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Tennis fans know that this is the hardest part of the year. The excitement of the Australian Open primes us for another amazing season, but in reality, we are as far away from another major tournament as we ever will be. This year’s Aussie Open was thrilling with several upsets, emerging young stars, long matches, and drama brought on by grueling summer temperatures in Melbourne that were as hot as 111 degrees.
All these components contributed to late nights, a full DVR, and the WatchESPN app as many matches did not start until the early evening, with most of the higher seeded players playing in the wee hours of the morning. Yet red-eyed tennis fans all over Southern Utah were treated to some unbelievable matchups including another meeting between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal was able to survive a quarterfinal scare from Grigor Dimitrov, the up and coming face of the ATP, and also the other half to Maria Sharapova, or better known as Marigor.
However, Nadal was unable to overcome another one-handed backhand-swinging Swiss player in the final. Stanislas Wawrinka dominated a weary and hurting Nadal to capture his first grand slam title.
From the start of the match there was drama as Wawrinka, the first to enter the court, chose to sit on the side that Nadal always sits, right in front of Rafa’s players box. While this may not seem like a big deal to the tennis novice, those who understand realize that Nadal is obsessive compulsive while on the court, right down to sipping his electrolyte replenishing drink in exact succession to his water on each changeover, and then lining his water bottles in exact formation.
To be honest, that was just the beginning of his on-court OCD. A major change like the one Warwinka threw in had Nadal, the world’s No. 1 player, out of sorts and on the defensive from the outset. Warwinka coasted to victory, dropping only one set in the final.
The best part about the big tournaments is the chance to watch the stars from both the ATP and WTA as they converge on one location and play non-stop through the first week. Yet they seem so far away, Melbourne, Paris, London, and New York, Miami, Indian Wells.
Wait, Indian Wells? Yes, Indian Wells — four hours away, right next to Palm Springs.
This year’s, BNP Paribas Open runs March 3 through 16, with the world’s top players descending on the desert. The two weeks begin with free tennis, as WTA and ATP qualifying takes center stage.
Those two days can be extremely valuable, as many of the game’s biggest names taking advantage of the practice courts. So without even purchasing a ticket, fans can enter the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and take part in high-level tennis. This year’s tournament also provides a new experience, with an additional stadium court being added to the Garden. Not only will it house tennis matches, but it will also play host to high-end restaurants like Nobu. Oracle CEO and tournament owner Larry Ellison has brought a new level of prestige to the BNP Paribas Open, renovating the facility and raising the purse to attract the best players in the world.
If your schedule won’t allow you to attend this amazing tournament, The Spectrum & Daily News will bring you daily reports from the end of the first week through the middle of the second. But there is still time to join us down in the desert for a week of tennis and perfect weather.
Make your plans today to get over the worst time of the year — for tennis fans, anyway.
www-thespectrum-com/article/20140209/SPORTS/302090022/An-easy-fix-for-tennis-withdrawal
All these components contributed to late nights, a full DVR, and the WatchESPN app as many matches did not start until the early evening, with most of the higher seeded players playing in the wee hours of the morning. Yet red-eyed tennis fans all over Southern Utah were treated to some unbelievable matchups including another meeting between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal was able to survive a quarterfinal scare from Grigor Dimitrov, the up and coming face of the ATP, and also the other half to Maria Sharapova, or better known as Marigor.
However, Nadal was unable to overcome another one-handed backhand-swinging Swiss player in the final. Stanislas Wawrinka dominated a weary and hurting Nadal to capture his first grand slam title.
From the start of the match there was drama as Wawrinka, the first to enter the court, chose to sit on the side that Nadal always sits, right in front of Rafa’s players box. While this may not seem like a big deal to the tennis novice, those who understand realize that Nadal is obsessive compulsive while on the court, right down to sipping his electrolyte replenishing drink in exact succession to his water on each changeover, and then lining his water bottles in exact formation.
To be honest, that was just the beginning of his on-court OCD. A major change like the one Warwinka threw in had Nadal, the world’s No. 1 player, out of sorts and on the defensive from the outset. Warwinka coasted to victory, dropping only one set in the final.
The best part about the big tournaments is the chance to watch the stars from both the ATP and WTA as they converge on one location and play non-stop through the first week. Yet they seem so far away, Melbourne, Paris, London, and New York, Miami, Indian Wells.
Wait, Indian Wells? Yes, Indian Wells — four hours away, right next to Palm Springs.
This year’s, BNP Paribas Open runs March 3 through 16, with the world’s top players descending on the desert. The two weeks begin with free tennis, as WTA and ATP qualifying takes center stage.
Those two days can be extremely valuable, as many of the game’s biggest names taking advantage of the practice courts. So without even purchasing a ticket, fans can enter the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and take part in high-level tennis. This year’s tournament also provides a new experience, with an additional stadium court being added to the Garden. Not only will it house tennis matches, but it will also play host to high-end restaurants like Nobu. Oracle CEO and tournament owner Larry Ellison has brought a new level of prestige to the BNP Paribas Open, renovating the facility and raising the purse to attract the best players in the world.
If your schedule won’t allow you to attend this amazing tournament, The Spectrum & Daily News will bring you daily reports from the end of the first week through the middle of the second. But there is still time to join us down in the desert for a week of tennis and perfect weather.
Make your plans today to get over the worst time of the year — for tennis fans, anyway.
www-thespectrum-com/article/20140209/SPORTS/302090022/An-easy-fix-for-tennis-withdrawal
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Two-time former champion Venus Williams has been granted a wildcard and is set to return to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to join in the spectacular feast of top tennis action which is now just days away.
One of the greatest players in the history of the game, the former world number one, multi-Grand Slam winner and two time Dubai Champion will join a fantastic field that includes no less than six of the world’s top 10, including three other Dubai champions and one of the most exciting new names to join the elite at the top of the WTA Tour world rankings.
“Venus Williams is one of the greatest players of this century and it with great pleasure that we welcome her back to Dubai,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. “She has given us wonderful entertainment in her many previous visits to Dubai and despite the problems she has suffered with her health she continues to demonstrate that she is still one of the toughest competitors in the game.
“We look forward very much to seeing her compete against so many fine challengers who have also chosen to make the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships an essential stop in their schedule. It is an honour to have them here.” Williams first travelled to Dubai as long ago as 2002, losing in the semi-finals to Sandrine Testud. In 2004 she fell to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals, and on her third visit in 2005 she suffered a shock first round exit to Sylvia Farina.
But since then the American has remained unbeaten, claiming the title in both 2009 and 2010 when she became only the second woman along with four-time champion Justin Henin to win multiple titles here.
Along the way she overcame the very toughest opposition, including world number four Elena Dementieva and none other than her sister Serena, in a stunning 2009 semi-final that finished in a thrilling third set tiebreak.
Since those heady days Venus has suffered a major setback with her health as she suffers from the debilitating Sjogren’s Syndrome, which at one stage kept her off the WTA Tour for six months and threatened her very career.
But you can’t keep a great champion down, and she began the 2014 season by reaching the final in Auckland, where she eventually fell to Ana Ivanovic in three close sets. And that result came after she had enjoyed a successful second half of last season, when she beat world number two Victoria Azarenka on her way to the Tokyo semi-finals.
Earlier in the year she had also reached the semi-finals in Charleston, where she was beaten by her sister, and in Florianapolis. And, always a threat in doubles with Serena, the pair beat the world number one team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
Sport - Venus granted wildcard to compete in DDF Tennis
One of the greatest players in the history of the game, the former world number one, multi-Grand Slam winner and two time Dubai Champion will join a fantastic field that includes no less than six of the world’s top 10, including three other Dubai champions and one of the most exciting new names to join the elite at the top of the WTA Tour world rankings.
“Venus Williams is one of the greatest players of this century and it with great pleasure that we welcome her back to Dubai,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. “She has given us wonderful entertainment in her many previous visits to Dubai and despite the problems she has suffered with her health she continues to demonstrate that she is still one of the toughest competitors in the game.
“We look forward very much to seeing her compete against so many fine challengers who have also chosen to make the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships an essential stop in their schedule. It is an honour to have them here.” Williams first travelled to Dubai as long ago as 2002, losing in the semi-finals to Sandrine Testud. In 2004 she fell to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals, and on her third visit in 2005 she suffered a shock first round exit to Sylvia Farina.
But since then the American has remained unbeaten, claiming the title in both 2009 and 2010 when she became only the second woman along with four-time champion Justin Henin to win multiple titles here.
Along the way she overcame the very toughest opposition, including world number four Elena Dementieva and none other than her sister Serena, in a stunning 2009 semi-final that finished in a thrilling third set tiebreak.
Since those heady days Venus has suffered a major setback with her health as she suffers from the debilitating Sjogren’s Syndrome, which at one stage kept her off the WTA Tour for six months and threatened her very career.
But you can’t keep a great champion down, and she began the 2014 season by reaching the final in Auckland, where she eventually fell to Ana Ivanovic in three close sets. And that result came after she had enjoyed a successful second half of last season, when she beat world number two Victoria Azarenka on her way to the Tokyo semi-finals.
Earlier in the year she had also reached the semi-finals in Charleston, where she was beaten by her sister, and in Florianapolis. And, always a threat in doubles with Serena, the pair beat the world number one team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
Sport - Venus granted wildcard to compete in DDF Tennis
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2006/12/07
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Eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov won the match of the day Tuesday at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, when he overcame Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 for a place in the second round.
Tursunov could have led 3-0 in the opening set, but squandered a 40/15 lead in the third game. But he made amends in the second set, breaking Dimitrov’s serve to 15 for a 3-1 lead.
Dimitrov, the youngest member of the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 19, could not convert his first match point opportunity at 5-4 in the deciding, coming out second best in a 38-stroke rally. But he converted his second chance, with the match time at two hours, when Tursunov hit a half volley long.
Watch Tuesday Highlights
Marin Cilic returned to the court in Rotterdam earlier in the day, almost 48 hours after he had lifted his 10th ATP World Tour title and fourth crown at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors. The World No. 37 recorded his 10th match win of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Lukas Rosol on the indoor hard courts of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament. Cilic, a quarter-finalist in 2011, will next meet fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.
“In the first couple of games it was about getting used to the conditions,” said Cilic. “I then started to mix up my returns and he made some critical errors. I served very well and it was a solid match. Last week helped me a lot, playing five matches in a row at home. It gave me a lot of confidence. I always like playing indoors and I hope to continue to improve my game.”
Ernests Gulbis hit seven aces and lost just seven of his first service points to beat Denis Istomin 6-4, 7-6(4) in just over 90 minutes. He will next attempt to reach his second ATP World Tour quarter-final of the year, when he challenges eighth seed Dimitrov. Last month, Gulbis lost to Rafael Nadal in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open last eight.
Jerzy Janowicz improved to a 3-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Julien Benneteau, after fighting back for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under two hours. He will face the winner between Tommy Haas and Fernando Verdasco. Igor Sijsling knocked out seventh seed and 2007 champion Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-2, losing seven points on serve in the 75-minute encounter.
Buy Tickets | TV Schedule | Watch Live Online
Doubles Seeds Tumble Out; Rojer/Tecau In Form
Top seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo were upset in their first-round match for a second straight week, falling to Lukas Rosol and Andreas Seppi 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-6.
Johan Brunstrom and Jarkko Nieminen battled back from a 2-7 deficit in the Match Tie-break to defeat fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 7-6(4), 2-6, 11-9 in 86 minutes.
Last week's Zagreb champions, Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romanian Horia Tecau, prevailed against Michael Berrer and Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-5.
Dimitrov Battles Hard In Rotterdam - Tennis - ATP World Tour
Tursunov could have led 3-0 in the opening set, but squandered a 40/15 lead in the third game. But he made amends in the second set, breaking Dimitrov’s serve to 15 for a 3-1 lead.
Dimitrov, the youngest member of the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 19, could not convert his first match point opportunity at 5-4 in the deciding, coming out second best in a 38-stroke rally. But he converted his second chance, with the match time at two hours, when Tursunov hit a half volley long.
Watch Tuesday Highlights
Marin Cilic returned to the court in Rotterdam earlier in the day, almost 48 hours after he had lifted his 10th ATP World Tour title and fourth crown at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors. The World No. 37 recorded his 10th match win of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Lukas Rosol on the indoor hard courts of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament. Cilic, a quarter-finalist in 2011, will next meet fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.
“In the first couple of games it was about getting used to the conditions,” said Cilic. “I then started to mix up my returns and he made some critical errors. I served very well and it was a solid match. Last week helped me a lot, playing five matches in a row at home. It gave me a lot of confidence. I always like playing indoors and I hope to continue to improve my game.”
Ernests Gulbis hit seven aces and lost just seven of his first service points to beat Denis Istomin 6-4, 7-6(4) in just over 90 minutes. He will next attempt to reach his second ATP World Tour quarter-final of the year, when he challenges eighth seed Dimitrov. Last month, Gulbis lost to Rafael Nadal in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open last eight.
Jerzy Janowicz improved to a 3-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Julien Benneteau, after fighting back for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under two hours. He will face the winner between Tommy Haas and Fernando Verdasco. Igor Sijsling knocked out seventh seed and 2007 champion Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-2, losing seven points on serve in the 75-minute encounter.
Buy Tickets | TV Schedule | Watch Live Online
Doubles Seeds Tumble Out; Rojer/Tecau In Form
Top seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo were upset in their first-round match for a second straight week, falling to Lukas Rosol and Andreas Seppi 4-6, 7-6(2), 10-6.
Johan Brunstrom and Jarkko Nieminen battled back from a 2-7 deficit in the Match Tie-break to defeat fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 7-6(4), 2-6, 11-9 in 86 minutes.
Last week's Zagreb champions, Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romanian Horia Tecau, prevailed against Michael Berrer and Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-5.
Dimitrov Battles Hard In Rotterdam - Tennis - ATP World Tour
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2006/12/07
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From the rackets to the strokes used in the sport, Jon Guntley, director of tennis at Clark Francis Tennis, touches on all the important points a novice should.
It was the mid-1980s when the tennis bug bit a teenaged me, but which was very unenthusiastically welcomed by parents because they couldn’t afford time for a dedicated activity from their busy schedules or felt I was incapable of handling an intense sport such as tennis.
On my insistence, my father did request a friend, who happened to be one of the top players of the club we subscribed to, to coach me while he practised at the club. But, refused to buy me a racquet or any other equipment, until I really started to learn.
With dreams of being the next Steffi Graf I cleaned white “sports” shoes I wore to school and picked out my best casual clothes to start my training — only to watch my coach and his friend play at the court. Fifteen minutes or so before their time finished I was offered an old heavy racquet by my coach and asked to play.
Having played a few sessions of badminton, I’d got used to the low end serve and started my tennis training with that. Although he did point out I was wrong, my coach never really taught me the right technique to serve. Subsequent — and occasional — sessions resulted in 15-20 minutes of playtime.
By the time a month ended, due to the long waits on the court, the teenager in me slowly started losing interest (the fact that my coach scared me was another contributing factor).
Today I’m not sure whether it was my lack of enthusiasm or the family’s derisive outlook or my coach’s nonchalance that my father never bought me the tennis racquet.
My love for watching the sport died slowly sometime after Monica Seles got stabbed on court. But the lure stayed buried deep inside. And when you hear words that a person of “any age, any ability, any fitness can play this sport” you feel may be there’s still hope.
“[Tennis] is an open sport where everyone can fit in,” Jon Guntley, director of tennis at Clark Francis Tennis, told tabloid! last week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at The Aviation Club. “Any age, any ability, any fitness can play this sport, that’s the good thing about tennis. People take lessons for different reasons, may be fitness-related or to improve their technique or to become a champion. And tennis can be adapted to suit many different requirements.”
Guntley, who has been teaching with CFT for the last five years, feels, without age barriers it’s always better to teach someone who’s a tennis virgin.
“For someone who has never played [tennis], it’s easier for them to adapt because everything is new and fresh and they don’t have ‘bad habits’. You can have an adult who may have played tennis his whole life but without coaching, he may have bad habits with respect to the game which could be more difficult to undo and teach the correct way than somebody who’s never picked up a racquet before.”
Touching on important points that a novice should know, Guntley explains this much loved game. Excerpts:
What is the right age to start playing?
The ideal age to start is about four years. There are some three and half year olds who show promise, but at that age it’s crucial that concentration span is strong enough. Even a few months can make a big difference.
What kind of fitness and food regime should a player follow?
You cannot put too much weight and strength training on children because their muscles haven’t developed properly. What they should do is a lot of movement exercises. Nutrition wise, it’s important to follow a correct diet so that when they come for their physical activity, they have some energy inside them.
Does the sport have special attire?
Tennis has evolved. Only Wimbledon is now played in all white these days. What’s important is wearing the correct footwear. A lot of unexperienced people come with running shoes, which are designed to run forwards. Tennis requires a lot of lateral movement, so it is very important to have tennis shoes with no-marking soles to provide correct support around the ankle area. As for clothes, any sports attire is good to start with.
Is there a difference in the racquets used by the players?
Racquets are of different sizes, starting from 19 inches, from the top to the bottom of the handle. That is ideal for a four-year-old. Then, according to your size and age the length goes up — 19, 20, 23, 25, with a full size racquet of 27 inches. When you get to the full-sized adult racquet, which some of the older juniors can play with, and then there are different weight racquets.
Why do we see tennis players bounce on their feet, bent at the knees? Is it important?
This is taught from Day 1. This is what we call the Ready Position. This is important as it gives you the right support to return a serve or volley and face the ball with maximum acceleration. If the ready position is not right then you have little chance of returning the shot correctly.
Tell us about the different strokes used in tennis.
You have the serve, the volley, the forehand and the backhand — these are the basic shots (see glossary). Then you have the different variations of them on how to answer a shot. For a complete beginner, we get them started with these ground strokes, get them confident on the baseline and then introduce the serve and so on.
What are more popular in the UAE: grass or clay courts?
Neither grass nor clay [court] would be good for the climate we have in the UAE, purely because both are difficult to maintain. The weather is just too hot. But we have had a good bit of rain this year so it would be nice to have them here too.
The fundamentals of tennis for beginners | GulfNews-com
It was the mid-1980s when the tennis bug bit a teenaged me, but which was very unenthusiastically welcomed by parents because they couldn’t afford time for a dedicated activity from their busy schedules or felt I was incapable of handling an intense sport such as tennis.
On my insistence, my father did request a friend, who happened to be one of the top players of the club we subscribed to, to coach me while he practised at the club. But, refused to buy me a racquet or any other equipment, until I really started to learn.
With dreams of being the next Steffi Graf I cleaned white “sports” shoes I wore to school and picked out my best casual clothes to start my training — only to watch my coach and his friend play at the court. Fifteen minutes or so before their time finished I was offered an old heavy racquet by my coach and asked to play.
Having played a few sessions of badminton, I’d got used to the low end serve and started my tennis training with that. Although he did point out I was wrong, my coach never really taught me the right technique to serve. Subsequent — and occasional — sessions resulted in 15-20 minutes of playtime.
By the time a month ended, due to the long waits on the court, the teenager in me slowly started losing interest (the fact that my coach scared me was another contributing factor).
Today I’m not sure whether it was my lack of enthusiasm or the family’s derisive outlook or my coach’s nonchalance that my father never bought me the tennis racquet.
My love for watching the sport died slowly sometime after Monica Seles got stabbed on court. But the lure stayed buried deep inside. And when you hear words that a person of “any age, any ability, any fitness can play this sport” you feel may be there’s still hope.
“[Tennis] is an open sport where everyone can fit in,” Jon Guntley, director of tennis at Clark Francis Tennis, told tabloid! last week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at The Aviation Club. “Any age, any ability, any fitness can play this sport, that’s the good thing about tennis. People take lessons for different reasons, may be fitness-related or to improve their technique or to become a champion. And tennis can be adapted to suit many different requirements.”
Guntley, who has been teaching with CFT for the last five years, feels, without age barriers it’s always better to teach someone who’s a tennis virgin.
“For someone who has never played [tennis], it’s easier for them to adapt because everything is new and fresh and they don’t have ‘bad habits’. You can have an adult who may have played tennis his whole life but without coaching, he may have bad habits with respect to the game which could be more difficult to undo and teach the correct way than somebody who’s never picked up a racquet before.”
Touching on important points that a novice should know, Guntley explains this much loved game. Excerpts:
What is the right age to start playing?
The ideal age to start is about four years. There are some three and half year olds who show promise, but at that age it’s crucial that concentration span is strong enough. Even a few months can make a big difference.
What kind of fitness and food regime should a player follow?
You cannot put too much weight and strength training on children because their muscles haven’t developed properly. What they should do is a lot of movement exercises. Nutrition wise, it’s important to follow a correct diet so that when they come for their physical activity, they have some energy inside them.
Does the sport have special attire?
Tennis has evolved. Only Wimbledon is now played in all white these days. What’s important is wearing the correct footwear. A lot of unexperienced people come with running shoes, which are designed to run forwards. Tennis requires a lot of lateral movement, so it is very important to have tennis shoes with no-marking soles to provide correct support around the ankle area. As for clothes, any sports attire is good to start with.
Is there a difference in the racquets used by the players?
Racquets are of different sizes, starting from 19 inches, from the top to the bottom of the handle. That is ideal for a four-year-old. Then, according to your size and age the length goes up — 19, 20, 23, 25, with a full size racquet of 27 inches. When you get to the full-sized adult racquet, which some of the older juniors can play with, and then there are different weight racquets.
Why do we see tennis players bounce on their feet, bent at the knees? Is it important?
This is taught from Day 1. This is what we call the Ready Position. This is important as it gives you the right support to return a serve or volley and face the ball with maximum acceleration. If the ready position is not right then you have little chance of returning the shot correctly.
Tell us about the different strokes used in tennis.
You have the serve, the volley, the forehand and the backhand — these are the basic shots (see glossary). Then you have the different variations of them on how to answer a shot. For a complete beginner, we get them started with these ground strokes, get them confident on the baseline and then introduce the serve and so on.
What are more popular in the UAE: grass or clay courts?
Neither grass nor clay [court] would be good for the climate we have in the UAE, purely because both are difficult to maintain. The weather is just too hot. But we have had a good bit of rain this year so it would be nice to have them here too.
The fundamentals of tennis for beginners | GulfNews-com
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The hope of an all-Williams final at the Dubai Championships ended on the racket of Frenchwoman Alize Cornet on Friday.
The 26th-ranked Cornet scored her first career victory over a No. 1 player when she upset Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4.
"I'm so excited," Cornet said, smiling broadly. "I didn't expect that definitely, and I'm really, really happy and proud of myself.
"She's one -- or maybe -- 'the' biggest champion of history, and, wow, just thinking that I beat her today."
Earlier in the day, Venus Williams earned her spot in the final when she dominated eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-2.
Serena Williams, playing in her first tournament since losing in the Australian Open fourth round, offered no excuses. She said her back, which had been hurting in recent weeks, was fine.
"I'm a wee bit embarrassed," said Williams, who started laughing. "She played really well. I just didn't play today.
"I tried, though. I don't think I have made that many errors in a match in I think at least three years, maybe four years."
Williams gave herself a failing grade for being unable to find a winning formula for the match: "I think out of a 10, I was at like a negative 283."
Cornet won the first set when Williams flinched while serving in the ninth game.
Cornet, who reached the Paris Indoors semifinal earlier this month, took advantage of her one-set point in the 10th game with a winning backhand down the line.
The Frenchwoman then jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the second set, but Williams rebounded.
Cornet broke Williams' serve again in the seventh game with a winning forehand down the line.
Williams fought off four match points on her own serve in the ninth game, but Cornet served out the match at love.
"I know her, and I know she feels the moment when she has to put more into making the opponent feel that she's still here," Cornet said. "But I did it, too. I showed her that I would be there till the end.
"So when she was screaming louder, I was screaming louder. She was hitting harder, I was hitting harder."
In contrast to her sister, the 44th-ranked Venus Williams has been playing top level tennis all week long in Dubai.
A former two-time Dubai champion in 2009 and 2010, Williams currently holds a 14-match winning streak at the tournament. She didn't play in this event between 2011 and 2013.
"I feel like I've just gotten so much better since my first round to now, just feeling comfortable on the court, feeling comfortable when I'm behind, feeling comfortable when I'm in the lead," Williams said.
Williams, who lost the Auckland final to Ana Ivanovic last month, lost an early 2-0 lead in the first set. But from 2-2, Williams always held the lead in the match.
Williams failed to serve out the first set at 5-2, surrendering that eighth game at love. Wozniacki, however, surrendered her serve -- and the first set -- on a second set point in the next game
Williams broke Wozniacki's serve at 15-40 with a textbook backhand volley for a 2-0 lead in the second set. She broke serve again in the eighth game for the win.
"I didn't really feel like I could go out and play what I wanted to play," said Wozniacki, who won the Dubai trophy in 2011. "Once I got going, she started to play better as well. It was kind of uphill today."
Venus Williams holds a 3-0 lead in matches played against Cornet.
Read More: Venus Williams rolls into final at Dubai Championships - Tennis - SI-com
The 26th-ranked Cornet scored her first career victory over a No. 1 player when she upset Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4.
"I'm so excited," Cornet said, smiling broadly. "I didn't expect that definitely, and I'm really, really happy and proud of myself.
"She's one -- or maybe -- 'the' biggest champion of history, and, wow, just thinking that I beat her today."
Earlier in the day, Venus Williams earned her spot in the final when she dominated eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-2.
Serena Williams, playing in her first tournament since losing in the Australian Open fourth round, offered no excuses. She said her back, which had been hurting in recent weeks, was fine.
"I'm a wee bit embarrassed," said Williams, who started laughing. "She played really well. I just didn't play today.
"I tried, though. I don't think I have made that many errors in a match in I think at least three years, maybe four years."
Williams gave herself a failing grade for being unable to find a winning formula for the match: "I think out of a 10, I was at like a negative 283."
Cornet won the first set when Williams flinched while serving in the ninth game.
Cornet, who reached the Paris Indoors semifinal earlier this month, took advantage of her one-set point in the 10th game with a winning backhand down the line.
The Frenchwoman then jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the second set, but Williams rebounded.
Cornet broke Williams' serve again in the seventh game with a winning forehand down the line.
Williams fought off four match points on her own serve in the ninth game, but Cornet served out the match at love.
"I know her, and I know she feels the moment when she has to put more into making the opponent feel that she's still here," Cornet said. "But I did it, too. I showed her that I would be there till the end.
"So when she was screaming louder, I was screaming louder. She was hitting harder, I was hitting harder."
In contrast to her sister, the 44th-ranked Venus Williams has been playing top level tennis all week long in Dubai.
A former two-time Dubai champion in 2009 and 2010, Williams currently holds a 14-match winning streak at the tournament. She didn't play in this event between 2011 and 2013.
"I feel like I've just gotten so much better since my first round to now, just feeling comfortable on the court, feeling comfortable when I'm behind, feeling comfortable when I'm in the lead," Williams said.
Williams, who lost the Auckland final to Ana Ivanovic last month, lost an early 2-0 lead in the first set. But from 2-2, Williams always held the lead in the match.
Williams failed to serve out the first set at 5-2, surrendering that eighth game at love. Wozniacki, however, surrendered her serve -- and the first set -- on a second set point in the next game
Williams broke Wozniacki's serve at 15-40 with a textbook backhand volley for a 2-0 lead in the second set. She broke serve again in the eighth game for the win.
"I didn't really feel like I could go out and play what I wanted to play," said Wozniacki, who won the Dubai trophy in 2011. "Once I got going, she started to play better as well. It was kind of uphill today."
Venus Williams holds a 3-0 lead in matches played against Cornet.
Read More: Venus Williams rolls into final at Dubai Championships - Tennis - SI-com
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Top-ranked Rafael Nadal survived a scare at the Rio Open on Saturday, fighting off two match points before defeating fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10) to advance to the final.
Nadal will next face Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, who upset second-seeded David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 on Rio's outdoor clay.
Nadal has been almost unbeatable on clay in his career, compiling a 297-21 record, the best in the Open era. His last loss on the surface was 10 months ago against Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters.
But this was not his night as he needed nearly three hours to defeat Andujar. Nadal is returning from a back injury he sustained in the final of the Australian Open four weeks ago - a match he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka.
''I felt empty the whole match,'' he said. ''It was very humid, and this was the toughest day of all. I just didn't feel that great physically, and I'm not talking about the back. I just didn't feel that great.
''It was close because he played well, and I didn't play my best,'' Nadal added.
Nadal acknowledged his victory was lucky.
''The tiebreak was a lottery,'' he said. ''But I played better in the tiebreak than the rest of the match.''
Andujar had two match points in the third-set tiebreaker but couldn't convert either.
''I played one of the best matches of my life,'' he said. ''Maybe the best. But I had a great one across (the net) from me.''
Dolgopolov, who had beaten Ferrer only once in seven previous matches, won handily and didn't flinch.
''I always have these type matches with him, and usually at the end he would beat me,'' the Ukrainian said. ''I knew I'd have to make those shots. If you don't win the points against him, he takes it away. I'm really happy I didn't get tight and give away a lot of shots.''
Dolgopolov has won two previous ATP titles. Ferrer won the Copa Claro last weekend in Buenos Aires, his third consecutive title in that clay-court event. He has 21 ATP titles.
In the women's tournament, top-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic and fifth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan will face off in the final.
Zakopalova defeated local hope Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-1, and Nara won over Nastassja Burnett of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Zakopalova will be aiming for her third WTA singles title. She won two in 2004, and has since been a losing finalist 11 times.
This will be Nara's first WTA singles final.
''I'm very surprised because it's on a clay court,'' said Nara, a university student who prefers hard courts.
Read More: Rafael Nadal, Alexandr Dolgopolov advance to Rio Open final - Tennis - SI-com
Nadal will next face Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, who upset second-seeded David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 on Rio's outdoor clay.
Nadal has been almost unbeatable on clay in his career, compiling a 297-21 record, the best in the Open era. His last loss on the surface was 10 months ago against Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters.
But this was not his night as he needed nearly three hours to defeat Andujar. Nadal is returning from a back injury he sustained in the final of the Australian Open four weeks ago - a match he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka.
''I felt empty the whole match,'' he said. ''It was very humid, and this was the toughest day of all. I just didn't feel that great physically, and I'm not talking about the back. I just didn't feel that great.
''It was close because he played well, and I didn't play my best,'' Nadal added.
Nadal acknowledged his victory was lucky.
''The tiebreak was a lottery,'' he said. ''But I played better in the tiebreak than the rest of the match.''
Andujar had two match points in the third-set tiebreaker but couldn't convert either.
''I played one of the best matches of my life,'' he said. ''Maybe the best. But I had a great one across (the net) from me.''
Dolgopolov, who had beaten Ferrer only once in seven previous matches, won handily and didn't flinch.
''I always have these type matches with him, and usually at the end he would beat me,'' the Ukrainian said. ''I knew I'd have to make those shots. If you don't win the points against him, he takes it away. I'm really happy I didn't get tight and give away a lot of shots.''
Dolgopolov has won two previous ATP titles. Ferrer won the Copa Claro last weekend in Buenos Aires, his third consecutive title in that clay-court event. He has 21 ATP titles.
In the women's tournament, top-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic and fifth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan will face off in the final.
Zakopalova defeated local hope Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-1, and Nara won over Nastassja Burnett of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Zakopalova will be aiming for her third WTA singles title. She won two in 2004, and has since been a losing finalist 11 times.
This will be Nara's first WTA singles final.
''I'm very surprised because it's on a clay court,'' said Nara, a university student who prefers hard courts.
Read More: Rafael Nadal, Alexandr Dolgopolov advance to Rio Open final - Tennis - SI-com
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Roger Federer believes Rafael Nadal is capable of taking his record of most Grand Slam wins, but has revealed he still has the hunger and desire to add to his current tally.
Federer has won 17 majors throughout his illustrious career and overtook Pete Sampras' total of 14 in 2009.
And Nadal, who lifted the French and US Opens last year to move onto 13 Grand Slams, stands at four majors behind Federer, and at the age of 27 is tipped by many to surpass the current record.
"Could Rafa [Nadal] eclipse my [Grand Slam] record? Yeah, absolutely," Federer said on the eve of participating at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begins on Monday.
"But the good thing is I am still playing and my goal is to add more titles to my count - and not just Grand Slam titles. I love any tennis tournament I play in and Dubai is an important tournament for me."
Federer is gunning for a sixth crown in Dubai, but is likely to face stiff competition from current champion Novak Djokovic, who is aiming to triumph for a fifth time.
The pair have won the tournament in nine of the past 11 years, and have been placed in the same half of the draw, meaning they could face each other in the semi-finals.
Federer, who reached the last four of the Australian Open after solid wins over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray, believes he is playing something close to his best after encountering a difficult 2013, where he won just one title and lost during the early rounds of events.
"I am playing top tennis. For me it's just a matter of staying healthy, staying consistent and getting to semis and finals. I feel as if I'm in as good a shape as I have been for a year, so that's very encouraging. I feel my best tennis is around the corner," Federer said.
Federer trained in Dubai during the off-season, and with childhood hero Stefan Edberg teaming up with the Swiss as his coach is pleased with the way his year has panned out so far, having battled with a back problem during the middle part of the campaign.
"I know I've said that a few times, but this time I really feel it's the case. I have zero pain and spent a very encouraging month in Dubai training in December. I am confident for the year ahead," he said.
Federer is also playing with a new, larger racquet frame, one that he briefly tested last year but quickly ditched after a string of poor results. And on the new equipment, he has been encouraged by the outcome.
"I've only been playing with the racquet for a few months now, but it feels much longer," he said. "The good thing is I am not thinking about it. It's been a good switch," he said.
Read more at Roger Federer: Rafael Nadal can eclipse my Grand Slam record | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
Federer has won 17 majors throughout his illustrious career and overtook Pete Sampras' total of 14 in 2009.
And Nadal, who lifted the French and US Opens last year to move onto 13 Grand Slams, stands at four majors behind Federer, and at the age of 27 is tipped by many to surpass the current record.
"Could Rafa [Nadal] eclipse my [Grand Slam] record? Yeah, absolutely," Federer said on the eve of participating at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begins on Monday.
"But the good thing is I am still playing and my goal is to add more titles to my count - and not just Grand Slam titles. I love any tennis tournament I play in and Dubai is an important tournament for me."
Federer is gunning for a sixth crown in Dubai, but is likely to face stiff competition from current champion Novak Djokovic, who is aiming to triumph for a fifth time.
The pair have won the tournament in nine of the past 11 years, and have been placed in the same half of the draw, meaning they could face each other in the semi-finals.
Federer, who reached the last four of the Australian Open after solid wins over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray, believes he is playing something close to his best after encountering a difficult 2013, where he won just one title and lost during the early rounds of events.
"I am playing top tennis. For me it's just a matter of staying healthy, staying consistent and getting to semis and finals. I feel as if I'm in as good a shape as I have been for a year, so that's very encouraging. I feel my best tennis is around the corner," Federer said.
Federer trained in Dubai during the off-season, and with childhood hero Stefan Edberg teaming up with the Swiss as his coach is pleased with the way his year has panned out so far, having battled with a back problem during the middle part of the campaign.
"I know I've said that a few times, but this time I really feel it's the case. I have zero pain and spent a very encouraging month in Dubai training in December. I am confident for the year ahead," he said.
Federer is also playing with a new, larger racquet frame, one that he briefly tested last year but quickly ditched after a string of poor results. And on the new equipment, he has been encouraged by the outcome.
"I've only been playing with the racquet for a few months now, but it feels much longer," he said. "The good thing is I am not thinking about it. It's been a good switch," he said.
Read more at Roger Federer: Rafael Nadal can eclipse my Grand Slam record | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
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A ruling by the chair umpire stands.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the Tennis Channel's petition to overturn an appeals court ruling that Comcast Corp. had operated within its rights when it placed Tennis Channel in a sports package with limited distribution.
The Supreme Court's denial seems to slam the door on the Tennis Channel's marathon legal case against the nation's largest cable television operator.
"We are pleased that the finding by the lower court that Comcast did not discriminate against Tennis Channel will stand," Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast's vice president of government communications, said in a statement.
In May, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Comcast, saying Tennis Channel had failed to prove that Comcast had discriminated against it by placing the channel in a higher-priced sports tier with fewer subscribers.
ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll
The independently owned Santa Monica TV network has been lobbying for at least four years to be included in Comcast's basic service package that serves more than 21 million homes.
Tennis Channel argued that it should be placed on equal footing with two sports channels that Comcast owns that are included in Comcast's basic service package: the Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network.
Last year's appeals court decision reversed a controversial 2012 finding by the Federal Communications Commission. A divided FCC found that Comcast had illegally put Tennis Channel at a competitive disadvantage by placing it in the higher-priced tier. Comcast provides the sports channels it owns to all of its subscribers.
The commission ordered Comcast to remedy the situation. But Comcast appealed the FCC decision
Tennis Channel had been banking on scoring more subscribers, which could have boosted the size of the channel's audience, leading to tens of millions of dollars more through increased advertising sales and additional subscriber fees.
“We are disappointed that the Supreme Court chose not to hear the case," Tennis Channel said in a statement. "This is not, of course, a decision on its merits, and not entirely surprising given the Court’s crowded docket."
"There remain a number of available options for Tennis Channel in the case, and we are considering our next steps," the channel said.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Tennis Channel-Comcast case - latimes-com
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the Tennis Channel's petition to overturn an appeals court ruling that Comcast Corp. had operated within its rights when it placed Tennis Channel in a sports package with limited distribution.
The Supreme Court's denial seems to slam the door on the Tennis Channel's marathon legal case against the nation's largest cable television operator.
"We are pleased that the finding by the lower court that Comcast did not discriminate against Tennis Channel will stand," Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast's vice president of government communications, said in a statement.
In May, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Comcast, saying Tennis Channel had failed to prove that Comcast had discriminated against it by placing the channel in a higher-priced sports tier with fewer subscribers.
ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll
The independently owned Santa Monica TV network has been lobbying for at least four years to be included in Comcast's basic service package that serves more than 21 million homes.
Tennis Channel argued that it should be placed on equal footing with two sports channels that Comcast owns that are included in Comcast's basic service package: the Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network.
Last year's appeals court decision reversed a controversial 2012 finding by the Federal Communications Commission. A divided FCC found that Comcast had illegally put Tennis Channel at a competitive disadvantage by placing it in the higher-priced tier. Comcast provides the sports channels it owns to all of its subscribers.
The commission ordered Comcast to remedy the situation. But Comcast appealed the FCC decision
Tennis Channel had been banking on scoring more subscribers, which could have boosted the size of the channel's audience, leading to tens of millions of dollars more through increased advertising sales and additional subscriber fees.
“We are disappointed that the Supreme Court chose not to hear the case," Tennis Channel said in a statement. "This is not, of course, a decision on its merits, and not entirely surprising given the Court’s crowded docket."
"There remain a number of available options for Tennis Channel in the case, and we are considering our next steps," the channel said.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Tennis Channel-Comcast case - latimes-com
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Rafael Nadal is believed to have committed to the controversial new International Premier Tennis League - the sport's answer to cricket's money-spinning Indian Premier League.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the world No.1 will become the highest-profile player involved in the launch of the competition at an auction among teams in Dubai this weekend.
As one of the marquee names in the scheme, developed by Indian doubles player Mahesh Bhupati, Nadal is believed to be earning $1 million (£600,000) a night for his contribution.
Andy Murray is understood to still be in discussions with Bhupathi, who worked on Murray's commercial team last year.
One ground rule of the competition, which takes place between November 28 and December 20, is that grand slam winners and players who have reached the No.1 spot in the rankings can nominate which matches they play and which players they avoid.
Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Singapore and Hong Kong will all host matches.
On the women's side, two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and Polish No.1 Agnieszka Radwanska are also believed to have signed up to the project.
Read more at Rafael Nadal set to rake in £600k a night in tennis' answer to cricket's IPL | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
The Daily Telegraph reports that the world No.1 will become the highest-profile player involved in the launch of the competition at an auction among teams in Dubai this weekend.
As one of the marquee names in the scheme, developed by Indian doubles player Mahesh Bhupati, Nadal is believed to be earning $1 million (£600,000) a night for his contribution.
Andy Murray is understood to still be in discussions with Bhupathi, who worked on Murray's commercial team last year.
One ground rule of the competition, which takes place between November 28 and December 20, is that grand slam winners and players who have reached the No.1 spot in the rankings can nominate which matches they play and which players they avoid.
Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Singapore and Hong Kong will all host matches.
On the women's side, two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and Polish No.1 Agnieszka Radwanska are also believed to have signed up to the project.
Read more at Rafael Nadal set to rake in £600k a night in tennis' answer to cricket's IPL | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
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Roger Federer had to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the deciding set to beat Radek Stepanek 6-2 6-7(4) 6-3 and advance to the quarter-final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Federer impressively took the opening set in 33 minutes after establishing his advantage with 10 winners in 12 shots and committing only four unforced errors.
Stepanek broke serve early in the second but Federer recovered when his opponent was serving for the set at 5-4. However, a 6-2 lead in the tie-break helped Stepanek claim his first set over Federer since 2008.
The momentum shifted the Czech's way as he broke early again in the decider and was close to taking a three-game lead. However, five games on the bounce helped Federer restore the advantage as he completed victory in just over two hours on court.
Federer will now play Lukas Rosol in the last eight after the world No.49 enjoyed a 6-4 7-6(4) victory over eighth seed Dmitry Tursunov.
Top seed Novak Djokovic needed less than an hour on court to record a 6-1 6-3 win over Roberto Bautista Agut and keep hopes of a semi-final clash with Federer alive.
Djokovic raced through the opening set in 23 minutes and, despite being broken when 5-2 up in the second, easily saw out the match.
Elsewhere, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained a free passage to the quarter-final after opponent Nikolay Davydenko retired. Tsonga will now face Tomas Berdych after the third seed saw off Sergiy Stakhovskiy with a 6-2 6-1 win in just under an hour on court.
Wildcard James Ward was beaten 6-1 7-6(3) by sixth seed Mikhail Youzhny , Philipp Kohlschreiber enjoyed a 6-3 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi and wildcard Malek Jaziri reached the final eight with a 6-3 7-5 triumph over Somdev Devverman.
Read more at Roger Federer beats Radek Stepanek to reach Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-finals | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
Federer impressively took the opening set in 33 minutes after establishing his advantage with 10 winners in 12 shots and committing only four unforced errors.
Stepanek broke serve early in the second but Federer recovered when his opponent was serving for the set at 5-4. However, a 6-2 lead in the tie-break helped Stepanek claim his first set over Federer since 2008.
The momentum shifted the Czech's way as he broke early again in the decider and was close to taking a three-game lead. However, five games on the bounce helped Federer restore the advantage as he completed victory in just over two hours on court.
Federer will now play Lukas Rosol in the last eight after the world No.49 enjoyed a 6-4 7-6(4) victory over eighth seed Dmitry Tursunov.
Top seed Novak Djokovic needed less than an hour on court to record a 6-1 6-3 win over Roberto Bautista Agut and keep hopes of a semi-final clash with Federer alive.
Djokovic raced through the opening set in 23 minutes and, despite being broken when 5-2 up in the second, easily saw out the match.
Elsewhere, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained a free passage to the quarter-final after opponent Nikolay Davydenko retired. Tsonga will now face Tomas Berdych after the third seed saw off Sergiy Stakhovskiy with a 6-2 6-1 win in just under an hour on court.
Wildcard James Ward was beaten 6-1 7-6(3) by sixth seed Mikhail Youzhny , Philipp Kohlschreiber enjoyed a 6-3 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi and wildcard Malek Jaziri reached the final eight with a 6-3 7-5 triumph over Somdev Devverman.
Read more at Roger Federer beats Radek Stepanek to reach Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-finals | Tennis News | ESPN.co.uk
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Roger Federer set up a blockbuster semi-final against Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after he recorded his 40th match win at the Aviation Club, venue of the ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tournament, on Thursday night.
Fourth seed Federer, a five-time former champion, defeated Lukas Rosol, contesting their first meeting, 6-2, 6-2 in just 58 minutes. He now takes a 16-15 lead over top seed and four-time titlist Novak Djokovic into Friday’s clash. Djokovic will be attempting to register the 550th match win of his career.
The Rivalry: Federer vs. Djokovic
Looking ahead to the semi-finals, Federer said, "We know each other very well, and we've played each other everywhere and [on] all the surfaces, you name it. I think we always play the match-up actually very good, because we play explosive, aggressive tennis, so there is always some shot-making going on. I'm looking forward to the match. One match, best of three sets on a court like this, it's a bit of ‘let's see what happens’, anyway. We both know that." Federer bounced back from an 0-2 deficit against Rosol in the first set, which lasted 28 minutes, to lose just six points in the next six games. Federer broke Rosol to love in the third game of the second set and didn't look back.
"When you play someone for the first time, you never quite know what his best level is or his normal level is," admitted Federer, when asked how he felt when Rosol took a 2-0 lead. "That's why you kind of keep pushing on, and that's also why I guess the score came out the way it did, because I never let go. I always kept making returns, made sure he had to work hard.
"Yesterday [against Radek Stepanek], I think I actually played okay. I just didn't serve well. Maybe could argue that Radek is a better return player than Rosol is and all these things, but still I did serve much more clutch today when I needed to, which didn't work at all yesterday."
Fourth seed Federer, a five-time former champion, defeated Lukas Rosol, contesting their first meeting, 6-2, 6-2 in just 58 minutes. He now takes a 16-15 lead over top seed and four-time titlist Novak Djokovic into Friday’s clash. Djokovic will be attempting to register the 550th match win of his career.
The Rivalry: Federer vs. Djokovic
Looking ahead to the semi-finals, Federer said, "We know each other very well, and we've played each other everywhere and [on] all the surfaces, you name it. I think we always play the match-up actually very good, because we play explosive, aggressive tennis, so there is always some shot-making going on. I'm looking forward to the match. One match, best of three sets on a court like this, it's a bit of ‘let's see what happens’, anyway. We both know that." Federer bounced back from an 0-2 deficit against Rosol in the first set, which lasted 28 minutes, to lose just six points in the next six games. Federer broke Rosol to love in the third game of the second set and didn't look back.
"When you play someone for the first time, you never quite know what his best level is or his normal level is," admitted Federer, when asked how he felt when Rosol took a 2-0 lead. "That's why you kind of keep pushing on, and that's also why I guess the score came out the way it did, because I never let go. I always kept making returns, made sure he had to work hard.
"Yesterday [against Radek Stepanek], I think I actually played okay. I just didn't serve well. Maybe could argue that Radek is a better return player than Rosol is and all these things, but still I did serve much more clutch today when I needed to, which didn't work at all yesterday."
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The second seed rallied back from a dismal opening set to post a 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2 win over the Frenchman, seeded sixth at the tournament in Mexico.
Murray had struggled in the opening set against his first-round opponent Pablo Andujar, losing the first five games of that match, and the Scot was again slow off the mark against Simon.
The world number seven managed just one game in the first set and was only marginally more successful in the second, falling behind 2-4 and then 3-5 as Simon closed in on victory.
But Murray dug deep into his reserves to break back and then claim the set on a tie-break.
The third finally saw Murray back to something resembling his best as he swept aside Simon to open up a 3-0 lead that he never looked back from.
"In all the matches so far this week, I have not started very well," the world number seven said, conceding he did not know what was to blame for his tardy openings.
"I lost my first service game in every match and that has not helped because my opponents have gained confidence and played very good tennis.
"It's not easy starting every match from behind. I managed to turn the game at the end of the second set, started to play a little bit better. I was making sure I was not making so many unforced errors," the Scot added.
"I found a way to win the match even though I was feeling I was not playing my best tennis. I'm glad that I managed to do that.
"Maybe I just try and warm-up better, maybe practice a little bit closer to the matches."
Murray, in his first semi-final since undergoing back surgery last September, next plays Grigor Dimitrov, who needed two hours and 40 minutes to battle past Ernests Gulbis 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 in the final quarter-final match of the day on Cancha Central.
Earlier, top seed and three times winner in Acapulco David Ferrer was forced to retire with a muscle strain in his match with Kevin Anderson.
The Spaniard had won the first set 6-2 before Anderson rallied in the second and the South African was leading 4-2 when Ferrer called a halt to proceedings.
Anderson will play Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the final after the Ukrainian beat Croat Ivo Karlovic 6-4 7-6(4).
Acapulco International results
Quarter-finals
2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat 6-Gilles Simon (France) 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2
4-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat 7-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5
5-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 1-David Ferrer (Spain) 2-6 4-2 (Ferrer retired)
Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(4)
Tennis - Murray reaches Acapulco semis despite another shaky start - Yahoo Eurosport UK
Murray had struggled in the opening set against his first-round opponent Pablo Andujar, losing the first five games of that match, and the Scot was again slow off the mark against Simon.
The world number seven managed just one game in the first set and was only marginally more successful in the second, falling behind 2-4 and then 3-5 as Simon closed in on victory.
But Murray dug deep into his reserves to break back and then claim the set on a tie-break.
The third finally saw Murray back to something resembling his best as he swept aside Simon to open up a 3-0 lead that he never looked back from.
"In all the matches so far this week, I have not started very well," the world number seven said, conceding he did not know what was to blame for his tardy openings.
"I lost my first service game in every match and that has not helped because my opponents have gained confidence and played very good tennis.
"It's not easy starting every match from behind. I managed to turn the game at the end of the second set, started to play a little bit better. I was making sure I was not making so many unforced errors," the Scot added.
"I found a way to win the match even though I was feeling I was not playing my best tennis. I'm glad that I managed to do that.
"Maybe I just try and warm-up better, maybe practice a little bit closer to the matches."
Murray, in his first semi-final since undergoing back surgery last September, next plays Grigor Dimitrov, who needed two hours and 40 minutes to battle past Ernests Gulbis 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 in the final quarter-final match of the day on Cancha Central.
Earlier, top seed and three times winner in Acapulco David Ferrer was forced to retire with a muscle strain in his match with Kevin Anderson.
The Spaniard had won the first set 6-2 before Anderson rallied in the second and the South African was leading 4-2 when Ferrer called a halt to proceedings.
Anderson will play Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the final after the Ukrainian beat Croat Ivo Karlovic 6-4 7-6(4).
Acapulco International results
Quarter-finals
2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat 6-Gilles Simon (France) 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2
4-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat 7-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5
5-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 1-David Ferrer (Spain) 2-6 4-2 (Ferrer retired)
Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(4)
Tennis - Murray reaches Acapulco semis despite another shaky start - Yahoo Eurosport UK
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Roger Federer won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the sixth time on Saturday as he rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
"I was happy I was able to use momentum, win that second set, and then it was a tough opening period in the third, wasting the Love-40 game on Tomas' first service game," said Federer. "Then saving break points myself. Anything could have happened there.
"Things definitely went my way out here tonight, but I have had a lot tougher matches in the last one and a half years, so this is nice to get a lucky break again."
The 32-year-old Federer won his 78th tour-level title, taking him above John McEnroe to standalone third in the all-time title leaders list. The Swiss has won at least one ATP World Tour title every year since 2001 and Saturday’s victory saw him pass the $80m mark in career earnings.
Federer received 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $465,830 as he improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Berdych to 12-6. He had lost his past two meetings with the Czech, in the 2012 US Open quarter-finals and in the Dubai semi-finals last year. Breaks were exchanged in the opening stages of the match before Berdych broke decisively in the sixth game to ultimately take the opener. The Czech looked to be on course for his second ATP World Tour title in three weeks as he went a break up to lead 3-2 in the second set as Federer went wide with a forehand.
But Berdych blinked. The Czech immediately handed the break back to Federer with an error-strewn game. Seizing the momentum, Federer then broke to love in the 10th game to level the match. The Swiss went all out at the start of the third set, looking to capitalise on his change in fortunes. He had a 0/40 opportunity on Berdych’s serve in the second game, but the Czech reeled off five straight points to level.
Federer then saved a break point of his own in the following game before finally getting his break in the fourth game as a Berdych forehand landed long. He went on to claim victory in just under two hours. Federer has a 42-5 event record in Dubai, previously lifting the trophy in 2003-05, 2007 and 2012. He improved to a 14-2 record through the first two months of the season, finishing runner-up in Brisbane (l. to Hewitt) and reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open (l. to Nadal).
Berdych had been looking to go one better than last year, when he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the final. The Czech was denied a second crack at Djokovic when the Serb’s reign in the desert was ended in the semi-finals by Federer.
"I would say many things [went wrong]," lamented Berdych. "The match started pretty well. I had really many chances, and then I basically just gave him the game and that's it.
"It's very disappointing for me the way I handled that situation. I was in the better shape and playing really well and made my chances, but unfortunately I didn't execute it in the end.
"I'm quite good in that I don't keep the losses in my head for a long time. I will definitely try to learn from the mistakes in the second set. I will just try to take positives from that and just leave all the negatives behind."
The 28-year-old Berdych had been on an 11-match winning run, having won his ninth ATP World Tour title two weeks ago in Rotterdam (d. Cilic). He dropped to a 9-12 finals record.
Roger Federer Rallies To Win Sixth Dubai Crown - Tennis - ATP World Tour
"I was happy I was able to use momentum, win that second set, and then it was a tough opening period in the third, wasting the Love-40 game on Tomas' first service game," said Federer. "Then saving break points myself. Anything could have happened there.
"Things definitely went my way out here tonight, but I have had a lot tougher matches in the last one and a half years, so this is nice to get a lucky break again."
The 32-year-old Federer won his 78th tour-level title, taking him above John McEnroe to standalone third in the all-time title leaders list. The Swiss has won at least one ATP World Tour title every year since 2001 and Saturday’s victory saw him pass the $80m mark in career earnings.
Federer received 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $465,830 as he improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Berdych to 12-6. He had lost his past two meetings with the Czech, in the 2012 US Open quarter-finals and in the Dubai semi-finals last year. Breaks were exchanged in the opening stages of the match before Berdych broke decisively in the sixth game to ultimately take the opener. The Czech looked to be on course for his second ATP World Tour title in three weeks as he went a break up to lead 3-2 in the second set as Federer went wide with a forehand.
But Berdych blinked. The Czech immediately handed the break back to Federer with an error-strewn game. Seizing the momentum, Federer then broke to love in the 10th game to level the match. The Swiss went all out at the start of the third set, looking to capitalise on his change in fortunes. He had a 0/40 opportunity on Berdych’s serve in the second game, but the Czech reeled off five straight points to level.
Federer then saved a break point of his own in the following game before finally getting his break in the fourth game as a Berdych forehand landed long. He went on to claim victory in just under two hours. Federer has a 42-5 event record in Dubai, previously lifting the trophy in 2003-05, 2007 and 2012. He improved to a 14-2 record through the first two months of the season, finishing runner-up in Brisbane (l. to Hewitt) and reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open (l. to Nadal).
Berdych had been looking to go one better than last year, when he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the final. The Czech was denied a second crack at Djokovic when the Serb’s reign in the desert was ended in the semi-finals by Federer.
"I would say many things [went wrong]," lamented Berdych. "The match started pretty well. I had really many chances, and then I basically just gave him the game and that's it.
"It's very disappointing for me the way I handled that situation. I was in the better shape and playing really well and made my chances, but unfortunately I didn't execute it in the end.
"I'm quite good in that I don't keep the losses in my head for a long time. I will definitely try to learn from the mistakes in the second set. I will just try to take positives from that and just leave all the negatives behind."
The 28-year-old Berdych had been on an 11-match winning run, having won his ninth ATP World Tour title two weeks ago in Rotterdam (d. Cilic). He dropped to a 9-12 finals record.
Roger Federer Rallies To Win Sixth Dubai Crown - Tennis - ATP World Tour
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Mahesh Bhupathi, the impresario behind the launch of the International Premier Tennis League, has put his plane on the runway by allocating 28 leading players – including Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams – into four squads for his city-based tournament.
How high will the plane fly? The signs are positive, yet there are also significant gaps in the information coming out of yesterday’s player auction in Dubai – notably the identity of the four team owners who have reportedly bid a total of $24 million.
The players now know which city they will be representing. Murray, for example, is down for Bangkok, alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Victoria Azarenka. Nadal is on the team-sheet for Mumbai, Djokovic for Dubai and Williams for Singapore. But they remain unclear as to who will be paying their wages.
Where cricket’s Indian Premier League made a big deal out of its inaugural auction in 2008, inviting TV cameras into a hotel ballroom in Mumbai and turning the bidding process into a sport of its own, the tennis equivalent was more clandestine.
We know that yesterday’s auction happened at the Oberoi in Dubai, and that all of the “icon” players were signed with the exception of Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka. But the IPTL has not offered any official confirmation of the individual players’ fees, or even clarified whether these figures will be released in the weeks to come.
With $24 million being committed to these first 28 players, Nadal’s share is understood to be close to $1 million per night, while Murray and Djokovic can each expect to pocket a seven-figure sum for playing three matches in as many days.
The schedule is becoming clearer, with the duration of the tournament now being trimmed to 16 days from its original plan of 23. It will work like a travelling circus, with each team playing their home matches in a three-day window, starting in Singapore on Nov 28-30 and finishing with Dubai on Dec 11-13.
The “icon” players are only expected to make themselves available for that three-day period of home matches, so avoiding the fatigue of excessive air travel. And the allocation of each major player to a franchise has been arranged with a view to fitting in with the rest of that player’s schedule.
Murray’s commitments, for instance, will be from Dec 2-4 in Bangkok, which gives him time to head on to Miami afterwards for his annual training block with Ivan Lendl. This partly explains why the auction could not be televised. It was a “collaborative” process, according to the organisers, rather than a fully competitive race in which each owner tried to land the biggest names.
“I’m not very sure how it was for the rest, but I was pretty nervous,” said Bhupathi, who attended the meeting along with six other stakeholders in the league and two representatives from each city. “From the league perspective we wanted the right mix and I believe we have four balanced teams.”
One industry analyst has described the whole operation as “an exercise in plate-spinning. The players were keen to know who the owners and TV companies were before they put their names down, while the owners and TV companies have been reluctant to commit until they knew who the players were going to be”.
It seems that Bhupathi has squared this circle by asking the biggest names to show some faith in his project, even at a time when the business specifics remain unclear.
The arrangements with the “icon” players are understood to be fairly loose at this stage, but it is reasonable to expect that a star-studded line-up of this kind will attract interest from broadcasters and corporate sponsors.
Bringing in a “legend” for each city also makes sense. Judging by Monday’s exhibition matches at Earls Court, which feature two signed-up IPTL players in Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi (Mumbai and Singapore respectively), there is still a strong market for tennis nostalgia.
Perhaps the biggest flaw with the model is that if each icon player only appears for home matches, then you will not see two of the biggest stars on the court at the same time. And neither will spectators in Singapore, Dubai or Bangkok have the chance to watch Nadal, say.
But then it was never going to be possible to organise a perfect tournament in the gap between Nov 23 – when the Davis Cup final finishes – and the beginning of the pre-season warm-up events in the Middle-East in the last days off December.
Bhupathi has had to work with what he had available and he has put together a strong list of players and a credible schedule.
As for that awkward question of who the team owners are, an IPTL spokesman replied: “Each owner will make their own release soon giving more information on their motivation, choice ... You’ll be then able to define their profile.”
How the tournament works and where the stars will line up
The International Premier Tennis League has now come down to four teams in its first year, based in Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai. That means each team will play six matches, and the season will run from Nov 28 to Dec 13.
The format of each match involves five sets, each set played by a different combination of players, so that you can claim a point each in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and “legend’s” singles.
To prevent any marathon matches extending the format past its intended duration of three-and-a-half hours, the sets will go to a tie-break at 5-5, and there will be “no-ad” scoring. In other words, the winner of the next point after any deuce will claim the game.
Team Singapore: Playing November 28, 29, 30
Tomas Berdych, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova, Nick Krygios.
Team Bangkok: December 2, 3, 4
Andy Murray, Jo Wilfred Tsonga, Victoria Azarenka, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Kirsten Flipkens.
Team Mumbai: December 7, 8, 9
Rafael Nada
How high will the plane fly? The signs are positive, yet there are also significant gaps in the information coming out of yesterday’s player auction in Dubai – notably the identity of the four team owners who have reportedly bid a total of $24 million.
The players now know which city they will be representing. Murray, for example, is down for Bangkok, alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Victoria Azarenka. Nadal is on the team-sheet for Mumbai, Djokovic for Dubai and Williams for Singapore. But they remain unclear as to who will be paying their wages.
Where cricket’s Indian Premier League made a big deal out of its inaugural auction in 2008, inviting TV cameras into a hotel ballroom in Mumbai and turning the bidding process into a sport of its own, the tennis equivalent was more clandestine.
We know that yesterday’s auction happened at the Oberoi in Dubai, and that all of the “icon” players were signed with the exception of Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka. But the IPTL has not offered any official confirmation of the individual players’ fees, or even clarified whether these figures will be released in the weeks to come.
With $24 million being committed to these first 28 players, Nadal’s share is understood to be close to $1 million per night, while Murray and Djokovic can each expect to pocket a seven-figure sum for playing three matches in as many days.
The schedule is becoming clearer, with the duration of the tournament now being trimmed to 16 days from its original plan of 23. It will work like a travelling circus, with each team playing their home matches in a three-day window, starting in Singapore on Nov 28-30 and finishing with Dubai on Dec 11-13.
The “icon” players are only expected to make themselves available for that three-day period of home matches, so avoiding the fatigue of excessive air travel. And the allocation of each major player to a franchise has been arranged with a view to fitting in with the rest of that player’s schedule.
Murray’s commitments, for instance, will be from Dec 2-4 in Bangkok, which gives him time to head on to Miami afterwards for his annual training block with Ivan Lendl. This partly explains why the auction could not be televised. It was a “collaborative” process, according to the organisers, rather than a fully competitive race in which each owner tried to land the biggest names.
“I’m not very sure how it was for the rest, but I was pretty nervous,” said Bhupathi, who attended the meeting along with six other stakeholders in the league and two representatives from each city. “From the league perspective we wanted the right mix and I believe we have four balanced teams.”
One industry analyst has described the whole operation as “an exercise in plate-spinning. The players were keen to know who the owners and TV companies were before they put their names down, while the owners and TV companies have been reluctant to commit until they knew who the players were going to be”.
It seems that Bhupathi has squared this circle by asking the biggest names to show some faith in his project, even at a time when the business specifics remain unclear.
The arrangements with the “icon” players are understood to be fairly loose at this stage, but it is reasonable to expect that a star-studded line-up of this kind will attract interest from broadcasters and corporate sponsors.
Bringing in a “legend” for each city also makes sense. Judging by Monday’s exhibition matches at Earls Court, which feature two signed-up IPTL players in Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi (Mumbai and Singapore respectively), there is still a strong market for tennis nostalgia.
Perhaps the biggest flaw with the model is that if each icon player only appears for home matches, then you will not see two of the biggest stars on the court at the same time. And neither will spectators in Singapore, Dubai or Bangkok have the chance to watch Nadal, say.
But then it was never going to be possible to organise a perfect tournament in the gap between Nov 23 – when the Davis Cup final finishes – and the beginning of the pre-season warm-up events in the Middle-East in the last days off December.
Bhupathi has had to work with what he had available and he has put together a strong list of players and a credible schedule.
As for that awkward question of who the team owners are, an IPTL spokesman replied: “Each owner will make their own release soon giving more information on their motivation, choice ... You’ll be then able to define their profile.”
How the tournament works and where the stars will line up
The International Premier Tennis League has now come down to four teams in its first year, based in Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai. That means each team will play six matches, and the season will run from Nov 28 to Dec 13.
The format of each match involves five sets, each set played by a different combination of players, so that you can claim a point each in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and “legend’s” singles.
To prevent any marathon matches extending the format past its intended duration of three-and-a-half hours, the sets will go to a tie-break at 5-5, and there will be “no-ad” scoring. In other words, the winner of the next point after any deuce will claim the game.
Team Singapore: Playing November 28, 29, 30
Tomas Berdych, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova, Nick Krygios.
Team Bangkok: December 2, 3, 4
Andy Murray, Jo Wilfred Tsonga, Victoria Azarenka, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Kirsten Flipkens.
Team Mumbai: December 7, 8, 9
Rafael Nada
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Rafael Nadal launches his Indian Wells ATP Masters title defense still feeling the sting of his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the Australian Open final.
“It was one of the toughest moments of my career,” said the world number one from Spain, who was hindered by a sore back in that four-set defeat by the in-form Swiss.
“It’s tough to be there for an hour and a half knowing you will not win. Not winning is not the most important thing — the worst thing is knowing you will not compete.”
Nadal acknowledged that he didn’t know if he would have been able to stop Wawrinka had he been healthy, but it clearly still rankles that he didn’t get a chance to find out.
“I am a great loser, I never think about the losses, just a few hours then I forget and try to look to the next thing,” he said. “But it’s true that after that it takes a bit more time.”
Nadal has already regrouped with a clay court title in Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago.
Now he’s hoping for a title repeat on the hardcourts in the southern California desert, where his triumph last year confirmed his return from a seven month injury absence.
It was the first of four hard court titles that he numbered among the 10 trophies he won in 2013.
“It was a very emotional moment for me,” Nadal said. “It gave me more confidence that I was ready to be back, ready to compete.”
However, Nadal said 2014 is a new slate. Although his possible quarter-final clash with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was the talk of the men’s draw, Nadal said his most dangerous opponent was always the next one.
That will be Czech Radek Stepanek, who beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 on Thursday to earn a shot at Nadal, who like all 32 men’s and women’s seeds in this combined ATP and WTA tournament enjoyed a first-round bye.
Murray ‘Not that far away’
Murray, seeded fifth, arrived in California encouraged by his run to the semi-finals in Acapulco last week.
“I feel good,” said the Scot, who had back surgery in September. “I felt the best I have this year in Acapulco. I wasn’t waking up stiff and sore like I had at the other events I played.
“My back feels the best it has since the surgery, that’s, for me, exciting. I’m not that far away from where I want to get to.”
Murray will open against Czech Lukas Rosol, a 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-4 winner over Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
In the semi-finals, Nadal could get a re-match with Wawrinka or old foe Roger Federer.
Federer is on a high after a victory last week in Dubai, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals before dispatching Tomas Berdych in the final.
“I’m just happy to see that the hard work is paying off,” said the 32-year-old Swiss great, who has battled back troubles of his own.
“I’ve been pain-free for a long period of time now, which is the goal. It feels great, and winning cements that.”
First-round play continued on the women’s side of the $12 million tournament on Thursday, with China’s Zheng Jie defeating Argentina’s Paula Ormaechea 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to book a second-round showdown with compatriot Li Na, the reigning Australian Open champion and top seed.
Germany’s Julia Goerges beat Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to set up a clash with defending champion and fourth seed Maria Sharapova of Russia.
Read more: Tennis: Aussie Open defeat still stings for Nadal | Inquirer Sports
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“It was one of the toughest moments of my career,” said the world number one from Spain, who was hindered by a sore back in that four-set defeat by the in-form Swiss.
“It’s tough to be there for an hour and a half knowing you will not win. Not winning is not the most important thing — the worst thing is knowing you will not compete.”
Nadal acknowledged that he didn’t know if he would have been able to stop Wawrinka had he been healthy, but it clearly still rankles that he didn’t get a chance to find out.
“I am a great loser, I never think about the losses, just a few hours then I forget and try to look to the next thing,” he said. “But it’s true that after that it takes a bit more time.”
Nadal has already regrouped with a clay court title in Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago.
Now he’s hoping for a title repeat on the hardcourts in the southern California desert, where his triumph last year confirmed his return from a seven month injury absence.
It was the first of four hard court titles that he numbered among the 10 trophies he won in 2013.
“It was a very emotional moment for me,” Nadal said. “It gave me more confidence that I was ready to be back, ready to compete.”
However, Nadal said 2014 is a new slate. Although his possible quarter-final clash with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was the talk of the men’s draw, Nadal said his most dangerous opponent was always the next one.
That will be Czech Radek Stepanek, who beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 on Thursday to earn a shot at Nadal, who like all 32 men’s and women’s seeds in this combined ATP and WTA tournament enjoyed a first-round bye.
Murray ‘Not that far away’
Murray, seeded fifth, arrived in California encouraged by his run to the semi-finals in Acapulco last week.
“I feel good,” said the Scot, who had back surgery in September. “I felt the best I have this year in Acapulco. I wasn’t waking up stiff and sore like I had at the other events I played.
“My back feels the best it has since the surgery, that’s, for me, exciting. I’m not that far away from where I want to get to.”
Murray will open against Czech Lukas Rosol, a 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-4 winner over Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
In the semi-finals, Nadal could get a re-match with Wawrinka or old foe Roger Federer.
Federer is on a high after a victory last week in Dubai, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals before dispatching Tomas Berdych in the final.
“I’m just happy to see that the hard work is paying off,” said the 32-year-old Swiss great, who has battled back troubles of his own.
“I’ve been pain-free for a long period of time now, which is the goal. It feels great, and winning cements that.”
First-round play continued on the women’s side of the $12 million tournament on Thursday, with China’s Zheng Jie defeating Argentina’s Paula Ormaechea 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to book a second-round showdown with compatriot Li Na, the reigning Australian Open champion and top seed.
Germany’s Julia Goerges beat Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to set up a clash with defending champion and fourth seed Maria Sharapova of Russia.
Read more: Tennis: Aussie Open defeat still stings for Nadal | Inquirer Sports
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Top seed Rafa Nadal survived a scare from Radek Stepanek before winning his second round match in three tight sets at Indian Wells.
The Spaniard, in his first match as defending champion, was stretched to the limit before prevailing 2-6 6-4 7-5 in night match that lasted two hours, 24 minutes in the California desert.
Nadal served eight double faults and was broken three times, but he also broke his Czech opponent three times, including twice in the final set.
The pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set, when Nadal fended off three break points to hold serve.
Earlier, Briton Andy Murray recorded his 300th hardcourt victory when he beat Stepanek's compatriot Lukas Rosol in three sets.
Fifth seed Murray recovered from a slow start to beat his Czech opponent 4-6 6-3 6-2 as the top seeds took to the courts for the first time after receiving first round byes.
"I got broken three times in a row the end of the first set, beginning of the second," Murray told reporters. "I just kind of kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing."
Veteran Hewitt out
Only five active players have won more tour-level hardcourt matches, headed by Roger Federer (575).
Seventh seed Federer dominated the first set but was taken to a tie-break in the second before prevailing 6-2 7-6(5) against French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu, while Swiss compatriot and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka clinched a 6-3 7-5 win over Croatia's Ivo Karlovic.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt failed to notch his 600th career win when he was beaten by South African Kevin Anderson 7-6(5) 6-4.
The veteran Hewitt saved 10 of 11 break points but was unable to break the tall 17th seed's powerful serve in the match.
There was high drama in another match as Colombian Alejandro Falla saved a match point at 5-2 down in the third set to beat Polish 18th seed Jerzy Janowicz 6-3 2-6 7-6(5).
On the women's side, top seed Li Na beat Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie 6-1 7-5.
Australian Open champion Li notched six breaks as Zheng struggled on serve.
Defending champion Maria Sharapova made short work of her first match, beating German Julia Goerges 6-1 6-4 in barely an hour.
Source: Reuters
The Spaniard, in his first match as defending champion, was stretched to the limit before prevailing 2-6 6-4 7-5 in night match that lasted two hours, 24 minutes in the California desert.
Nadal served eight double faults and was broken three times, but he also broke his Czech opponent three times, including twice in the final set.
The pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set, when Nadal fended off three break points to hold serve.
Earlier, Briton Andy Murray recorded his 300th hardcourt victory when he beat Stepanek's compatriot Lukas Rosol in three sets.
Fifth seed Murray recovered from a slow start to beat his Czech opponent 4-6 6-3 6-2 as the top seeds took to the courts for the first time after receiving first round byes.
"I got broken three times in a row the end of the first set, beginning of the second," Murray told reporters. "I just kind of kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing."
Veteran Hewitt out
Only five active players have won more tour-level hardcourt matches, headed by Roger Federer (575).
Seventh seed Federer dominated the first set but was taken to a tie-break in the second before prevailing 6-2 7-6(5) against French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu, while Swiss compatriot and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka clinched a 6-3 7-5 win over Croatia's Ivo Karlovic.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt failed to notch his 600th career win when he was beaten by South African Kevin Anderson 7-6(5) 6-4.
The veteran Hewitt saved 10 of 11 break points but was unable to break the tall 17th seed's powerful serve in the match.
There was high drama in another match as Colombian Alejandro Falla saved a match point at 5-2 down in the third set to beat Polish 18th seed Jerzy Janowicz 6-3 2-6 7-6(5).
On the women's side, top seed Li Na beat Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie 6-1 7-5.
Australian Open champion Li notched six breaks as Zheng struggled on serve.
Defending champion Maria Sharapova made short work of her first match, beating German Julia Goerges 6-1 6-4 in barely an hour.
Source: Reuters
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Shaikha Shaikha bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, an avid tennis fan, keen tennis player and founder of SMK Tennis, welcomed tennis legend Monica Seles to the Palace of Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan on Friday. In line with SMK Tennis’ objective, Shaikha Shaikha bint Mohammed hosted tennis legend Monica Seles at an exclusive tennis clinic to share her inspiring life experiences and advice with attending guests. The ladies had the rare opportunity to interact with the renowned sports personality whose passion and determination has changed the shape of women’s sports over the years.
“I am delighted to welcome Monica Seles, the tennis legend, whose sizzling pace and raw power on the court has left a lasting impression in our minds”, said Shaikha Shaikha bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, adding: “I truly believe that inspirational personalities like Monica Seles have much to share with our ladies in the UAE, and I hope that by bringing some of the world’s pioneering sports women to the UAE, our women will be inspired to achieve their goals. ”
SMK Tennis is an organisation aimed at promoting and providing a platform for female tennis players in the UAE to come together and play on both a competitive and social level.
Sport - Monica Seles conducts tennis clinic in Abu Dhabi
“I am delighted to welcome Monica Seles, the tennis legend, whose sizzling pace and raw power on the court has left a lasting impression in our minds”, said Shaikha Shaikha bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, adding: “I truly believe that inspirational personalities like Monica Seles have much to share with our ladies in the UAE, and I hope that by bringing some of the world’s pioneering sports women to the UAE, our women will be inspired to achieve their goals. ”
SMK Tennis is an organisation aimed at promoting and providing a platform for female tennis players in the UAE to come together and play on both a competitive and social level.
Sport - Monica Seles conducts tennis clinic in Abu Dhabi
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Normal service resumed at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) when Novak Djokovic safely booked his place in the fourth round of the men's draw and Li Na moved into the women's quarterfinals.
Djokovic had a little hiccup when he dropped the second set of his match with Colombia's Alejandro Gonzalez but was otherwise untroubled in winning 6-1 3-6 6-1.
"I thought I played really well from the start," said Djokovic, a two-time champion at Indian Wells.
"Then suddenly I just had a big loss of concentration and allowed him to win the second set for no reason. I bounced back better in the third."
While the Serbian was not at his best, Djokovic did at least survive to fight another day in the Californian desert after the shock losses of world number one Rafa Nadal and Maria Sharapova on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time).
Djokovic's next opponent is the big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic, who recorded his 20th win this season with a 6-4 6-3 over Spain's Tommy Robredo.
"I obviously cannot allow myself to have these particular concentration lapses in the match at this level especially in the next match when I'm playing Cilic, a guy who is in really good form and I think has gotten better in last couple of months working with [Goran] Ivanisevic."
Li, promoted to the women's top seed after winning the Australian Open and in the absence of Serena Williams, beat Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1 6-4 but only after a extraordinary final game where she struggled to close out the match.
Li raced through the opening set in just over half an hour then recovered from 3-0 down to serve for the match at 5-4 when she suddenly got the wobbles.
The final game lasted 20 minutes as Li squandered 10 match points and took her tally of double-faults for the match to nine before she finally sealed the win.
"I only can say: Welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour," she told the crowd in a courtside interview.
While Robredo lost to the towering Cilic, three of his compatriots all advanced with Fernando Verdasco upsetting world number nine Richard Gasquet of France 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to leave Djokovic as the only top-10 player left in the bottom half of the men's draw.
Roberto Bautista Agut held his nerve to beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 4-6 7-6 (8-6) to move on before Feliciano Lopez joined the Spanish Armada with a 1-6 6-3 6-4 defeat of Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.
In the women's draw, Serbia's Jelena Jankovic ended her five-match losing streak to Denmark's Carolina Wozniacki when she reeled off 10 consecutive games to win 6-3 6-1 and advance to the quarterfinals.
"At 3-1, I kind of found my way, found my rhythm, and I was striking the ball very well out there and took control of the points," said Jankovic.
"I just did not let her play what she plays. That was very important. So I was pretty pleased with the way I played and how composed I stayed throughout the whole match."
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, the second seed, breezed past Alize Cornet of France 7-5 6-3 while Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova brushed aside the challenge of Petra Kvitova, beating the Czech 6-3 6-2.
Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi came back to Earth with a thud when she was thrashed 6-2 6-1 by compatriot Flavia Pennetta less than 24 hours after she stunned Sharapova.
Romania's Simona Halep qualified for the last eight with a hard-fought 6-2 1-6 6-4 win over Canada's Eugenie Bouchard after trailing 4-3 in the deciding set.
"It wasn't my best tennis today, but I was fighting a lot," said Halep, ranked seventh in the world. "I did well. I think I came back in the third set very well."
Halep's next match will be against Australian qualifier Casey Dellacqua, who got a walkover to the quarterfinals after her American Lauren Davis retired with gastrointestinal illness.
Tennis: Djokovic and Li advance at Indian Wells | Sports | GMA News Online
Djokovic had a little hiccup when he dropped the second set of his match with Colombia's Alejandro Gonzalez but was otherwise untroubled in winning 6-1 3-6 6-1.
"I thought I played really well from the start," said Djokovic, a two-time champion at Indian Wells.
"Then suddenly I just had a big loss of concentration and allowed him to win the second set for no reason. I bounced back better in the third."
While the Serbian was not at his best, Djokovic did at least survive to fight another day in the Californian desert after the shock losses of world number one Rafa Nadal and Maria Sharapova on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time).
Djokovic's next opponent is the big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic, who recorded his 20th win this season with a 6-4 6-3 over Spain's Tommy Robredo.
"I obviously cannot allow myself to have these particular concentration lapses in the match at this level especially in the next match when I'm playing Cilic, a guy who is in really good form and I think has gotten better in last couple of months working with [Goran] Ivanisevic."
Li, promoted to the women's top seed after winning the Australian Open and in the absence of Serena Williams, beat Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1 6-4 but only after a extraordinary final game where she struggled to close out the match.
Li raced through the opening set in just over half an hour then recovered from 3-0 down to serve for the match at 5-4 when she suddenly got the wobbles.
The final game lasted 20 minutes as Li squandered 10 match points and took her tally of double-faults for the match to nine before she finally sealed the win.
"I only can say: Welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour," she told the crowd in a courtside interview.
While Robredo lost to the towering Cilic, three of his compatriots all advanced with Fernando Verdasco upsetting world number nine Richard Gasquet of France 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to leave Djokovic as the only top-10 player left in the bottom half of the men's draw.
Roberto Bautista Agut held his nerve to beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 4-6 7-6 (8-6) to move on before Feliciano Lopez joined the Spanish Armada with a 1-6 6-3 6-4 defeat of Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.
In the women's draw, Serbia's Jelena Jankovic ended her five-match losing streak to Denmark's Carolina Wozniacki when she reeled off 10 consecutive games to win 6-3 6-1 and advance to the quarterfinals.
"At 3-1, I kind of found my way, found my rhythm, and I was striking the ball very well out there and took control of the points," said Jankovic.
"I just did not let her play what she plays. That was very important. So I was pretty pleased with the way I played and how composed I stayed throughout the whole match."
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, the second seed, breezed past Alize Cornet of France 7-5 6-3 while Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova brushed aside the challenge of Petra Kvitova, beating the Czech 6-3 6-2.
Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi came back to Earth with a thud when she was thrashed 6-2 6-1 by compatriot Flavia Pennetta less than 24 hours after she stunned Sharapova.
Romania's Simona Halep qualified for the last eight with a hard-fought 6-2 1-6 6-4 win over Canada's Eugenie Bouchard after trailing 4-3 in the deciding set.
"It wasn't my best tennis today, but I was fighting a lot," said Halep, ranked seventh in the world. "I did well. I think I came back in the third set very well."
Halep's next match will be against Australian qualifier Casey Dellacqua, who got a walkover to the quarterfinals after her American Lauren Davis retired with gastrointestinal illness.
Tennis: Djokovic and Li advance at Indian Wells | Sports | GMA News Online
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In a tournament full of surprises, Federer and Djokovic struck a blow for the old world order with Federer beating Germany's Tommy Haas 6-4 6-4 and Djokovic coming back to down Croatia's Marin Cilic 1-6 6-2 6-3.
Federer and Djokivic are the only players ranked in the world's top 10 to reach the quarter-finals after Wawrinka and Murray joined the big-name casualties when they both crashed to lower-ranked opponents on another day of upsets in the Californian desert.
Wawrinka suffered his first loss this year when his 13-match winning streak came to a shuddering halt as he was beaten 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1 by South African Kevin Anderson.
"It wasn't really on my mind that he had won Australia," said Anderson, whose next opponent is Federer.
"It feels great to beat somebody who obviously has just won a grand slam."
Murray was blown away by Canada's Milos Raonic, one of the biggest servers in men's tennis.
Despite winning the first set, the Scotsman was unable to contain the raw power of Raonic, who triumphed 4-6 7-5 6-3 in a little over two hours.
Raonic blasted 15 aces past his bewildered opponent, who is one of the best returners in the game, and won a staggering 83 percent of points when he landed his first serve.
Murray did break Raonic's serve in the opening set and again in the deciding third to lead 2-1 but lost the next four games in a row against the 6ft 5in (1.96 metre) tall Canadian.
"To get broken two consecutive times in that situation isn't good enough. I played poor tennis at that stage. I didn't make enough balls and I missed some really easy shots," Murray told reporters.
"It's tough to win matches like that, because against him, he obviously wins a lot of free points with his serve. So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that's going to add up to a negative result."
Raonic's next opponent in the quarter-finals will be Ukrainian giant killer Alexandr Dolgopolov, who followed up his upset victory over Rafa Nadal on Monday with a comprehensive 6-2 6-4 drubbing of Italy's Fabio Fognini.
"I think the most important thing is obviously my serve and the beauty of that is nobody can affect me," Raonic said.
Already a four-time champion at Indian Wells, Federer is now on a nine-match winning streak after taking the title in Dubai before heading to Indian Wells but said he was wary about Anderson, who has reached a career-high ranking of 18 after making the final of his last two tournaments.
"I know how tough he is," Federer said. "He's the best here usually in the States, outdoors on the hard courts. That's when he's had his biggest success.
"I'm aware that this is not going to be an easy match just because he's not ranked in the Top 10."
Djokovic had won each of his previous seven encounters with Cilic but his perfect record was in danger after he lost the opening set to the towering Croatian, winning just three points on return.
But the Serbian quickly got his act together, and broke Cilic twice in the second set then once in the deciding third to safely advance to the last eight.
John Isner kept American hopes alive with a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco, while Latvia's Ernests Gulbis defeated Roberto Bautista of Spain 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2.
A third Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, was sent packing by unseeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau, losing 6-3 7-6(4).
BNP Paribas Open results
Fourth round
2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 24-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 1-6 6-2 6-3
17-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1
10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 5-Andy Murray (Britain) 4-6 7-5 6-3
7-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 11-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-4 6-4
12-John Isner (U.S.) beat 30-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3
20-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2
28-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat 13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-4
Julien Benneteau (France) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 7-6(4)
Tennis - Federer, Djokovic advance as Murray, Wawrinka fall - Yahoo Eurosport UK
Federer and Djokivic are the only players ranked in the world's top 10 to reach the quarter-finals after Wawrinka and Murray joined the big-name casualties when they both crashed to lower-ranked opponents on another day of upsets in the Californian desert.
Wawrinka suffered his first loss this year when his 13-match winning streak came to a shuddering halt as he was beaten 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1 by South African Kevin Anderson.
"It wasn't really on my mind that he had won Australia," said Anderson, whose next opponent is Federer.
"It feels great to beat somebody who obviously has just won a grand slam."
Murray was blown away by Canada's Milos Raonic, one of the biggest servers in men's tennis.
Despite winning the first set, the Scotsman was unable to contain the raw power of Raonic, who triumphed 4-6 7-5 6-3 in a little over two hours.
Raonic blasted 15 aces past his bewildered opponent, who is one of the best returners in the game, and won a staggering 83 percent of points when he landed his first serve.
Murray did break Raonic's serve in the opening set and again in the deciding third to lead 2-1 but lost the next four games in a row against the 6ft 5in (1.96 metre) tall Canadian.
"To get broken two consecutive times in that situation isn't good enough. I played poor tennis at that stage. I didn't make enough balls and I missed some really easy shots," Murray told reporters.
"It's tough to win matches like that, because against him, he obviously wins a lot of free points with his serve. So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that's going to add up to a negative result."
Raonic's next opponent in the quarter-finals will be Ukrainian giant killer Alexandr Dolgopolov, who followed up his upset victory over Rafa Nadal on Monday with a comprehensive 6-2 6-4 drubbing of Italy's Fabio Fognini.
"I think the most important thing is obviously my serve and the beauty of that is nobody can affect me," Raonic said.
Already a four-time champion at Indian Wells, Federer is now on a nine-match winning streak after taking the title in Dubai before heading to Indian Wells but said he was wary about Anderson, who has reached a career-high ranking of 18 after making the final of his last two tournaments.
"I know how tough he is," Federer said. "He's the best here usually in the States, outdoors on the hard courts. That's when he's had his biggest success.
"I'm aware that this is not going to be an easy match just because he's not ranked in the Top 10."
Djokovic had won each of his previous seven encounters with Cilic but his perfect record was in danger after he lost the opening set to the towering Croatian, winning just three points on return.
But the Serbian quickly got his act together, and broke Cilic twice in the second set then once in the deciding third to safely advance to the last eight.
John Isner kept American hopes alive with a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco, while Latvia's Ernests Gulbis defeated Roberto Bautista of Spain 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2.
A third Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, was sent packing by unseeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau, losing 6-3 7-6(4).
BNP Paribas Open results
Fourth round
2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 24-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 1-6 6-2 6-3
17-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1
10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 5-Andy Murray (Britain) 4-6 7-5 6-3
7-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 11-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-4 6-4
12-John Isner (U.S.) beat 30-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3
20-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2
28-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat 13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-4
Julien Benneteau (France) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 7-6(4)
Tennis - Federer, Djokovic advance as Murray, Wawrinka fall - Yahoo Eurosport UK
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The 35-year-old Haas, the oldest player in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, faces three-time champion Marin Cilic in the final on Sunday. Haas leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-1. "[Cilic] has a big game and I will try to play my game and change it up on the court," said Haas. "It's going to come down to winning the big points."
In his 550 wins, the former World No. 2 has earned 15 titles and finished as runner-up on 13 other occasions. This week also marks the 13th time Haas is the top seed at an ATP World Tour tournament. Prior to Zagreb, the German’s best results as the No. 1 seed were reaching the semi-finals in Long Island (2002) and Los Angeles (2009).
Evans, who replaced Radek Stepanek in the main draw, was contesting his first ATP World Tour semi-final. He will rise to around World No. 124 on Monday. "I like his game a lot," said Haas about Evans. "I think he has a very nice finesse game. He has a good game to be very dangerous."
Marin Cilic is one match win away from capturing the PBZ Zagreb Indoors title for the fourth time.
Fifth seed Cilic, the 2009 (d. Ancic), 2010 (d. Berrer) and 2013 (d. Melzer) champion, proved to be too strong for qualifier Bjorn Phau in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, recording a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 85 minutes.
"I'm happy that I'm back in the final again," said Cilic. "I have nice memories from [playing] last year. Now that I've reached the final I feel less pressure and I can play much looser. This tournament is really important to me. I hope I can win the title tomorrow."
Phau, who is currently No. 358 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, was appearing in his first ATP World Tour semi-final since April 2009 at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston.
A Croatian has reached the final at the ATP World Tour 250 indoor tournament in eight of the past nine years. Cilic, 25, will be attempting to lift his 10th ATP World Tour title on Sunday.
Tommy Haas Records 550th Win In Zagreb - Tennis - ATP World Tour