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

• 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)

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)

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 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”

• 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

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

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.