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 – 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 – It took one hour, 28 minutes and it was a tough match, but Swiss Roger Federer defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 2-6 6-4 Sunday 20 November for the opening match of the ATP World Tour Finals. The two faced off just a week ago when Federer beat Tsonga in the final of the ATP Masters tournament at Paris-Bercy.
Federer played a better first set and then Tsonga powered past him in the second set, breaking service twice.
The match was even in the third set until Tsonga fell apart in the final game.
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.”
Roger Federer and the Swiss passenger train locomotive named after him (photo, ©2011 Nationale Suisse, may not be reproduced without permission)
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – Roger Federer and other tennis champs might be in training in Basel for the upcoming tournament there, but the Swiss star took time out Friday afternoon 28 October to train in a different way: he baptized a Swiss locomotive.
“I have never named a locomotive before, let alone one bearing my own name,” he said at the ceremony.
The train engine has been carrying passengers on Swiss trains since the start of September. It was named after the tennis star, with whom the company has had a sponsorship agreement for several years.
Federer says he is particularly pleased that, for every kilometre travelled by the locomotive, Nationale Suisse will make a contribution to the Roger Federer Foundation in Africa.
Nationale Suisse, an insurance company heavily involved in the new Gotthard rail tunnel project, and the CFF rail company say the train is expected to stay in service for a number of years.
The Swiss Indoors Basel ATP tennis tournament kicks off Monday 31 October in the western Swiss city which is also Federer’s home town.
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
FLUSHING MEADOW, NY, USA – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer was in fine form Monday evening in New York, defeating Juan Monaco of Spain in 1h22 in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0, to move on to the quarter-finals of the US Open. “An absolute dominant performance”, the US Open commentator called it, saying it was one of the most dominant of Federer’s career.
Flushing Meadow, NY, USA – The lineup for the fourth round of the men’s US Open tennis tournament is an all-star list, with Swiss Roger Federer facing off against Juan Monaco from Argentina, Andy Murray from Britain playing Donald Young from the US and Spain’s Rafa Nadal up against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller.
Novak Djokovic, Serbia, plays Alexandr Dolgopolov, Ukraine, at 11:00 New York time and Federer plays Monaco at 19:00 New York time Monday.
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.
The biggest and oldest, 1915, Tennis tournament in Switzerland.
Location: Gstaad, Switzerland
Link out: http://www.creditagricolesuisseopengstaad.ch/en/
Start date: 23 Jul 2011
End date: 31 Jul 2011
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – It was a fine weekend for sports fans, with the best and the brightest putting on good shows:
Football – Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1 in a master class performance, with the Man United team and coach graciously afterwards that Barcelona is simply the best team in Europe. Details, The Guardian
Tennis – Roger Federer smoothly sailed past fellow Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. He now has his 28th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final place. Details, Roland Garros
Formula 1 – Sebastian Vettel won in Monte Carlo, with Fernando Alonso second and Jenson Button in third. Details, Formula 1 de Monaco
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
Sweet on Lindt, sweet on Roger, USA ad
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer defeated Radek Septanek Saturday 26 in just 62 minutes, 6-3, 6-3. It was Federer’s 762nd win, which ties him with his friend and tennis great Pete Sampras, for seventh place on the list of career wins.
His sweet victory over Septanek in the second round of the Miami Sony Ericsson Open was a nice gift for one of his main sponsors, Lindt Chocolates, who last week became a new Miami tournament sponsor.
Federer has worked with the Zurich company since October 2009. They have made several TV commercials together that have been a popular success. Lindt is handing out samples of its Lindor Truffles during the Miami tournament.
Federer next faces 32nd-seed Juan Monaco of Argentina at 14:00 Miami time Monday 28 March.
An unwell Andy Roddick, Miami’s defending champion, was ousted by Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Roddick has been suffering from a bronchial infection that he’s had trouble shaking.
Links to other sites: ATP, Miami Herald, Tennis magazine
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) - Chinese player Li Na gave Belgian Kim Clijsters a fright in the Australian Open, but Clijsters eventually found her form and won six straight games to take her first-ever Australian Open women’s title. Ninth seed Li Na went into the match with massive enthusiasm from home behind her, as the first Chinese player ever to reach the finals of a Grand Slam tournament. Her game looked powerful but in the end Clijsters took the title, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Links to other sites: Australian Open, Sports Illustrated, Xinhua
International sports, tennis
Ouf! as Swiss player fends off tough Frenchman Simon
Melbourne, Australia (GenevaLunch) – Fans of Roger Federer watched with trepidation as their hero slipped past French player Gilles Simon in a match that saw the Basel player strong, then soft and finally a winner against a determined Simon.
Final score in Federer’s favour: 6-2 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3. I hope I never have to play him again,” Federer said to reporters after the three hour 13 minute match.
International sports, tennis
Doha, Qatar, UA Emirates (GenevaLunch) - Roger Federer won his first tournament of 2011, and the 67th of his career, when he beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-4 in the final of the Qatar Open Saturday 8 January. Davydenko had earlier beaten world number one Rafa Nadal in the semi-finals.
Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Belgian Xavier Malisse to win the ATP Madras tournament in Chennai, India.
International sports, tennis
Abu Dhabi, UAE (GenevaLunch) - Rafa Nadal defeated Roger Federer 7-6(4) 7-6(3) 1 January in a tightly fought match. The two played each other for the third time in two weeks when they met in the final of the Mubadala tournament in Abu Dhabi. All three were exhibition games but the first two were for the two players’ charitable foundations while the Abu Dhabi match is a prestigious and well-rewarded exhibition tournament with a prize of $250,000 for the winner. Federer reached the final with a three set win over Robin Soderling, 6-7 6-3 6-3 while Nadal had an easier time beating Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4.
Links to other sites: CNN, Mubadala WTC, Eurosport
Fifa named best for press facilities for 2010 World Cup by world sports journalists
Rafael Nadal wins US Open 2010 (photo, Ella Ling)
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The AIPS (International Sports Press Association) has named Rafael Nadal the world’s top male athlete and Blanka Vlasic the top female, in its annual sports awards. Nadal, Spanish is the number one tennis player in the world and Vlasic, from Croatia, has won 18 of 20 high-jumping competitions in 2010, and she currently holds the world indoor and European titles.
The AIPS named Fifa, the world football federation, as the organization providing the best media facilities, at the 2010 football World Cup matches in South Africa. The IOC, International Olympic Committee, was second, for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The AIPS and the IOC are both based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
International sports, Davis Cup tennis
Belgrade, Serbia (GenevaLunch) – Novak Djokovic led Serbia to a 3-2 victory over France in the final of the Davis Cup, Sunday 5 December in Belgrade. France was 2-1 ahead following the doubles on Saturday but Djokovic and Victor Troicki won their matches in straight sets to take the trophy in what team captain Bogdan Obradovic called the greatest sporting achievement in the history of Serbia. Novak Djolovic beat Gael Monfils 6-2 6-2 6-4 and then watched Troicki dominate Michael Llodra 6-2 6-2 6-3.
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.
Paris, France (GenevaLunch) - Robin Soderling moved up from number 5 to 4 in the world after gracefully putting down Gaël Monfils 6-1, 7-6 Sunday 14 November to win the Paris ATP Masters. It is Soderling’s first ATP Master 1000 title and he is now gunning for a top spot at the O2 in London 21-28 November.
Monfils defeated Roger Federer the day before in a long fight, winning with three tie-break sets in 2 hours, 41 minutes: 7-6(7), 6-7(1), 7-6(4). It was Monfils’s first win over Federer in six encounters.
Links to other sites: ATP tennis, Guardian, Tennis Earth
Sunday’s hot shot, ATP
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
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
Flushing Meadows, New York, USA (GenevaLunch) – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer Wednesday evening 8 September solidly defeated his nemesis, Swedish player Robin Soderling, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the US Open tennis tournament. Tough wind conditions had most players complaining, but Federer said after the match that he enjoys playing in the wind, which gives him the opportunity to play differently.
Links to other sites: US Open video news report, Yahoo news
video, 5 minutes of match
International sports, tennis
Stan Wawrinka
Flushing Meadows, New York, USA (GenevaLunch) - Lake Geneva region’s own Stanislas Wawrinka defeated American player Sam Querrey 7-6 (9), 6-7 (5), 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a long and tough fight Tuesday night 7 September.
For much of the match it appeared to be two equals battling it out. When Wawrinka eventually wore down Querrey, he ended US hopes of having a player in its own Open.
The 25-year-old Swiss player now has his first quarter-finals slot in a Grand Slam tournament. He and Roger Federer are both in the final eight, the first time Switzerland has had two players at this stage since 1968, when tennis became a professional sport.
Wawrinka began training 1 August with Swedish coach Peter Lundgren, Roger Federer’s former coach.
Links to: San Francisco Chronicle, US Open, Wawrinka site
Federer in top form at the US Open - Photo Rob Loud/US Open
(GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss tennis players Roger Federer and Patty Schnyder have reached the third round at the US Open.
Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 over Andreas Beck of Germany. He will now play Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.
“It’s the perfect start, sure. I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I’m completely in the tournament,” Federer said.
On the women’s side, Patty Schnyder, now ranked 51, won over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez from Spain 7-6, 6-4.
Schnyder’s reached quarterfinals at the US Open only twice in 1998 and 2008.
Two other Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli play on 3 September.
