LONDON, ENGLAND – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived a dip in form in the second set to send Rafael Nadal back to Spain by eliminating him from the ATP World Tour Finals 7-6 4-6 6-3 in London, 24 November. The Spanish star, currently second in the ATP rankings, can now prepare for the final of the Davis Cup against Argentina. Tsonga won almost all the points when his first serve was in, generally with a serve and volley game that was perfect for the fast courts.
In the earlier match Roger Federer won again to top the group but lost a set before coming through against Mardy Fisher 6-1 3-6 6-3 .
In the other group David Ferrer has qualified after beating Novak Djokovic. The other place will go to either Djokovic, Tomas Berdych or Janko Tipsarevic.
Links to other sites: ATP World Tour, BBC
LONDON, ENGLAND – The opening match of the ATP World Tour Finals in London Sunday 20November will have a familiar look as it offers Jo-Wilfried Tsonga another chance to meet Roger Federer. The Swiss star breezed past Tsonga to win the final at the Paris-Bercy Masters. Rafael Nadal and Mardy Fish complete the B Group.
The A Group is headed by Novak Djokovic, along with home favourite Andy Murray, David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych. Berdych beat Murray in Paris, while Djokovic withdrew to recuperate from shoulder strain. The top two from each group will face each other in the semi-finals. The final will be 27 November. An undefeated champion picks up 1500 ATP points plus $1 630 000. Roger Federer has won the ATP Tour Finals a record five times, equal with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras.
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – A major upset at the Swiss Indoors Basel tennis tournament has the sport reeling Saturday night 5 November: number 32 in the world, Japanese wild card Kei Nishikori, defeated Novak Djokovic, who praised the winner’s game, saying his opponent was “getting impossible balls back”.
Djokovic, top player in the ATP rankings, won the first set 6-2 and was only two points from victory in the second when Nishikori won a long rally to reach a tie-break, which he won. The final set saw the Japanese rush through to win 2-6 7-6 6-0. Djokovic was playing in his first tournament since taking time off with back strain, and was twice treated for shoulder strain. Djokovic now has a 68-4 record this year, having lost to Roger Federer in the French Open and twice retiring with injury.
Roger Federer defeated his Olympic doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka in the other semi-final 7-6 6-2 and will meet Nishikori in the final, Sunday 6 November.
Links to other sites: TSR, Seattlepi
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – Roger Federer has moved on to the next round of the Swiss Indoors Basel tennis tournament in his hometown, but upcoming matches have been sweetened by the “best player ever” award awarded to him by the tournament Tuesday.
Federer received 78.5 percent of the 40,000 votes cast online for him, well ahead of Novak Djokovic, who received 3,233 votes for second place.
Federer conceded there might be a home court advantage. “That I was able to get the award was maybe not the biggest surprise because I’m the record holder of titles here in Basel after all and I am from here, so it was a bit of a home court advantage, but still it’s nice to go out and greet the Swiss fans.”
TOKYO, JAPAN – Rafael Nadal called Andy Murray “unstoppable” after the final of the Japan Open, won by Murray 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 Sunday 9 October. Murray lost his first set but then went on to win his third title in his last four tournaments, allowing Nadal only four points in the final set. If Murray wins the Shanghai Open this week he will replace Roger Federer as the world’s number 3 player.
Federer is sitting out Shanghai to recover from minor injuries and fatigue, and Novak Djokovich has announced that he, too, is skipping Shanghai, which Murray won in 2010, defeating Federer 6-3, 6-2. The men’s final is 16 October.
Djokovich says a back muscle injury that has plagued him since the US Open is not yet better, after being aggravated during team play for Serbia in the Davis Cup.
Links to other sites: ATP Shanghai, Independent, UK, Tennis, Australia
CINCINATTI, USA – Andy Murray won his seventh ATP title when Novak Djokovic retired when down 3-0 in the second set, having lost the first 6-4, 21 August. It was only the second loss of the year for the Serbian who has won 57 matches this season while progressing to the top of the ATP rankings. He called for medical treatment for his shoulder at the end of the first set.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both lost in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters tournament which is the last big tournament before the US Open.
International sports, tennis
O2 Arena, London, England (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer rounded off one of his best weeks of tennis for some years with a masterful win over his Spanish rival, and current ATP number one, Rafael Nadal, in the end-of-season ATP World Masters series in London 28 November. The Swiss player won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to follow up his 6-1, 6-4 crushing of Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Rafa Nadal had a much harder time before edging out Andy Murray 7-6, 3-6, 7-6. Federer dominated the first set with immaculate serving, driving forehands and unusually aggressive whipped backhand shots. He dipped slightly in the second set but quickly took command in the final set as Nadal appeared to run out of energy and ideas.
International sports, tennis
London, England (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer was on top of his form Tuesday evening 23 November, defeating Andy Murray 6-4 6-3 at the ATP World Tour finals. Federer showed beautiful form while, as the Guardian put it, “Murray searched in vain for something like his best form while his opponent gave a masterclass.” Federer lost only one point in his first five service games and polished off the struggling Murray in one hour 15 minutes, without conceding a break point.
Murray will now need to beat David Ferrer, who was defeated Sunday by Federer, to stay in the finals.
Diego Maradona, football star, met with Federer after the match.
International sports, tennis
O2 Arena, London (GenevaLunch) - Andy Murray looked in excellent form as he swept past Robin Soderling 6-2 6-4 in their round-robin match on the opening day of the end of season ATP World Tour Finals 21 November. Roger Federer also made short work of his match with David Ferrer, winning 6-1 6-4. The winners will meet Tuesday.
International sports, ATP Masters tennis
Shanghai, China (GenevaLunch) - Scotland’s Andy Murray outplayed Roger Federer in the final of the Shanghai Masters to win 6-3 6-2, Sunday 17 October. Murray got off to a flying start when he chose to receive service and won the vital break in the first game. Federer could not win points quickly and ended up hitting too many unforced errors, including some embarrassing blunders as Murray forced him to play yet another shot. Federer had been in good form through the week, especially when beating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final. The Shanghai ATP Masters is the final big tournament before the end of season ATP World Tour finals which will take place in London.
Toronto, Canada (GenevaLunch) – Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is back in the game and in top shape. Federer beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 7-6(7), 6-3 at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Federer, currently the world’s number three, became the all-time leader at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000. Andre Agassi had held the record from 1990 to 2006 with a 209-73 mark.
“I felt like I had to win the game three times” said Federer who considers normal being a bit “rusty.” This was his first game after a month-long break. “It was a bit of a dog fight,” he added.
International sports, tennis
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer loked like he was back in top form as he eased past Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-1 despite losing his opening service game in their match at the ATP Madrid Open, 13 May. The ATP number 1 disposed of his Beijing Olympics doubles partner in just 69 minutes to set up a quarter-final encounter with Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who beat him at the Rome Masters.
In the other matches Rafa Nadal beat John Isner 7-5 6-4, while Andy Murray thrashed Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-1. Nadal plays Gael Monfils next, Murray plays David Ferrer.
Links to other sites: ATP World Tour, Telegraph
O2 Arena, London, England (GenevaLunch) - The final tennis matches of the A Group of the ATP Masters had the audience consulting their calculators to see who were the real winners. Roger Federer lost to Argentinia’s Juan Martin del Potro in three sets, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 but it was just enough to ensure that Federer topped the group. Del Potro edged out Andy Murray by a single game in the final calculation, based on the difference in number of games won and lost in the three matches. Andy Murray won his match against Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 but the close nature of the match later cost him a place in the semi- finals.
London, England (GenevaLunch) - Andy Murray started strongly in the end of year ATP Masters, beating Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, the winner of the US Open, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. The Scot looked in fine form in the first set, quickly going to a 5-0 lead. Del Potro suffered from an inability to maintain a rally, and a nosebleed. He came back in the second set, winning it 6-3, but quickly fell behind in the third. The match ended 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
The other match in the O2 arena saw world number one Roger Federer take on Fernando Verdasco.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer’s return to tennis Monday 2 November after time off for family gave him a smooth win over Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-3, in a match that lasted 66 minutes. Federer had 12 aces in the match that showed him in top form.
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer eased past Leyton Hewitt 6-3 6-4 as the Australian struggled with an injured knee in the Cincinnati Masters, the final ATP tournament before the US Open. Andy Murray had a tougher time as he struggled past Julien Bennetteau 4-6 6-3 6-1. The Scot’s superior fitness paid off in the second set as he won a marathon 53 shot rally when 0-2 down and then pulled ahead as the Frenchman ran out of steam.
The other semi will be Rafa Nadal against Novak Djokovic, which means the top four players in the ATP rankings will face off.
Basel, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer will play in the Monte Carlo Rolex tennis tournament that opens Sunday 12 April, after having earlier said he would not appear there.
