MADRID, SPAIN – Roger Federer won the ATP Madrid Open 13 May 2012 in a tournament where his biggest rivals cursed the blue clay courts. The Swiss star moved past Rafa Nadal into second place in the ATP rankings and matched the Spaniard’s record 20 ATP 1000 tournament wins. Nadal and Novak Djokovic had already lost so the final was played against Tomas Berdych. The Czech started well by storming to a 3-0 lead in the first set and holding serve to take the set. In the second it was Federer who took an early break but gave it back in the ninth game. He still took the set, on a double fault. In the third it looked like Federer would cruise to an easy win but Berdych repeatedly fought back before losing 3-6 7-5 7-5.
Serena Williams won the women’s event with a crushing 6-1 6-3 win over world number one Victoria Azarenka.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA – Roger Federer swept past his long time rival Rafael Nadal to go into the finals of the ATP tournament in Indian Wells, 17 March. The Swiss star, currently third in the ATP rankings, won 6-3 6-4, breaking Nadal’s serve on four occasions with a display of precision and power that Nadal could not match.It was Federer’s 251st win in an ATP 1000 event, a record.
John Isner beat top ranked Novak Djokovic 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) to enter the top ten for the first time. The final will be at 21:00 Swiss time Sunday evening, shown on RTS.
In the final Federer edged past Isner in the first set tie-break and then sped through the second set to win 7-6 6-3, winning an incredible 94% of the points when his first serve was in.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Saturday afternoon 3 March promises great tennis, with Andy Murray and Roger Federer facing off for the finals of the Dubai Open. Murray defeated the world’s number one player, Novak Djokovic Friday night in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, in an impressive performance with strong serves that lead the Guardian to say “No early-season blues, then, for Murray in 2012, which may turn out to be his breakthrough year.”
Federer defeated Juan Martin del Potro 7-6, 7-6 in a far more tightly contested race.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA- It took more than five and a half hours, ending after one thirty in the morning, 29 January. Novak Djokovic finally wore down Rafa Nadal in the men’s final of the Australian Open 5-7, 6-4, 6-2,6-7, 7-5. Nadal took the first set but Djokovic swept past him in the next two and looked like he would cruise to victory. That would have happened against any other player except Nadal, but the Spaniard battled back to take the fourth and then seemed to be grinding Djokovic down in the fifth. The Serb found more energy from somewhere to break Nadal’s serve in the 11th game and then had only to hold serve to win. Nadal twice played his get out of jail cards but eventually he could do no more. The longest Grand Slam final was finally over.
In the women’s final Victoria Azarenko, from Belorussia, swept past the Russian Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in one of the shorter finals. The win also took Azarenka to the top of the WTA rankings, taking over from Caroline Wozniacki, so at last we have a Grand Slam winner who has won a Grand Slam tournament.
Links to other sites: Australian Open, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald
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 – Roger Federer won his fifth Swiss Indoors title, and his first tournament since winning in Doha in January, 2011 when he brushed aside the challenge of Kei Nishikori, Sunday 6 November. The Swiss star won his home-town tournament with a convincing display, outplaying the young Japanese in all aspects of the game to win 6-1 6-3. It was still a fine tournament for Nishikori (ATP 32), who pulled off the shock of the week with a win over Novak Djokovic, who is the top of the ATP rankings.
The Czech Republic beat Russia 2-3 in the final of the Fderation Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup, in Moscow.
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
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
FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY, USA – The semi-finals and finals of the men’s singles at the US Open looked like they would harvest all the media attention this weekend, 9-11 September, when something happened over there on the women’s court. American Serena Williams, who had been playing some of her best tennis and was widely expected to walk off with the title, was defeated by Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-2, 6-3. It is Australia’s first title at the Open in 31 years. Stosur won her first major title by defeating a 13-time Grand Slam winner.
Williams “had not lost a set coming into the final, taking out the likes of No. 4 Victoria Azarenka, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, up-and-comer Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki” notes the US Open new report, and she had not lost a match in the summer hard-court season.
Stosur goes home with $1.8 million in her pocket.
The women’s final did not, of course, completely over-shadow the men’s games, in particular the nearly five-hour Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic match that was played down to a nail-biting final with Djokovic coming back from a two-set deficit and two match points to defeat five-time winner Federer 6-7 (7-9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.
Djokovic faces off against Rafael Nadal Monday afternoon in New York for the final match of the Open. Nadal defeated Andy Murray in the semis, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Nadal was the 2010 US Open winner, but Djokovic has been dominating the game since the start of 2011.
Links to other sites: Bloomberg, Sydney Morning Herald, US Open
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.
Wimbledon, London Roger Federer’s dream of a seventh Wimbledon title, and a 17th Grand Slam win disappeared as the French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back from two sets down to win 3-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 6-4, 29 June. It is the first time Federer has lost after having a two set lead. The big French star, who lives in Gingins in canton Vaud, came back in the third set as his booming service, powerful forehand drives and a newly developed single-handed backhand passing shot broke the Swiss star. In the other matches Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray went through to the semi-finals. Djokovic beat Australian teenager Bernard Tomic in four sets, 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5. Nadal also needed four sets to get past American Mardy Fish 6-3 6-3 5-7 6-4. Andy Murray had an easier time as he cruised past Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-4 6-4. The semi-finals on Friday will feature Nadal v Murray and Djokovic v Tsonga.
International sports, French Open Tennis
ROLAND GARROS,PARIS,FRANCE – Rafael Nadal won a record equalling sixth French Open, and also kept his top ranking with the ATP, as he beat Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 in Paris, 5 June. Federer started out in magnificent form with an early break but slipped back when serving for the first set. Nadal raced ahead in the second only to be pulled back again but he won the tie-break and quickly broke the Swiss again in the sixth game of the third, only to have Federer take it back in the next. Much to the joy of the crowd Federer took the tie-break but he was unable to keep up the pressure as Nadal whipped his top-spin forehands around the court. The final set was an anti-climax as the Spanish champion swept through 6-1. It was his tenth Grand Slam title: Federer has won sixteen.
Roger Federer can also be pleased with his tournament, especially with beating Novak Djokovic in the semi-final. In the final match he scored far more clear winners than Nadal, but also made far more errors as he followed an aggressive but risky strategy.
Links to other sites: Roland Garros, Guardian, ATP
International sports, French Open Tennis
ROLAND GARROS, PARIS, FRANCE – China’s Li Na became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title when she overpowered the 2010 champion Francesca Schavione, 6-4, 7-6 in the final of the French Open at Roland Garros, Saturday 4 June. The Italian quickly fell behind and seemed unable to deal with the combination of precision and power from Li Na.
In the second set the Italian was again broken on serve early and it looked like the match would end quickly. The Milan native then displayed her street fighting credentials to win three successive games and go from 2-4 down to 5-4 up bot was unable to stop the set going to a tie-break in which Li Na took the first seven points for a famous victory.
The men’s final is a renewal of an old rivalry as Roger Federer takes on five time French Open champion and current ATP number one Rafa Nadal. Federer looked in peak form as he ended the 43-match winning streak of Novak Djokovic with a superb four-set win,7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. The first set was one of the finest ever, with both players pulling off some spectacular shots. Nadal swept past Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. If Federer wins the final on Sunday Djokovic will move ahead of Nadal to the top of the ATP rankings.
International sports, ATP Rome Masters tennis
Correction 12:00 Rome (GenevaLunch) – The Serbian second seed and ATP number two Novak Djokovic added to the pressure on the number one, Rafa Nadal when he beat him in another final, this time in the Rome Masters, generally considered the major warmup for the French Open, 15 May. Djokovic won in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 after beating Andy Murray in the semi-finals.
Djokovic has won every match he’s played this season and Sunday’s match gave him his 37th straight win.
Links to other sites: ATP, BBC, Djokovic home page
International sports, Madrid Masters tennis
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) - Novak Djokovic dominated Rafa Nadal 7-5 6-4 to score his finest triumph on clay and take the final of the Madrid Masters, 8 May. The Serb has now won his last 32 matches, the best start to a season since John McEnroe back in 1984. Nadal beat Roger Federer 5-7 6-1 6-3 in the semi-final.
International sports, tennis
International sports, tennis
Miami, Florida(GenevaLunch) - Rafael Nadal put on a masterly performance to brush past Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Miami Masters. The Spanish star, currently at the top of the ATP rankings, won 6-3, 6-2 without conceding a service game. Federer found it hard to find any rhythm and committed too many faults: “Off night for me, unfortunately” said the Swiss. Novak Djokovic crushed Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-1. The Serb has been the in-form player this year having won all his matches as part of a 25 match unbeaten series.
Links to other sites: Sony-Eriksson Open,BBC
International sports, tennis
Dubai (GenevaLunch)- Novak Djokovic increased the pressure on the number two spot of the ATP rankings with another crushing victory over Roger Federer in the final of the Dubai Open. The Serbian, currently ranked third, confirmed his position as the top player of 2011 following his win over the Swiss player at the final of the Australian Open. Djokovic won 6-3 6-3 as Federer committed a series of errors.
International sports, Australian Open tennis, cricket
Melbourne, Australia (GenevaLunch) – Scotland’s star failed in his attempt to win the first British Grand Slam title for 75 years, since the glory days of Fred Perry. To make matters worse for British sports fans, England lost the fifth cricket one day match to lose the series to the Australians 4-1, Sunday 30 January.
Tennis: Novak Djokovic destroyed Andy Murray in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to take his second Aussie Open, as well as his second Grand Slam, with a fine display of aggressive tennis combined with dogged defence when it was needed. Murray never got his game going against his close friend and rival. In 2010 he lost in similar fashion to Roger Federer.
Links to other sites: Guardian, Australian Open, The Age
Melbourne, Australia (GenevaLunch) – Swiss hopes for an Australian Open win have been doubly dashed, after Roger Federer’s loss Thursday 27 January to Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4, in a match where Federer fell short of the superb performance he put in two days earlier in defeating countryman Stan Wawrinka.
Three straight sets, exactly three hours, and Djokovic knocked Federer out at the same stage as he did last year at 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, Swiss Indoors tennis
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer won his fourth Swiss Indoors title Sunday 7 November when he beat last year’s winner Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 6-1.
The first two sets were balanced, with a single service break in each one, but Djokovic fell apart in the final set. Federer beat Andy Roddick 6-2 6-2 in the semi-final.
The results confirmed the Swiss star’s second place in the ATP rankings, behind Rafa Nadal. Djokovic is third with Scot Andy Murray next.
Federer was in dominant form all week, apart from a lapse in the second set of the final when his Serbian rival produced some wonderful shots.
The Bryan brothers won the Basel doubles final to end the season at the top of the rankings. David Ferrer won the final in the Valencia Open, beating Marcel Granollers 7-5 6-3 after beating Robin Soderling in the semi-final.
International sports, tennis: Swiss star takes Annacone for trial period
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer will work with US coach Paul Annacone on a trial basis, Federer announced Tuesday 27 July.
Annacone, who has coached Pete Sampras and Tim Henman in the past, is currently head coach of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association and Britain’s Davis Cup team, but in May he announced he would be leaving both in November 2010.
Federer is now in third place in the ATP rankings, behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the first time since 2003 that the Swiss has not been one of the world’s top two tennis players, officially.
Annacone is a former ATP tour player who made the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1984, but whose winning record was stronger for doubles than singles.
Links to other sites: ATP rankings, Swissinfo, Times, UK, Wikipedia
International sports, Wimbledon tennis
Wimbledon, London (GenevaLunch) - Rafael Nadal, the world’s top player according to the ATP rankings, ended Andy Murray‘s hopes of becoming the first British player since 1938 to reach the Wimbledon final. Nadal won in three sets, 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-4. The match was closely contested but Nadal never seemed threatened and managed step up a level when it was really needed. The other semi-final saw Czech Tomas Berdych beat the number three seed, Serb Novak Djokovic, also in straight sets 6-3 7-6 (11-9) 6-3. Berdych always looked in control as the two fought it out from the baseline: the only time Djokovic came to life was in the second set tie-break when he survived four successive set points to level before surrendering the set with a double fault. Berdych now has the chance to beat the top three players in the world after beating Roger Federer in the quarter- finals.
The women’s final will feature Serena Williams against Vera Zvonareva.
Rome, Italy (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer, the ATP top ranked player, lost his opening game in the Rome Masters to put an early end to his clay court preparation for the French Open. He was beaten 2-6 6-1 7-5 by Latvian Ernests Gulbis in a scrappy, error-filled match. Scotland’s Andy Murray came through, as did Novak Djokovic.
Miami, Florida (GenevaLunch) – Scotland’s Andy Murray, the defending champion, was knocked out of the Miami Masters by Mardy Fish, currently ranked 101 by the ATP. Murray lost 6-4 6-4 and will now lose his third place ranking to Rafa Nadal. Roger Federer came through 6-3 6-3 without having to play at his best. Nadal came through but world number two Novak Djokovic lost.
Links to other sites: BBC, SonyEricssonOpen
Paris, France (GenevaLunch) - Serbian Novak Djokovic (ATP 3) confirmed his position as the in-form player of the last month with another tournament win. He beat French local favourite Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 in the final after crushing Rafael Nadal in the semis. He now looks like the favourite for the end of season finals in Greenwich, London.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer missed out on the chance to win his fourth successive title at his Swiss hometown tournament. He played without his customary power and precision to let Novak Djokovic take the title.
Flushing Meadows, NY, USA (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer will face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the US Open, a remake of the 2008 semis, after defeating Robin Soederling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(6). The win, in occasionally conditions Wednesday night 9 September, gives him his 22 consecutive semi-final game in a major tournament.
US teen surprise star Melanie Oudin, a relatively short 17-year-old from Georgia who made it to the quarter-finals against great odds, was knocked out by Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, number 9 in the world, 6-2, 6-2. Underdog Oudin, wearing pink and yellow shoes with “believe” on the back, charmed the US public during the Open.
Related: Roger Federer site, Yahoo Sports
