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
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Rafael Nadal is back in form, at Roger Federer’s expense, with the former winning their Australian Open semi-finals match 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4Thursday morning 26 January, Swiss time. The match had some fine moments, but Federer failed to rise to the challenge at times, and at one point lost 11 straight points. But he also came to net 57 times and won 35 of those points.
In the end, it was Nadal’s increased aggressiveness that wore down Federer, who has not won a Grand Slam match against the younger player since 2007.
The pair have been playing another match in the background, according to the Australian Open, a feverish social media popularity competition.
Nadal now plays the winner of tomorrow’s match between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Links to other sites: Australian Open, ESPN, Sydney Morning Herald
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Rafael Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych Tuesday 24 January in the Australian Open, 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-3 , giving himself an invitation in the process to face off against Roger Federer in the semi-finals. Berdych made Nadal work for the win, which took 4 hours 16 minutes.
The Nadal-Federer match, with both players in top form, is Thursday morning Swiss time.
Federer for his part played his 1,000th match Tuesday morning and showed no signs that being 30 is slowing him down, commented TSR (Fr). He won solidly against Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-4 6-3 6-2.
LONDON, ENGLAND – It was just like old days as Roger Federer gave a masterclass in controlled aggression to sweep past Rafael Nadal in the World Tour Finals 22 November. Federer’s tennis was close to perfection as he won 6-3 6-0 without breaking a sweat: even winning more than half the points when Nadal got his first service in court. Nadal is coming back from injury and his play was lacking the usual energy and power as Federer dominated all sectors of the game.
Nadal can still make the final four if he wins against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who overpowered Mardy Fish 7-6 6-1. On present form, the Frenchman, who lives in Gingins, near Geneva, looks the favourite.
In the other half Andy Murray has withdrawn with an injured groin. Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer head the group with Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic, who replaces Murray, fighting to reach the final four.
Links to other sites: ATP Masters, 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.
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
Wimbledon, London: Novak Djokovic broke the eight year domination of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal when he beat Nadal in four sets 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 to take the 2011 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Championship, Sunday 3 July. The Serb also moved to the top of the ATP rankings after an exceptional start to the year in which he lost only one match, to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the French Open. The Swiss, currently number three in the rankings, lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarters. British hopes of winning the first men’s title since Fred Perry in 1936 were again dashed when Andy Murray fell to Nadal. London mayor Boris Johnson blames high UK taxes.
In the Ladies the tall blonde Czech Petra Kvitova beat the taller and blonder Maria Sharapova as the Russian was beaten 6-3 6-4 by her inability to serve, not to mention the powerful strokes of her opponent.
WIMBLEDON, LONDON, ENGLAND Last year’s champion Serena Williams crashed out of Wimbledon, as did sister Venus in a dramatic day’s tennis. World number one Caroline Wozniacki also lost. The men’s event went more to form although Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer each dropped a set before going through to the quarter-finals. Serena Williams went down 6-3 7-6 to France’s Marion Bartoli while Venus fell 6-2 6-3 to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Andy Murray swept past Richard Gasquet 7-6 6-3 6-2, Rafa Nadal saw off a determined challenge from Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6 3-6 7-6 6-4. Roger Federer started rather slowly and lost the first set tie-break to Mikhail Youzhny but then swept past the Russian, 6-7 6-3 6-3 6-3.
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, 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
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) - Rafael Nadal won the second of the two exhibition matches with Roger Federer 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 in Madrid 22 December after the Swiss player won the first in Zurich the previous evening. Both matches went to three sets of high class tennis but lacked the normal intense rivalry expected when the top two players in the world go on court. The real winners, “Unidos por la Infancia,” were the two charitable foundations set up by the players.
Links to other sites: Roger Federer Foundation, Rafael Nadal Foundation
International sports, tennis
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer won his “Match for Africa” exhibition game against Rafa Nadal, 21 December in Zurich, after losing the first set. The Swiss star, currently ranked second after Nadal by the ATP, won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Neither player was quite at the top of his game after taking a few weeks out for the annual pause before the lead-up to the 2011 Australian Open. The game was played in good spirit, but without the normally tense rivalry, in front of a sellout crowd in Zurich. The sponsors were in evidence, Credit Suisse promising a million francs a year for a decade to the Roger Federer Foundation, Nespresso dominating the television ads, while Nike sponsored the clothing for both the players. Unusually, they wore their watches during the game: Rolex for Federer while Nadal kept his half million dollar Richard Mille watch on after losing one at the Toronto tournament earlier this year.
The second leg of the match will be played on a clay court in Madrid, 22 December, with the proceeds going to Fundacion Rafael Nadal which helps children in need.
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
Rafael Nadal wins US Open 2010 (photo, Ella Ling)
Flushing Meadows, New York, USA (GenevaLunch) – Rafael Nadal has moved into the ranks of seven tennis greats who have won every Grand Slam tournament, joining the likes of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras as “career Grand Slam” players. He defeated Noval Djokovic to win the US Open in a tough, exciting match that saw both players at their best (6-4, 5-7, 6-4 y 6-2).
The 3-hour, 22 minute match was interrupted for nearly two hours by rain, after it was postponed Sunday night due to rain.
Nadal has now won each of the Grand Slam tournaments, although like Federer, he has yet to win them all in the same year. The feat is all the more impressive in that the 24-year-old Spanish player started out as master of clay courts, then improved his game on grass and hard courts that require faster service.
The US Open provides a comparative table of Federer and Nadal statistics, noting that “while tennis media and fans debate about the greatest player of all time, Nadal is ahead of Federer’s pace in several key categories.”
Links to other sites: Belfast Telegaph, El Pais (Spa), Rafael Nadal site, US Open
International sports, tennis
Roger Federer in Ethiopia, 2010 (photo, ©2010 Roger Federer Foundation)
Update 17:25 Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will play each other in a charity match 21 December at the Hallenstadion in Zurich. Proceeds from “The Match for Africa” will go to the Roger Federer Foundation. Tickets go on sale 1 September.
The RFF supports education, sports and leisure activities in places with little or no funding at all. It has as its slogan the words of 15-year-old Nolonwabo Batini from Port Elizabeth, South Africa: “I am tomorrow’s future.” The foundation works “to permit a maximum of children to make the slogan become reality in their lives and help them actively shape their future.
Click on image to view larger
International sports, tennis
Cincinnati, USA (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 7-5 to reach the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters. Two of his main rivals lost. Andy Murray was unable to fight the heat, fatigue and a solid Mardy Fish. He lost in three sets 6-7, 6-1, 7-6. Fish will now face fellow American Andy Roddick. Rafael Nadal, the ATP top ranked player, lost to unseeded Cypriot Marcus Baghdatis 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Baghdatis played an aggressive game and was helped by the many errors from Nadal. The Cypriot, ranked 20th in the world will next face Federer in a re-run of the 2006 Australian Open final.
Serena Williams, the top seed, has pulled out of the US Open with foot injury problems.
Links to other sites: Cincytennis.com, NY Times
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
Wimbledon, England (GenevaLunch.com) - Rafael Nadal won his second Wimbledon title Sunday 4 July, outplaying Tomas Berdych 6-3 7-5 6-4. The sets all went the same way as the Czech matched Nadal for a few games and then could not keep pace as the Spanish top seed accelerated at key points. Nadal now looks set to keep his top ATP ranking for some time. Novak Djokovic has moved into second place as Roger Federer slipped back to third.
Serena Williams took her fourth Wimbledon title as she crushed Vera Zvonareva with a brutal exhibition of power tennis.
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.
Federer not a winner this year - Photo Gerry Weber World
Halle, Germany (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer, who recently lost his top ATP ranking to Rafael Nadal, lost his first match for six years on the grass courts of Halle.
The German tournament has been the Swiss star’s preferred preparation for Wimbledon and he won the last five titles without losing a set. This time he lost to Leyton Hewitt 3-6 7-6 6-4 in his first loss to the Australian after 15 wins.
Most of the other players opted to compete at Queen’s in London, where Sam Querrey beat fellow American Mardy Fish 7-6 7-5 in the final. Earlier rounds had seen the departure of favourites like Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Chinese player Li Na beat Maria Sharapova in the final of the women’s tournament at Birmingham.
International sports, tennis
Roland Garros, Paris (GenevaLunch) - Rafael Nadal took the French Open crown for the fifth time after briefly lending it out to Roger Federer. In doing so he took revenge on Robin Soderling, the only person to have beaten him at the French. He also took one step closer to the record of another Swede: Bjorn Borg won six times at Roland Garros. Nadal beat Soderling 6-4 6-2 6-4 in a match that had an inevitable feeling about it. No matter what Soderling did Nadal returned with interest in a stunning display of defence followed by counter attack. It did not help that the big Swede’s service let him down: coming into the game he had scored 75 aces in the tournament, Nadal just 12, but in the final the tally was seven each.
The women’s final saw the first victory by an Italian in a women’s Grand Slam tournament when Francesca Schiavone beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-4 7-6 (2). Stosur had earlier beaten Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic but in the final she had no answer to the Italian 17th seed’s policy of constant pressure on the backhand. Schiavone’s net attacks won her 14 points to a single dropped point. She was the first woman from outside of the top ten to win the French since 1933.
Links to other sites: Roland Garros, ESPN, Guardian
International sports, Madrid Masters, tennis
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) – Spain’s “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to take a record 18th ATP Masters title, 16 May. Andre Agassi has 17 titles, Federer has 16.
In the women’s final Iranian French player Aravane Rezai scored a shock win over Venus Williams.
Links to other sites: Madrid Masters, NZ Herald
International sports, tennis
Madrid (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer beat David Ferrer in three sets, 7-5 3-6 6-3, to reach the final of the ATP Masters Madrid Open. Ferrer had earlier beaten Andy Murray. Federer will now face Rafa Nadal in the final, renewing a long standing rivalry between the top two players of this era. Nadal beat another Spanish player, Nicolas Almagra 4-6 6-2 6-2. Nadal and Andre Agassi hold the record of 17 ATP titles while Federer is on 16.
Links to other sites: ATP Masters, BBC
Rome, Italy (GenevaLunch) – Rafa Nadal won his fifth Rome Masters tournament, and his 17th ATP World Tour Masters tournament, matching Andre Agassi’s record for ATP Masters wins, at only age 23. Agassi wa 34 when he became the record-holder. Nadal defeated David Ferrer 7-5 6-2 Sunday 2 May in a rain-soaked tournament with numerous rain delays. Nadal looked in good form, giving the impression that his injuries of recent months are behind him.
Links to other sites: ATP World Tour, Nadal’s home page
Miami, Florida (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer, the Swiss number one in the ATP world tennis rankings, was knocked out of the Miami Masters by Czech Tomas Berdych. It was a tight match with Berdych winning the first set and coming within two points of winning the second before losing in the tie-break. The final set also went to tie-break and featured the unusual sight of Federer failing to win after having a match-point on his serve. Overall, Federer has not been pleased with his form in the US, and now returns to Europe to prepare for the clay court season leading up to the French Open.
In other matches Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling and Andy Roddick came through.
Link: Sony Ericsson Open
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
