Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Select your timezone:
Rafael Nadal was an easy 6-3, 6-2 winner against Federico Delbonis in his first match since his stunning upset loss at Wimbledon seven months ago. The clay-court specialist made his return at a small tournament in Chile after being sidelined with a left knee injury in late June. On the occasion of his return, here are seven thoughts on his comeback match and the road ahead.
1. It had been 223 days since Nadal had stepped on a tennis court for a competitive match. That was before most people had heard of Gangnam Style, Ryan Lochte or Mitt Romney's 47%. Judging by my Twitter feed over the past two days, it's felt even longer than that. Tennis fans had been craving Rafa's return.
2. Peter Bodo suggests tennis didn't miss Nadal as much as you think. Rafa has, for all intents and purposes, missed the past three Grand Slams and the Olympics. Since then, we had Roger Federer's return to the Grand Slam winner's circle, Andy Murray's thrilling Olympic win, his subsequent U.S. Open triumph and an exciting, if fairly routine, Australian Open. In that way, Bodo is right. Life always goes on. But the game is a lot sweeter with Rafa around.
3. After going down 0-2 to Delbonis, Nadal quickly recovered and rattled off 12 of the next 15 games. He was understandably rusty but showed flashes of his usual self, most notably with some exacting forehand passing shots hit on the run. It was a predictable result. When it comes to injury comebacks, no news is good news. The real story of Nadal's knee won't be written in Chile or next week in Sao Paolo, but in the two American hardcourt tournaments next month and the clay-court season that follows.
4. On the day of Rafa's return, ESPN's Howard Bryant provided a sobering reminder that Nadal's absence wasn't without controversy.
5. Rafa's shirt was a shade Nike calls atomic purple. "Purple and red look great together," said no one except for Ronald McDonald and Grimace. Also, "atomic purple" sounds more like a prank that happens in a middle-school hallway rather than a color of tennis shirt. Doesn't matter. He could have worn this and would have been a sight for sore eyes.
6. The win was celebrated with a quick fist pump, an emphatic swing to hit a ball into the crowd and a bigger-than-usual smile.
7. A point at 1-2 in the first set was a good preview of what's to come over the next three months. Delbonis came to net and hit a volley that clipped the tape. Nadal charged from the baseline, somehow getting his racket on the ball for a return. It went right back to Delbonis, who hit an easy shot that sent Nadal sprinting back to the baseline. He got to the ball, but not enough to put the return in play. That Nadal was able to cover so much court suggested two things: He's confident in the knees and he has no intention of altering his style of play, not even on a hopeless point in an opening-round match in Chile.
Seven thoughts on Rafael Nadal's return to tennis
1. It had been 223 days since Nadal had stepped on a tennis court for a competitive match. That was before most people had heard of Gangnam Style, Ryan Lochte or Mitt Romney's 47%. Judging by my Twitter feed over the past two days, it's felt even longer than that. Tennis fans had been craving Rafa's return.
2. Peter Bodo suggests tennis didn't miss Nadal as much as you think. Rafa has, for all intents and purposes, missed the past three Grand Slams and the Olympics. Since then, we had Roger Federer's return to the Grand Slam winner's circle, Andy Murray's thrilling Olympic win, his subsequent U.S. Open triumph and an exciting, if fairly routine, Australian Open. In that way, Bodo is right. Life always goes on. But the game is a lot sweeter with Rafa around.
3. After going down 0-2 to Delbonis, Nadal quickly recovered and rattled off 12 of the next 15 games. He was understandably rusty but showed flashes of his usual self, most notably with some exacting forehand passing shots hit on the run. It was a predictable result. When it comes to injury comebacks, no news is good news. The real story of Nadal's knee won't be written in Chile or next week in Sao Paolo, but in the two American hardcourt tournaments next month and the clay-court season that follows.
4. On the day of Rafa's return, ESPN's Howard Bryant provided a sobering reminder that Nadal's absence wasn't without controversy.
5. Rafa's shirt was a shade Nike calls atomic purple. "Purple and red look great together," said no one except for Ronald McDonald and Grimace. Also, "atomic purple" sounds more like a prank that happens in a middle-school hallway rather than a color of tennis shirt. Doesn't matter. He could have worn this and would have been a sight for sore eyes.
6. The win was celebrated with a quick fist pump, an emphatic swing to hit a ball into the crowd and a bigger-than-usual smile.
7. A point at 1-2 in the first set was a good preview of what's to come over the next three months. Delbonis came to net and hit a volley that clipped the tape. Nadal charged from the baseline, somehow getting his racket on the ball for a return. It went right back to Delbonis, who hit an easy shot that sent Nadal sprinting back to the baseline. He got to the ball, but not enough to put the return in play. That Nadal was able to cover so much court suggested two things: He's confident in the knees and he has no intention of altering his style of play, not even on a hopeless point in an opening-round match in Chile.
Seven thoughts on Rafael Nadal's return to tennis
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The 2013 Fed Cup World Group gets underway on Saturday with the tournament missing marquee names Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova and with a late format tweak aimed at boosting the event's appeal.
Both Williams and Sharapova featured in the 2012 Fed Cup, partly to meet Olympic Games qualifying criteria, but will not be involved when the United States tackle Italy and Russia welcome Japan this weekend.
Williams, who has played just six ties since 1999, has a back injury while Sharapova, whose Fed Cup record stretches to a meagre three appearances since her 2008 debut, was left out of the Russian squad.
Their absences have cut the number of players from the top 10 competing in the four World Group One ties to just three -- number seven Sara Errani of Italy, eighth-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and number nine Samantha Stosur of Australia.
Wary of the growing demands placed on time and physical endurance by the professional tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Thursday changes concerning dead rubbers in the tournament.
Under the new policy, if a tie is decided after the third singles rubber, the fourth singles rubber will not be played and the dead doubles rubber will be played instead.
However if the tie is only decided after the fourth singles rubber, the dead doubles rubber will still be played with a match tiebreak (first to 10 points) replacing the third set.
"The enhancement of the dead rubber policy came in response to requests from players, captains and National Associations following its successful introduction in Davis Cup," said ITF executive vice-president Juan Margets.
"This is part of the ITF's continued effort to make Fed Cup more player friendly, while maintaining a good spectator experience on the Sunday."
Former Wimbledon champion Kvitova leads defending champions Czech Republic against Australia in Ostrava where she will be playing her 14th Fed Cup tie since 2007.
However, she has struggled this season, a shock second round exit at the Australian Open followed by a quarter-final loss in Paris last week where she was second seed.
"My results are not exactly what I want them to be, but I still believe it will be OK. I know I can play tennis, and I like Fed Cup," said the 22-year-old.
In the absence of the Williams sisters, as well as Australian Open semi-finalist Sloane Stephens, the 17-time champions US will be led by world number 21 Varvara Lepchencko when they face Italy in Rimini.
Italy, with Errani and world number 16 Roberta Vinci likely to play singles and doubles, beat the US in the 2009 and 2010 finals. Even without Sharapova, Russia, the four-time winners, should be too strong for Japan in Moscow.
Maria Kirilenko, at 13, Ekaterina Makarova, the world number 20, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 31st-ranked player and number 32 Elena Vesnina, are all higher up the WTA pecking order than Japan's top singles player Ayumi Morita, the world 57.
In Nis, 2012 runners-up Serbia, who are likely to be without world number 14 and former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic with a shoulder injury, tackle Slovakia.
Both Williams and Sharapova featured in the 2012 Fed Cup, partly to meet Olympic Games qualifying criteria, but will not be involved when the United States tackle Italy and Russia welcome Japan this weekend.
Williams, who has played just six ties since 1999, has a back injury while Sharapova, whose Fed Cup record stretches to a meagre three appearances since her 2008 debut, was left out of the Russian squad.
Their absences have cut the number of players from the top 10 competing in the four World Group One ties to just three -- number seven Sara Errani of Italy, eighth-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and number nine Samantha Stosur of Australia.
Wary of the growing demands placed on time and physical endurance by the professional tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Thursday changes concerning dead rubbers in the tournament.
Under the new policy, if a tie is decided after the third singles rubber, the fourth singles rubber will not be played and the dead doubles rubber will be played instead.
However if the tie is only decided after the fourth singles rubber, the dead doubles rubber will still be played with a match tiebreak (first to 10 points) replacing the third set.
"The enhancement of the dead rubber policy came in response to requests from players, captains and National Associations following its successful introduction in Davis Cup," said ITF executive vice-president Juan Margets.
"This is part of the ITF's continued effort to make Fed Cup more player friendly, while maintaining a good spectator experience on the Sunday."
Former Wimbledon champion Kvitova leads defending champions Czech Republic against Australia in Ostrava where she will be playing her 14th Fed Cup tie since 2007.
However, she has struggled this season, a shock second round exit at the Australian Open followed by a quarter-final loss in Paris last week where she was second seed.
"My results are not exactly what I want them to be, but I still believe it will be OK. I know I can play tennis, and I like Fed Cup," said the 22-year-old.
In the absence of the Williams sisters, as well as Australian Open semi-finalist Sloane Stephens, the 17-time champions US will be led by world number 21 Varvara Lepchencko when they face Italy in Rimini.
Italy, with Errani and world number 16 Roberta Vinci likely to play singles and doubles, beat the US in the 2009 and 2010 finals. Even without Sharapova, Russia, the four-time winners, should be too strong for Japan in Moscow.
Maria Kirilenko, at 13, Ekaterina Makarova, the world number 20, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 31st-ranked player and number 32 Elena Vesnina, are all higher up the WTA pecking order than Japan's top singles player Ayumi Morita, the world 57.
In Nis, 2012 runners-up Serbia, who are likely to be without world number 14 and former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic with a shoulder injury, tackle Slovakia.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
BASFORD starlet Josh Eardley has criticised the Lawn Tennis Association for not providing enough support to talented youngsters.
The 20-year-old has just completed the first year of a tennis scholarship at Wingate University in America, an option he pursued after failing to secure financial support from the sport's UK governing body.
Eardley believes the LTA should be far more strategic in the way they distribute funding to Britain's rising stars.
"The LTA have never supported or funded my tennis career," he revealed.
"I feel they should do more to find talented players who cannot afford to pay for coaching and travelling costs.
"A lot of the players that they do fund don't really need the extra money."
British number one Andy Murray has previously been vocal in his criticism of the organisation for the way they allocate funding, on one occasion even accusing them of "ruining" the career of his brother, Jamie.
Murray, who became Britain's first Grand Slam singles champion since 1936 when he won the US Open last August, choose to pursue his career at the Sanchez Casal Academy in Spain when 16 after turning down the chance to attend the UK tennis academy.
Eardley, a former pupil of St John Fisher Catholic College in Newcastle, says he understands why players are now prepared to move overseas to fulfil their ambitions.
He said: "Players are going to countries such as Spain because the coaching is more beneficial and they are able to produce much better tennis.
"When you look at what it has done for Murray, as well as the likes of Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, then it's an easy choice."
After a stint at the English Tennis Academy at Sutton in Surrey, Eardley decided the only way he could improve his game was to move abroad, so he went in search of a move to the United States. But he admits his decision wasn't solely down to the better facilities available to aspiring athletes at American universities.
"The main factor was whether I would get the same opportunities if I chose to stay in England, and the answer was 'no'." he said.
"The tennis system isn't anywhere near as competitive as it is in the US. There are only a few universities in England who have good teams, but they don't offer scholarships.
"At Wingate, we discussed where in their line-up I would be playing in singles and doubles, how much training would be involved and how much scholarship money they could offer me."
He has gone on to become an integral part of a successful team at North Carolina- Wingate who won the regular season conference title.
Eardley says his great first year in America has proved he made the right decision.
"I don't have any regrets about going to university there. It was definitely the right decision and I would have regretted not taking the opportunity.
"I've found it really easy to settle in, and got on well with the team almost immediately.
"All eight of the guys on the team are good friends now."
Alongside his tennis commitments, Eardley is studying for a degree in accounting, and admits it can be a tough juggling act.
"It has been tricky combining a degree with my tennis schedule," he added, "but it is similar to what I had been doing at Sutton, just on a larger scale.
"I haven't really thought about what I want to do after I graduate, but one option I would consider is to become the graduate assistant coach.
"That would allow me to earn a masters degree while continuing on the Wingate tennis team."
Eardley first picked up a racquet on a family holiday to Lanzarote when he was six, joining Basford Tennis Club as a keen and energetic seven-year-old.
He was selected for the Staffordshire training squad when he was 10 and, five years later, he and other county prospects made a trip to Barcelona to work with Sergi Bruguera.
That brief stint with the two-time French Open champion opened a door for Eardley to join the English Academy, which was then run by Jeremy Bates.
The 20-year-old has just completed the first year of a tennis scholarship at Wingate University in America, an option he pursued after failing to secure financial support from the sport's UK governing body.
Eardley believes the LTA should be far more strategic in the way they distribute funding to Britain's rising stars.
"The LTA have never supported or funded my tennis career," he revealed.
"I feel they should do more to find talented players who cannot afford to pay for coaching and travelling costs.
"A lot of the players that they do fund don't really need the extra money."
British number one Andy Murray has previously been vocal in his criticism of the organisation for the way they allocate funding, on one occasion even accusing them of "ruining" the career of his brother, Jamie.
Murray, who became Britain's first Grand Slam singles champion since 1936 when he won the US Open last August, choose to pursue his career at the Sanchez Casal Academy in Spain when 16 after turning down the chance to attend the UK tennis academy.
Eardley, a former pupil of St John Fisher Catholic College in Newcastle, says he understands why players are now prepared to move overseas to fulfil their ambitions.
He said: "Players are going to countries such as Spain because the coaching is more beneficial and they are able to produce much better tennis.
"When you look at what it has done for Murray, as well as the likes of Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, then it's an easy choice."
After a stint at the English Tennis Academy at Sutton in Surrey, Eardley decided the only way he could improve his game was to move abroad, so he went in search of a move to the United States. But he admits his decision wasn't solely down to the better facilities available to aspiring athletes at American universities.
"The main factor was whether I would get the same opportunities if I chose to stay in England, and the answer was 'no'." he said.
"The tennis system isn't anywhere near as competitive as it is in the US. There are only a few universities in England who have good teams, but they don't offer scholarships.
"At Wingate, we discussed where in their line-up I would be playing in singles and doubles, how much training would be involved and how much scholarship money they could offer me."
He has gone on to become an integral part of a successful team at North Carolina- Wingate who won the regular season conference title.
Eardley says his great first year in America has proved he made the right decision.
"I don't have any regrets about going to university there. It was definitely the right decision and I would have regretted not taking the opportunity.
"I've found it really easy to settle in, and got on well with the team almost immediately.
"All eight of the guys on the team are good friends now."
Alongside his tennis commitments, Eardley is studying for a degree in accounting, and admits it can be a tough juggling act.
"It has been tricky combining a degree with my tennis schedule," he added, "but it is similar to what I had been doing at Sutton, just on a larger scale.
"I haven't really thought about what I want to do after I graduate, but one option I would consider is to become the graduate assistant coach.
"That would allow me to earn a masters degree while continuing on the Wingate tennis team."
Eardley first picked up a racquet on a family holiday to Lanzarote when he was six, joining Basford Tennis Club as a keen and energetic seven-year-old.
He was selected for the Staffordshire training squad when he was 10 and, five years later, he and other county prospects made a trip to Barcelona to work with Sergi Bruguera.
That brief stint with the two-time French Open champion opened a door for Eardley to join the English Academy, which was then run by Jeremy Bates.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Rafael Nadal was twice a loser on finals day at the former top-ranked tennis player’s comeback tournament following a seven-month injury layoff.
Nadal lost 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 to Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos yesterday at the VTR Open in Vina del Mar, Chile. The Spaniard then partnered Juan Monaco in the doubles final, which was won by Italians Paolo Lorenzi and Potito Starace. “It was a great tournament for me,” Nadal said in a news conference. “If we take everything, it was positive. I wanted to win the final, but it wasn’t possible.”
Nadal, 26, had been sidelined since June 2012 with a partially torn patella tendon and knee inflammation, making his last tournament appearance at Wimbledon. Nadal, who dropped to fifth in the world rankings during his absence, decided to make his comeback at the clay-court tournament because the surface is more forgiving on joints and knees than hard courts.
The top seed in the 28-player field, Nadal had beaten Federico Delbonis of Argentina, fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno- Traver and Jeremy Chardy of France in straight sets to reach the final, where 73rd-ranked Zeballos broke serve in the final game to secure first career ATP World Tour title and join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only players to beat Nadal in an ATP clay-court final.
An 11-time Grand Slam singles champion, Nadal has won a men’s record seven French Open titles on the sport’s slowest surface. He was seeking his 37th clay-court title in Chile.
Nadal, who missed the London Olympics, U.S. Open and Australian Open, will play in this week’s Brazil Open and in Acapulco, Mexico, from Feb. 25. He said earlier last week that he’s not yet thinking about defending his title at Roland Garros in May.
“I just need to keep working, practicing with hope, motivation and the right attitude to have better sensations every week,” Nadal said yesterday. “I hope it’s the beginning of a lot of good things for me.”
Rafael Nadal Loses Both Finals in His Tennis Comeback Tournament - Bloomberg
Nadal lost 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 to Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos yesterday at the VTR Open in Vina del Mar, Chile. The Spaniard then partnered Juan Monaco in the doubles final, which was won by Italians Paolo Lorenzi and Potito Starace. “It was a great tournament for me,” Nadal said in a news conference. “If we take everything, it was positive. I wanted to win the final, but it wasn’t possible.”
Nadal, 26, had been sidelined since June 2012 with a partially torn patella tendon and knee inflammation, making his last tournament appearance at Wimbledon. Nadal, who dropped to fifth in the world rankings during his absence, decided to make his comeback at the clay-court tournament because the surface is more forgiving on joints and knees than hard courts.
The top seed in the 28-player field, Nadal had beaten Federico Delbonis of Argentina, fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno- Traver and Jeremy Chardy of France in straight sets to reach the final, where 73rd-ranked Zeballos broke serve in the final game to secure first career ATP World Tour title and join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only players to beat Nadal in an ATP clay-court final.
An 11-time Grand Slam singles champion, Nadal has won a men’s record seven French Open titles on the sport’s slowest surface. He was seeking his 37th clay-court title in Chile.
Nadal, who missed the London Olympics, U.S. Open and Australian Open, will play in this week’s Brazil Open and in Acapulco, Mexico, from Feb. 25. He said earlier last week that he’s not yet thinking about defending his title at Roland Garros in May.
“I just need to keep working, practicing with hope, motivation and the right attitude to have better sensations every week,” Nadal said yesterday. “I hope it’s the beginning of a lot of good things for me.”
Rafael Nadal Loses Both Finals in His Tennis Comeback Tournament - Bloomberg
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Roger Federer wants biological passports similar to those used in cycling to be introduced to detect doping in tennis.
The Wimbledon champion reiterated his recent claims that blood tests are less frequent than earlier in his career. "A blood passport will be necessary as some substances can't be discovered right now," said the 31-year-old.
"But there also should be more blood tests and out of competition controls in tennis."
World number one Novak Djokovic recently complained that the number of tests he has undergone fell in 2012 from the previous year, while Andy Murray called for more money to be spent on testing procedures.
The International Tennis Federation carried out a total of 131 blood tests in and out competition in 2011 - the most recent year for which figures are available - alongside 2,019 urine tests.
Cycling's governing body, the UCI, introduced biological passports in 2008 to check blood samples against a rider's original blood profile to detect any subsequent doping.
"I didn't get tested on blood after the Australian Open and I told the responsible people over there that it was a big surprise for me," added Federer, who has won a record 17 Grand Slam titles.
"But there also will be more funding needed to make all the tests possible and the Grand Slam tournaments should help to finance that as it is in their best interest to keep the sport clean and credible."
BBC Sport - Roger Federer wants more drug testing in tennis
The Wimbledon champion reiterated his recent claims that blood tests are less frequent than earlier in his career. "A blood passport will be necessary as some substances can't be discovered right now," said the 31-year-old.
"But there also should be more blood tests and out of competition controls in tennis."
World number one Novak Djokovic recently complained that the number of tests he has undergone fell in 2012 from the previous year, while Andy Murray called for more money to be spent on testing procedures.
The International Tennis Federation carried out a total of 131 blood tests in and out competition in 2011 - the most recent year for which figures are available - alongside 2,019 urine tests.
Cycling's governing body, the UCI, introduced biological passports in 2008 to check blood samples against a rider's original blood profile to detect any subsequent doping.
"I didn't get tested on blood after the Australian Open and I told the responsible people over there that it was a big surprise for me," added Federer, who has won a record 17 Grand Slam titles.
"But there also will be more funding needed to make all the tests possible and the Grand Slam tournaments should help to finance that as it is in their best interest to keep the sport clean and credible."
BBC Sport - Roger Federer wants more drug testing in tennis
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Esther Vergeer did not simply go out on top. She went out after a decade of soaring out of other players’ reach.
Vergeer, a Dutch wheelchair tennis juggernaut, announced her retirement at 31 on Tuesday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
She retires with an active win streak in singles of 470 matches, her last loss coming a little more than 10 years ago, in January 2003. Vergeer lost only 18 sets during the streak, and she won more than a third of her sets by the score of 6-0. She had 95 6-0, 6-0 victories in her career.
“I’m hugely proud of my performances, my titles and can look back on my career with a great feeling,” Vergeer said. “Keeping going would not add anything.”
Her final tournament was the London Paralympics in September. She captured the gold medal with typical ease, winning 7 of 12 sets in the singles competition by the score of 6-0. It was her fourth Paralympic gold medal in singles, to go along with her 21 Grand Slam singles titles. Although she was not as dominant when sharing the court with a partner, Vergeer also found success in doubles, winning 3 Paralympic gold medals and 23 Grand Slam titles.
“Esther Vergeer is a tremendous ambassador not only for tennis, but also for disability sports,” Francesco Ricci Bitti, the International Tennis Federation’s president, said in a statement. “She is an inspiration to many. Wheelchair tennis owes her a huge debt of gratitude for her professionalism and her quality as a player.”
Vergeer became paraplegic after spinal surgery at 8. Her first forays into wheelchair sports were in basketball, but she picked up tennis at 12 and decided to focus on it in 1998. By 1999, Vergeer had reached the No. 1 ranking.
Vergeer spent 668 weeks at No. 1, including every week from Oct. 2, 2000, to Jan. 21, 2013. She continued to push to improve even after years of uninterrupted supremacy. In 2009, she began working with the Dutch coach Sven Groeneveld, who coached Monica Seles, Mary Pierce and Ana Ivanovic.
“To work with someone who has been that long undefeated took a little time to adapt,” Groeneveld said. “Because what do you work on? What can be better if you’re undefeated for so long?”
Groeneveld added: “Winning was never really the focus. The growth was the focus.”
In wheelchair tennis, the ball is allowed to bounce many times, instead of once as in standard tennis, to accommodate the players’ often slower changes in direction. But with her anticipation and heavy, powerful ground strokes, Vergeer often hit winners to the back fence before her opponents had time to get in position.
Before her official retirement announcement Tuesday, Vergeer took part in the on-court opening ceremony with Roger Federer at her country’s biggest ATP tournament, the ABN AMRO tournament in Rotterdam.
Federer wrote a foreword for Vergeer’s autobiography, which was released Tuesday to coincide with her retirement announcement.
“She is an astonishing athlete, a huge personality, and she has achieved one of the most amazing feats in our sport,” wrote Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion.
As part of her announcement, Vergeer read aloud from her book, “Kracht & Kwetsbaarheid,” which is Dutch for power and vulnerability.
Fighting back tears, Vergeer revealed her retirement as she read passages from the last chapter of the book, in which she described her choice to retire. That final decision came last month during the Australian Open, as she watched from the Netherlands. Vergeer had skipped the tournament, allowing her countrywoman Aniek van Koot to win the title with a dramatic three-set victory, beginning a new era in which other players will be finally able to regularly win titles. Vergeer had beaten van Koot, 6-0, 6-0, in the 2012 Australian Open final.
Vergeer played 73 opponents during her winning streak, but the limited number of elite competitors in women’s wheelchair tennis meant that many of her wins came against just a few opponents. And because the Netherlands has the most successful wheelchair tennis programs in the world, Vergeer was repeatedly beating up on compatriots. The closest call of her streak came on one of the biggest stages. In the gold medal match of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, Vergeer faced a match point on her serve at 4-5 in the third set against her countrywoman Korie Homan.
“I was nervous,” she recalled two years later at the United States Open. “Even though you only have 20 seconds in that time, I was thinking a lot of things. About like how my parents would react, or how I would react, or the girl that I was playing would react or the media. Or would I start crying? Or would I have a feeling of relief?”
Vergeer was saved when Homan netted a backhand on her third shot of the rally. Vergeer eventually won the match, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (5).
“It is going to be a relief, sort of,” Vergeer said of a streak-ending loss that will never come. “Yeah, it’s going to be a relief — but I’m not going to do it on purpose.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/13/sports/wheelchair-tennis-champion-esther-vergeer-retires-html?_r=0
Vergeer, a Dutch wheelchair tennis juggernaut, announced her retirement at 31 on Tuesday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
She retires with an active win streak in singles of 470 matches, her last loss coming a little more than 10 years ago, in January 2003. Vergeer lost only 18 sets during the streak, and she won more than a third of her sets by the score of 6-0. She had 95 6-0, 6-0 victories in her career.
“I’m hugely proud of my performances, my titles and can look back on my career with a great feeling,” Vergeer said. “Keeping going would not add anything.”
Her final tournament was the London Paralympics in September. She captured the gold medal with typical ease, winning 7 of 12 sets in the singles competition by the score of 6-0. It was her fourth Paralympic gold medal in singles, to go along with her 21 Grand Slam singles titles. Although she was not as dominant when sharing the court with a partner, Vergeer also found success in doubles, winning 3 Paralympic gold medals and 23 Grand Slam titles.
“Esther Vergeer is a tremendous ambassador not only for tennis, but also for disability sports,” Francesco Ricci Bitti, the International Tennis Federation’s president, said in a statement. “She is an inspiration to many. Wheelchair tennis owes her a huge debt of gratitude for her professionalism and her quality as a player.”
Vergeer became paraplegic after spinal surgery at 8. Her first forays into wheelchair sports were in basketball, but she picked up tennis at 12 and decided to focus on it in 1998. By 1999, Vergeer had reached the No. 1 ranking.
Vergeer spent 668 weeks at No. 1, including every week from Oct. 2, 2000, to Jan. 21, 2013. She continued to push to improve even after years of uninterrupted supremacy. In 2009, she began working with the Dutch coach Sven Groeneveld, who coached Monica Seles, Mary Pierce and Ana Ivanovic.
“To work with someone who has been that long undefeated took a little time to adapt,” Groeneveld said. “Because what do you work on? What can be better if you’re undefeated for so long?”
Groeneveld added: “Winning was never really the focus. The growth was the focus.”
In wheelchair tennis, the ball is allowed to bounce many times, instead of once as in standard tennis, to accommodate the players’ often slower changes in direction. But with her anticipation and heavy, powerful ground strokes, Vergeer often hit winners to the back fence before her opponents had time to get in position.
Before her official retirement announcement Tuesday, Vergeer took part in the on-court opening ceremony with Roger Federer at her country’s biggest ATP tournament, the ABN AMRO tournament in Rotterdam.
Federer wrote a foreword for Vergeer’s autobiography, which was released Tuesday to coincide with her retirement announcement.
“She is an astonishing athlete, a huge personality, and she has achieved one of the most amazing feats in our sport,” wrote Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion.
As part of her announcement, Vergeer read aloud from her book, “Kracht & Kwetsbaarheid,” which is Dutch for power and vulnerability.
Fighting back tears, Vergeer revealed her retirement as she read passages from the last chapter of the book, in which she described her choice to retire. That final decision came last month during the Australian Open, as she watched from the Netherlands. Vergeer had skipped the tournament, allowing her countrywoman Aniek van Koot to win the title with a dramatic three-set victory, beginning a new era in which other players will be finally able to regularly win titles. Vergeer had beaten van Koot, 6-0, 6-0, in the 2012 Australian Open final.
Vergeer played 73 opponents during her winning streak, but the limited number of elite competitors in women’s wheelchair tennis meant that many of her wins came against just a few opponents. And because the Netherlands has the most successful wheelchair tennis programs in the world, Vergeer was repeatedly beating up on compatriots. The closest call of her streak came on one of the biggest stages. In the gold medal match of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, Vergeer faced a match point on her serve at 4-5 in the third set against her countrywoman Korie Homan.
“I was nervous,” she recalled two years later at the United States Open. “Even though you only have 20 seconds in that time, I was thinking a lot of things. About like how my parents would react, or how I would react, or the girl that I was playing would react or the media. Or would I start crying? Or would I have a feeling of relief?”
Vergeer was saved when Homan netted a backhand on her third shot of the rally. Vergeer eventually won the match, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (5).
“It is going to be a relief, sort of,” Vergeer said of a streak-ending loss that will never come. “Yeah, it’s going to be a relief — but I’m not going to do it on purpose.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/02/13/sports/wheelchair-tennis-champion-esther-vergeer-retires-html?_r=0
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Serena Williams’s bid to reclaim the world No1 ranking in Doha this week may be boosted by a French connection that has been helping her recover from an upsetting start to the year.
Williams seemed unusually alert and fresh in Doha after arriving in the Gulf on Saturday night, until it emerged she had crossed only the two time zones from Paris — and not the eight from her Florida home.
This suggests some or most of her preparation may have been done at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy in the French capital.
There her emotional life as well as her fitness should have experienced extra nurturing — probably much needed after a calamitous Australian Open where she ended with a quarterfinal defeat and two injuries.
Mouratoglou appears to have been important for Williams for many months now, and not just, it would appear, for his professional coaching abilities.
They met at the French Open in Paris in May last year, after which Williams said, according to Mouratoglou: "I want to win Wimbledon. I want to start now."
He replied: "That’s simple, that’s how it started."
However, since then they have sometimes been pictured together in non-coaching situations.
Mouratoglou was snapped with his hand on her posterior during a boat ride in Mauritius. She was caught on camera with her hand in his back pocket while they were shopping in Paris.
They were described as if "they’re sure playing doubles" when shown strolling together at Valbonne, in France. Then they were snapped while snuggling together on a shopping trip in Milan in Italy. But is Mouratoglou, who has an international reputation as a coach, actually helping her tennis? He was certainly in situ throughout the outstanding four-month sequence which saw her win Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open and the WTA Championships one after the other. That was impressive even by Williams’s standards.
So what is the biggest thing Mouratoglou brings to the table? That question is too tough to answer, Williams insists.
"I think my game is suited to doing well, really, but I think Patrick is a good addition. It would be interesting to see which way it would have gone (without him)," she said last month.
• Roger Federer has welcomed the return to tennis of archrival Rafael Nadal. Federer, defending his 2012 Rotterdam World Tennis trophy, said: "I saw a few pictures of Rafa last week," adding lightheartedly: "I see he’s still a left-hander — and his shirts looked good.
"I’m happy to see him back and playing on the Tour," Federer said.
"He seems to have good energy. I was surprised he lost a final against a player ranked outside the top 50. I’m sure he got a lot of information about his game last week (in Chile). He knows now how much strain he is putting on his body and how he is dealing with it."
Williams seemed unusually alert and fresh in Doha after arriving in the Gulf on Saturday night, until it emerged she had crossed only the two time zones from Paris — and not the eight from her Florida home.
This suggests some or most of her preparation may have been done at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy in the French capital.
There her emotional life as well as her fitness should have experienced extra nurturing — probably much needed after a calamitous Australian Open where she ended with a quarterfinal defeat and two injuries.
Mouratoglou appears to have been important for Williams for many months now, and not just, it would appear, for his professional coaching abilities.
They met at the French Open in Paris in May last year, after which Williams said, according to Mouratoglou: "I want to win Wimbledon. I want to start now."
He replied: "That’s simple, that’s how it started."
However, since then they have sometimes been pictured together in non-coaching situations.
Mouratoglou was snapped with his hand on her posterior during a boat ride in Mauritius. She was caught on camera with her hand in his back pocket while they were shopping in Paris.
They were described as if "they’re sure playing doubles" when shown strolling together at Valbonne, in France. Then they were snapped while snuggling together on a shopping trip in Milan in Italy. But is Mouratoglou, who has an international reputation as a coach, actually helping her tennis? He was certainly in situ throughout the outstanding four-month sequence which saw her win Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open and the WTA Championships one after the other. That was impressive even by Williams’s standards.
So what is the biggest thing Mouratoglou brings to the table? That question is too tough to answer, Williams insists.
"I think my game is suited to doing well, really, but I think Patrick is a good addition. It would be interesting to see which way it would have gone (without him)," she said last month.
• Roger Federer has welcomed the return to tennis of archrival Rafael Nadal. Federer, defending his 2012 Rotterdam World Tennis trophy, said: "I saw a few pictures of Rafa last week," adding lightheartedly: "I see he’s still a left-hander — and his shirts looked good.
"I’m happy to see him back and playing on the Tour," Federer said.
"He seems to have good energy. I was surprised he lost a final against a player ranked outside the top 50. I’m sure he got a lot of information about his game last week (in Chile). He knows now how much strain he is putting on his body and how he is dealing with it."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Rafael Nadal will not play his scheduled doubles match at the Brazil Open today because of "knee overuse", organisers said.
But they added that the Spanish star intends to play his opening singles match on Thursday against Brazilian Joao Souza.
World No.5 Nadal had been scheduled to team up with Argentina's David Nalbandian in a second-round encounter against Argentine Horacio Zeballos and Austrian Oliver Marach on Wednesday.
Former world No.1 Nadal only returned to the tennis circuit in Chile last week, where he lost in the final, after a seven-month injury absence.
"The conditions are very difficult. The court is not in the best condition and the ball is very difficult to control," Nalbandian told a press conference.
Nalbandian and Nadal won a hard-fought match 6-3 3-6 11-9 against Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on the court late Tuesday.
"It's too bad I cannot play the doubles after the match Rafa and I had (yesterday)," the Argentine said.
"But he (Nadal) has to take care of himself and prepare for a long and hard year".
At a press conference on Tuesday, Nadal complained about having to play so many hardcourt events.
"That is a theme among the players and doctors," he said.
While conceding that reducing the number of events on hard surface was not possible at this time, he added: "I think that the ATP has to work to think of how to lengthen tennis players' careers."
"Can you imagine football players playing on cement?", he added.
"I am a bit tired after a hard week in Chile. But it was positive. The process of recovery follows its course," Nadal also said.
Asked when he expected to be 100 per cent fit, he responded: "I cannot know the future. If my knee allows, I will do everything possible to be at my best."
"I am a player who plays with a lot passion, a lot of energy. I suppose that does not help the knee."
"My long-term objective is to be in Brazil in 2016 (for the Rio Summer Olympics). I am going to work to arrive in good condition at what are likely to be my last Olympics," he said.
Considered by many to be the best ever claycourt player, seven-time French Open champion Nadal was back in Chile last week for the first time since a surprise second-round exit at Wimbledon in June.
Tennis: Nadal out of doubles event over knee fear - Sport - NZ Herald News
But they added that the Spanish star intends to play his opening singles match on Thursday against Brazilian Joao Souza.
World No.5 Nadal had been scheduled to team up with Argentina's David Nalbandian in a second-round encounter against Argentine Horacio Zeballos and Austrian Oliver Marach on Wednesday.
Former world No.1 Nadal only returned to the tennis circuit in Chile last week, where he lost in the final, after a seven-month injury absence.
"The conditions are very difficult. The court is not in the best condition and the ball is very difficult to control," Nalbandian told a press conference.
Nalbandian and Nadal won a hard-fought match 6-3 3-6 11-9 against Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on the court late Tuesday.
"It's too bad I cannot play the doubles after the match Rafa and I had (yesterday)," the Argentine said.
"But he (Nadal) has to take care of himself and prepare for a long and hard year".
At a press conference on Tuesday, Nadal complained about having to play so many hardcourt events.
"That is a theme among the players and doctors," he said.
While conceding that reducing the number of events on hard surface was not possible at this time, he added: "I think that the ATP has to work to think of how to lengthen tennis players' careers."
"Can you imagine football players playing on cement?", he added.
"I am a bit tired after a hard week in Chile. But it was positive. The process of recovery follows its course," Nadal also said.
Asked when he expected to be 100 per cent fit, he responded: "I cannot know the future. If my knee allows, I will do everything possible to be at my best."
"I am a player who plays with a lot passion, a lot of energy. I suppose that does not help the knee."
"My long-term objective is to be in Brazil in 2016 (for the Rio Summer Olympics). I am going to work to arrive in good condition at what are likely to be my last Olympics," he said.
Considered by many to be the best ever claycourt player, seven-time French Open champion Nadal was back in Chile last week for the first time since a surprise second-round exit at Wimbledon in June.
Tennis: Nadal out of doubles event over knee fear - Sport - NZ Herald News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Denis Istomin capitalized on all five break point chances as he advanced to the ATP Tour's SAP Open quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win over Benjamin Becker on Thursday.
The sixth seeded Istomin, who finished runner-up in the event last year, needed one hour and 49 minutes to continue his mastery over Germany's Becker. He has now beaten Becker in three of four career meetings.
The 26-year-old Uzbek has reached the quarter-finals in three tournaments this season, including at the Brisbane International where he lost in the quarter-finals to Andy Murray. He also made the final eight at a tournament in January in Sydney, Australia.
In other matches Thursday, Alejandro Falla breezed past seventh-seeded Marinko Matosevic 6-4, 6-4 in 87 minutes.
Falla next plays third-seeded Sam Querrey, who defeated 2003 San Jose winner Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), for a place in the semi-finals.
Eighth seed Xavier Malisse outlasted Australia's Matthew Ebden 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1). Malisse came out on top in a final set tie-break to clinch the win in two hours and 27 minutes.
American Steve Johnson advanced to his first career ATP Tour quarter-final after winning an all-American clash over Tim Smyczek 6-3, 6-3.
Johnson managed to save four break points in the win.
The sixth seeded Istomin, who finished runner-up in the event last year, needed one hour and 49 minutes to continue his mastery over Germany's Becker. He has now beaten Becker in three of four career meetings.
The 26-year-old Uzbek has reached the quarter-finals in three tournaments this season, including at the Brisbane International where he lost in the quarter-finals to Andy Murray. He also made the final eight at a tournament in January in Sydney, Australia.
In other matches Thursday, Alejandro Falla breezed past seventh-seeded Marinko Matosevic 6-4, 6-4 in 87 minutes.
Falla next plays third-seeded Sam Querrey, who defeated 2003 San Jose winner Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), for a place in the semi-finals.
Eighth seed Xavier Malisse outlasted Australia's Matthew Ebden 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1). Malisse came out on top in a final set tie-break to clinch the win in two hours and 27 minutes.
American Steve Johnson advanced to his first career ATP Tour quarter-final after winning an all-American clash over Tim Smyczek 6-3, 6-3.
Johnson managed to save four break points in the win.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
US tennis star Serena Williams will become the World No.1 women's player as soon as the new WTA rankings are announced on Monday.
******Williams ensured her top spot by coming from a set down to beat Czech player Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the WTA quarterfinals in Doha, Qatar.
“Thanks everyone for all the support. Back to number one and it feels so good,” Williams wrote on her Twitter page afterwards.
The American, who’s now 31 years and four months old, will become the oldest women's World No.1 in the game’s history.
The younger Williams sister previously topped the Women’s Tennis Association rankings in the 2002 season.
Serena will replace Victoria Azarenka as world’s best player, with the Belarusian also making it to the semis in Doha after a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy’s Sara Errani.
Her return to the top has been no walk in the park, as she survived an emergency surgery in 2011 after her life was put at risk by hematoma and a pulmonary embolism.
But the American bounced back in spectacular fashion, dominating the 2012 season with victories at Wimbledon, the US Open and the London Olympics.
Next on Williams’s agenda is Russia’s Maria Sharapova, whom she will face in the in the Qatari semifinal.
Serena back on top of women's tennis — RT
******Williams ensured her top spot by coming from a set down to beat Czech player Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the WTA quarterfinals in Doha, Qatar.
“Thanks everyone for all the support. Back to number one and it feels so good,” Williams wrote on her Twitter page afterwards.
The American, who’s now 31 years and four months old, will become the oldest women's World No.1 in the game’s history.
The younger Williams sister previously topped the Women’s Tennis Association rankings in the 2002 season.
Serena will replace Victoria Azarenka as world’s best player, with the Belarusian also making it to the semis in Doha after a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy’s Sara Errani.
Her return to the top has been no walk in the park, as she survived an emergency surgery in 2011 after her life was put at risk by hematoma and a pulmonary embolism.
But the American bounced back in spectacular fashion, dominating the 2012 season with victories at Wimbledon, the US Open and the London Olympics.
Next on Williams’s agenda is Russia’s Maria Sharapova, whom she will face in the in the Qatari semifinal.
Serena back on top of women's tennis — RT
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Serena Williams showed tennis was not just the domain of teenagers as she climbed back to the top of the world rankings on Friday, becoming the oldest woman to hold the coveted position at the age of 31.
The American is world No. 1 for the sixth time in her storied career after finishing off former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6 6-3 7-5 with a thumping ace in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.
Williams was due to meet Russian Maria Sharapova, who had also been in hot pursuit of the No. 1 ranking this week, in a lip-smacking semifinal last night.
“I’m so sensitive nowadays. I’m always crying! I’ve just been through so much and never thought I’d be here again,” Williams, who recovered from 4-1 down in the third set, told the crowd as she fought back tears.
At 31 years, four months and 24 days old, she will be the oldest woman in the top spot since computer rankings began in 1975. Williams eclipses fellow American Chris Evert, who was 30 years, 11 months and three days old when she last held the ranking in 1985.
Since then, teenagers like Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Sharapova have often been world No. 1, but more than a decade after first claiming top spot, 15-times grand slam champion Williams showed she still hungers for success.
It was little wonder the second seed was so emotional after all the injuries, illnesses and surgery she has endured since last relinquishing the No. 1 spot in October 2010. While Williams relishes the prospect of beginning her 124th non-consecutive week as the world’s best female player when the new rankings are officially unveiled tomorrow, Sharapova must take consolation from continuing to progress at the Qatar Open.
The Russian brushed aside Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-4 on Friday, having not dropped a set in her three matches, a feat equaled by outgoing world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who saw off Italian Sara Errani 6-2 6-2. Third seed Sharapova, who held an 11-2 career record over Stosur going into the match, was never threatened in her 82-minute victory.
Top seed Azarenka will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals after the fourth seed overcame former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2 7-5 in the late match.
The American is world No. 1 for the sixth time in her storied career after finishing off former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6 6-3 7-5 with a thumping ace in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.
Williams was due to meet Russian Maria Sharapova, who had also been in hot pursuit of the No. 1 ranking this week, in a lip-smacking semifinal last night.
“I’m so sensitive nowadays. I’m always crying! I’ve just been through so much and never thought I’d be here again,” Williams, who recovered from 4-1 down in the third set, told the crowd as she fought back tears.
At 31 years, four months and 24 days old, she will be the oldest woman in the top spot since computer rankings began in 1975. Williams eclipses fellow American Chris Evert, who was 30 years, 11 months and three days old when she last held the ranking in 1985.
Since then, teenagers like Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Sharapova have often been world No. 1, but more than a decade after first claiming top spot, 15-times grand slam champion Williams showed she still hungers for success.
It was little wonder the second seed was so emotional after all the injuries, illnesses and surgery she has endured since last relinquishing the No. 1 spot in October 2010. While Williams relishes the prospect of beginning her 124th non-consecutive week as the world’s best female player when the new rankings are officially unveiled tomorrow, Sharapova must take consolation from continuing to progress at the Qatar Open.
The Russian brushed aside Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-4 on Friday, having not dropped a set in her three matches, a feat equaled by outgoing world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who saw off Italian Sara Errani 6-2 6-2. Third seed Sharapova, who held an 11-2 career record over Stosur going into the match, was never threatened in her 82-minute victory.
Top seed Azarenka will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals after the fourth seed overcame former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2 7-5 in the late match.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Spaniard Nadal, an 11-times Grand Slam champion, suffered a surprise defeat to world number 73 Horacio Zeballos last week after reaching the final in Chile.
That was his first tournament since a knee injury ruled him out of the US Open and Australian Open last year, but the world number five went one better in his second outing by easily beating the 31-year-old Argentina Nalbandian.
It was Nalbandian's first final since he was disqualified for kicking a line judge while a set up in the Queen's Club title match last June. He is now 11-13 in finals, although this was his first on clay since losing the 2008 Acapulco final to Nicolas Almagro.
The former world number one, playing only his second tournament following his return from injury, broke Nalbandian twice in the first set and recovered from 3-0 down in the second to win in 78 minutes.
It was Nadal's 51st ATP Tour title, and his fifth win against Nalbandian in seven matches.
Nadal, who said he still suffers pain in his troublesome knees, has chosen to return to action on the clay courts he favours as he tries to work his way back to match fitness.
"When the knee hurts I can't move properly," Nadal said. "And if I can't move properly, I can't hit the ball cleanly.
"When my knee gets better, the tennis will get better, the head (will get better), everything will get better. Today was the day I felt best on court."
Although he was clearly a long way from his best, Nadal showed the same swashbuckle that took him to the top of the game. In a reference to his first title in Brazil in 2005, the year he burst on to the world scene, he said he hoped this win would mark a new beginning for him.
"Brazil will always be in my heart, this is the second time I have been here," he told fans after the game. "In 2005, big things started to happen for me after winning here and I hope this time again it is the start of something good."
The Spaniard is expected to play in the Mexico Open in Acapulco later this month as he prepares to defend his French Open title in May.
Tennis - Nadal wins first title since comeback - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
That was his first tournament since a knee injury ruled him out of the US Open and Australian Open last year, but the world number five went one better in his second outing by easily beating the 31-year-old Argentina Nalbandian.
It was Nalbandian's first final since he was disqualified for kicking a line judge while a set up in the Queen's Club title match last June. He is now 11-13 in finals, although this was his first on clay since losing the 2008 Acapulco final to Nicolas Almagro.
The former world number one, playing only his second tournament following his return from injury, broke Nalbandian twice in the first set and recovered from 3-0 down in the second to win in 78 minutes.
It was Nadal's 51st ATP Tour title, and his fifth win against Nalbandian in seven matches.
Nadal, who said he still suffers pain in his troublesome knees, has chosen to return to action on the clay courts he favours as he tries to work his way back to match fitness.
"When the knee hurts I can't move properly," Nadal said. "And if I can't move properly, I can't hit the ball cleanly.
"When my knee gets better, the tennis will get better, the head (will get better), everything will get better. Today was the day I felt best on court."
Although he was clearly a long way from his best, Nadal showed the same swashbuckle that took him to the top of the game. In a reference to his first title in Brazil in 2005, the year he burst on to the world scene, he said he hoped this win would mark a new beginning for him.
"Brazil will always be in my heart, this is the second time I have been here," he told fans after the game. "In 2005, big things started to happen for me after winning here and I hope this time again it is the start of something good."
The Spaniard is expected to play in the Mexico Open in Acapulco later this month as he prepares to defend his French Open title in May.
Tennis - Nadal wins first title since comeback - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Almagro needed just one set point and one match point to defeat his Argentine opponent on clay in Buenos Aires on Monday.
The Spanish number two seed broke Pella in just the second game of the opening set but the 22-year-old Argentine hit back straight away in front of his home crowd, breaking Almagro's serve and holding to draw level at 2-2.
The set continued on serve until the eighth game when Almagro needed just one break point to take a 5-3 lead and then served out to love.
Almagro broke Pella twice in the second set and wrapped up the match at the first opportunity, winning in just 56 minutes.
The opening day of the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires saw two seeded players eliminated with Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina the surprise exits.
Diego Schwartzman defeated Bellucci 6-4 4-6 6-1 in just under two hours, while Slovenia's Ajiaz Bedene knocked off Zeballos 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
Having lost the first set, Bellucci fought back in the second, winning the last three games to draw level with his Argentine opponent.
But in the deciding set, Bellucci's poor first-serve percentage (59 percent for the match) cost him dearly as Schwartzman won 62 percent of points when returning, including six of seven on the Brazilian's second serve.
Schwartzman broke Bellucci twice in the third set to earn a spot in the second round.
Spain's Albert Ramos was the other seed in action and had no trouble against Flavio Cipolla of Italy, the eighth seed winning 6-1 6-0, while in the other match, local wildcard Federico Delbonis defeated Portugal's Joao Sousa 6-1 6-4.
Almagro cruises through in Buenos Aires - Tennis - Sportal Australia
The Spanish number two seed broke Pella in just the second game of the opening set but the 22-year-old Argentine hit back straight away in front of his home crowd, breaking Almagro's serve and holding to draw level at 2-2.
The set continued on serve until the eighth game when Almagro needed just one break point to take a 5-3 lead and then served out to love.
Almagro broke Pella twice in the second set and wrapped up the match at the first opportunity, winning in just 56 minutes.
The opening day of the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires saw two seeded players eliminated with Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina the surprise exits.
Diego Schwartzman defeated Bellucci 6-4 4-6 6-1 in just under two hours, while Slovenia's Ajiaz Bedene knocked off Zeballos 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
Having lost the first set, Bellucci fought back in the second, winning the last three games to draw level with his Argentine opponent.
But in the deciding set, Bellucci's poor first-serve percentage (59 percent for the match) cost him dearly as Schwartzman won 62 percent of points when returning, including six of seven on the Brazilian's second serve.
Schwartzman broke Bellucci twice in the third set to earn a spot in the second round.
Spain's Albert Ramos was the other seed in action and had no trouble against Flavio Cipolla of Italy, the eighth seed winning 6-1 6-0, while in the other match, local wildcard Federico Delbonis defeated Portugal's Joao Sousa 6-1 6-4.
Almagro cruises through in Buenos Aires - Tennis - Sportal Australia
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Tennessee: Sam Querrey beat Alejandro Falla for the second time in less than a week, defeating the Colombian 6-3, 6-3 in a first round match at the US National Indoor Championships on Tuesday.
Querrey, who won the Memphis title three years ago, hammered six aces and won 74 percent of his first-serve points as he needed just 58 minutes to eliminate Falla.
Fourth seed Querrey also beat Falla in the quarter-finals of the San Jose tournament on Friday.
Querrey, who is the No. 2 ranked American on the ATP Tour, advances to the second round where he will face the winner of a match between Japan's Go Soeda and Marinko Matosevic of Australia.
Defending champion Jurgen Melzer crashed out of the joint ATP and WTA tournament, losing his opening-round match in straight sets at The Racquet Club of Memphis.
The left-handed Austrian lost to Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
Sijsling advanced to a second-round match against Croatian top seed Marin Cilic.
Melzer, who was playing with a broken toe, defeated Milos Raonic in last year's final, snapping the Canadian's win streak at nine straight matches.
In the late match, Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori cruised past Ilya Marchenko 6-4, 7-5.
American veteran James Blake defeated German Florian Mayer 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
On the women's side, Slovakian seventh seed Magdalena Rybarikova reached the third round by ousting American Lauren Davis 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.
France's Claire Feuerstein upset Czech fifth seed Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 6-4 while German third seed Sabine Lisicki reached the second round with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over American Madison Keys.
Querrey advances at Memphis tennis
Querrey, who won the Memphis title three years ago, hammered six aces and won 74 percent of his first-serve points as he needed just 58 minutes to eliminate Falla.
Fourth seed Querrey also beat Falla in the quarter-finals of the San Jose tournament on Friday.
Querrey, who is the No. 2 ranked American on the ATP Tour, advances to the second round where he will face the winner of a match between Japan's Go Soeda and Marinko Matosevic of Australia.
Defending champion Jurgen Melzer crashed out of the joint ATP and WTA tournament, losing his opening-round match in straight sets at The Racquet Club of Memphis.
The left-handed Austrian lost to Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
Sijsling advanced to a second-round match against Croatian top seed Marin Cilic.
Melzer, who was playing with a broken toe, defeated Milos Raonic in last year's final, snapping the Canadian's win streak at nine straight matches.
In the late match, Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori cruised past Ilya Marchenko 6-4, 7-5.
American veteran James Blake defeated German Florian Mayer 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
On the women's side, Slovakian seventh seed Magdalena Rybarikova reached the third round by ousting American Lauren Davis 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.
France's Claire Feuerstein upset Czech fifth seed Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 6-4 while German third seed Sabine Lisicki reached the second round with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over American Madison Keys.
Querrey advances at Memphis tennis
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Rebecca Marino has decided she cannot battle opponents and depression at the same time.
The Vancouverite, who rose as high as 38th in the world in the WTA rankings, announced Wednesday she’s “stepping away” from the game due to an ongoing battle with mental illness, which she admits was exacerbated by some “really hurtful” comments she was subjected to on social media.
“My depression had come way before the so-called cyberbullying,” Marino, 22, told reporters on a conference call, saying it stretched back six years.
“Social media has also taken its toll on me.”
Rebecca Marino quits tennis following cyberbullying incidents | Toronto Star
The Vancouverite, who rose as high as 38th in the world in the WTA rankings, announced Wednesday she’s “stepping away” from the game due to an ongoing battle with mental illness, which she admits was exacerbated by some “really hurtful” comments she was subjected to on social media.
“My depression had come way before the so-called cyberbullying,” Marino, 22, told reporters on a conference call, saying it stretched back six years.
“Social media has also taken its toll on me.”
Rebecca Marino quits tennis following cyberbullying incidents | Toronto Star
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Roger Federer was back in South Africa for the first time in eight years and it was not long before he was surrounded by a swarm of three-year-old toddlers tugging at his shirt and hankering to play a game of tennis.
Unlike many of the fans the 17-times grand slam champion usually encounters, these children hold a special place in the Swiss champion's heart as his charitable foundation is helping to educate them.
Federer showed the children how to play tennis, joined them in a game of hopscotch and read out stories to a captive audience before sitting down with Reuters to chat about the pressures faced by top athletes, being in his South African mother's homeland, and what he hopes to achieve during the 10th anniversary of the Roger Federer Foundation.
REUTERS: Your trip here has coincided with the bail hearing of paralympian Oscar Pistorius. Pistorius's story has put a particular spotlight on sporting heroes. Do you think there's a lot of pressure put on professional athletes?
FEDERER: Everybody handles it (pressure and stress) differently. My success came gradually, which was helpful, even though I was always considered a great talent, someone who could become world number one. So it wasn't a huge surprise that I made it to world number one and won Wimbledon, but for me it was.
To handle that stardom, the red carpets, the photo shoots, people all of a sudden recognizing you and following you in everyday life, it's a bit weird. It's strange and it can have funny effects on you in terms of do you like it or don't you like it. Some people run away from it, some people embrace it, I found a good middle ground. It's tricky, especially (because) people love fairytale stories; take you down, put you back up, put you down. And obviously the more famous you become, the more great everything seems when things goes well, and the worse they seem when things don't go so well.
I realized that when I was world number one, I would play an average match and people would say ‘you played so well, it's unbelievable'. And when I would play incredibly they would say ‘oh my god, we've never seen this tennis before in my life'. So it's always an exaggeration, the whole thing, and that's what we live in, unfortunately.
REUTERS: So are we paying undue attention to Pistorius because of who he is?
FEDERER: This is now a particular story, it's very difficult. You can't compare this one to any other....
REUTERS: How important is it to take time out?
FEDERER: For me vacation and family time is as important as training. So I try to take to take at least 10 days if not two weeks of holiday. After the Australian (Open in January) I took two weeks of vacation, all I did was spend time with my family.
I couldn't handle this daily stress of people recognizing me, signing autographs, doing press, playing matches, the pressure, people always in my face.
I need to get away from it all. So that when I do come back to the game, I'm hungry, and I'm in the mood to sign autographs, I'm in the mood to do interviews. Not that it becomes a drain and it becomes a burden, because when it's that, the fun goes away then you stop, it's just as simple as that.
REUTERS: It's been a decade since you set up the Roger Federer Foundation which funds pre-school and primary education in Africa and Switzerland. What are you doing to mark the anniversary?
FEDERER: We were thinking of doing different things. Most important was that I definitely do the trip this year, that has been my number one priority. I went to Ethiopia a few years ago but I really wanted to come back to South Africa.
My heart is in South Africa, through my mum. My mum being from here, me spending a lot of time here as well, I feel most connected to this part of the world.
Obviously I would like to see other ones (projects in the five other African countries) as well, but coming here, being able to do something in South Africa and also visiting my family was important.
The 10 years are important to us. I still feel we're in the beginning of everything. Ten years sounds like a long time but it's changed a lot in terms of the kids we're able to reach and the money we're able to put out there to help.
In this regard I was thinking of doing another 'Match for Africa' again which I did two or three years ago with (Rafa)Nadal when I was able to raise up to $3 million. I don't know if this year will be the year to do it but I hope to.
REUTERS: Is it important for people in your kind of position to 'give back'?
FEDERER: Sometimes it's not always about the money. If people were willing to give time, to talk, to inspire, to help; because at the end of the day it comes down to the people who help the kids get smarter and get better at the end of the day.
Of course you need money to be able to do that sometimes, not everywhere in the world, but here particularly you do, its clear, its visible.
REUTERS: Is it important to do it?
FEDERER: I think you have to do what you feel is right to do. I don't think there's a certain obligation, but it would be a missed opportunity if you didn't because, let's not forget how incredibly lucky... I can only speak for myself; how incredibly lucky I feel that I made my hobby my job and my dream at the end of the day.
Sometimes with little effort I can raise so much awareness or raise so much money in one event, that other people would take a long long time to raise - I feel I would be selfish if I were to not share that with other people.
REUTERS: Your twin daughters are almost four years old now. Does having a family make you better or slow you down?
FEDERER: I thought it would maybe slow me down a bit just because everybody says so. I'm happy that again I was able to prove that its possible to have a family and play well. Not only do I have a family but I have twin girls, so it was super intense in the first years, it's still very intense now. But I made it work. I have an incred
Unlike many of the fans the 17-times grand slam champion usually encounters, these children hold a special place in the Swiss champion's heart as his charitable foundation is helping to educate them.
Federer showed the children how to play tennis, joined them in a game of hopscotch and read out stories to a captive audience before sitting down with Reuters to chat about the pressures faced by top athletes, being in his South African mother's homeland, and what he hopes to achieve during the 10th anniversary of the Roger Federer Foundation.
REUTERS: Your trip here has coincided with the bail hearing of paralympian Oscar Pistorius. Pistorius's story has put a particular spotlight on sporting heroes. Do you think there's a lot of pressure put on professional athletes?
FEDERER: Everybody handles it (pressure and stress) differently. My success came gradually, which was helpful, even though I was always considered a great talent, someone who could become world number one. So it wasn't a huge surprise that I made it to world number one and won Wimbledon, but for me it was.
To handle that stardom, the red carpets, the photo shoots, people all of a sudden recognizing you and following you in everyday life, it's a bit weird. It's strange and it can have funny effects on you in terms of do you like it or don't you like it. Some people run away from it, some people embrace it, I found a good middle ground. It's tricky, especially (because) people love fairytale stories; take you down, put you back up, put you down. And obviously the more famous you become, the more great everything seems when things goes well, and the worse they seem when things don't go so well.
I realized that when I was world number one, I would play an average match and people would say ‘you played so well, it's unbelievable'. And when I would play incredibly they would say ‘oh my god, we've never seen this tennis before in my life'. So it's always an exaggeration, the whole thing, and that's what we live in, unfortunately.
REUTERS: So are we paying undue attention to Pistorius because of who he is?
FEDERER: This is now a particular story, it's very difficult. You can't compare this one to any other....
REUTERS: How important is it to take time out?
FEDERER: For me vacation and family time is as important as training. So I try to take to take at least 10 days if not two weeks of holiday. After the Australian (Open in January) I took two weeks of vacation, all I did was spend time with my family.
I couldn't handle this daily stress of people recognizing me, signing autographs, doing press, playing matches, the pressure, people always in my face.
I need to get away from it all. So that when I do come back to the game, I'm hungry, and I'm in the mood to sign autographs, I'm in the mood to do interviews. Not that it becomes a drain and it becomes a burden, because when it's that, the fun goes away then you stop, it's just as simple as that.
REUTERS: It's been a decade since you set up the Roger Federer Foundation which funds pre-school and primary education in Africa and Switzerland. What are you doing to mark the anniversary?
FEDERER: We were thinking of doing different things. Most important was that I definitely do the trip this year, that has been my number one priority. I went to Ethiopia a few years ago but I really wanted to come back to South Africa.
My heart is in South Africa, through my mum. My mum being from here, me spending a lot of time here as well, I feel most connected to this part of the world.
Obviously I would like to see other ones (projects in the five other African countries) as well, but coming here, being able to do something in South Africa and also visiting my family was important.
The 10 years are important to us. I still feel we're in the beginning of everything. Ten years sounds like a long time but it's changed a lot in terms of the kids we're able to reach and the money we're able to put out there to help.
In this regard I was thinking of doing another 'Match for Africa' again which I did two or three years ago with (Rafa)Nadal when I was able to raise up to $3 million. I don't know if this year will be the year to do it but I hope to.
REUTERS: Is it important for people in your kind of position to 'give back'?
FEDERER: Sometimes it's not always about the money. If people were willing to give time, to talk, to inspire, to help; because at the end of the day it comes down to the people who help the kids get smarter and get better at the end of the day.
Of course you need money to be able to do that sometimes, not everywhere in the world, but here particularly you do, its clear, its visible.
REUTERS: Is it important to do it?
FEDERER: I think you have to do what you feel is right to do. I don't think there's a certain obligation, but it would be a missed opportunity if you didn't because, let's not forget how incredibly lucky... I can only speak for myself; how incredibly lucky I feel that I made my hobby my job and my dream at the end of the day.
Sometimes with little effort I can raise so much awareness or raise so much money in one event, that other people would take a long long time to raise - I feel I would be selfish if I were to not share that with other people.
REUTERS: Your twin daughters are almost four years old now. Does having a family make you better or slow you down?
FEDERER: I thought it would maybe slow me down a bit just because everybody says so. I'm happy that again I was able to prove that its possible to have a family and play well. Not only do I have a family but I have twin girls, so it was super intense in the first years, it's still very intense now. But I made it work. I have an incred
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
A professional tennis player was arrested after allegedly trying to commit sex acts with a 13-year-old, police say.
Pierre-Ludovic Duclos is accused of sending explicit photos to the girl and trying to have sex with her, MyFoxTampaBay-com reports.
Detectives say Duclos, 27, agreed in a chat to pick the girl up and bring her back to his place to engage in sexual acts.
But Duclos was actually chatting with a law enforcement officer, MyFoxTampaBay-com reports.
He has reportedly made a full confession. He is ranked 610th in the world according to ATP.
Read more: Professional tennis player accused of soliciting sex with 13-year-old | Fox News
Pierre-Ludovic Duclos is accused of sending explicit photos to the girl and trying to have sex with her, MyFoxTampaBay-com reports.
Detectives say Duclos, 27, agreed in a chat to pick the girl up and bring her back to his place to engage in sexual acts.
But Duclos was actually chatting with a law enforcement officer, MyFoxTampaBay-com reports.
He has reportedly made a full confession. He is ranked 610th in the world according to ATP.
Read more: Professional tennis player accused of soliciting sex with 13-year-old | Fox News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
A Quebec professional tennis player accused of soliciting sex from a 13-year-old girl has been released on bail from a Florida jail.
Police in Florida say Pierre-Ludovic Duclos posted a 33-thousand dollar bond yesterday.
The 27-year old is Quebec's highest ranked tennis player.
He was arrested on Thursday during a sting operation by police and faces a total of five counts.
The charges include using a computer to solicit a child to commit sexual acts; enticing a child; lewd and lascivious battery; transmission of material harmful to minors; and travelling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child.
Police accuse him of texting lewd photos of himself to the girl.
Duclos is due to appear again in court next month.
Police in Florida say Pierre-Ludovic Duclos posted a 33-thousand dollar bond yesterday.
The 27-year old is Quebec's highest ranked tennis player.
He was arrested on Thursday during a sting operation by police and faces a total of five counts.
The charges include using a computer to solicit a child to commit sexual acts; enticing a child; lewd and lascivious battery; transmission of material harmful to minors; and travelling to meet a minor after using a computer to lure a child.
Police accuse him of texting lewd photos of himself to the girl.
Duclos is due to appear again in court next month.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Roger Federer will be defending his title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships while Rafael Nadal is sliding across clay in Acapulco, Mexico. Andy Murray will be sitting out until Indian Wells.
Following the Australian Open, the ATP calendar is at one of its interim periods before the heart of the clay-court season commences in April. Generally, hard-court tournaments are most promoted, and there have been several terrific tournaments and memorable matches, especially for fans of players like Novak Djokovic who will play Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.
Meanwhile, there are tennis fans who want to watch and discuss clay-court tennis as early as possible, especially if they follow Nadal and fellow clay-court specialists. These tournaments are typically outlying events, far from the bigger banquet feed of ATP ranking points.
In essence, wading through February and March hard-court tournaments is a good showcase of stars and enticing ATP ranking points, but usually less meaningful for direct Grand Slam preparation. Players understandably pick and choose their own agenda.
All of which begins to explain why tennis fans may not see much of the Federer vs. Nadal rivalry in the future. It could also be a note of things to come for other top rivalries such as Djokovic vs. Murray.
Federer vs. Nadal and Top Tennis Rivalries Will Have Fewer Future Clashes | Bleacher Report
Following the Australian Open, the ATP calendar is at one of its interim periods before the heart of the clay-court season commences in April. Generally, hard-court tournaments are most promoted, and there have been several terrific tournaments and memorable matches, especially for fans of players like Novak Djokovic who will play Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.
Meanwhile, there are tennis fans who want to watch and discuss clay-court tennis as early as possible, especially if they follow Nadal and fellow clay-court specialists. These tournaments are typically outlying events, far from the bigger banquet feed of ATP ranking points.
In essence, wading through February and March hard-court tournaments is a good showcase of stars and enticing ATP ranking points, but usually less meaningful for direct Grand Slam preparation. Players understandably pick and choose their own agenda.
All of which begins to explain why tennis fans may not see much of the Federer vs. Nadal rivalry in the future. It could also be a note of things to come for other top rivalries such as Djokovic vs. Murray.
Federer vs. Nadal and Top Tennis Rivalries Will Have Fewer Future Clashes | Bleacher Report
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
.jpg?v=1.014689161)
.png?v=1.014689161)
By contrast, patients who got dummy injections alone or with physical therapy were more likely to completely recover after a year and much less likely to have a recurrence than those given steroids.
While the Australian study results echo previous findings, injections of cortisone or similar steroids are still widely recommended by doctors to treat tennis elbow and similar conditions, probably because they can provide short-term pain relief.
The results from this study and others show that steroid shots shouldn't be the main treatment for tennis elbow, said researcher and co-author Bill Vicenzino the University of Queensland.
His study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
The condition known as tennis elbow is caused by repetitive activity or overuse of the arm, which can cause small tears in tendons that attach to the elbow bone. Rest, applying ice, and over-the-counter pain medicine can help relieve symptoms.
The study involved corticosteroids, often used medically to reduce inflammation. These are different from hormone-related anabolic steroids used to treat certain diseases but which are banned in many professional sports because they can build muscle and improve performance..
The researchers studied 165 adults aged 18 and older; each had tennis elbow in one arm for longer than six weeks. They were divided into four treatment groups: a single steroid injection; a shot of a dummy liquid; a steroid shot plus about eight weekly half-hour sessions of physical therapy; or a dummy injection plus physical therapy,
After four weeks, steroid patients fared best, but after one year, those who didn't get a steroid shot did better.
All the patients who had physical therapy without steroids and 93 percent who got just dummy injections reported complete recovery or much improvement, versus about 83 percent of those who had steroids with or without physical therapy.
A recurrence of tennis elbow was reported by about half of the patients in both steroid groups, compared with just 5 percent of the physical therapy patients and 20 percent in the placebo group.
Despite the differences, more than 80 percent of patients in each group were much better or recovered after one year, showing that tennis elbow generally improves over time regardless of treatment.
Read more: Tennis elbow recurs after steroid shots - SFGate