2013/05/23

Del Potro Leads Wednesday’s List of French Open Pullouts

Juan Martin Del Potro

(May 22, 2013) Argentine media and Reuters have reported that world No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro has withdrawn from next week’s French Open, still suffering from a virus.

“I am sad to miss such an important tournament, one that you always dream of winning,” Del Potro was quoted on the Ultima Hora website (www.ultimahora.com).

Joining the Argentine on the sidelines will be Americans Mardy Fish and Brian Baker. No. 2. Andy Murray withdrew from the Paris event on Tuesday and will be replaced by a lucky loser.

Fish is still dealing with heart issues, while Baker is still recovering from knee surgery. Fish and Baker will be replaced by Joao Sousa of Portugal and Guido Pella of Argentina.

Withdrawals on the women’s side include – Chan Yung-jan, Alexandra Dulgheru and Lara Arruabarrena. Shahar Peer, Tatjana Maria and Nina Bratchikova will replace them.

The French Open begins this Sunday, May 26.

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Andy Murray Withdraws From French Open with Back Injury

Andy Murray in pain

(May 21, 2013) Andy Murray has withdrawn from the French Open due to a back injury. The world No. 2 from Scotland had to withdraw from his second round match at the Italian Open last week to Marcel Granollers due to a lower back injury.

“It’s a really tough decision and I love playing in Paris, but after seeking medical advice I am not fit to compete,” Murray said in a statement. “Now my complete focus is on getting back on the court as soon as possible.”

“Apologies to the organisers and thanks to everyone for the messages of support. Now my complete focus is on getting back on the court as soon as possible.”

This will be the first major he has missed since Wimbledon in 2007. This will be the first time since 1994 that Great Britain will not have a man in the main draw of Roland Garros.

Murray hopes to be ready to play London’s Queen’s Club tournament on June 10.

The French Open begins this Sunday, May 26.

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Back Issue Forces Murray to Retire, Nadal Easily Advances In Rome

Andy-Murray

(May 15, 2013) Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka withdrew from the Italian Open with injures, while Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova had easy wins on Wednesday in Rome.

Andy Murray pulled out of his match with Marcel Granollers after splitting sets with a back injury which could put him in doubt for the French Open which begins on March 26.

“We’ll have to wait for Paris,” Murray said to the ATP website. “I’d be very surprised if I were playing in Paris.”

“I’ll need to take some days off and see how it settles down, but a few days can make a difference.”

Wawrinka withdrew from the tournament with a thigh injury prior to his match with Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Nadal began his Roman campaign with an easy 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 25 Fabio Fognini. He will face Ernests Gulbis next.

“Tomorrow I play against an opponent who is very dangerous,” said Nadal to  the ATP website. “He’s playing well and he’s having a great season. I had a tough match against him in Indian Wells this year…He’s an aggressive player, big serve, big shots from the baseline, and I have to be playing great if I want to have any chance.”

Jerzy Janowicz tore off his shirt in celebration after his upset of No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“I was really happy especially because I didn’t get off to a good start to the season and I was sick,” said Janowicz who had been dealing with an ear infection. “So this was really important for me.”

“I knew going into the match I needed to be sharp and as quick as possible, and I did a few specific things well out there, and that’s about it” Sharapova said of her 6-2, 6-2 win over Garbiñe Muguruza. Sharapova faced only 1 break point during the entire match

Roma

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D’ITALIA
Rome, Italy
May 13-19, 2013
Red Clay/Outdoors

Results - Wednesday, May 15, 2013
WTA Singles – Second Round
(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (Q) Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) 62 62
(3) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Julia Goerges (GER) 62 60
(5) Li Na (CHN) d. Zheng Jie (CHN) 63 61
(7) Sara Errani (ITA) d. Christina McHale (USA) 75 57 62
(9) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Peng Shuai (CHN) 76(5) 60
(12) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 63 61
(13) Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. (WC) Nastassja Burnett (ITA) 61 64
(14) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. (Q) Melanie Oudin (USA) 57 61 63
(16) Sloane Stephens (USA) d. Kiki Bertens (NED) 46 63 62
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 62 60
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) d. Romina Oprandi (SUI) 64 62
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Urszula Radwanska (POL) 63 61
(LL) Lourdes Domínguez Lino (ESP) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 64 64

WTA Doubles – Second Round
(1) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) d. Mladenovic/Voskoboeva (FRA/KAZ) 75 64
(6) Mattek-Sands/Mirza (USA/IND) d. Schiavone/Stosur (ITA/AUS) 64 63
Hlavackova/Martic (CZE/CRO) d. Castaño/Duque-Mariño (COL/COL) 63 76(4)
Kudryavtseva/Rodionova (RUS/AUS) d. Govortsova/Moulton-Levy (BLR/USA) 26 64 107 (Match TB)

WTA Doubles – First Round
Raymond/Robson (USA/GBR) d. (WC) Kuznetsova/Pennetta (RUS/ITA) 67(2) 64 107 (Match TB)

ATP Singles – Second Round
M Granollers (ESP) d [3] A Murray (GBR) 63 67(5) ret. (lower back)
[4] D Ferrer (ESP) d F Verdasco (ESP) 57 75 63
[5] R Nadal (ESP) d F Fognini (ITA) 61 63
J Janowicz (POL) d [8] J Tsonga (FRA) 64 76(5)
A Dolgopolov (UKR) d [15] S Wawrinka (SUI) w/o (right thigh)
J Chardy (FRA) d [16] K Nishikori (JPN) 64 61
P Kohlschreiber (GER) d A Ramos (ESP) 64 61
[Q] E Gulbis (LAT) d V Troicki (SRB) 61 61
B Paire (FRA) d J Benneteau (FRA) 67(3) 64 76(4)
G Simon (FRA) d M Youzhny (RUS) 75 63

ATP Doubles – Second Round
[2] M Granollers (ESP) / M Lopez (ESP) d J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) 64 67(4) 10-8
[3] R Lindstedt (SWE) / D Nestor (CAN) d [WC] F Cipolla (ITA) / F Volandri (ITA) 64 63
S Gonzalez (MEX) / S Lipsky (USA) d [8] J Melzer (AUT) / L Paes (IND) 76(4) 76(3)

ATP Doubles – First Round
[WC] P Lorenzi (ITA) / P Starace (ITA) d M Baghdatis (CYP) / J del Potro (ARG) 63 26 10-8
T Berdych (CZE) / R Stepanek (CZE) d D Bracciali (ITA) / A Seppi (ITA) 64 62

Order Of Play – Thursday, May 16, 2013

CENTRALE start 12:00 noon
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) vs A Dolgopolov (UKR) – ATP
[7] S Errani (ITA) vs [12] M Kirilenko (RUS) – WTA
[Q] E Gulbis (LAT) vs [5] R Nadal (ESP) – ATP
Not Before 7:30 PM
[16] S Stephens (USA) vs [2] M Sharapova (RUS) – WTA
Not Before 9:00 PM
G Simon (FRA) vs [2] R Federer (SUI) – ATP

SUPERTENNIS ARENA start 11:00 am
K Anderson (RSA) vs [6] T Berdych (CZE) – ATP
[7] J Del Potro (ARG) vs B Paire (FRA) – ATP
[1] S Williams (USA) vs [14] D Cibulkova (SVK) – WTA
[4] D Ferrer (ESP) vs P Kohlschreiber (GER) – ATP
Not Before 7:00 PM
J Janowicz (POL) vs [9] R Gasquet (FRA) – ATP

PIETRANGELI start 11:00 am
J Jankovic (SRB) vs [5] N Li (CHN) – WTA
[Q] S Halep (ROU) vs [13] R Vinci (ITA) – WTA
J Chardy (FRA) vs M Granollers (ESP) – ATP
[8] P Kvitova (CZE) vs [9] S Stosur (AUS) – WTA
S Gonzalez (MEX) / S Lipsky (USA) vs [2] M Granollers (ESP) / M Lopez (ESP) – ATP

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
S Hsieh (TPE) / S Peng (CHN) vs [4] L Huber (USA) / M Martinez Sanchez (ESP) – WTA
Not Before 12:30 PM
K Marosi (HUN) / A Tatishvili (GEO) vs [2] N Petrova (RUS) / K Srebotnik (SLO) – WTA
T Berdych (CZE) / R Stepanek (CZE) vs [4] A Qureshi (PAK) / J Rojer (NED) – ATP – After suitable rest
[1] S Errani (ITA) / R Vinci (ITA) vs [6] B Mattek-Sands (USA) / S Mirza (IND) – WTA – After suitable rest
D Cibulkova (SVK) / M Niculescu (ROU) vs L Raymond (USA) / L Robson (GBR) – WTA – After suitable rest

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
[6] M Bhupathi (IND) / R Bopanna (IND) vs D Inglot (GBR) / J Marray (GBR) – ATP
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [WC] P Lorenzi (ITA) / P Starace (ITA) – ATP
C Suarez Navarro (ESP) vs [LL] L Dominguez Lino (ESP) – WTA
Not Before 4:00 PM
A Morita (JPN) vs [3] V Azarenka (BLR) – WTA

COURT 4 start 12:30 pm
[Alt] L Rosol (CZE) / V Troicki (SRB) vs [5] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) – ATP
Not Before 2:00 PM
D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) vs [7] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) – ATP

COURT 6 not before 12:30 PM
A Hlavackova (CZE) / P Martic (CRO) vs A Kudryavtseva (RUS) / A Rodionova (AUS) – WTA
[7] A Groenefeld (GER) / K Peschke (CZE) vs [WC] J Jankovic (SRB) / M Lucic-Baroni (CRO) – WTA – Aftr suitable rest

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Nishikori Upsets Federer; Nadal, Murray Move on in Madrid

nishikori

(May 9, 2013) The new red clay of Madrid claimed another seeded casualty on Thursday when No. 2 Roger Federer was upset by Kei Nishikori  6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in the third round of the Madrid Open. Top seed Novak Djokovic was ousted on Tuesday.

No. 3 seed Andy Murray escaped Gilles Simon 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6),  while No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal had an easy time with Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-3.

A poor serving game by Federer gave Nishikori the first set.  In the second set Federer grabbed the momentum but lost it in third.

As for Nishikori, it was a fourth win over a top 5 player for the man from Japan. “He was my idol and to beat him was one of the goals for my tennis career,” said the world No. 16. “Beating Roger is, yeah … I need a couple of days to celebrate.”

“He was the better player today for sure, Federer said. “I was lacking control from the baseline, and that pretty much carried through from start to finish, Overall I’m disappointed with my play,” Federer said of the match.

“I’m not sure how well Kei thought he played. I didn’t think he had to play his very best either, which is even more disappointing”

“Clearly the favorite for this tournament is Nadal,” Federer said.

Nishikori will next play Pablo Andujar for a place in the semifinals.

MUTUA MADRID OPEN
Madrid, Spain
May 4-12, 2013
Red Clay/Outdoors

Results – Thursday, May 9, 2013
Women’sSingles – Third Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (13) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 63 61
(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 62 75
(7) Sara Errani (ITA) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 75 63
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. (14) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 63 62
Kaia Kanepi (EST) d. (WC) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 63 64

Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Mladenovic/Voskoboeva (FRA/KAZ) d. (3) Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) 64 62
(WC) Soler-Espinosa/Suárez Navarro (ESP/ESP) d. (4) Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) 46 62 104 (Match TB)
Black/Erakovic (ZIM/NZL) d. Kuznetsova/Pennetta (RUS/ITA) 46 61 105 (Match TB)
Pavlyuchenkova/Safarova (RUS/CZE) d. Husarova/Lisicki (SVK/GER) 62 36 107 (Match TB)

Men’s Singles – Third Round
[14] K Nishikori (JPN) d [2] R Federer (SUI) 64 16 62
[3] A Murray (GBR) d [16] G Simon (FRA) 26 64 76(6)
[4] D Ferrer (ESP) d [13] T Haas (GER) 75 46 64
[5] R Nadal (ESP) d M Youzhny (RUS) 62 63
[6] T Berdych (CZE) d K Anderson (RSA) 76(5) 75
[7] J Tsonga (FRA) d F Verdasco (ESP) 46 63 62
[15] S Wawrinka (SUI) d G Dimitrov (BUL) 36 64 61
[WC] P Andujar (ESP) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 55 ret. (right leg)

Men’s Doubles – Second Round
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) 76(6) 75
D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) d [2] M Granollers (ESP) / M Lopez (ESP) 76(4) 63
[6] M Bhupathi (IND) / R Bopanna (IND) d [Alt] J Monaco (ARG) / H Zeballos (ARG) 63 36 10-5
[7] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) d M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) 64 60
T Haas (GER) / R Stepanek (CZE) d [8] J Melzer (AUT) / L Paes (IND) 75 61

Order Of Play – Friday, May 10, 2013

MANOLO SANTANA start 10:50 am
[1] S Williams (USA) vs [WC] A Medina Garrigues (ESP) – WTA
K Kanepi (EST) vs [2] M Sharapova (RUS) – WTA
Not Before 3:15 PM
[5] R Nadal (ESP) vs [4] D Ferrer (ESP) – ATP
[WC] P Andujar (ESP) vs [14] K Nishikori (JPN) – ATP
Not Before 8:00 PM
[3] A Murray (GBR) vs [6] T Berdych (CZE) – ATP
[15] S Wawrinka (SUI) vs [7] J Tsonga (FRA) – ATP

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO start 11:00 am
C Black (ZIM) / M Erakovic (NZL) vs [WC] S Soler-Espinosa (ESP) / C Suarez Navarro (ESP) – WTA
Not Before 3:00 PM
E Makarova (RUS) vs [7] S Errani (ITA) – WTA
[6] A Kerber (GER) vs [16] A Ivanovic (SRB) – WTA
[5] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) vs D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) – ATP

STADIUM 3 start 2:00 pm
J Chardy (FRA) / L Kubot (POL) vs [6] M Bhupathi (IND) / R Bopanna (IND) – ATP
[7] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) vs [3] R Lindstedt (SWE) / D Nestor (CAN) – ATP
Not Before 4:00 PM
K Mladenovic (FRA) / G Voskoboeva (KAZ) vs A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) / L Safarova (CZE) – WTA
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs T Haas (GER) / R Stepanek (CZE) – ATP

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Djokovic to Meet Nadal in Monte-Carlo Final

 

Djokovic 6 228

(April 20, 2013) Novak Djokovic will meet Rafael Nadal for the first time since last year’s French Open final when they play for the Monte-Carlo Masters title on Sunday. Both men advanced to the final in straight sets.

Nadal ousted Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the semifinals on Saturday to earn a spot in the final and extend his win streak there to 46, while Djokovic ran through Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-1. This will; be the 16th time they’ll face each other with a title on the line. Nadal leads Djokovic 8-7 head-to-head in finals, 19-14 overall.

Nadal is looking for his ninth straight Monte-Carlo title.

“At the start of the week, the way I felt in the first match, if somebody told me I’d be playing finals, I’d be very happy to hear that,”  said Djokovic  who has been dealing with an ankle injury this week. “I’m handling it much better than I was at the start of the week. It has been improving and the pain has been decreasing. It’s much, much less than before.”

“I know what I need to do,” Djokovic said of trying to beat Nadal. “Of course, it’s easier said than done.”

RESULTS – SATURDAY, 20 APRIL, 2013

Singles – Semi-finals
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) d F Fognini (ITA) 62 61
[3] R Nadal (ESP) d [6] J Tsonga (FRA) 63 76(3)

Doubles – Semi-finals
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d M Raonic (CAN) / B Tomic (AUS) 63 63
J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) 64 63
SCHEDULE – SUNDAY, 21 APRIL, 2013

COURT CENTRAL start 2:00 pm
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) vs [3] R Nadal (ESP)
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB)

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Djokovic Advances, Nadal Cruises, Murray, Berdych and Del Potro Upset in Monte-Carlo

 

Rafael Nadal photo by William Lucas/Inovafoto

Rafael Nadal photo by William Lucas/Inovafoto

(April 18, 2013) Eight-time defending  Monte-Carlo Masters champion Rafael Nadal extended his winning streak at the tournament to 44 matches, while No. 1 Novak Djoovic had to rally from a set down for a second straight day to move into the quarterfinals. No. 2 seed Andy Murray was not so fortunate falling to No. 13  Stanislas Wawrinka 6-1, 6-2.

Novak Djokovic still nursing a twisted right ankle rallied past Juan Monaco 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday.

“It was very difficult for me today,” Djokovic said to media. “Another tough match. I am trying to take things day by day. I didn’t know what to expect today and I’m really glad that I won.”

“It’s another big test obviously, again a two-hour match,” the No. 1 continued. “Obviously I’m not physically out there feeling my best. Somehow feels that I always miss that half a step. But I’m trying. I’m fighting. After I lost the first set today, I tried to find that inner strength. I found it again. So that’s a positive thing. Every day brings a new challenge and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Djokovic will face Jarkko Nieminen in the quarterfinals. Nieminen stunned No. 5 seed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4).

The left-hander Finn is into his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarterfinal since 2006 Paris.

It was another easy win For Nadal on Thursday as the 8-time Monte-Carlo champion stopped Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4. Nadal will take on Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.

“He’s playing well,” Nadal said of Bulgaria’s Dimitrov. “He’s able to play very well, very aggressive, very good technique. He’s (a) complete player.”

For No. 2 seed Andy Murray, it’s a match he’ll want to forget. In less than an hour the Brit fell to Stanislas Warwinka 6-1, 6-2.

“Just looked at the stats … 24 unforced errors is far too many,“ said a disappointed Murray. “That’s a set’s worth. That’s where half the points went. “I hope that’s not going to be the case over the next five, six weeks. I’ve had tough losses on the clay before and I’ve come back well from them. Hopefully today will be the same.”

“He’s an amazing player. He’s always tough to beat,” said Wawrinka to media. “Therefore, to beat Andy that easy was a big surprise, for sure. I’m playing really good, really strong, really confident with my game. I know what he’s looking for in his game. He’s playing slow, he’s playing from the baseline, he’s not putting so much pressure. For me on clay, it’s perfect.”

The loss means that Murray will fall to No. 3 in the rankings next week, surpassed by Roger Federer.

Italy’s Fabio Fognini recorded the biggest upset of his career as he knocked out fourth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. It’s his second career win over a top ten player.

RESULTS – THURSDAY, 18 APRIL, 2013

Singles – Third Round
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) d [14] J Monaco (ARG) 46 62 62
[13] S Wawrinka (SUI) d [2] A Murray (GBR) 61 62
[3] R Nadal (ESP) d [16] P Kohlschreiber (GER) 62 64
F Fognini (ITA) d [4] T Berdych (CZE) 64 62
J Nieminen (FIN) d [5] [WC] J del Potro (ARG) 64 46 76(4)
[6] J Tsonga (FRA) d J Melzer (AUT) 63 60
[7] R Gasquet (FRA) d [9] M Cilic (CRO) 75 64
G Dimitrov (BUL) d F Mayer (GER) 62 64

Doubles – Quarter-finals
M Raonic (CAN) / B Tomic (AUS) d [3] R Lindstedt (SWE) / D Nestor (CAN) 76(7) 63

Doubles – Second Round
[4] A Qureshi (PAK) / J Rojer (NED) d C Fleming (GBR) / J Marray (GBR) 64 61
[5] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) d I Dodig (CRO) / R Stepanek (CZE) 62 62
J Melzer (AUT) / L Paes (IND) d [6] M Bhupathi (IND) / R Bopanna (IND) 62 63
J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d [7] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) 76(7) 64

SCHEDULE – FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013

COURT CENTRAL start 10:30 am
[6] J Tsonga (FRA) vs [13] S Wawrinka (SUI)
G Dimitrov (BUL) vs [3] R Nadal (ESP)
F Fognini (ITA) vs [7] R Gasquet (FRA)
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) vs J Nieminen (FIN)

COURT DES PRINCES start 10:30 am
[5] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) vs D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP)
J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) vs [4] A Qureshi (PAK) / J Rojer (NED)
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs J Melzer (AUT) / L Paes (IND)

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Djokovic Survives, Nadal Romps, Murray Advances in Monte-Carlo

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic

(April 17, 2013) Rafael Nadal began his quest for a ninth Monte-Carlo Masters title on Wednesday by extending his winning streak there to 43, while No. 1 Novak Djokovic was extended to three sets on a shaky ankle.
The eight-time had few problems with Marinko Matosevic, dispatching the Australian 6-1, 6-2.

“I played well at the beginning with the right intensity, with no mistakes,” said the Spaniard to media.

“I was trying to do the right things to find a good feeling on the ball, to find the right rhythm. I played to the right places, and that gave me confidence.

“I didn’t play my best game, the first game of the second, and he played well, so he had the break. And after that he played well for a while in the next games. Then he had good chances, two break points for 3-0. It was not an easy moment. I played one good point and I was able to come back.”

Nadal is on a 15-match winning streak. He’ll play Philipp Kohlschreiber next.

Djokovic, who twisted an ankle while playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup on April 7 in clinching a place in the Davis Cup semifinals, played 2 hours and 15 minutes for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 over Mikhail Youzhny.

“Today was a big test. My ankle survived, I’m in the next round. That’s what matters,” Djokovic said. “I know that my game is still not there, obviously, and I have a lot of ups and downs through the match. Physically also, I think I’ve put double the effort than I do usually because, you know, I still don’t feel comfortable.”

“You know, protection, the tape, was good. So I managed to overcome that pain and go through the match,” Djokovic continued. “I think that my ankle is (getting better) as the days are passing by. Obviously, I will have to play a match every day.”

“I’m just happy to compete, to be honest. I didn’t know if I’m going to be playing the tournament up to yesterday, basically,” said Djokovic who resides in Monte-Carlo.

“For me it’s important not to have a bigger risk of injuring myself. I enjoy this tournament very much. As I said before, if it was not Monaco I would consider not playing.”

World No. 2 Andy Murray moved into the third round with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in 73 minutes over Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Murray is now 20-2 on the year.

“I won the close games, which was important,” said the Scot. “I didn’t make too many mistakes. It was solid. I returned well, served well. If you do those two things well on any surface. it gives you a good base to work from. It was a good start.”

RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 17 APRIL, 2013

Singles – Second Round
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) d M Youzhny (RUS) 46 61 64
[2] A Murray (GBR) d [Q] E Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 61 64
[3] R Nadal (ESP) d M Matosevic (AUS) 61 62
[4] T Berdych (CZE) d M Granollers (ESP) 75 64
[9] M Cilic (CRO) d K Anderson (RSA) 62 63
J Melzer (AUT) d [10] N Almagro (ESP) 64 62
J Nieminen (FIN) d [12] M Raonic (CAN) 63 16 76(3)
[13] S Wawrinka (SUI) d [Q] A Montanes (ESP) 61 61
[14] J Monaco (ARG) d E Gulbis (LAT) 60 36 63
F Fognini (ITA) d [Q] A Ramos (ESP) 63 75
F Mayer (GER) d R Bautista Agut (ESP) 57 64 64

Doubles – Second Round
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d P Kohlschreiber (GER) / F Mayer (GER) 63 62
D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) d [2] M Granollers (ESP) / M Lopez (ESP) 46 62 10-4
M Raonic (CAN) / B Tomic (AUS) d [8] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) 62 64

Doubles – First Round
C Fleming (GBR) / J Marray (GBR) d J Knowle (AUT) / F Nielsen (DEN) 64 76(7)

SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, 18 APRIL, 2013

COURT CENTRAL start 10:30 am
[6] J Tsonga (FRA) vs J Melzer (AUT)
[16] P Kohlschreiber (GER) vs [3] R Nadal (ESP)
[13] S Wawrinka (SUI) vs [2] A Murray (GBR)
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) vs [14] J Monaco (ARG)

COURT DES PRINCES start 10:30 am
[4] T Berdych (CZE) vs F Fognini (ITA)
G Dimitrov (BUL) vs F Mayer (GER)
[9] M Cilic (CRO) vs [7] R Gasquet (FRA)
J Nieminen (FIN) vs [5] [WC] J Del Potro (ARG)

COURT 2 start 12:00 noon
[7] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) vs J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB)
J Melzer (AUT) / L Paes (IND) vs [6] M Bhupathi (IND) / R Bopanna (IND) – After Suitable Rest
[3] R Lindstedt (SWE) / D Nestor (CAN) vs M Raonic (CAN) / B Tomic (AUS)

COURT 9 start 12:00 noon
[5] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) vs I Dodig (CRO) / R Stepanek (CZE)
C Fleming (GBR) / J Marray (GBR) vs [4] A Qureshi (PAK) / J Rojer (NED)

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Donskoy Rallies from Two Sets Down to Give Russia 2-0 Lead Over Great Britain in Davis Cup

 

By Ros Satar

 

Evgeny Donskoy [RUS] def. James Ward [GBR] 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 8-6

 

(April 5, 2013) COVENTRY, ENGLAND – Evgeny Donskoy delivered a real heartbreaker in another five-set thriller on the first day of the Davis Cup tie between Great Britain and Russia in  the Euro/Africa zone second round Group 1 play.

 

Donskoy came from two sets down to give Russia a 2-0 lead at the end of the first day.

 

At the start of the match, though, the outcome looked far from certain.

 

In press, Dan Evans regretted not starting fast enough, James Ward more than made up for it.

 

The British No. 2 came out swinging solidly with very few unforced errors, and an early break secured him the first set.

 

A similar fast start to the second set meant it would be a long way back for the Russian, Evgeny Donskoy, who impressed many with his performance against Andy Murray at Indian Wells.

 

It was almost as though, with the pressure reversed, Donskoy was left floundering, at times his feet just not catching up with the rest of him.

 

That is not to say that he did not have some chances of his own, breaking back to make sure that Ward would not take this match for granted.

 

Into the third set and there was a distinct feeling that Donskoy was feeling his way back into the match.

 

Nerves seemed to overtake Ward, as he scrambled to save three set points, capitulating on the fourth.

 

After such a blistering start, suddenly it was Ward’s turn to look ill at ease, going down a break quickly in the fourth set.

 

Ward exhibited some of that earlier confidence, holding to love to stay in the set as the Russian was taken to deuce on his serve, for the fourth set.

 

Ward saved two set points but a lazy squash shot sailed just long past the corner of the court, to take the second rubber into a deciding fifth set.

 

It was beginning to look a little like last man standing out there, as the fifth set progressed with serve, particularly grueling on Ward’s service game, saving the first break points against is serve in the decider.

 

Donskoy was coming up with the goods both times he was serving to stay in the set.

 

As Ward came out to serve at 6-6 there was a sense that he had made his last stand, as the Russian broke.

 

There was a brief glimmer of hope as the Russian went 0-30 down, serving for the match, and then again as Ward saved the first match point against him.

 

Suddenly it was Donskoy’s turn to feel under the hammer, as Ward wrestled a break point back, and then had to save a second match point.

 

The third time was the charm for Donskoy as Russia took the second rubber, 8-6 in the final set.

 

It was an interesting contrast in press, with an equally dejected Ward hoping to work harder to improve, whereas Evans understood that he was struggling with that desire to improve.

 

Leon Smith concluded the conference, believing that the tie could be turned around, starting with the doubles tomorrow, with the top British pairing of Fleming and Marray favorites to put a rubber on the board for Britain.

Despite trailing 0-2 in the tie, Captain Leon Smith said, “I am so proud of both Dan and James today. It was excellent international tennis, very high level, more than eight hours and great value for money. The team spirit was great today and we have it still all to play for tomorrow in the doubles and in Sunday’s singles.”

 

Then on Sunday, can two players who have proved they can punch above their weight, turn things around?

 

Ros Satar is a British Journalist- an IT journalist by day, and a sports journalist in all the gaps in between. She is the co-founder of Britwatch Sports (britwatchsports.com). Follow her on twitter at @rfsatar.

Related Article:

Tursunov’s Five-Set Win Over Evans Gives Russia 1-0 Lead Over Great Britain in Davis Cup

 

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Kourtin’ Karen’s Tennis Week in Review

Sony Open Tennis

(April 1, 2013) NEW YORK, NY –  Kourtin’ Karen takes brief look at the week that was week in the offbeat world of tennis.

 

15-0

Big media there or not,  a tournament does exist.

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

If a tournament takes place on the East Coast and many West Coast tennis media and some international tennis media don’t show up, did it really happen?

Answer – yes.  This was the case at the Sony Open this last fortnight.

Sure, I’ll admit probably not all of the tennis media that could have been in Miami were there to cover it due to various issues – March Madness, media budgets and the lack of the presence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Yes, the NCAA tournament. No way would mainstream media outlets take money out of their budgets or space our of their papers to cover tennis during March Madness. NCAA coverage sells more papers, gets TV ratings – tennis doesn’t.

Tennis is not what it once was in terms of most mainstream media covering tournaments each and every week. As you have probably heard, the newspaper industry is dying. Magazines are dying. so tennis fans have to depend on what I call “specialized” media to follow their favorite sport – such as Tennis Channel and more importantly the internet – from established media websites to independent websites blogs and twitter. We live in an internet world and two-day old news will not cut it for tennis fans.

So what’s the point, you ask? Whether all of the established tennis media powers are there or not,  one of the major non-majors did take place.

 

15-15

Tennis dropped for NCAA

CBS pulled out of it’s coverage of the Sony Open Men’s final between David Ferrer and Andy Murray before the third set tiebreak to air the NCAA Regional final between Michigan and Florida on Sunday afternoon. Murray won the tiebreak 7-1.

“We stayed with tennis as long as we could,”  said a CBS spokeswoman.

 

 

Andy-Murray

30-15

Back to No. 2

With his title in Miami, Andy Murray moved up tot he No. 2 ranking passing Roger Federer.

Murray Wins Title in Miami

 

Jelena Jankovic

Jelena Jankovic

30-30

Jelena Jankovic upset with scheduling

Jelena Jankovic had a short turnaround before her quarterfinal match against Maria Sharapova. The Serb played a night match and had to play Sharapova at 1 p.m. the next day.  Jankovic was destroyed by the Russian, winning a mere three games.

“The girls who play tonight at 7, they had a day off yesterday,” Jankovic said. “So it was kind of crazy. I had a couple of hours of sleep, and then I had to be back on the court. I played four matches, only had one day off.  Last night, couple hours of sleep. So it wasn’t easy, but what can I do?

“I wish it was a little different. I wish I had a little more time to recover and be in better shape for today. It would give me a much better chance to play better, but it was the way it was. Like I said, Maria was playing very well. But like I said, the opponent plays as well as you let her. I didn’t do what I wanted to do and complicate things on the court.”

 

Serena Williams (c) Kevin Ware for Tennis Panorama News

Serena Williams (c) Kevin Ware for Tennis Panorama News

40-30

Serena Williams captures record 6th Sony Open

Serena Williams Mounts Comeback for Record 6th Miami Title

 

IMG_3353

Deuce

Bellucci Beats Janowicz in Raucous Match in Miami

 

Tommy Haas

Advantage

Tommy Haas

The soon-to-be 35 year-old pulled off the upset of the Sony Open by dominating No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a windy night session match. He also took out seeded Gilles Simon on his way to the semifinals of Miami where he fell to David Ferrer in three sets.

Haas who achieved his highest ATP ranking in 2002 when he reached No. 2, breaks in to top 15 for the first time 2008.

 

Game, Set, Match and shot of the tournament!

Agnieszka Radwanka’s no-look backhand volley winner.

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Murray Wins Title in Miami

http://www.sonyopentennis.com/~/media/963E381E45724A2AAB98254FA11FDE25.ashx

David Ferrer (L) and Andy Murray (R) Photo ©Getty Images for Sony Open (Used with permission)

By Amy Fetherolf

(March 31, 2013) MIAMI — World No. 3 Andy Murray came out on top in a match more full of twists and turns than a mystery novel, beating World No. 5 David Ferrer, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1) to win his second Miami title.

The first set flew by, Murray hitting an astonishing 30 errors (16 unforced, 14 forced) to hand away three breaks of serve. Ferrer was broken while trying to serve for the set at 5-1, but he was able to immediately break to win the set.

In the second set, the roles were reversed. Ferrer was the one who hit 30 errors (19 unforced, 11 forced), and Murray began to play more solidly. The players traded breaks, and Ferrer was broken again at 4-all. It was all Murray would need to force a deciding set.

Both players struggled mightily on serve in the third set. On the way to a tiebreak, they dropped serve four times each, neither playing serving particularly well. As Ferrer led 6-5, he had a match point on Murray’s serve, but he stopped play to challenge a Murray forehand that was called in, and Hawk-Eye showed that it had landed on the line. Murray quickly snuffed out the chance, and steamrolled through the tiebreak, Ferrer cramping badly throughout.

“I think it was an exciting match,” Murray said. “I don’t think either of us played our best tennis. There was a lot of breaks and ups‑and‑downs, quite a lot of mistakes from both of us. But what I did do was fight hard, showed good mental strength to get through that match, because it easily could have slipped away from me. It was a brutal, brutal match today. Both of us were kind of on our last legs. Good it wasn’t a best‑of‑five‑set match, because I don’t know how the last few sets would have ended up.”

Ferrer didn’t want to revisit his decision to stop play on match point.

“It was a very close match, no? I had my chance in the match point. The ball, it was really close. I saw out, and, you know, really close.  Anyway, but final of the set I was more tired than him, and he served to win the match. I chose my decision in that moment.  It’s a bad moment now. I don’t want to think anymore about that. I want to forget, the more faster as possible.”

By winning the Miami title, Murray cemented the No. 2 ranking, displacing Roger Federer, and marking the first time since November 10, 2003 that neither Federer nor Rafael Nadal will be in the top 2. Ferrer will move up one spot to No. 4, displacing Nadal.

Amy Fetherolf‏ was covering the Sony Open as media for Tennis Panorama News (@TennisNewsTPN). She is a co-founder of The Changeover. Follow her on Twitter at @AmyFetherolf.

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