he told Svenska Dagbladet. “It has been very hard.” Vinciguerra will decide whether to return to the ATP Tour or call it quits for good after playing the club matches.
Top-10 ranked David Nalbandian will no longer be coached by Martin Jaite.
After retiring from the ATP Tour in February after the Rotterdam tournament, Raemon Sluiter has decided to resume his career. “I could not resist the itch,” said Sluiter, referring to why he will be returning to the game.
Argentina tennis legend Guillermo Vilas has thrown his name into a pool of possible Argentine Davis Cup captains, who could possibly be replacing Alberto Mancini.
Organizers of the ATP tournament in Doha, Qatar confirm that Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick are playing in the tournament. The tournament begins on January 5th.
Andy Roddick, a former World No. 1 and 2003 US Open Champion, may play in a tennis exhibition in Chile in April 2009, according to the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio. Roddick could face-off against Chilean No. 1 Fernando Gonzalez, who most recently was coached by Larry Stefanki, Roddick’s new coach.
Talking to Times Online about working with Andy Roddick in 2009, Larry Stefanki said: “I'm absolutely overjoyed. I haven't been this excited in a long time, especially knowing he's even more excited about getting started.” The legendary coach, who has coached many former top-ranked players including John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, said that Roddick’s returns would be a main focus during the start of their training sessions. “Andy, especially on second serve returns, needs to get more aggressive. Not necessarily going for everything, but not just sitting back and returning the ball.”

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Nov. 24-29)

2008-11-30T22:48:00.000-05:00

Lima, Peru (Clay)
No. 2 Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) def. No. 5 Sergio Roitman (ARG), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Cancun, Mexico (Clay)
Grega Zemlja (SLO) def. Martin Alund (ARG), 6-2, 6-1

Toyota, Japan (Carpet)
No. 1 Go Soeda (JPN) def. No. 2 Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR), 6-2, 7-6 (7)

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Nov. 17-23)

2008-11-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.A. (Hard)
No. 2 Bobby Reynolds (USA) def. Luka Gregorc (SLO), 6-4, 6-2

Helsinki, Finland (Hard)
No. 1 (WC) Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) def. Karol Beck (SVK), 6-4, 6-3

Yokohama, Japan (Hard)
No. 2 Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) def. No. 1 Go Soeda (JPN), 7-5, 6-3

Puebla, Mexico (Hard)
Michael Lammer (SUI) def. Rainer Eitzinger (AUT), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Key Terms
WC = Wild Card

Spain defeats Argentina to capture Davis Cup title in Mar del Plata

2008-11-24T14:58:00.003-05:00

2008 Davis Cup Final
Mar del Plata, Argentina
November 21-23, 2008

On Sunday afternoon in Mar del Plata, Spain defeated host Argentina 3-1 in the Davis Cup World Group final to earn Spain its third career title. Spain’s other titles were in 2000 in Barcelona over Australia and in 2004 in Seville over the United States. Despite not having World No. 1 Rafael Nadal on the squad this week due to an injury, Spain was able to become the first nation to win in Argentina since 1998. Captained by Emilio Sanchez, Spain becomes the seventh country to win the Davis Cup title at least three times.

Final Results
Sunday Singles
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Jose Acasuso (ARG), 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

Saturday Doubles
Lopez/Verdasco (ESP) def. Nalbandian/Calleri (ARG), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-3

Friday Singles
David Nalbandian (ARG) def. David Ferrer (ESP), 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) def. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG), 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe”

2008-11-21T23:29:00.002-05:00

Host Argentina and visiting Spain are tied at 1-1 after Day One at the Davis Cup Final. David Nalbandian easily defeated David Ferrer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, while Feliciano Lopez pulled off a thrilling upset against Top 10 player Juan Martin Del Potro, winning 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.
WTA Tour superstar Ana Ivanovic will be in attendance at the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina to support her Spanish boyfriend Fernando Verdasco. Ivanovic recently confirmed to the media that they were dating, saying they became exclusive starting this summer at the US Open in New York.
According to his official website, Andy Roddick has hired well-known coach Larry Stefanki to be his new coach. The California-based Stefanki has previously coached World No. 1 players John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. He also coached Tim Henman to a career best No. 4 ranking and most recently finished working with Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
When asked what his 2009 tennis goals are, Roger Federer said: “While I would also love to beat Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record of 14 titles, and also to regain my No. 1 ranking, I place winning another Wimbledon title above all else.” Federer has a grueling schedule leading up to the Australian Open in Melbourne. According to Globesports.com, he will play an exhibition at Abu Dhabi from Jan. 1-3, which includes Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. His second stop will be to play in the ATP Doha tournament in Qatar from Jan. 5-10. His final stop before the first Grand Slam of the year begins, will be to participate in Jan. 14-17 Kooyong exhibition event, which is a traditional Aussie Open round-robin format warm-up event featuring some of the best players in the world.
Spanish Tennis Federation team Doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro said in an interview with a Spanish newspaper that World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is expected to fully recover in time for the start of the 2009 season.
At the “Showdown of Champion” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Roger Federer recently beat American James Blake, 7-6 (10-7), while John McEnroe defeated Bjorn Borg, 7-6 (13-11). After the singles matches, Blake and McEnroe teamed up in doubles to defeat Federer and Borg 7-5.
Former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis has left the Moratoglou Academy and has now joined Team Lagardere. At Team Lagardere, he will be coached by Olivier Soules.
Tournament organizers at the new ATP event in Brisbane announced that World No. 3 Novak Djokovic will team up with younger brother Marko in the doubles tournament.
The Lawn Tennis Association will be selling its 50 percent stake in the grounds of the All England Club in Wimbledon, England in five years under a new agreement between the two organizations. As it has always done, the LTA will continue to receive most of the profits that the Wimbledon Championships generate.
Andy Anson, who is the ATP CEO for Europe, is leaving his post to head England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

2008 ATP Tour Year in Review

2008-11-17T16:56:00.002-05:00

January

Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open, marking his first Grand Slam singles title.
In Chennai, India, Rafael Nadal defeats Carlos Moya, 6-7(3), 7-6(8), 7-6(1), in the longest three set match since 1993.
Russian Mikhail Youzhny defeats Rafael Nadal, 6-0, 6-1, to win singles title at Chennai Open in India.

February

Teenage tennis sensation Kei Nishikori who was ranked No. 244 shocked American James Blake to win Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, becoming the first Japanese man to win an ATP singles title since 1992.
Entering the main draw at the Zagreb Indoors as a lucky loser and ranked No. 209, Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky defeats top-seed Ivan Ljubicic to win claim the title and become the first lucky loser to win an ATP singles title since 1991.
Spaniard Nicolas Almagro wins two singles titles this month, the Brasil Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco.

March

Mardy Fish stuns No. 1 Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals at the Masters Series Indian Wells.
Novak Djokovic defeats Mardy Fish in three sets to win the Masters Series Indian Wells title.
Andy Roddick wins Dubai Tennis Championships, earning his second title of the year after winning the SAP Open in San Jose in February.
American Sam Querrey wins Tennis Channel Open, earning his first career singles title.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko upsets Rafael Nadal in straight sets to win the Sony Ericsson Open title in Miami.
For the first time since 2000, Roger Federer did not win a tournament in the first three months of the season.

April

Roger Federer wins his first tournament of the year by defeating Nikolay Davydenko on clay courts at the Estoril Open in Portugal.
Rafael Nadal wins titles at the Masters Series Monte Carlo and at the Open Sabadell Atlantico in Barcelona.
Spaniard Marcell Granollers upsets James Blake to win the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas.
Chilean Fernando Gonzalez wins the BMW Open in Munich, marking his 10th career title.

May

Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, to win fourth straight French Open title. Nadal became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win four straight French Open titles. Nadal also became just the seventh player to win a grand slam singles title without losing a set.
For Roger Federer, losing the final set 6-0 in the finals at the French Open marks the first time he has lost a set at love in a grand slam match since 1999.
Rafael Nadal losses to former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in the first round at the Masters Series Rome, marking just his second clay court loss in 109 matches.
Sweden defeats Russia 2-1 to win World Team Cup, which was held in Germany.

June

Rafael Nadal defeated five-time defending champion Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7, to win his first career Wimbledon title, in what many believe was the greatest tennis match in the history of the sport. It was the first time since 1966 that a Spanish man had won the singles title at Wimbledon.
In the second round at Wimbledon, Marat Safin easily defeated Novak Djokovic en route to a semifinal performance.
Serbian Janko Tipsarevic stunned former Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick in four sets in the second round.
Ivo Karlovic, David Ferrer, Nikolay Davydenko and Roger Federer won smaller tournaments in the month of June.

July

Veteran French player Fabrice Santoro defeats Prakash Amritraj to win his second straight Campbell’s Hall of Fame Championships title in Newport, Rhode Island.
Gilles Simon wins Indianapolis Tennis Championships by defeating Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the finals.
Andy Murray wins Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In his first tournament since winning his heroic Wimbledon title, Rafael Nadal wins Rogers Cup in Toronto.

August

After 237 consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Roger Federer falls to No. 2 in the rankings, as Rafael Nadal takes over the top spot.
Rafael Nadal wins Gold Medal at Beijing Olympics, while Chilean Fernando Gonzalez won the Silver Medal and Novak Djokovic took home the Bronze Medal.
Having already won two singles titles in July in Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro wins his next two tournaments in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
Croatian Marin Cilic wins his first career ATP title at the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut.

September

Roger Federer wins the U.S. Open title, marking his 13th career grand slam singles title. Federer now stands one grand slam title shy of Pete Sampras’ record of 14.
Juan Martin Del Potro’s winning streak of 23-matches comes to an end when Andy Murray beats him in the quarterfinals at the US Open.
In a rematch of the Australian Open final, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gets revenge on Novak Djokovic at the Thailand Open in Bangkok, winning 7-6(4), 6-4, to win his first ATP title.
Israeli Dudi Sela reaches his first career ATP final, losing to Andy Roddick in the championship match at the China Open in Beijing. Sela became the first Israeli to reach a ATP final since 2001.
Tomas Berdych won the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships, earning his first title since the summer of 2007.

October

Andy Murray wins the Masters Series Madrid.
Swedish tennis legend Jonas Bjorkman teams with Kevin Ullyett to capture the Stockholm Open doubles title, marking the last time he will ever play a professional tennis tournament in Sweden due to retirement.
Roger Federer defeats rival David Nalbandian to win the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in his hometown of Basel.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga completes his memorable BNP Paribas Masters campaign in his home country by defeating David Nalbandian to win his first Masters Series Shield and earn a spot in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

November

Novak Djokovic wins the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai by defeating Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 6-1, 7-5.
After a 17 year professional tennis career, Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman officially retires for the ATP Tour. Bjorkman played 1,791 matches in his singles and doubles career, winning 709 in doubles and 414 in singles. Throughout his noteworthy career, Bjorkman earned $14.5 million in tournament prize money.

Djokovic overwhelms Davydenko to win year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai

2008-11-16T22:31:00.002-05:00

World No. 3 Novak Djokovic (pictured) completed his outstanding 2008 season by defeating Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 6-1, 7-5, to win the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai on Sunday. The Monte Carlo resident opened the year by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne and now closes the year by winning another significant title. The Serbian tennis sensation has now been ranked No. 3 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings since July 9, 2007.

“I would put it in the same league as a Grand Slam because the best eight players in the world are participating here,” said Djokovic. “I feel very happy. End up the season the way I started it, with a win in a big event. So it's a great boost up for upcoming season.”

The 21-year-old Belgrade native got off to a quick start in the championship match, as he broke Davydenko’s serve twice to go ahead 5-0. As Davydenko clearly came out of the starting gates extremely slow and very tense, Djokovic was able to dictate play from the start and smash winners from all parts of the court.

In the second set, Djokovic quickly got ahead 5-3 and even held two match points, but Davydenko rediscovered the tennis form that landed him a spot in the finals. The Russian won seven of the next eight points and eventually broke serve to level the second set at five games a piece. Just as the fans at the sold out Qi Zhong Stadium thought they would be in for a classic battle, Davydenko easily dropped serve, giving Djokovic the chance to win the match on his own serve. At 6-5, Djokovic had little trouble holding serve, as he closed out the match in convincing fashion to win the prestigious title.

“It was special because I've played in the second part of the season in a couple of finals, and I didn't manage to win the title for a long time, since Rome,” said Djokovic. “That's probably the reason why I couldn't close it out in 5-4. I was a bit nervous. It's not easy, you know. There is a lot of pressure involved. I'm happy that I managed to hold my nerves in the end.”

In the one hour and 43 minute match, Djokovic hit four aces, won 74 percent of first serve points and surrendered only seven points on his second serve. Davydenko smashed five aces throughout the match, while winning 65 percent of first serve points, but struggled tremendously on his second serve, winning only 37 percent of those points. Djokovic was able to break serve four times in the two set match, while Davydenko broke only once after having four break point opportunities throughout the match.

To go along with his title this week in Shanghai and in January in Melbourne, Djokovic also won titles this year at Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Rome, bringing his career total to 11. Earning a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics this past summer, Djokovic finishes his memorable season with a 64-17 record. He recorded many wins this season over Top 10 players including, two victories over current World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, as well as wins over Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and David Nalbandian. Djokovic earned $625,000 for his victory on Sunday, which brings his 2008 prize money total to over $4 million. He also walked away with a brand new Mercedes-Benz SUV in honor of his victory.

The singles winner at the Masters Series Miami tournament in March and at events in Poertschach and Warsaw, the 27-year-old Russian finishes the year with an outstanding 56-21 record. Despite not reaching a grand slam quarterfinal for the first time since 2004, Davydenko was able to complete his best performance at the year-end championships, outdoing his 2005 semifinal performance, in which he lost to Nalbandian. En route to his singles title in Miami, Davydenko defeated Roddick in the semifinals before easily defeating Nadal in the finals in straight sets. Davydenko pocketed $315,000 for his runner-up performance in China, bringing his total this season to over $2 million.

Doubles Championship Match Results
No. 2 Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic def. No. 1 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, 7-6(3), 6-2
Editor’s Note: Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic clinch the year-end No. 1 team ranking, which snaps the Bryans’ three-year grasp on the honor.

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Nov. 10-16)

2008-11-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Champaign, Illinois, U.S.A. (Hard)
No. 7 Kevin Anderson (RSA) def. No. 5 Kevin Kim (USA), 6-3, 6-4

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine (Hard)
No. 4 Fabrice Santoro (FRA) def. No. 3 Victor Hanescu (ROU), 6-2, 6-3

Jersey, Great Britain (Hard)
No. 5 Adrian Mannarino (FRA) def. No. 2 Andreas Beck (GER), 7-6(4), 7-6(4)

Medellin, Colombia (Clay)
No. 7 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) def. No. 8 Sergio Roitman (ARG), 6-4, 7-5

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai results; Djokovic to face Davydenko for title

2008-11-15T17:52:00.003-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Saturday Semifinal Results
Singles
No. 2 Novak Djokovic def. No. 8 Gilles Simon, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko (pictured) def. No. 3 Andy Murray, 7-5, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 Bryan/Bryan def. No. 7 Fyrstenberg/Matkowski, 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Nestor/Zimonjiv def. No. 8 Cuevas/Horna, 6-1, 6-3

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai results; Simon captures final semifinal spot

2008-11-14T15:36:00.004-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Saturday Semifinal Matchups
Singles
No. 2 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 8 Gilles Simon
No. 3 Andy Murray (pictured) vs. No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko

Doubles
No. 1 Bryan/Bryan vs. No. 7 Fyrstenberg/Matkowski
No. 2 Nestor/Zimonjiv vs. No. 8 Cuevas/Horna

Friday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 3 Andy Murray def. No. 1 Roger Federer, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5
No. 8 Gilles Simon def. No. 9 Radek Stepanek, 6-1, 6-4

Doubles Round Robin
No. 2 Nestor/Zimonjic def. No. 6 Dlouhy/Paes, 6-1, 6-4
No. 7 Fyrstenberg/Matkowski def. No. 4 Bjorkman/Ullyett, 6-2, 1-6, 10-6

Thursday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. No. 2 Novak Djokovic, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko def. No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-3, 6-2

Doubles Round Robin
No. 5 Coetzee/Moodie def. No. 1 Bryan/Bryan, 6-2, 2-6, 12-10
No. 8 Cuevas/Horna def. No. 3 Bhupathi/Knowles, 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 10-5

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai results; Federer, Murray win; Roddick withdraws

2008-11-12T17:34:00.003-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Wednesday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 1 Roger Federer def. (Alt) Radek Stepanek, 7-6(4), 6-4
No. 3 Andy Murray def. No. 8 Gilles Simon, 6-4, 6-2

Doubles Round Robin
No. 2 Nestor/Zimonjic def. No. 4 Bjorkman/Ullyett, 6-1, 6-4
No. 7 Fyrstenberg/Matkowski def. No. 6 Dlouhy/Paes, 7-6(2), 6-3

Editor’s Note:
* (Alt) Radek Stepanek replaced No. 5 Andy Roddick, who withdrew from the tournament with an ankle injury

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe”

2008-11-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Spain will be without World No. 1 Rafael Nadal during the Davis Cup finals when they travel to Mar del Plata, Argentina to face a strong Argentine squad that features David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro. A winner of 82 matches this season, Nadal confirmed he will not be participating in the finals due to knee tendonitis.
According to Spain Davis Cup Captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario, World No. 56 Marcel Granollers will play singles in place of the injured Rafael Nadal. David Ferrer will also play singles, while Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez will most likely be the doubles pair in finals.
According to Tennis Magazine’s official website, Lleyton Hewitt’s father Glynn told the media that his son plans on playing a heavy tournament schedule in 2009. “He's looking to have a more full season on the tour next year to get his rank higher,” said Glynn Hewitt.
When asked if he was disappointed because Rafael Nadal would not be playing at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, Roger Federer joked, “We’re not dating.”
Tennis legend Boris Becker confirms to the media that his engagement to Sandy Meyer-Woelden is off. She was the daughter of his former tennis manager.

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai results; Djokovic clinches semifinal spot

2008-11-11T20:06:00.001-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Tuesday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 2 Novak Djokovic def. No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6(3), 0-6, 7-5
No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro def. No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (pictured), 7-6(4), 7-6(5)

Doubles Round Robin
No. 1 Bryan/Bryan def. No. 3 Bhupathi/Knowles, 7-5, 3-6, 10-4
No. 8 Cuevas/Horna def. No. 5 Coetzee/Moodie, 6-2, 6-7(2), 11-9

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai results; Federer losses first round robin match

2008-11-10T15:04:00.002-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Monday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 8 Gilles Simon (pictured) def. No. 1 Roger Federer, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 Andy Murray def. No. 5 Andy Roddick, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1

Doubles Round Robin
No. 2 Nestor/Zimonjic def. No. 7 Fyrstenberg/Matkowski, 7-6(4), 5-7, 10-4
No. 4 Bjorkman/Ullyett def. No. 6 Dlouhy/Paes, 6-3, 7-5

Sunday Results
Singles Round Robin
No. 2 Novak Djokovic def. No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro, 7-5, 6-3
No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko def. No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(0)

Doubles Round Robin
No. 1 Bryan/Bryan def. No. 8 Cuevas/Horna, 6-1, 7-6(4)
No. 3 Bhupathi/Knowles def. No. 5 Coetzee/Moodie, 6-2, 6-3

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Nov. 3-9)

2008-11-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A. (Hard)
No. 4 Robert Kendrick (USA) def. Somdev Devvarman (IND), 6-3, 7-5

Rimouski, Canada (Carpet)
Ryan Sweeting (USA) def. No. 1 Kristian Pless (DEN), 6-4, 7-6(3)

Bratislava, Slovakia (Hard)
Jan Hernych (CZE) def. Stephane Bohli (SUI), 6-2, 6-4

Eckental, Germany (Carpet)
No. 1 Denis Gremelmayr (GER) def. No. 2 Roko Karanusic (CRO), 6-2, 7-5

Guayaquil, Ecuador (Clay)
Sergio Roitman (ARG) def. No. 8 Brian Dabul (ARG), 7-6(5), 6-4

Astana, Kazakhstan (Hard)
No. 3 Andrey Golubev (KAZ) def. No. 8 Laurent Recouderc (FRA), 1-6, 7-5, 6-3

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai Round Robin Group Pairings

2008-11-08T16:35:00.002-05:00

2008 Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai Round Robin Groups
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Singles
Red Group
No. 1 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
No. 3 Andy Murray (Great Britain)
No. 5 Andy Roddick (United States)
No. 8 Gilles Simon (France)

Gold Group
No. 2 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko (Russia)
No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)
No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina)

Singles Prize Money
Alternate - $50,000
Participation Fee - $100,000
Round Robin Win – Per Match Won – $100,000
Semifinal Match Winner - $315,000
Final Winner - $625,000
Undefeated Champion - $1,340,000

Doubles
Red Group
No. 1 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
No. 3 Mahesh Bhupathi/Mark Knowles
No. 5 Jeff Coetzee/Wesley Moodie
No. 8 Pablo Cuevas/Luis Horna

Gold Group
No. 2 Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic
No. 4 Jonas Bjorkman/Kevin Ullyett
No. 6 Lukas Dlouhy/Leander Paes
No. 7 Mariusz Fyrstenberg/ Marcin Matkowski

Doubles Prize Money
Alternate - $20,000
Participation Fee - $50,000
Round Robin Win – Per Match Won - $15,000
Semifinal Match Winner - $25,000
Final Winner - $100,000
Undefeated Champion - $220,000

Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe”

2008-11-05T15:53:00.002-05:00

This week in Doha, Qatar at the year-end WTA Sony Ericsson Championships, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco was seen sitting in former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic’s players box during her opening round match. This could be the icing on the cake that they are an item after tons of dating rumors about the pair. Earlier in the fall, Verdasco watched Ivanovic's match from her player box at the China Open in Beijing. Later that week he attended her practice and spent the time speaking to her mother.
On Tuesday, medical tests confirmed that World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has been diagnosed with tendinitis in his quadriceps tendon. Nadal, who has already withdrawn from the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai that begins on Sunday, will have more tests early next week to assess the injury. He is likely to miss the Davis Cup finals between Spain and Argentina, which will be held from November 21-23.
World No. 48 Jose Acasuso has replaced Guillermo Canas on the Argentina Davis Cup team that is looking for it’s first career team title. Juan Martin Del Potro, David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri will be the other members on Team Argentina.
USTA CEO of Professional Tennis Arlen Kantarian has resigned. Kantarian, who has run the US Open since 2000, will leave his position at the end of the year. This year the US Open broke tournament records for revenue and attendance.
Swedish media reports that Bjorn Borg’s former tennis coach Lennart Bergelin has died at the age of 83.
James Blake and brother Thomas will be participating in the Serving Up The Holidays Fundraiser in Harlem at the renovated Harlem Armory on November 25th.

World No. 1 Nadal withdraws from Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai due to knee injury

2008-11-04T01:22:00.001-05:00

After injuring his right knee during last week’s quarterfinal match against Nikolay Davydenko at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has officially withdrawn from the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. Taking his place will be talented Frenchman Gilles Simon, who won titles this year in Bucharest, Casablanca and Indianapolis, while also reaching the finals at the recent Masters Series Madrid.

Through a written statement released on Monday, Nadal said: “I have decided not to compete on the Masters Cup in Shanghai...This is one of the most difficult decisions in my career due to the importance of the event and above all, due to the fact of not making possible my will to be with the fans in China and the tournament organizers that always treated me in such special way. “I am deeply saddened and disappointed for my fans around the world that expected to see me in Shanghai fighting in every match. I do expect to be there again in October '09 for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.”

The 22-year-old Spaniard played his way to a marvelous season in which he won eight singles titles including winning his fourth straight French Open, his first Wimbledon title, Masters Series titles in Monte Carlo, Hamburg and Toronto, an Olympic gold medal in Beijing and titles in Barcelona and at Queen’s Club in London. Nadal surpassed Roger Federer as the No. 1 player in the world in August and is guaranteed to end the year as the top-ranked player after the Swiss legend held the top spot at years-end for the last four years. Nadal finishes the 2008 season with an impressive 82-11 record, while winning $6,773,773 in tournament prize money.

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai Entry List

2008-11-04T01:17:00.003-05:00

Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
Shanghai, China
November 9-16, 2008

Singles Qualifiers
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2. Roger Federer (SUI)
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
4. Andy Murray (GBR)
5. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
6. Andy Roddick (USA)
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
8. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
*Gilles Simon replaces Rafael Nadal (Injury)

Doubles Qualifiers
1. Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA)
2. Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)
3. Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Andy Ram (ISR)
4. Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Mark Knowles (BAH)
5. Jonas Bjorkman (SWE)/Kevin Ullyett (ZIM)
6. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)/ Leander Paes (IND)
7. Jeff Coetzee (RSA)/Wesley Moodie (RSA)
8. Pablo Cuevas (URU)/Luis Horna (PER)
*Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL) replace Erlich/Ram (Erlich Injury)

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Oct. 27-Nov. 3)

2008-11-04T00:44:00.000-05:00

Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. (Hard)
No. 3 Robert Kendrick (USA) def. No. 4 Donald Young (USA), 6-1, 6-1

Busan, Korea (Hard)
No. 2 Ivo Minar (CZE) def. Alex Bogomolov Jr. (USA), 6-1, 2-0, ret.

Aachen, Germany (Carpet)
No. 5 Evgeny Korolev (RUS) def. WC Ruben Bemelmans (BEL), 7-6(5), 7-6(3)

Cali, Colombia (Clay)
Daniel Koellerer (AUT) def. Paul Capdeville (CHI), 6-4, 6-3

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Key Phrases
WC = Wild Card

This Week's Biggest Movers: Tsonga cracks Top 10, Baghdatis plummets

2008-11-03T20:44:00.003-05:00

On the rise:

#91 (+17) Robert Kendrick (USA)
#73 (+10) Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG)
#7 (+7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
#94 (+7) Jesse Levine (USA)
#75 (+6) Potito Starace (ITA)

Moving down:

#98 (-39) Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
#87 (-17) Tommy Haas (GER)
#105 (-10) Alberto Martin (ESP)
#24 (-9) Richard Gasquet (FRA)
#77 (-9) Guillermo Canas (ARG)

* Each week, this will feature players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the last set of rankings.

** David Ferrer has dropped seven spots to No. 12

Tsonga wins BNP Paribas Masters in Paris; earns final Masters Cup Shanghai spot

2008-11-03T18:15:00.002-05:00

Thirteenth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (pictured) captured the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris on Sunday in front of a pleased hometown crowd by defeating eighth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The win earned Tsonga his first career ATP Masters Series title, but more importantly a spot in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

From the get-go the Paris crowd was visibly behind the Frenchman. Tsonga got out to an extremely quick start in his first career Masters Series final, as he broke the 26-year-old Nalbandian’s serve in the second game of the match. After saving a break point in the seventh game, Tsonga closed out the opening set in 32 minutes. In the second set, Tsonga served out of a 0-40 hole in the eighth game only to be later broken while serving down 4-5, 0-40. Nalbandian was able to even the match at one set apiece when the 23-year-old hit a forehand in the net. In the final set, Tsonga almost made things difficult as he gave Nalbandian three break point chances while in front 5-4. Tsonga quickly regrouped and was able to win the match on his first championship point when the Argentine netted a forehand.

“At the end of the match I felt a lot better. I played exactly like I had to,” said Tsonga. “I didn't do extraordinary things. Like in Australia I played volleys that were coming from nowhere, whereas today I played just right. I believe this is the way you win. It's not when you do lucky shots that you win. It's when you think about your shots.”

Tsonga smashed an incredible 25 aces past Nalbandian, while dropping just 10 points on his first serve throughout the roughly two hour match. Nalbandian, who won the If Stockholm Open a few weeks ago, hit only four aces but was haunted by four double faults. Tsonga was able to break serve on two of four chances, while Nalbandian broke serve only once in nine opportunities.

With his victory, Tsonga will rise to a career best No. 7 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Tsonga joins fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon as the only two French players ranked in the Top 10 in the current rankings. It’s the first time two French players held that honor since October 3, 1988, when Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte were both ranked in the Top 10. Tsonga, who started the year ranked No. 43 before making a fairytale run to the finals of the Australian Open before losing to Novak Djokovic, now owns two career singles titles. Missing three months earlier this year due to knee surgery, Tsonga became the first French player to win a Masters Series shield since Sebastien Grosjean defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov to win the Paris title in 2001.

Nalbandian, who could have won his second straight Paris title and clinched a spot in Shanghai, drops to No. 11 in the rankings and finishes the 2008 season with a 43-16 record. Besides reaching the finals this week, his season highlights included winning the singles title in Buenos Aires, as well as Stockholm. Nalbandian will rest for a couple weeks before being a top dog in his countries Davis Cup finals match against Spain in Mar de Plata in Argentina from November 21-23.

Nalbandian, Tsonga to face off in the finals at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris

2008-11-01T17:15:00.001-04:00

Eighth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian (pictured) moved within one match of qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai on Saturday after defeating No. 6 seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, in two hours and five minutes at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The defending champion will look to win a second straight title in Paris on Sunday when he faces French star and No. 13 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who continued his magical run in France with a, 6-3, 6-4, victory over eleventh-seeded American James Blake.

A Wimbledon finalist in 2002, Nalbandian got off to an extremely quick start against his Russian opponent, winning the first set in a compelling 28 minutes. In the opening set, the World No. 8 was able to break Davydenko’s serve twice, while saving three break points that he faced on his own serve. After Nalbandian quickly broke serve to go up 2-1 in the second set, Davydenko responded and immediately broke back to even the set at 2-2. In the 12th game of the set, Davydenko broke Nalbandian at love to claim the second set 7-5. In the seventh game of the final set, Nalbandian broke serve on his first break point chance and would eventually win his next two service games to win the set 6-4 and earn a spot in the final. The 26-year-old now owns a 6-4 series record against Davydenko, while improving to 43-15 on the season, which includes a 14-2 record on indoor courts.

“It was tough. I mean the first set didn't look like, because I just play great and he made some unforced errors and I take the chances that he gave me,” said Nalbandian. “In the second and third set he start serving better, and very good rallies for both. He hit a lot of lines, and it's okay. I played great.”

En route to earning a spot in his sixth career Masters Series final, Nalbandian defeated three straight Top 10 players, which included No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro, No. 4 Andy Murray and now World No. 6 Davydenko. Nalbandian, who recently won the singles title at the Stockholm Open in Sweden, is looking to become the first back-to-back winner at the Paris event since it started being held at the Bercy venue in 1986. The Argentina Davis Cup star has won nine titles throughout his professional career.

Tsonga showed no signs of fatigue after a thrilling three set win over No. 7 Andy Roddick on Friday, as he vigorously took care of Blake in straight sets. Throughout the 67-minute match, Tsonga smashed 12 aces, won 89 percent of his first service points, dropped only six second serve points and was able to break serve three times. The American who was hoping to win the title in Paris and clinch a spot at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup, only won 70 percent of his first serve points and did not have any break point opportunities throughout the match.

“I know it's going to be difficult, because David has a good return,” said Tsonga. “Of course for me it's going to be difficult. But it's a final, and you never know what's happened at this moment. So I will do my best and I will see what's happen.”

The talented Frenchman improves his season record to 32-12, which includes winning the Thailand Open in Bangkok and reaching the finals at the Australian Open. Tsonga is looking to become the first French player to win a Masters Series shield since Sebastien Grosjean defeated Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov to win the Paris event.

On advancing to the final at his countries Masters Series event, Tsonga said, “It's just very special. It's like a dream. All my small career I dream like every day about to play a final in France. So for me it's going to be maybe the best moment of my life. So I will l just do my best for that.”

Currently ranked No. 14 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Tsonga has never played in a Masters Series final and will be facing Nalbandian for the first time in his career. The winner of Sunday’s singles final will earn the final spot in the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. Recent reports indicate that even if Nalbandian wins tomorrow and earns the final spot, he might not compete in the year-end championship since he wants to get ready for the following week’s Davis Cup final between his native Argentina and Spain.

French star Tsonga prevails over Roddick in three sets to reach Paris Semifinal

2008-10-31T20:08:00.001-04:00

The French faithful got what they wanted on Friday at the BNP Paribas Masters, as thirteenth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (pictured) defeated seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5). In a three set thriller that lasted two hours and 44 minutes, Tsonga delighted the crowd with an impressive performance.

Late in the final set, Roddick challenged an out call on his serve while in front 40-0. The scoreboard showed that he had no challenges remaining, but Roddick, Tsonga and even chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani knew he had used only two of his three challenges in the third set.

“But the guy who sits in a box somewhere and puts the Hawkeye replay on, refused to run it because he insisted I had none left, despite the umpire telling him otherwise,” said a frustrated Roddick after the match.

The situation continued to grow worse as both players, mainly Roddick, were getting frustrated as Lahyani was not able to convince the Hawkeye replay guy to let Roddick use the challenge system. After nearly five minutes of craziness, an ATP Supervisor came onto the court and settled the situation, letting Roddick use his one remaining challenge since all parties agreed he had one challenge remaining. With the Paris fans yelling and screaming, Roddick won the challenge and would win the game.

With every out of this world shot that Tsonga would make, the crowd would go wild, but every time Roddick won a point the crowd of 12,000 didn’t get too lively. As the young Frenchman who reached the Australian Open finals earlier this year caved in on victory, leading 6-5, 30-30 on Roddick’s serve, the American would eventually hold serve and send the final set into a tiebreak.

Quickly grabbing a 6-2 lead in the tiebreak, Tsonga had the hometown crowd extremely energized. Tsonga stopped in the middle of the point at 6-2 to challenge and in-call on the right baseline, but the Hawkeye replay system proved the ball did indeed hit the line, giving Roddick the point. Roddick, who clinched a spot at the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai after beating Gilles Simon in the third round, would win the next two points to fight off his third straight match point. At 6-5, the Frenchman was able to close out the match with an impressive forehand volley winner to reach his first career ATP Masters Series semifinal. As Tsonga showed loads of emotion in admiration of his victory, as if he had just won a grand slam title, the Paris crowd gave him a well-deserved standing ovation for a great deal of time.

During the match, Tsonga hammered 15 aces compared to Roddick’s 14, though Tsonga hit six double faults while the American hit none. Roddick was able to win 77 percent of his first service points, while the Frenchman won just 61 of 91 points on his first serve. Both players broke serve on three occasions, but Roddick will be the disappointed one, as he had 17 opportunities to break serve throughout the match, compared to only five for Tsonga. After beating Roddick for the first time in three career meetings, Tsonga will next tangle with No. 11 seed James Blake for a place in the Paris finals.

Other Quarterfinal Scores from Friday
No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko def. No. 1 Rafael Nadal, 6-1, ret. (knee injury)
No. 8 David Nalbandian def. No. 4 Andy Murray, 7-6(3), 6-3
No. 11 James Blake def. No. 2 Roger Federer, W/O (back injury)

Masters Series Paris results from Thursday Oct. 30

2008-10-30T23:47:00.002-04:00

BNP Paribas Masters
Paris, France
Singles - Third Round
(1) Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. (16) Gael Monfils (FRA), 6-3, 6-2
(6) Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Tomas Berdych (CZE), 6-1, 6-1
(4) Andy Murray (GBR) def. (15) Fernando Verdasco (ESP), 6-3, 7-6(6)
(8) David Nalbandian (ARG) def. (9) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG), 6-4, 6-0
(7) Andy Roddick (USA) def. (10) Gilles Simon (FRA), 6-3, 7-5
(13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. (3) Novak Djokovic (SRB), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
(11) James Blake (USA) def. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER), 6-4, 6-4
(2) Roger Federer (SUI) def. Marin Cilic (CRO), 6-3, 6-4

Singles – Quarterfinals (Friday)
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (6) Nikolay Davydenko
(4) Andy Murray vs. (8) David Nalbandian
(7) Andy Roddick vs. (13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
(2) Roger Federer vs. (11) James Blake

Justin’s Predictions
(1) Rafael Nadal will defeat (6) Nikolay Davydenko in 2 sets
(4) Andy Murray will defeat (8) David Nalbandian in 3 sets
(13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will defeat (7) Andy Roddick in 3 sets
(2) Roger Federer will defeat (11) James Blake in 3 sets

No. 1 Nadal, No. 2 Federer, No. 4 Murray win in Paris; Nalbandian also advances

2008-10-29T23:41:00.002-04:00

Rafael Nadal (pictured) and Roger Federer kicked off their BNP Paribas Masters campaigns with convincing second round victories on Wednesday in Paris. Top-seeded Nadal cruised to a, 6-2, 6-4, victory over lucky loser Florent Serra, while No. 2 seed Federer defeated Sweden’s Robin Soderling, 6-4, 7-6(7).

In a match that last 74 minutes, both the top ranked Spaniard and the Frenchman served up five aces, but Nadal was more successful overall on the serve, winning 85 percent of his first serve points and dropping only six points on his second serve. The five-time grand slam singles champion broke serve on three of five opportunities, while Serra could not convert on his lone break point chance. The 22-year-old improves to 81-10 on the year, which includes titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and six other singles titles. Currently ranked No. 63 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Serra falls to 20-24 on the season. Next up for the left-handed Spaniard is a third round encounter with No. 16 seed Gael Monfils of France.

In the evening session on Court Central in front a sold out crowd including his agent’s famous tennis wife Mary Jo Fernandez, Federer was able to get past Soderling due to his strong service performance. Federer smashed 10 aces and was able to win 90 percent of his first serve points. The 13-time grand slam champion, who broke serve once during the match, did not face any break points on his serve. Paris is the only Masters Series event that the Swiss star has not yet won. The singles winner last week at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in his hometown of Basel, Federer improves to 64-14 on the season. Also a title winner last week but at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in France, Soderling falls to 45-21 on the season and currently stands winless in eight matches played against Federer. Next up for Federer is hard hitting Croatian Marin Cilic, who defeated Marcel Granollers, 6-4, 7-6(2).

World No. 4 Andy Murray, who has been on fire lately, was also victorious as he defeated American Sam Querrey, 6-2, 6-4. A winner of the last two Masters Series events in Cincinnati and Madrid, Murray got broken to start the match and fell behind 0-2, but quickly recovered winning six straight games to win the opening set, 6-2. Throughout the 75-minute battle, Murray smashed eight aces, while breaking the 6’6” Californian natives serve five times.

“After the start I thought I played well, neutralized his biggest strength early on in the match and then obviously got ahead early in the second set,” said Murray. “A bit disappointed to lose my serve, but again, the way I responded was very good.”

Other noteworthy winners on Wednesday were defending champion and No. 8 David Nalbandian, No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, No. 10 Gilles Simon and No. 11 James Blake. In two hours and eight minutes, Nalbandian was able to get past German Nicolas Kiefer, 7-6(5), 6-3. Nalbandian hit six aces, which was two less than Kiefer, but was able to muster two service breaks compared to only one by the German. Next up for Nalbandian is a third round meeting with Davis Cup teammate Juan Martin Del Potro, who he defeated last week in Basel.

Davydenko, who has struggled recently but has already clinched a spot in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, got past Croatian qualifier Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6(5), 7-5, in one hour and 44 minutes. The Russian hammered 12 aces, served 87 percent on his first serve and was able to secure the lone service break of the match at 5-5 in the second set. Davydenko, who has less stress on him these days since he was found not guilty on tennis betting, next faces former Paris champion Tomas Berdych. Berdych upset No. 12 seed Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3, 7-5, behind six aces and a perfect three for three on break point opportunities.

Simon, the a singles champion this year in Bucharest, Casablanca and Indianapolis, defeated Russian Igor Andreev, 6-3, 7-5, in 95 minutes. At the Masters Series Madrid event two weeks ago in which he finished as runner-up, Simon saved four match points in his opening round match against Andreev. Simon improves to 49-24 on the season and next will do battle against No. 7 Andy Roddick for a place in the quarterfinals.

American James Blake, who has struggled tremendously to find good results since taking time off after the US Open, found his form again as he came from behind to defeat Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli, 6-7(10), 6-3, 6-4, in two hours. Still having an outside shot at qualifying for the year-end championships in Shanghai, Blake next faces German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round. This afternoon, Kohlschreiber ended David Ferrer’s Tennis Masters Cup hopes by defeating the Spaniard, 6-3, 6-2.

Tennis Masters Cup hopes still alive for Roddick, Del Potro; Djokovic wins in Paris

2008-10-28T21:55:00.003-04:00

Seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick and ninth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (pictured) both came away victorious in the second round on Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia was also a winner on Day Two in France.

Currently ranked No. 7 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Roddick helped his Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai chances tremendously with a convincing win over Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 6-4. Both players smashed a significant amount of aces throughout the 66-minute match with Roddick firing 13 and Lopez hitting 12 aces, but it was the veteran American who won 90 percent of his first serve points, while dropping only seven points on his second serve. The former World No. 1 and 2003 US Open champion broke Lopez’s serve twice, while the left-handed Spaniard did not have any break point opportunities throughout the fairly routine match. By reaching the semifinals this week, Roddick can clinch his spot in the year-end championships in Shanghai. Next up for Roddick is a third round match against either Tennis Masters Cup hopeful Gilles Simon or Russian Igor Andreev.

The 6’6” Argentine Del Potro who reached the semifinals last week in Basel played very steady tennis on the way to defeating Croatian Mario Ancic, 6-0, 6-4, in 79 minutes. A winner of four consecutive singles titles this past summer, the 20-year-old hit three aces, won 70 percent of service points and was able to break serve on four of seven chances throughout the match. Despite Ancic dropping only six points on his first serve throughout the match, he was only able to win eight of 29 second serve points. Currently ranked at a career best No. 9, Del Potro improves to 45-12 on the season and can punch a ticket to Shanghai with a run to the finals in Paris. Ancic falls to 32-16 on a year that has had many highs and lows, but included earning a law degree earlier this year from a University in his native Croatia. Del Potro will face either No. 8 seed David Nalbandian or German veteran Nicolas Kiefer for a place in the quarterfinals.

No. 3 seed Djokovic was leading Dmitry Tursunov, 6-2, 4-3, when the Russian retired from the match with a right shoulder injury. Before Tursunov’s injury, Djokovic had hit eight aces, made 81 percent of his first serves and broke the Russian on three occasions. Djokovic, who has already clinched a spot at the Tennis Masters Cup, improves to 60-15 on the season and will next face either No. 13 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Radek Stepanek in the third round on Thursday.

Others second round winners included No. 15 seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain and No. 16 seed Gael Monfils of France. Verdasco was able to grind through a tough three set match against fellow countryman Tommy Robredo, winning 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-2, in just over two hours. In the third round on Thursday, Verdasco will take on red-hot No. 4 seed Andy Murray or American Sam Querrey for a place in the final eight. With the hometown crowd behind him the entire match, Monfils was able to get past qualifier Juan Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, in 80 minutes. The 2008 Roland Garros semifinalist hammered 12 aces past his Argentine opponent while winning 92 percent of his first serve points. Next up for the entertaining young Frenchman is a third round date with either World No. 1 Rafael Nadal or lucky loser Florent Serra.

Other completed matches on Day Two in Paris
Singles – First Round
Robin Soderling def. (WC) Josselin Ouanna, 6-3, 6-4
Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-1, 6-4
(Q) Ivan Ljubicic def. (Q) Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 6-4
(LL) Florent Serra def. (LL) Guillermo Canas, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Radek Stepanek def. Marc Gicquel, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Masters Series Paris results from Monday Oct. 27

2008-10-28T01:31:00.002-04:00

BNP Paribas Masters
Paris, France
Singles - First Round
Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Andreas Seppi (ITA), 7-6(5), 6-2
Nicolas Kiefer (GER) def. Ivo Karlovic (CRO), 6-4, 7-5
Mario Ancic (CRO) def. Rrainer Schuettler (GER), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Sam Querrey (USA) def. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP), 7-5, 6-7(5), 3-2 ret. (back)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. (Q) Robby Ginepri (USA), 6-4, 7-5
(Q) Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Marat Safin (RUS), 6-0, 7-6(4)
(Q) Simone Bolelli (ITA) def. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN), 7-5, 6-4
Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA), 7-6(6), 6-3
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB), 6-3, 6-4

Noteworthy Second Round matches on Tuesday
No. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
No. 7 Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Mario Ancic (CRO)
No. 16 Gael Monfils (FRA) vs. (Q) Juan Monaco (ARG)

This Week's Biggest Movers*

2008-10-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

On the rise:

#83 (+19) Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG)
#50 (+16) Victor Hanescu (ROU)
#44 (+12) Julien Benneteau (FRA)
#66 (+12) Mischa Zverev (GER)
#94 (+11) Ivo Minar (CZE)
#18 (+9) Robin Soderling (SWE)

Moving down:

#57 (-17) Marc Gicquel (FRA)
#86 (-17) Dudi Sela (ISR)
#59 (-16) Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
#71 (-9) Nicolas Devilder (FRA)
#98 (-9) Gilles Muller (LUX)
#36 (-7) Jarkko Nieminen

* Each week, this will feature players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the last set of rankings.

BNP Paribas Masters preview

2008-10-26T20:55:00.004-04:00

BNP Paribas Masters
Location: Paris, France
Dates: October 26-November 2, 2008
Draw Size: 48
Surface: Indoor Carpet
Prize Money: $2,270,000 (Euros); men’s singles champion: $363,600
2007 Singles Final: David Nalbandian, ARG, def. Rafael Nadal, ESP, 6-4, 6-0
Official Web site: http://www.bnpparibasmasters.org/

Top story lines:
1. Can Andy Murray win his third straight Masters Series shield?
2. Does Roger Federer have what it takes to get back into the winners circle at a Masters Series event?
3. Can defending champion David Nalbandian repeat his incredible 2007 Paris results and win the title this year?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. Tomas Berdych vs. Robby Ginepri (Berdych leads 1-0; winning most recently 6-3, 6-3 at this event in 2006; Berdych won the Masters Series Paris in 2005; Berdych was the champion this year in Tokyo, finalist in Bastad and semifinalist in Bangkok and at the Masters Series Miami; Berdych has defeated Andy Roddick, Juan Martin Del Potro and James Blake this year; Berdych is currently ranked No. 22; Ginepri was a semifinalist in Delray Beach, San Jose and Las Vegas; Ginepri is currently ranked No. 53)
2. Ivo Karlovic vs. Nicolas Kiefer (Kiefer leads 3-1; winning most recently 7-6(5), 7-6(3) on hard courts in Madrid in 2007; Karlovic was the champion in Nottingham and a semifinalist in Rotterdam and at the Masters Series Cincinnati; Karlovic defeated Roger Federer in Cincinnati and Novak Djokovic in Madrid; Karlovic reached a career best ranking of No. 14 in August but is currently ranked No. 20; Kiefer was a finalist at the Masters Series Canada and semifinalist in Halle; Kiefer has twice defeated Nikolay Davydenko and also has wins this season over Gilles Simon and James Blake; Kiefer is currently ranked No. 37)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 16 Gael Monfils, Third Round
· Nadal leads 2-0; winning both times on clay
· Nadal took over the No. 1 ranking from Roger Federer on August 18, 2008, which was helped by winning his fourth straight French Open title, as well as winning an epic five set thriller over Roger Federer the finals at Wimbledon
· Monfils reached the semifinals at the French Open this year
· Monfils is currently ranked at a career best No. 16

No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Third Round
· Series tied 1-1; Tsonga won most recently on hard courts 7-6(4), 6-4 in the finals of the Thailand Open in Bangkok
· Djokovic has won three titles this year including the Australian Open, while also reaching three finals and five semifinals
· Tsonga was a surprise singles finalist at the Australian Open this year

No. 8 David Nalbandian vs. No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro, Third Round
· Nalbandian leads 2-1; winning most recently 6-4, 6-4 last week in the semifinals at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel
· Nalbandian has won two titles this year at events in Buenos Aires and Stockholm, while finishing as runner-up in Acapulco and Basel
· Del Potro has won four titles this year at events in Stuttgart, Kitzbuhel, Los Angeles and Washington
· Nalbandian is currently ranked No. 8, while Del Potro is currently ranked at a career best No. 9

Watch out for…
1. No. 4 Andy Murray (Winner at Masters Series events in Cincinnati and Madrid and smaller tournaments in Doha, Marseille and St. Petersburg; Finalist at the US Open; has victories this year over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Juan Martin Del Potro and Gilles Simon; currently ranked at a career best No. 4)
2. No. 10 Gilles Simon (Winner in Bucharest, Casablanca and Indianapolis; finalist at the Masters Series Madrid; semifinalist in Rotterdam, Lyon and at the Masters Series Canada; has victories this year over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, James Blake and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; currently ranked at a career best No. 10)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 2 Roger Federer

Federer wins third straight title at Davidoff Swiss Indoors; 57th career title

2008-10-26T20:13:00.001-04:00

Swiss No. 1 seed Roger Federer (pictured) won his third straight Davidoff Swiss Indoors in his hometown of Basel after defeating No. 2 seed David Nalbandian, 6-3, 6-4, in 70 minutes. The 13-time grand slam singles champion improves his series record against Nalbandian to 10-8.

From the start, Federer was dominant in all aspects, especially on serve. The 27-year-old, who earned his 57th career ATP singles title with his victory today, hammered eight aces past his Argentine opponent, while losing only seven points on serve throughout the match. The former World No. 1 was able to break Nalbandian’s serve while up 3-2 in the first set and in the third game of the second set. Nalbandian did not have any break point opportunities throughout the match.

“I’m happy the way things are going right now; I played well at the US Open, in Davis Cup and last week in Madrid,” said Federer. “This was another good week for me. It was fantastic to beat one of my biggest rivals in a good match. It was great to win at home. That is what really stands out for me, realizing a childhood dream and winning the title over and over again.”

Playing in Basel for the ninth time in his lavish career, Federer improved his record to 29-6, which includes three titles and runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2001. The Swiss superstar improves to 63-13 on the season, highlighted by winning the US Open and titles in Estoril and Halle. Federer also reached the singles final at the French Open and at Wimbledon, as well as teaming with fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka to win the doubles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The 26-year-old Nalbandian, who won titles earlier this year in Buenos Aires and Stockholm, falls to 1-3 in finals in Basel. He won the title in 2002 by defeating Fernando Gonzalez and was a finalist in 2003 and 2004. Currently ranked No. 8 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Nalbandian falls to 39-15 on the season.

“Roger played almost perfect, he played great,” said Nalbandian. “He served very well and although I didn’t play bad he was better than me today. I had a good week though.”

Federer earned a winner’s paycheck of $145,200 (Euros) by winning the title, while Nalbandian collected a finalist check for $78,475 (Euros). Both players are scheduled to play next week in Paris at the BNP Paribas Masters. Federer is seeded No. 2 and is on the lower portion of the draw, while Nalbandian is seeded No. 8 and could meet No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro in the third round.

Murray defends St. Petersburg Open title; 8th career ATP title for the World No. 4

2008-10-26T15:35:00.002-04:00

World No. 4 and top-seeded Scot Andy Murray (pictured) easily defended his St. Petersburg Open title on Sunday by smoothly defeating Kazakhstani qualifier Andrey Golubev, 6-1, 6-1, in 56 minutes. In the shortest singles final on the ATP Tour this season in terms of match time, Murray claimed his fifth title of the season while continuing his red-hot dominating tennis performances.

“I think he started the match a bit nervous and I was playing consistent from the baseline," said Murray. “I was the favorite and he didn't have anything to lose. The match was close in the beginning of both sets but once I was able to take the lead I felt more comfortable.”

Despite not hitting one ace during the match, Murray was able to win 27 of 31 first service points, while only having to hit 10 second serves throughout the match. Murray, who reached the US Open finals in September, broke Golubev five times this afternoon, while the Kazakhstani was unsuccessful breaking serve on his the two break point opportunities.

Murray, who has already clinched a spot in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, improves to 53-14 on the year. His 53 victories this season puts him alongside Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko as the only players to have recorded at least 50 wins this year. Murray, the singles title winner in Doha and Marseille, as well as Masters Series titles in Cincinnati and Madrid, improves to 8-5 in finals during his young career.

The 21-year-old Golubev, who reached the main draw after winning three straight matches in the qualifying tournament, improves to 6-4 on the season. Starting the tournament off ranked No. 150 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Golubev will move up to a career high No. 112 on Monday when the rankings are released.

“I was playing well all week but today I was just off. I think I ran out of fuel,” said Golubev. “I felt very tired. This match was good for me to compare my game to the top players in the world. Murray didn't make any mistakes and was more stable during the entire match, especially on his serve. I'm still more happy than disappointed. Obviously I feel a bit frustrated not to play the way I wanted. But overall I'm very happy with the week.”

For his victory in St. Petersburg, Murray earned a winner’s check worth $171,000 and will immediately travel to Paris to play in this week’s BNP Paribas Masters. Seeded No. 4 and receiving a first round bye in Paris, Murray will face either Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis or American Sam Querrey in the second round. With his magical run to the finals, Golubev earned a finalist check worth $92,400, which is the biggest payday in his young career.

No. 7 Soderling captures third career ATP singles title by winning Lyon event

2008-10-26T15:07:00.003-04:00

After playing nearly three years without winning a title, Robin Soderling (pictured) ended that drought by winning the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in France on Sunday by defeating Frenchman Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, to capture his third career ATP singles title. Due to his outstanding performance in France, Soderling will jump from No. 27 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings to a career high of around No. 18 or No. 19 when the rankings are released on Monday morning.

The 24-year-old Swede smashed 10 aces compared to the Frenchman’s seven aces, while also winning 53 of 64 first service points throughout the match. The seventh-seeded Swede, who captured his first career title in Lyon in 2004, was able to break serve four times while Benneteau was only successful breaking serve once.

Soderling becomes the first Swedish player to win an ATP singles title since former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson won the St. Petersburg Open on October 30, 2005. Since Johansson claimed the title in Russia, Swedish players have gone 0-7 in singles finals, including Soderling finishing as runner-up in Memphis in 2006, as well reaching the finals in Rotterdam, Memphis and Stockholm this season.

This week Soderling pulled off two impressive Top 10 wins, defeating No. 7 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals in straight sets, then No. 10 Gilles Simon in the semifinals. Soderling improves to 44-20 on the season, including a 22-6 record on indoor courts.

“Lyon is a special place for me since I won my first title here in 2004. I think that I'm more consistent now than back then. I move better and my defense has improved as well,” said Soderling.

The 26-year-old Benneteau drops to 22-20 on the season, but will move up to roughly No. 46 in the rankings from his current No. 56 ranking. Benneteau, who defeating Soderling in the third round at this year’s French Open, was looking to claim his first career ATP singles title.

“If somebody told me at the beginning of the week that I would be losing the final in three sets I would have been more than happy,” said Benneteau. “But I'm still disappointed because it really could have been the perfect day for me today. Winning my first title in Lyon close to my hometown would have been unbelievable.”

Soderling earned a champions check for $115,500 (Euros) for his victory and will next travel to Paris to play in the BNP Paribas Masters where he will play French wild card entrant Josselin Ouanna in the opening round on Tuesday. Benneteau earned a finalist check for $62,400 (Euros) and will not be competing in Paris next week.

Italian tennis player Federico Luzzi dies of Leukemia at 28

2008-10-25T17:48:00.002-04:00

Italian tennis pro Federico Luzzi, a former top 100 player, died this morning of leukemia at a Florence, Italy hospital. The 28-year-old was taken to the hospital earlier this week with a high fever and was then diagnosed with an acute case of leukemia. This morning he went into an irreversible coma and passed away shortly after.

“Losing a young man so tragically in the prime of his life, a son to a loving family and a great sportsman is a terrible blow. Federico was hugely respected by his fellow professionals and was one of the most popular players on the ATP Tour. Federico will be much missed by all who knew him and the thoughts and the prayers of everyone at the ATP are with Federico's family on this very sad day for tennis,” said ATP Chairman Etienne de Villiers.

Picking up his first tennis racquet at the age of three, Luzzi would turn pro in 1999 and eventually reach a career high ranking of No. 92 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings in 2002. Throughout his career, Luzzi won many matches over highly distinguished tennis players including 2004 French Open champion Gaston Gaudio, former World No. 2 and two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja, former Top 5 player and 2004 French Open finalist Guillermo Coria and 2005 French Open runner-up Mariano Puerto. Luzzi also defeated many current tennis stars during his tennis career including Mario Ancic, Dmitry Tursunov, Dominik Hrbaty, Arnaud Clement and Feliciano Lopez.

During the prime of his career, Luzzi was a major contributor to the Italian Davis Cup team. In 2001, he won a Davis Cup singles match against Finland 14-12 in the fifth set in a match that lasted four hours and 35 minutes, the longest Davis Cup match ever played by an Italian player.

This season, the Arezzo, Italy native competed in six challenger events, reaching the quarterfinals at events in Belgrade, Serbia and Todi, Italy. In his last event he fell to Italian Pietro Fanucci, 0-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, in the opening round at the Napoli, Italy challenger tournament. Throughout his lengthy professional tennis career, Luzzi posted an 18-31 record, while earning $544,562 in tournament prize money.

He is survived by his parents, Maurizio and Paola, and older sister, Francesca.

Saturday Oct. 25 results on the ATP Tour

2008-10-25T16:21:00.002-04:00

Davidoff Swiss Indoors
Basel, Switzerland
Saturday - Semifinals
No. 1 Roger Federer def. Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 David Nalbandian def. No. 3 Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-4, 6-4

Sunday – Singles Final
No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 2 David Nalbandian (Federer leads series 9-8)
Sunday – Doubles Finals
No. 2 Mahesh Bhupathi/Mark Knowles vs. Christopher Kas/Philipp Kohlschreiber

St. Petersburg Open
St. Petersburg, Russia
Saturday - Semifinals
No. 1 Andy Murray def. No. 3 Fernando Verdasco, 6-0, 6-3
(Q) Andrey Golubev def. Victor Hanescu, 6-3, 6-0

Sunday – Singles Final
No. 1 Andy Murray vs. (Q) Andrey Golubev (First meeting)
Sunday – Doubles Final
Rohan Bopanna/Max Mirnyi vs. Travis Parrott/Filip Polasek

Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon
Lyon, France
Saturday - Semifinals
Julien Benneteau def. No. 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6(4), 7-5
No. 7 Robin Soderling def. No. 4 Gilles Simon, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3

Sunday – Singles Final
No. 7 Robin Soderling vs. Julien Benneteau (Benneteau leads series 2-1)
Sunday – Doubles Final
No. 2 Michael Llodra/Andy Ram vs. Stephen Huss/Ross Hutchins

Key Terms:
Q = Qualifier

Friday Oct. 24 results on the ATP Tour

2008-10-24T20:15:00.003-04:00

*All completed matches on Friday were in the Quarterfinal round

Davidoff Swiss Indoors
Basel, Switzerland
No. 1 Roger Federer def. Simone Bolelli, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 David Nalbandian def. (Q) Benjamin Becker, 7-6(4), 6-4
No. 3 Juan Martin Del Potro def. No. 6 Igor Andreev, 6-4, 7-5
Feliciano Lopez def. No. 4 James Blake, 6-4, 7-6(7)

Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon
Lyon, France
No. 7 Robin Soderling def. No. 1 Andy Roddick, 7-6(5), 7-6(5)
No. 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 7-6(5), 6-1
No. 4 Gilles Simon def. (WC) Josselin Ouanna, 6-3, 7-5
Julien Benneteau def. Steve Darcis, 6-3, 6-2

St. Petersburg Open
St. Petersburg, Russia
No. 1 Andy Murray def. Janko Tipsarevic, 7-6(5), 7-5
No. 3 Fernando Verdasco def. Rainer Schuettler, 7-5, 6-2
Victor Hanescu def. (WC) Michail Elgin, 6-1, 6-4
(Q) Andrey Golubev def. (Q) Mischa Zverev, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(4)

Key Terms:
Q = Qualifier
WC = Wild Card

ATP stars Federer, Nalbandian, Del Potro, Blake advance in Switzerland

2008-10-23T20:53:00.002-04:00

The four seeded players that were featured in the five scheduled matches on Thursday at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel all advanced to the quarterfinals. Hometown product Roger Federer (pictured), Argentine players David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro and American James Blake were the four seeded players to advance to the quarterfinals.

Struggling through his first round match against American Bobby Reynolds, No. 1 Federer again found himself in trouble many times against Jarkko Nieminen, but was able to advance by winning, 7-6(6), 7-6(1). Nieminen who falls to 0-10 against Federer and has yet to win a set in ten matches against the legendary Swiss player, served for the first set at 5-4 but was broken before losing in a tiebreak. Federer hammered 11 aces past Nieminen, but was broken three times throughout the match including twice in consecutive service games in the opening set.

“It sends shocks through you when you get broken back to back, takes away a little confidence. It's a sign that if you're opponent can break you twice he can break you more often. That's why I knew it was going to be a tough night despite my good record against him. He hit some great passing shots and made me work hard tonight,” said Federer.

With his victory today, Federer improves to 60-13 on the year, which has been highlighted by winning the US Open in September and titles in Estoril and Halle. Federer also finished as runner-up at the French Open, Wimbledon and two Masters Series events. Federer will next clash with Italian Simone Bolelli, a 6-4, 6-2, winner over Marcel Granollers of Spain.

No. 2 Nalbandian survived a scare against Belgian Kristof Vliegen, winning in over two hours, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4). The Argentine, who is now 20-4 in Basel, is chasing his third singles title of the year after already winning in Buenos Aires and Stockholm. The 26-year-old won the Basel title in his debut in 2002 and has also reached the finals twice. Currently ranked No. 8 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Nalbandian improves to 37-14 on the season and earns his first career victory against Vliegen, who won their only other previous meeting on clay in Barcelona in 2004. In the quarterfinals, the former Wimbledon runner-up will meet German qualifier Benjamin Becker.

No. 3 seed Del Potro had little trouble getting past Swiss wild card Stephane Bohli, 6-3, 6-3. The talented young Argentine, who is on track to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, smashed six aces past Bohli, while losing only five points on his powerful first serve. In a year in which he has won four singles titles and currently owns a career best No. 9 ranking, Del Potro improves to 43-11 on the season. He next faces Russian No. 6 seed Igor Andreev in the quarterfinals.

No. 4 Blake continued his successful play in Basel as he defeated Spaniard Oscar Hernandez, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4, in just over two hours. Blake hammered an outstanding 17 aces and won 80 percent of points on his serve throughout the three set battle. With his second round victory, Blake advances to his 12th quarterfinal of the year and improves his record to 45-22. Currently ranked No. 11, Blake reached the finals earlier this year in Delray Beach and Houston, while also reaching the Bronze Medal match at the Beijing Olympics in August. The American will face Spaniard Feliciano Lopez on Friday for a spot in the semifinals.

No. 1 Roddick, No. 3 Tsonga, No. 4 Simon win in France; No. 2 Gasquet upset

2008-10-23T20:23:00.001-04:00

Former champion and top-seed Andy Roddick (pictured) got by his friend and fellow American Robby Ginepri on Thursday at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in France to advance to the quarterfinals that will take place on Friday. No. 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and in-form fourth-seed Gilles Simon were also winners on Thursday, while No. 2 Richard Gasquet was upset in his second round match.

Backed behind a dazzling 26 aces, Roddick defeated Ginepri, 7-6(5), 7-6(3), in 98 minutes to reach his 12th quarterfinal of the season. Roddick could not convert on his six break point chances, while Ginepri was unsuccessful on his two break point chances but the more experienced Roddick got the job done when it mattered the most in both tiebreakers. Roddick, who has won three titles this year, improves his record to 47-15 on the year, as he still hopes to lock up one of the final three spots for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. Roddick, who improves to 8-1 lifetime against Ginepri, has played in the year-end championship five times in his career minus 2005 when he was injured. Ginepri falls to 25-19 with his loss on Thursday to Roddick. In the quarterfinals, the Austin, Texas resident will face No. 7 seed Robin Soderling, who defeated Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus, 6-1, 6-2, behind 20 aces.

Frenchman Tsonga, who was a surprise Australian Open finalist, grinded past veteran Fabrice Santoro, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, in one hour and 52 minutes to advance to his fifth quarterfinal of the season. Tsonga hammered 16 aces compared to Santoro’s four aces, while also breaking serve on three of four opportunities. Currently ranked No. 14 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Tsonga improves to 27-11 on the season. Next up for the exciting young Frenchman in the quarterfinals is former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who defeated No. 8 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu in 58 minutes by a score of, 6-4, 6-1. The quarterfinal clash between the pair will be their first meeting against each other.

Simon, last week’s finalist at the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid, struggled for a second straight match in Lyon but was again able to come out victorious as he defeated Italian Andreas Seppi, 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4. The 23-year-old Nice native who has captured three ATP singles titles this year could move up to No. 8 in the ATP 2008 Race standings for the year-end championship if he defeats Josselin Ouanna in the quarterfinals. In his victory over Seppi, Simon served up 13 aces and won 77 percent of his first serve points. Simon was also able to break serve twice.

Another notable second round match saw Belgian Steve Darcis stun No. 2 seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5). World No. 58 Darcis ended Gasquet’s hopes of winning a second Lyon title in three years. Darcis improves to 22-21 on the year on the way to his third quarterfinal of the year and will next do battle against Julien Benneteau for a place in the semifinals.

No. 1 Murray advances in St. Petersburg; No. 4 Youzhny, No. 8 Safin eliminated

2008-10-23T17:44:00.003-04:00

Defending champion and No. 1 seed Andy Murray (pictured) defeated Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round at the St. Petersburg Open in Russia on Thursday to advance to his 10th quarterfinal of the season. Murray was solid on serve throughout the match, smashing five aces, while dropping only five first serve points and eight second serve points. The 21-year-old Scot, who reached the US Open finals in September, was able to break serve on four of nine opportunities, while Gulbis broke serve only once.

Murray earned his 50th win of the season this afternoon by defeating Gulbis, which makes him the fifth player this season to win at least 50 matches. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko are the other four players in the 50-match win club for the 2008 season. Currently ranked No. 4 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Murray is chasing his fifth title of the year after already winning singles titles in Doha, Marseille and at Masters Series events in Cincinnati and Madrid. In the quarterfinals Murray will take on Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, a 6-4, 7-6(3), winner over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Two Russian seeds were eliminated on Thursday, as qualifier and world No. 150 Andrey Golubev defeated No. 8 Marat Safin and No. 4 seed Mikhail Youzhny was beaten by German qualifier Mischa Zverev in straight sets. Safin won the title in St. Petersburg in 2000 and 2001, while Youzhny won the title here in 2004.

Golubev, a Kazakhstan qualifier, beat Safin in one hour and 14 minutes, 6-4, 6-2, to earn his fifth career ATP level victory and his first ATP quarterfinal berth. Golubev won a remarkable 24 of 27 first serve points and was able to break serve four times, while Safin was successful breaking serve only once during the match. Golubev will next meet Zverev in the quarterfinals.

Zverev smashed five aces and made 79 percent of his first serves en route to a convincing, 7-5, 6-4, victory over No. 4 Youzhny. The German qualifier broke serve on four of five opportunities, while the former Top 10 player from Moscow broke only twice. Youzhny falls to 28-21 on the season, while Zverev improves to 18-21 on the season.

No. 4 Blake, No. 6 Andreev advance in Switzerland; Fish, Baghdatis eliminated

2008-10-22T22:56:00.001-04:00

Fourth-seeded Tampa, Florida based James Blake (pictured) won his first round match on Wednesday at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel, but best friend and newly married Mardy Fish was not so lucky, falling in straight sets to Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the second round. No. 6 seed Igor Andreev was also a winner on Day Three in Basel, a town known as Roger Federer’s birthplace.

Blake, who lost early in Madrid last week in his first fall tournament of the year due to lots of rest and relaxation after a long summer of tournament play, got back to his winning ways as he defeated German Nicolas Kiefer, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Improving his season record to 44-22, Blake smashed 11 aces and was able to break the German’s serve on three occasions. Blake improves to 4-1 lifetime against Kiefer, who was once ranked No. 4 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, but currently stands at No. 37. Next up for Blake is a second round clash with Spaniard Oscar Hernandez, whom he owns a 2-0 career record against, winning most recently in the semifinals of the Houston event earlier this year.

In a second round battle, Lopez stunned No. 8 Fish, 7-6(9), 6-4, in just fewer than 90 minutes to prevent a possible quarterfinal between Fish and his best friend Blake. The Lopez and Fish match was a fine display of serving, as the left-handed Spaniard fired 16 aces compared to three double faults, while the hard-hitting right-handed star from Florida smashed 14 aces and six double faults. Fish won 89 percent of first serve points while Lopez won 83 percent of his first serve points, but it was the Spaniard who was able to get the only break of serve during the match. Currently ranked No. 39, Lopez improves to 2-0 lifetime against Fish. With the loss, Fish falls to 32-23 on the season which has been filled with successful results including beating Federer at the Masters Series Indian Wells and reaching the quarterfinals at the US Open in New York.

Also in the second round, Andreev snuck by German Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6(6), 6-7(0), 7-5, in two hours and 34 minutes to advance to his eighth quarterfinal of the season. The aggressive Russian smashed 17 aces past his German opponent and was able to win 54 of 68 points on his first serve. Currently ranked No. 21, Andreev improves to 42-30 on the year and now owns a remarkable 7-0 career edge against Kohlschreiber. In the quarterfinals, the Russian will either face No. 3 seed Juan Martin Del Potro or Swiss wild card Stephane Bohli.

Other players winning their opening round matches on Wednesday included Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, Spaniard Marcel Granollers and qualifier Kristof Vliegen. Nieminen broke serve on four occasion en route to a, 6-2, 6-4, win over Argentine Eduardo Schwank. Granollers, the 2008 Houston champion, defeated former Basel finalist Marcos Baghdatis, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in over two hours. Vliegen, who is trying to work his way back into the Top 30 after injuries caused his ranking to drop to No. 96, beat German wild card Philipp Petzschner, 6-2, 6-3. In the only other second round match on Wednesday, qualifier and former Baylor University star student-athlete Benjamin Becker beat German lucky loser Andreas Beck, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, which was helped out by smashing an outstanding 19 aces. Becker next faces either No. 2 David Nalbandian or Vliegen, who will face off in the second round on Thursday.

No. 4 Simon, No. 7 Soderling, No. 8 Mathieu advance in France; Robredo upset

2008-10-22T22:17:00.002-04:00

All three seeds playing first matches on Wednesday advanced to the second round with quality wins at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in France. Those winners were recent Masters Madrid finalist Gilles Simon, No. 7 seed Robin Soderling of Sweden and No. 8 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.

Simon, seeded fourth in Lyon, fell behind early to Juan Monaco, but quickly recovered to defeat the Argentine, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, in just over two hours. The Nice native who owns titles this year at events in Bucharest, Casablanca and Indianapolis, fired eight aces past the Argentine, while breaking serve on four of nine opportunities. Simon, who cracked the Top 10 this week at No. 10 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time in his young career, earned his 46th victory of the season. Simon, who is hoping to gain more points in his fight for one of the final three available spots for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, next faces Italian Andreas Seppi for a place in the quarterfinals.

Soderling easily dispatched French qualifier Thierry Ascione, 6-4, 6-1, behind a strong serving performance in which the Swede smashed 11 aces. The 24-year-old, who won the Lyon title in 2004, dropped only three points on his first serve and five points on his second serve. Improving his Lyon career record to 8-1, Soderling earned his 40th win of the year today. Soderling has not won a title in 2008, but has finished as runner-up on three occasions. Next up for Soderling is a second round match against qualifier Christophe Rochus of Belgium, a 6-2, 6-4, winner on Wednesday over US Open quarterfinalist Gilles Mueller of Luxembourg.

Mathieu, the 2002 Lyon champion, cruised to victory on Wednesday, beating Argentine Guillermo Canas, 6-3, 6-4. The World No. 33 only hit two aces compared to 10 aces by Canas, but the Frenchman was able to break serve three times, while Canas only broke serve once. Mathieu improves to 32-26 on the season, while the Argentine falls to 21-22. Next up for the Frenchman is former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

In second round action, Frenchman Julien Benneteau (pictured) continued his winning ways, while wild card entrant Josselin Ouanna continued his magical tournament by winning his second consecutive match. Benneteau stunned No. 5 seed Tommy Robredo of Spain, 6-2, 6-2, in 71 minutes. Since losing in the second round at the French Open in May, Benneteau had not won consecutive matches until today. This afternoon the Frenchman smashed seven aces, won 84 percent of first serve points and broke serve on four occasions. He will next meet either No. 2 seed Richard Gasquet or Steve Darcis.

Ouanna, a young rising French player, beat Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti in 87 minutes, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, to advance to his first career ATP level quarterfinal. The Frenchman was able to break serve both times he had the chance, most importantly in the final set. Ouanna who doesn’t even own a bio on the ATP Tour official website, improves to 2-3 on the season and will next face either No. 4 Simon or Seppi for a place in the semifinals.

No. 1 Murray, No. 3 Verdasco, Safin advance in Russia; Davydenko withdraws

2008-10-22T21:44:00.001-04:00

Fresh off a title at last week’s Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid, No. 1 seed and defending champion Andy Murray (pictured) defeated Serbian Viktor Troicki on Wednesday, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the second round at the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. The 21-year-old who reached the finals at this year’s US Open smashed four aces while winning 24 of 26 points on his first serve throughout the match. In the 69-minute match, the Scot was able to break serve on three occasions while Troicki was unsuccessful on his lone break point chance. Murray, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, improves to 49-14 on the season and will next meet Latvian Ernests Gulbis on Thursday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The last two players to advance to the second round along with Murray after wins today were No. 8 seed Marat Safin and qualifier Andrey Golubev Kazakhstan. Safin defeated Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-2, 6-4, in 68 minutes. Safin hammered nine aces and was able to break serve four different times, while Stakhovsky only hit one ace and could only break serve once on four opportunities. The former two-time St. Petersburg champion improved his career record to 17-4 at this event and will next face Golubev in the second round.

Golubev upset World No. 107 Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 6-1, 6-4, to earn his third ATP level win of the season. Golubev smashed a remarkable 14 aces while Rochus only came up with one ace throughout the match. The Kazakhstan native lost only five points on his first serve and was able to break serve four times. The Belgian falls to 13-25 on the season after this afternoon’s loss.

Third-seed and 2007 finalist Fernando Verdasco of Spain need just over an hour to dispatch wild card entrant Karlis Lejnieks, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. The lefty was able to win 89 percent of first serve points, while dropping only six points on his second serve. The 24-year-old advances to his eighth quarterfinal of the season. Currently holding onto a 44-25 record, the Spaniard will next meet German Rainer Schuettler for a spot in the semifinals. Schuettler ended Dominik Hrbaty’s tournament with a, 6-3, 6-3, defeat in 67 minutes. Currently ranked No. 340 in the world, Hrbaty has been struggling to find his old Top 15 form since injuring his elbow during the 2007 season.

Other news making noise in St. Petersburg was the withdrawal of second-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko. Davydenko defeated Australian Chris Guccione, 6-4, 6-4, on Tuesday, but had to withdraw from his second round match on Wednesday with a left wrist injury. His second opponent Michail Elgin, a Russian wild card, now advances to the quarterfinals due to Davydenko’s withdrawal.

Becker stuns No. 5 Wawrinka after being down two match points in Switzerland

2008-10-21T00:29:00.003-04:00

German qualifier Benjamin Becker (pictured) stunned No. 5 seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel on Monday after being down two match points at 5-6 in the final set. The former Baylor University student-athlete who is best known for beating Andre Agassi at the US Open in his final professional tennis match, hurt the Swiss stars chances at securing one of the final three spots at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. Wawrinka will most likely have to win next weeks Masters Series Paris event if he wants to secure a spot in Shanghai.

Becker fired 10 aces and won 74 percent of his first serve points, while Wawrinka hammered nine aces and won 65 percent of his first serve points. Wawrinka, the recent Beijing Olympics gold medal winner in doubles with Roger Federer, won four more points than Becker and broke serve five times compared to four times by Becker, but it was the German player who was more stable on the crucial points. Becker, who started the season ranked No. 81 but has since dropped to No. 137 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings earned just his first victory since beating Kristian Pless in Indianapolis in July before losing to eventual champion Gilles Simon. Becker improves to 10-19 on the season and will next face lucky loser Andreas Beck or Nicolas Devilder in the second round.

Other winners on opening day in Basel included newly married American Mardy Fish, Igor Andreev and Feliciano Lopez. No. 8 seeded Fish beat Argentine Agustin Calleri, 7-6(5), 6-2, in 89 minutes. Fish struck nine aces and only two double faults, while losing only three points on his first serve throughout the match. Fish was able to break serve twice while Calleri couldn’t convert on his two break point opportunities. No. 6 seeded Andreev who skipped his countries tournament this week in St. Petersburg to play in Basel, came away with a confidence building victory over respected Austrian star Jurgen Melzer, 7-6(5), 7-5, in just over an hour and a half. Andreev, who improved to 32-22 on the season, smashed 11 aces while saving all five break points he faced. Next up for Andreev in the second round is either Denis Gremelmayr or Philipp Kohlschreiber. Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who had a strong performance last week in Madrid, pulled out a, 7-6(5), 7-6(7), victory over hometown wild card entrant Marco Chiudinelli in two hours and five minutes. Lopez won 39 out of 49 first serve points, while smashing 15 aces in the tight two set battle. Lopez next meets Fish for a place in the quarterfinals.

World No. 340 Hrbaty stuns Tursunov in Russia; Robredo, Ferrero advance in Lyon

2008-10-21T00:26:00.001-04:00

On Monday at the St. Petersburg Open, three Russians were on the match schedule and all three came up on the losing end of things. World No. 340 Dominik Hrbaty (pictured) hammered No. 6 seed Dmitry Tursunov, 6-1, 6-1, in 56 minutes to earn just his fifth ATP level win of the season. Hrbaty broke serve on six occasions while losing just seven points on his first serve throughout the match. Next up for the former World No. 12 is a second round match against German Rainer Schuettler, who beat Russian Igor Kunitsyn, 6-2, 6-3, in 81 minutes. The 32-year-old Schuettler is a former finalist in St. Petersburg, losing in 2001 to Marat Safin. The only other singles winner on Monday was Romanian Victor Hanescu who defeated Evgeny Korolev, 6-1, 6-2, in convincing fashion. Hanescu, who won the Gstaad event earlier this year, could next face No. 5 seed Marin Cilic in the second round if the Croatian were to win his opening round match that will be played on Tuesday.

In France at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon, No. 5 seed Tommy Robredo and former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero were among the early first round winners. Robredo beat fan favorite Michael Llodra, 6-4, 6-3, in 64 minutes behind eight aces. Robredo improves to 36-21 on the season, as Llodra falls to 23-21 after winning two singles titles in the beginning of 2008. Spaniard Ferrero who has battled injuries recently, defeated Californian Sam Querrey, 6-3, 7-5, in 81 minutes to improve his 2008 record to 2-0 against the young American, having won at Wimbledon earlier this year. The upset of the day was provided by French wild card Josselin Ouanna who defeated veteran Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4, in just over two hours. Despite the hard-hitting Croatian smacking 24 aces compared to Ouanna’s 11 aces, it was the 20-year-old Frenchman who broke serve when it mattered the most in the final set. Currently ranked No. 181 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, Ouanna earned his first career ATP level win after three previous failed attempts. Ljubicic drops to 18-17 on the year after the loss.

This Week's Biggest Movers*

2008-10-20T19:22:00.002-04:00

On the rise:

#91 (+15) Roko Karnusic (CRO)
#65 (+12) Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
#73 (+8) Potito Starace (ITA)
#81 (+8) Vincent Spadea (USA)
#82 (+8) Nicolas Massu (CHI)
#66 (+7) Victor Hanescu (POR)

Moving down:

#109 (-15) Robert Kendrick (USA)
#63 (-11) Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
#89 (-11) Gilles Muller (LUX)
#37 (-10) Nicolas Kiefer (GER)
#71 (-9) Marcos Daniel (BRA)
#100 (-9) Chris Guccione (AUS)

* Each week, this will feature players in or just recently out of the Top 100 whose rankings have undergone the greatest change since the last set of rankings.

ATP Challenger Series Results* (Oct. 13-19)

2008-10-20T17:23:00.000-04:00

Calabasas, California, U.S.A. (Hard)
No. 1 Vincent Spadea (USA) def. Sam Warburg (USA), 7-6(5), 6-4

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Hard)
No. 1 Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) def. Mathieu Montcourt (FRA), 6-3, 6-2

Montevideo, Uruguay (Clay)
SE Peter Luczak (AUS) def. No. 4 Nicolas Massu (CHI), walkover

Kolding, Denmark (Hard)
No. 1 Roko Karanusic (CRO) def. Karol Beck (SVK), 6-4, 6-4

*The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments throughout the world that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level main draw or qualifying draw. The ATP Challenger Series is fully administered by the ATP Tour.

Key Phrases
SE = Special Exemption

Davidoff Swiss Indoors preview

2008-10-19T22:39:00.003-04:00

Davidoff Swiss Indoors
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Dates: October 20-26, 2008
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Carpet
Prize Money: $891,000 (Euros); men’s singles champion: $145,200
2007 Singles Final: Roger Federer, SUI, def. Jarkko Nieminen, FIN, 6-3, 6-4
Official Web site: http://www.davidoffswissindoors.ch/

Top story lines:
1. Will hometown hero Roger Federer win the Davidoff Swiss Indoors for the third straight year
2. Can 2002 Basel champion David Nalbandian earn his way back into the winners spotlight?
3. Can James Blake get his good tennis results back on track after a long break after the US Open and an early exit last week in Madrid?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 4 James Blake vs. Nicolas Kiefer
2. No. 6 Igor Andreev vs. Jurgen Melzer

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 7 Tomas Berdych, Quarterfinals
No. 2 David Nalbandian vs. No. 5 Stanislas Wawrinka, Quarterfinals
No. 4 James Blake vs. No. 8 Mardy Fish, Quarterfinals

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Juan Martin Del Potro
2. Feliciano Lopez

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 1 Roger Federer
Jordan: No. 1 Roger Federer

St. Petersburg Open preview

2008-10-19T22:20:00.002-04:00

St. Petersburg Open
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Dates: October 20-26, 2008
Draw Size: 32
Surface: Indoor Hard
Prize Money: $1,049,000; men’s singles champion: $171,000
2007 Singles Final: Andy Murray, GBR, def. Fernando Verdasco, ESP, 6-2, 6-3
Official Web site: http://www.spbopen.ru/

Top story lines:
1. Can the defending champion and in-form Andy Murray win again in St. Petersburg?
2. Can Russian Nikolay Davydenko win this tournament for the first time in his career?
3. Do past champions Mario Ancic (2006), Mikhail Youzhny (2004) and Marat Safin (2000, 2001) have any shot at going deep again in St. Petersburg?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. No. 1 Andy Murray vs. Viktor Troicki
2. No. 2 Nikolay Davydenko vs. Chris Guccione
3. No. 6 Dmitry Tursunov vs. Dominik Hrbaty

Potential notable late round match:
No. 1 Andy Murray vs. No. 7 Mario Ancic, Quarterfinals
No. 4 Mikhail Youzhny vs. No. 8 Marat Safin, Quarterfinals

Watch out for…
1. No. 3 Fernando Verdasco
2. No. 5 Marin Cilic

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 5 Marin Cilic
Jordan: No. 2 Nikolay Davydenko