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Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 on Sunday.
The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome's Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay.
The Spaniard, back in his best form after last year's long injury layoff, spent less time on court than Serena Williams who won her fourth consecutive tour title when she thrashed former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-3 to take the women's title earlier on Sunday.
Nadal, seeded fifth, dominated the first set, winning 20 of 25 points at one stage, as the Swiss second seed produced a string of unforced errors.
Federer raised his game in the second set, breaking a nine-game losing streak to go 1-3, but Nadal was in no mood to slow down. Despite being broken as he served for the match at 5-1, Nadal went on to complete his 36th win in 38 matches this year.
"It's a very important day, a very happy day for me after a difficult year last year," Nadal, speaking in Italian, told the crowd after the trophy presentation.
"It is really emotional for me to win a tournament with such a long history as Rome. See you next year."
Nadal, 11 times a grand-slam winner, was sidelined for seven months with a knee problem and said he was delighted to be back in form.
"I am just enjoying the moment and valuing it more than ever because I know where we were just a few months ago," he said. "Being here a few months later with all I have achieved is really more than a dream."
American Williams, who has not lost a match since Azarenka defeated her in the Doha final in February, completely overpowered the Belarussian in the women's final.
The top-seeded Williams, 31, hit nine aces and 41 winners in the two sets, taking 93 minutes for victory.
Her win, 11 years after she won her only previous Rome title, follows successes in Miami, Charleston and Madrid and will give her confidence for the French Open which starts next weekend.
"It wasn't easy, nothing is ever easy," Williams said. "Last year I was feeling excellent on clay but didn't do that great at Roland Garros; this year I'm cautious and I want to work hard and stay focused and win every point I play, and not slack at all."
Williams admitted that she would, however, allow herself one deviation from her usually strict training diet - an Italian ice cream. "This is what I was waiting for," she said. "I'll have pistachio - it's the only one I get."
Nadal and Williams win easily in Rome - Tennis- NBC Sports
The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome's Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay.
The Spaniard, back in his best form after last year's long injury layoff, spent less time on court than Serena Williams who won her fourth consecutive tour title when she thrashed former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-3 to take the women's title earlier on Sunday.
Nadal, seeded fifth, dominated the first set, winning 20 of 25 points at one stage, as the Swiss second seed produced a string of unforced errors.
Federer raised his game in the second set, breaking a nine-game losing streak to go 1-3, but Nadal was in no mood to slow down. Despite being broken as he served for the match at 5-1, Nadal went on to complete his 36th win in 38 matches this year.
"It's a very important day, a very happy day for me after a difficult year last year," Nadal, speaking in Italian, told the crowd after the trophy presentation.
"It is really emotional for me to win a tournament with such a long history as Rome. See you next year."
Nadal, 11 times a grand-slam winner, was sidelined for seven months with a knee problem and said he was delighted to be back in form.
"I am just enjoying the moment and valuing it more than ever because I know where we were just a few months ago," he said. "Being here a few months later with all I have achieved is really more than a dream."
American Williams, who has not lost a match since Azarenka defeated her in the Doha final in February, completely overpowered the Belarussian in the women's final.
The top-seeded Williams, 31, hit nine aces and 41 winners in the two sets, taking 93 minutes for victory.
Her win, 11 years after she won her only previous Rome title, follows successes in Miami, Charleston and Madrid and will give her confidence for the French Open which starts next weekend.
"It wasn't easy, nothing is ever easy," Williams said. "Last year I was feeling excellent on clay but didn't do that great at Roland Garros; this year I'm cautious and I want to work hard and stay focused and win every point I play, and not slack at all."
Williams admitted that she would, however, allow herself one deviation from her usually strict training diet - an Italian ice cream. "This is what I was waiting for," she said. "I'll have pistachio - it's the only one I get."
Nadal and Williams win easily in Rome - Tennis- NBC Sports
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Jefferson tennis standout Chris Vrabel chose to sit out his junior season last spring, which helped him concentrate on the daunting academic load many high school students face in their third year.
But when Vrabel returned to the team this year, nothing had changed. He had helped the program win Virginia AAA Northern Region team titles as a freshman and sophomore — the latter year he also earned first team All-Met honors — and he helped lead the Colonials to a 14-0 regular-season record this year. Vrabel’s dominance continued Monday as he won No. 1 singles to lead Jefferson to a 5-2 victory over Langley in the Virginia AAA Northern Region team championship at W.T. Woodson in Fairfax.
Vrabel defeated a game challenger in Langley’s Brandon Lee, rallying in the first set to eventually win, 6-4, 6-2. It was a crowning achievement for Vrabel, who will play at Cornell next year.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t play [last year], but I guess academics are first,” Vrabel said. “It’s definitely a big deal. I’m looking forward to states.”
Jefferson will host Freedom-South Riding, the Virginia AAA Northwest region runner-up, in the quarterfinals of the state tournament next Tuesday. Langley will travel to Northwest region winner Albemarle on Tuesday.
Vrabel was aggressive late against Lee, who looked like the stronger player in the early moments of the match Monday. His footwork put him in position to defend on a number of strong shots from Lee, and his lanky, 6-foot-2 frame made the difference in serves. Leading 5-4 in the first set, he overpowered an exhausted Lee with a number of serves, and finished the set off with a decisive backhand at the net, when he fully extended his arms and delivered the ball with a wicked backspin.
“I really just attacked the back end and tried to get to the net,” Vrabel said. Vrabel also teamed up with Kevin Wan to beat Lee and Hammy Abdu-Hambda, 6-3, 6-1, in No. 1 doubles to secure the overall team win.
Jefferson won the top four singles matches, including a victory in the No. 2 matchup from freshman Mark Prettyman, who arrived late because of an academic commitment and experienced back pains throughout his match against Langley’s Kevin Shen. Prettyman, who lost to Shen last week’s Liberty District tournament, nonetheless persevered for a 7-5, 6-4 win. In No. 3 singles, Jefferson’s Wan defeated Abdu-Hambda, 3-6, 6-3,7-5.
“Those were two big wins that we absolutely had to have,” Jefferson Coach John Meyers said. “Mark’s back was killing him, and he’s able to hold on and beat a guy that’s beaten him. . . . Tennis is a funny game.”
In No.4 singles, Jefferson’s Nikil Ramachandran defeated James Schenk, 6-3, 6-1. In No. 5, Langley’s Joe LaFuria beat Jefferson’s Saelig Khuttar, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. The Saxons also received a win in No. 6 singles, where Chase Lewis defeated Jefferson’s Ian Lin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Thomas Jefferson beats Langley for Virginia AAA Northern Region tennis title - The Washington Post
But when Vrabel returned to the team this year, nothing had changed. He had helped the program win Virginia AAA Northern Region team titles as a freshman and sophomore — the latter year he also earned first team All-Met honors — and he helped lead the Colonials to a 14-0 regular-season record this year. Vrabel’s dominance continued Monday as he won No. 1 singles to lead Jefferson to a 5-2 victory over Langley in the Virginia AAA Northern Region team championship at W.T. Woodson in Fairfax.
Vrabel defeated a game challenger in Langley’s Brandon Lee, rallying in the first set to eventually win, 6-4, 6-2. It was a crowning achievement for Vrabel, who will play at Cornell next year.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t play [last year], but I guess academics are first,” Vrabel said. “It’s definitely a big deal. I’m looking forward to states.”
Jefferson will host Freedom-South Riding, the Virginia AAA Northwest region runner-up, in the quarterfinals of the state tournament next Tuesday. Langley will travel to Northwest region winner Albemarle on Tuesday.
Vrabel was aggressive late against Lee, who looked like the stronger player in the early moments of the match Monday. His footwork put him in position to defend on a number of strong shots from Lee, and his lanky, 6-foot-2 frame made the difference in serves. Leading 5-4 in the first set, he overpowered an exhausted Lee with a number of serves, and finished the set off with a decisive backhand at the net, when he fully extended his arms and delivered the ball with a wicked backspin.
“I really just attacked the back end and tried to get to the net,” Vrabel said. Vrabel also teamed up with Kevin Wan to beat Lee and Hammy Abdu-Hambda, 6-3, 6-1, in No. 1 doubles to secure the overall team win.
Jefferson won the top four singles matches, including a victory in the No. 2 matchup from freshman Mark Prettyman, who arrived late because of an academic commitment and experienced back pains throughout his match against Langley’s Kevin Shen. Prettyman, who lost to Shen last week’s Liberty District tournament, nonetheless persevered for a 7-5, 6-4 win. In No. 3 singles, Jefferson’s Wan defeated Abdu-Hambda, 3-6, 6-3,7-5.
“Those were two big wins that we absolutely had to have,” Jefferson Coach John Meyers said. “Mark’s back was killing him, and he’s able to hold on and beat a guy that’s beaten him. . . . Tennis is a funny game.”
In No.4 singles, Jefferson’s Nikil Ramachandran defeated James Schenk, 6-3, 6-1. In No. 5, Langley’s Joe LaFuria beat Jefferson’s Saelig Khuttar, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. The Saxons also received a win in No. 6 singles, where Chase Lewis defeated Jefferson’s Ian Lin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Thomas Jefferson beats Langley for Virginia AAA Northern Region tennis title - The Washington Post
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Australian Tennis officials have been told Bernard Tomic will play in the French Open despite a ban imposed on his father and coach John.
John Tomic is excluded from all men's tour events while he fights an assault charge after he headbutted his son's training partner in Spain.
Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge says his relationship with Bernard Tomic is still strong and John Tomic will be instructing his son from afar.
"The communication that I've had with his dad is that he's going to be in Paris and playing, so I think that's great news," Woodbridge said.
"I think it's very important that he plays there. Whether he has a good result or not is probably unlikely given the surface and the circumstances."
The Madrid hearing at which John Tomic was due to answer a charge of causing criminal injury has been postponed until October.
The hearing could not take place because the alleged victim, Thomas Drouet, was not in Spain and was unable to attend.
An exact date had not yet been set.
John Tomic, who was in the Spanish capital as his son was competing at the Madrid Open, has been suspended from ATP events after he was involved in an altercation with Drouet in the street.
He told a Madrid court last week he had acted in self-defence when he head-butted Drouet in the face, breaking his nose.
Bernard Tomic later withdrew from the Rome Masters.
But Australia's Davis Cup coach Josh Eagle said earlier in the week he expected Bernard Tomic to front up at Roland Garros despite the controversy surrounding his father in recent weeks.
Eagle has been working with Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matosevic and spoke to Tomic late last week.
"I don't really expect to see him until Paris but I certainly expect him to play in Paris," Eagle said on Saturday.
"It's grand slam tennis. Bernie would be jumping out of his skin to play any grand slam tournament regardless of what's happened.
"I think he'll be ready to go next week."
Bernard Tomic will play at the French Open, according to Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
John Tomic is excluded from all men's tour events while he fights an assault charge after he headbutted his son's training partner in Spain.
Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge says his relationship with Bernard Tomic is still strong and John Tomic will be instructing his son from afar.
"The communication that I've had with his dad is that he's going to be in Paris and playing, so I think that's great news," Woodbridge said.
"I think it's very important that he plays there. Whether he has a good result or not is probably unlikely given the surface and the circumstances."
The Madrid hearing at which John Tomic was due to answer a charge of causing criminal injury has been postponed until October.
The hearing could not take place because the alleged victim, Thomas Drouet, was not in Spain and was unable to attend.
An exact date had not yet been set.
John Tomic, who was in the Spanish capital as his son was competing at the Madrid Open, has been suspended from ATP events after he was involved in an altercation with Drouet in the street.
He told a Madrid court last week he had acted in self-defence when he head-butted Drouet in the face, breaking his nose.
Bernard Tomic later withdrew from the Rome Masters.
But Australia's Davis Cup coach Josh Eagle said earlier in the week he expected Bernard Tomic to front up at Roland Garros despite the controversy surrounding his father in recent weeks.
Eagle has been working with Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matosevic and spoke to Tomic late last week.
"I don't really expect to see him until Paris but I certainly expect him to play in Paris," Eagle said on Saturday.
"It's grand slam tennis. Bernie would be jumping out of his skin to play any grand slam tournament regardless of what's happened.
"I think he'll be ready to go next week."
Bernard Tomic will play at the French Open, according to Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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To put the Detroit Cass Tech girls tennis team’s dominance in perspective, its streak of 18 straight Detroit Public School League titles started when senior captains and No. 3 doubles partners Essence Patterson and Elayne Elliott were born.
“I was born in 1995, so I guess you could say that,” said Elliott, who played at No. 4 doubles at the state quarterfinals in Midland when she was a freshman. “When the PSL tournament comes around it becomes a lot more competitive. Renaissance and Western really have been trying to beat us since I was a freshman. Last year, we won by one point and the point that my partner and I played was the point that we needed to win the City Championship. We’ve had some really close matches, even though we’ve been able to keep the streak alive. I got a chance to play at states when I was a freshman and I was really nervous. Coach (Clarence) Wynn told me ‘It’ll be OK, just try your hardest.’ I did, but we lost.”
That wasn’t the case in any of her four PSL tournaments.
The Lady Technicians won the PSL title last week with 22 points to 17 for Renaissance. Cass Tech won seven of the eight flights and 10 of its 12 players captured gold medals.
Winning for Cass Tech were freshman Alayah Martin, No. 1 singles; junior Emma Hurst, No. 2 singles; senior Jennifer Ude, No. 3 singles; senior Jasmine Bell, No. 4 singles; junior Tyra Webb and sophomore Nacala Brandon, No. 1 doubles; senior Rekymdria Vaughn and sophomore Carlie Cooper, No. 2 doubles; and Elliott and Patterson, No. 3 doubles.
Their fortunes weren’t so good at the regional over the weekend where powerful Grosse Pointe South won with the Lady Technicians coming in fourth and not qualifying for states.
However, for his efforts Wynn was named the region’s coach of the year for the second time in his Cass Tech career.
“In 2005, I was region and state coach of the year,” Wynn said. “I know we’ve been quite competitive in the PSL, but we’ve played in tournaments on Saturdays against some of the best teams in the state. The girls have sacrificed their time on Saturday. They’ve had to get up at 6 o’clock in the morning and play at 8, but it has made us competitive.
“With Grosse Pointe South in our region. … They’re the defending state champs and its tough to get out of that region.”
Patterson said: “Tennis really isn’t valued as much in the PSL, so it means a lot to keep winning and keep tennis going at the school. I’ve been a part of the team for four years, and it’s something I’ll always remember. I was born in 1995. A lot of things have changed since then. It’s a pretty big streak. The regional was tough. My partner and I (Elliott) made it to the semifinals and lost to Troy Athens.”
Cass Tech continues to dominate in girls tennis with 18 straight PSL titles | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
“I was born in 1995, so I guess you could say that,” said Elliott, who played at No. 4 doubles at the state quarterfinals in Midland when she was a freshman. “When the PSL tournament comes around it becomes a lot more competitive. Renaissance and Western really have been trying to beat us since I was a freshman. Last year, we won by one point and the point that my partner and I played was the point that we needed to win the City Championship. We’ve had some really close matches, even though we’ve been able to keep the streak alive. I got a chance to play at states when I was a freshman and I was really nervous. Coach (Clarence) Wynn told me ‘It’ll be OK, just try your hardest.’ I did, but we lost.”
That wasn’t the case in any of her four PSL tournaments.
The Lady Technicians won the PSL title last week with 22 points to 17 for Renaissance. Cass Tech won seven of the eight flights and 10 of its 12 players captured gold medals.
Winning for Cass Tech were freshman Alayah Martin, No. 1 singles; junior Emma Hurst, No. 2 singles; senior Jennifer Ude, No. 3 singles; senior Jasmine Bell, No. 4 singles; junior Tyra Webb and sophomore Nacala Brandon, No. 1 doubles; senior Rekymdria Vaughn and sophomore Carlie Cooper, No. 2 doubles; and Elliott and Patterson, No. 3 doubles.
Their fortunes weren’t so good at the regional over the weekend where powerful Grosse Pointe South won with the Lady Technicians coming in fourth and not qualifying for states.
However, for his efforts Wynn was named the region’s coach of the year for the second time in his Cass Tech career.
“In 2005, I was region and state coach of the year,” Wynn said. “I know we’ve been quite competitive in the PSL, but we’ve played in tournaments on Saturdays against some of the best teams in the state. The girls have sacrificed their time on Saturday. They’ve had to get up at 6 o’clock in the morning and play at 8, but it has made us competitive.
“With Grosse Pointe South in our region. … They’re the defending state champs and its tough to get out of that region.”
Patterson said: “Tennis really isn’t valued as much in the PSL, so it means a lot to keep winning and keep tennis going at the school. I’ve been a part of the team for four years, and it’s something I’ll always remember. I was born in 1995. A lot of things have changed since then. It’s a pretty big streak. The regional was tough. My partner and I (Elliott) made it to the semifinals and lost to Troy Athens.”
Cass Tech continues to dominate in girls tennis with 18 straight PSL titles | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
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If you desire world domination in tennis, best get an early start as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have proved.
So, for the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic and Bernard Tomic -- often touted as the best of the next generation in men's tennis -- the clock is already ticking.
Nadal was just 19 when he burst onto the scene with a first French Open title in 2005.
Djokovic was 20 when he made his breakthrough at the 2008 Australian Open while Federer had his first of 17 Grand Slam titles wrapped up at Wimbledon in 2003 when he was 21.
Bulgarian tyro Dimitrov, the world number 28, is already 22, has been dubbed 'Baby Fed' because of a similar playing style to the great Swiss and is dating Maria Sharapova.
Dimitrov has yet to win a singles title and has had made just one final, losing to world number two Andy Murray in Brisbane this year.
There are signs he could make an impact at the French Open which starts on Sunday.
He pushed Nadal to three sets in the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo this year before achieving his biggest win, a second round triumph over world number one Djokovic in Madrid.
After breaking into the top 100 in January 2011, it wasn't until almost two years later that Dimitrov broke the top 50.
"The huge expectations that weighed on him didn't help," said Patrick Mouratoglou, who was Dimitrov's coach until last summer.
Dimitrov is clear about his gameplan for 2013.
"The objective this year was to remain in good health. If I can do that, then making the top 20 will be in my hands."
Australia's Tomic, just 20 and the world number 59, should be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dimitrov in the top 30.
Instead, his career often makes the front as well as the back pages with a succession of run-ins with the law often accompanying under-whelming performances on court.
Sections of the Australian media dubbed him 'Tomic the Tank Engine' after his meek, second round capitulation to Andy Roddick at the 2012 US Open.
And his Roland Garros build-up has already been derailed by his father John Tomic facing a criminal trial for allegedly assaulting his son's training partner in Madrid.
Elsewhere, Canada's Raonic at 22 years old, and 16 in the world, has four titles but all on hard courts while Polish wildman Jerzy Jancowicz, also 22 and at 23 in the world, currently lacks the subtlety that a two-week Grand Slam event requires.
"I'm always looking around for these guys. Dimitrov has finally taken a step in the right direction, I think he was certainly top-five material," said American great John McEnroe, who won his first major, the 1979 US Open, at 20.
"It's pretty clear to see when you watch the sport that it appears to be more difficult than ever for a teenager, even someone in their early 20s, to break through the way Becker did, Wilander at the French, Sampras. Nadal may be the last guy as a teenager.
"It does seem because of the physicality of the game, it's difficult to see those 18, 19, 20-year-olds be able to jump and win majors."
It's a tough ask to break the ongoing Grand Slam stranglehold -- of the last 39 majors, 34 have been shared by Federer (17), Nadal (11) and Djokovic (six).
But there is always hope.
Murray was 25 when he won his first -- and so far only -- Grand Slam trophy at the 2012 US Open.
Tennis: Clock ticking for next golden generation - Channel NewsAsia
So, for the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic and Bernard Tomic -- often touted as the best of the next generation in men's tennis -- the clock is already ticking.
Nadal was just 19 when he burst onto the scene with a first French Open title in 2005.
Djokovic was 20 when he made his breakthrough at the 2008 Australian Open while Federer had his first of 17 Grand Slam titles wrapped up at Wimbledon in 2003 when he was 21.
Bulgarian tyro Dimitrov, the world number 28, is already 22, has been dubbed 'Baby Fed' because of a similar playing style to the great Swiss and is dating Maria Sharapova.
Dimitrov has yet to win a singles title and has had made just one final, losing to world number two Andy Murray in Brisbane this year.
There are signs he could make an impact at the French Open which starts on Sunday.
He pushed Nadal to three sets in the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo this year before achieving his biggest win, a second round triumph over world number one Djokovic in Madrid.
After breaking into the top 100 in January 2011, it wasn't until almost two years later that Dimitrov broke the top 50.
"The huge expectations that weighed on him didn't help," said Patrick Mouratoglou, who was Dimitrov's coach until last summer.
Dimitrov is clear about his gameplan for 2013.
"The objective this year was to remain in good health. If I can do that, then making the top 20 will be in my hands."
Australia's Tomic, just 20 and the world number 59, should be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dimitrov in the top 30.
Instead, his career often makes the front as well as the back pages with a succession of run-ins with the law often accompanying under-whelming performances on court.
Sections of the Australian media dubbed him 'Tomic the Tank Engine' after his meek, second round capitulation to Andy Roddick at the 2012 US Open.
And his Roland Garros build-up has already been derailed by his father John Tomic facing a criminal trial for allegedly assaulting his son's training partner in Madrid.
Elsewhere, Canada's Raonic at 22 years old, and 16 in the world, has four titles but all on hard courts while Polish wildman Jerzy Jancowicz, also 22 and at 23 in the world, currently lacks the subtlety that a two-week Grand Slam event requires.
"I'm always looking around for these guys. Dimitrov has finally taken a step in the right direction, I think he was certainly top-five material," said American great John McEnroe, who won his first major, the 1979 US Open, at 20.
"It's pretty clear to see when you watch the sport that it appears to be more difficult than ever for a teenager, even someone in their early 20s, to break through the way Becker did, Wilander at the French, Sampras. Nadal may be the last guy as a teenager.
"It does seem because of the physicality of the game, it's difficult to see those 18, 19, 20-year-olds be able to jump and win majors."
It's a tough ask to break the ongoing Grand Slam stranglehold -- of the last 39 majors, 34 have been shared by Federer (17), Nadal (11) and Djokovic (six).
But there is always hope.
Murray was 25 when he won his first -- and so far only -- Grand Slam trophy at the 2012 US Open.
Tennis: Clock ticking for next golden generation - Channel NewsAsia
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Rafael Nadal can become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times at the French Open, but the Spaniard may have to get past Novak Djokovic before he even contemplates history.
Having pulled clear of Bjorn Borg's record of six wins at Roland Garros with a seventh championship in 2012, the 26-year-old has already confounded the critics who had written him off during a seventh-month injury absence.
Since his return to the tour in February, Nadal has shaken off the heartbreak of missing the Olympics, as well as the US and Australian Opens, to collect six titles from eight finals.
The Spaniard is keen to play down the hype at the French Open, especially after Friday's draw placed him in the same half as top seed Djokovic, which means that one of them will definitely not be playing in the June 9 final.
"To talk about numbers, to talk about history, you have to analyse when somebody finishes his career, not in the middle," said Nadal at a chilly, damp Roland Garros where he is the third seed.
"To play at Roland Garros always is a special feeling and I feel very emotional every time that I am back here."
No man has ever collected more than seven titles at the same major.
Roy Emerson, with six, is the Australian Open's most successful while William Renshaw, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer all triumphed at Wimbledon seven times each.
Bill Larned, Bill Tilden and Richard Sears were seven-time winners at the US Open.
Since his French Open debut in 2005, Nadal has only lost once in Paris -- an injury-hit fourth round exit to free-hitting Robin Soderling in 2009. His record stands at 52 wins against just that single blip against the Swede.
This year, Nadal may have lost his Monte Carlo Masters title to Djokovic after an eight-year monopoly, but he swept to victory on clay in Madrid and Rome, where he allowed Federer just four games in the final.
Nadal, playing in his first Grand Slam event since a shock second round exit to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon last year sent him home to Manacor for lengthy rehabilitation, begins his campaign against Germany's Daniel Brands, the world number 60.
Australian Open champion Djokovic, beaten in last year's final by Nadal, starts against Belgium's David Goffin, who reached the last 16 in 2012 after coming through qualifying.
Federer, seeded two and the 2009 champion, has lost four title matches to Nadal in Paris but enjoyed the better fortune in Friday's draw where his first two opponents will both be qualifiers.
Djokovic, who captured the season's opening major in Australia, needs a French Open to join Nadal and Federer as active players to have completed a career Grand Slam.
He has endured a bitter-sweet relationship with Roland Garros, seeing a 41-match winning streak ended by Federer in the semi-finals there in 2011 before losing the 2012 final to Nadal.
Having relieved Nadal of his Monte Carlo title in April, Djokovic lost his Madrid opener to Grigor Dimitrov and then slumped to a quarter-final loss in Rome to Tomas Berdych.
"This is the tournament that is the number one priority this year. This is where I want to win and I'm going to go for it. I think my game is there, and I'm very, very motivated," said Djokovic.
With a losing 15-19 record against Nadal, the Serb was wary of allowing the Spaniard, against whom he has lost four times in four at the French Open, to get into his head.
At his pre-tournament media conference, Djokovic banned all talk of the possibility of facing Nadal in the semi-finals.
After world number two Andy Murray, a semi-finalist two years ago, pulled out to nurse his injured back ahead of Wimbledon, Nadal and Djokovic should have their only serious rival in Federer, the record 17-time Grand Slam title winner.
Federer, with his 32nd birthday fast approaching, heads to Paris not having won a trophy in the year for the first time since 2000.
The world number three is playing in a 54th consecutive Grand Slam event, just two off the record held by South Africa's Wayne Ferreira.
"It's incredible. I never thought I was going to play that many, have that many opportunities to do well at the slams," said the Swiss.
"But they don't buy me victories."
Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight - Channel NewsAsia
Having pulled clear of Bjorn Borg's record of six wins at Roland Garros with a seventh championship in 2012, the 26-year-old has already confounded the critics who had written him off during a seventh-month injury absence.
Since his return to the tour in February, Nadal has shaken off the heartbreak of missing the Olympics, as well as the US and Australian Opens, to collect six titles from eight finals.
The Spaniard is keen to play down the hype at the French Open, especially after Friday's draw placed him in the same half as top seed Djokovic, which means that one of them will definitely not be playing in the June 9 final.
"To talk about numbers, to talk about history, you have to analyse when somebody finishes his career, not in the middle," said Nadal at a chilly, damp Roland Garros where he is the third seed.
"To play at Roland Garros always is a special feeling and I feel very emotional every time that I am back here."
No man has ever collected more than seven titles at the same major.
Roy Emerson, with six, is the Australian Open's most successful while William Renshaw, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer all triumphed at Wimbledon seven times each.
Bill Larned, Bill Tilden and Richard Sears were seven-time winners at the US Open.
Since his French Open debut in 2005, Nadal has only lost once in Paris -- an injury-hit fourth round exit to free-hitting Robin Soderling in 2009. His record stands at 52 wins against just that single blip against the Swede.
This year, Nadal may have lost his Monte Carlo Masters title to Djokovic after an eight-year monopoly, but he swept to victory on clay in Madrid and Rome, where he allowed Federer just four games in the final.
Nadal, playing in his first Grand Slam event since a shock second round exit to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon last year sent him home to Manacor for lengthy rehabilitation, begins his campaign against Germany's Daniel Brands, the world number 60.
Australian Open champion Djokovic, beaten in last year's final by Nadal, starts against Belgium's David Goffin, who reached the last 16 in 2012 after coming through qualifying.
Federer, seeded two and the 2009 champion, has lost four title matches to Nadal in Paris but enjoyed the better fortune in Friday's draw where his first two opponents will both be qualifiers.
Djokovic, who captured the season's opening major in Australia, needs a French Open to join Nadal and Federer as active players to have completed a career Grand Slam.
He has endured a bitter-sweet relationship with Roland Garros, seeing a 41-match winning streak ended by Federer in the semi-finals there in 2011 before losing the 2012 final to Nadal.
Having relieved Nadal of his Monte Carlo title in April, Djokovic lost his Madrid opener to Grigor Dimitrov and then slumped to a quarter-final loss in Rome to Tomas Berdych.
"This is the tournament that is the number one priority this year. This is where I want to win and I'm going to go for it. I think my game is there, and I'm very, very motivated," said Djokovic.
With a losing 15-19 record against Nadal, the Serb was wary of allowing the Spaniard, against whom he has lost four times in four at the French Open, to get into his head.
At his pre-tournament media conference, Djokovic banned all talk of the possibility of facing Nadal in the semi-finals.
After world number two Andy Murray, a semi-finalist two years ago, pulled out to nurse his injured back ahead of Wimbledon, Nadal and Djokovic should have their only serious rival in Federer, the record 17-time Grand Slam title winner.
Federer, with his 32nd birthday fast approaching, heads to Paris not having won a trophy in the year for the first time since 2000.
The world number three is playing in a 54th consecutive Grand Slam event, just two off the record held by South Africa's Wayne Ferreira.
"It's incredible. I never thought I was going to play that many, have that many opportunities to do well at the slams," said the Swiss.
"But they don't buy me victories."
Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight - Channel NewsAsia
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Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova begin their Roland Garros title defences on Monday while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga carries the burden of trying to end France's 30-year wait for a home champion.
Nadal, the seven-time champion and with a Paris record of 52 wins against just one loss, starts against Germany's Daniel Brands, the world number 60, who has lost all four first round matches he has contested at Roland Garros.
Nadal is playing his first Grand Slam tournament since a shock second round defeat at Wimbledon last year sent him home to Manacor to rest his suspect left knee.
His seven-month absence meant he missed the Olympics as well as the US and Australian Opens.
But he has been the most successful player since his return in February, winning six titles from eight finals.
Despite that formidable record coming into Paris, the 26-year-old Nadal was desperate to cool the hype over an unprecedented eighth French Open title.
"The Grand Slams are not the only tournaments on the tour," said the Spanish third seed.
"When I go on court playing in a Grand Slam or playing in a Masters 1000 or playing in a 500 or 250, my feeling is try my best and try to play with the same passion in every tournament."
Sharapova, seeded two behind Serena Williams, starts against Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei while 2011 champion Li Na, the sixth seeded Chinese star, opens proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier against Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Russian star Sharapova opened her claycourt season with a title win in Stuttgart, but was then easily beaten by Williams in Madrid before pulling out of the Rome quarter-finals with an illness.
She currently stands 2-13 against Williams and has not beaten the American since 2004, the year she won Wimbledon.
"It never came easy for me to play on the clay, and that's why it took many years," she said.
"But yet I felt like with every year I was getting closer -- got to a couple of semi-finals -- and last year I just felt like everything came together in many different ways."
Tsonga, the sixth seed and looking to become the first French player to win the men's title since Yannick Noah in 1983, faces Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia.
But Noah is not convinced that Tsonga or the likes of compatriots Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet have what it takes to be Grand Slam winners.
"It's not that I think they are no good. It's just that the guys ahead of them are stronger," said Noah.
"Jo is capable of beating a top five player at any time, if he plays an exceptional match, but he can't do that twice in a row. Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, over five sets, they are just better."
Tennis: Nadal, Sharapova get title defences underway - Channel NewsAsia
Nadal, the seven-time champion and with a Paris record of 52 wins against just one loss, starts against Germany's Daniel Brands, the world number 60, who has lost all four first round matches he has contested at Roland Garros.
Nadal is playing his first Grand Slam tournament since a shock second round defeat at Wimbledon last year sent him home to Manacor to rest his suspect left knee.
His seven-month absence meant he missed the Olympics as well as the US and Australian Opens.
But he has been the most successful player since his return in February, winning six titles from eight finals.
Despite that formidable record coming into Paris, the 26-year-old Nadal was desperate to cool the hype over an unprecedented eighth French Open title.
"The Grand Slams are not the only tournaments on the tour," said the Spanish third seed.
"When I go on court playing in a Grand Slam or playing in a Masters 1000 or playing in a 500 or 250, my feeling is try my best and try to play with the same passion in every tournament."
Sharapova, seeded two behind Serena Williams, starts against Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei while 2011 champion Li Na, the sixth seeded Chinese star, opens proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier against Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Russian star Sharapova opened her claycourt season with a title win in Stuttgart, but was then easily beaten by Williams in Madrid before pulling out of the Rome quarter-finals with an illness.
She currently stands 2-13 against Williams and has not beaten the American since 2004, the year she won Wimbledon.
"It never came easy for me to play on the clay, and that's why it took many years," she said.
"But yet I felt like with every year I was getting closer -- got to a couple of semi-finals -- and last year I just felt like everything came together in many different ways."
Tsonga, the sixth seed and looking to become the first French player to win the men's title since Yannick Noah in 1983, faces Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia.
But Noah is not convinced that Tsonga or the likes of compatriots Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet have what it takes to be Grand Slam winners.
"It's not that I think they are no good. It's just that the guys ahead of them are stronger," said Noah.
"Jo is capable of beating a top five player at any time, if he plays an exceptional match, but he can't do that twice in a row. Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, over five sets, they are just better."
Tennis: Nadal, Sharapova get title defences underway - Channel NewsAsia
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Rafael Nadal hopped, spun and threw an overhand punch toward his friends and family, stirring memories of past celebrations on his favorite stage.
After more than 90 minutes of tense tennis, Nadal had finally won a set, leaving him only 20 sets from another French Open championship.
The Spaniard survived an early scare Monday and successfully began his bid for an eighth title at Roland Garros by rallying past Daniel Brands of Germany, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.
Nadal, who had lost only 14 sets in 53 previous matches at the French Open, fell behind when he was broken in the ninth game and was on the verge of digging a deeper hole in the red clay. He trailed 3-0 in the tiebreaker, then summoned his best shot-making to salvage the set and soon was in control against the dangerous Brands.
"He was playing unbelievable," Nadal said. "He was trying to hit every ball as hard as he can. Sometimes you feel you are not hitting a bad shot, and every time comes back a bomb. So I am very happy to be through, seriously."
Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open title last year, improved to 53-1 at Roland Garros. He's 37-2 since returning in February after a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury, reaching the finals at all eight tournaments he played and winning six.
Defending women's champion Maria Sharapova needed only 54 minutes to advance, beating Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-1. The No. 2-seeded Sharapova lost eight points in eight service games.
While Nadal took center stage, U.S. women fanned out to remote courts and quietly went 6-1. That included victories by Madison Keys, who won her Roland Garros debut, and by Melanie Oudin, who ousted No. 28 Tamira Paszek 6-4, 6-3. No. 17 Sloane Stephens, who reached the fourth round last year, beat Karin Knapp 6-2, 7-5.
American Ryan Harrison won a match at Roland Garros for the first time in three tries, beating Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). No. 19 John Isner improved to 4-4 at Roland Garros by beating Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Li Na, the 2011 women's champion, beat nemesis Anabel Medina Garrigues in her opening match, 6-3, 6-4. Agnieszka Radwanska, last year's runner-up at Wimbledon, defeated Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1.
The 6-foot-5 Brands, ranked 59th, came into his match against Nadal with an 0-4 career record at Roland Garros. But he gained a foothold with his big forehand and serves of up to 134 mph, while Nadal's feared groundstrokes lacked their normal depth and force at the outset.
The capacity crowd on center court sensed a possible upset and began rooting for Brands. But he gave Nadal an opening in the tiebreaker, blowing an easy backhand approach to make it 3-all.
"I was too sure to win the point and lost a little bit of concentration," Brands said. "That shouldn't happen against him."
From there the match quickly turned. On set point Nadal stretched to crack a backhand return into the corner for a winner, sparking his first celebration of the day.
"Winning the tiebreak, well, it was just like some oxygen," Nadal said. "I could finally breathe."
He earned his first service break of the match in the third set and held the rest of the way, serving better once he had the lead.
Seeded third but a heavy favorite, Nadal won his 16th consecutive match, and he improved to 34-0 in the first round at Grand Slams. He's trying to become the first man to win eight titles at the same major event.
Li, seeded No. 6, entered her match against Medina Garrigues with an 0-3 record on clay versus the Spaniard, but raced to a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes and broke serve six times.
Former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark ended a five-match losing streak by defeating Laura Robson 6-3, 6-2.
No. 4 Radwanska needed less than hour to advance. It was her first match since withdrawing before last week's Brussels tournament with a recurrence of the right shoulder injury that has bothered her the past couple of years.
"I decided to have a week of rest and just practice," she said. "I think it was a good move."
She'll next play American Mallory Burdette, who won in her Roland Garros debut Sunday. Radwanska was asked what she knew about her second-round opponent.
"To be honest, not much. Nothing at all, actually," she said with a smile. "I might Google her."
The search for the next generation of U.S. stars has been ongoing, which made Monday's success notable. Keys beat Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-2; Vania King defeated Alexandra Cadantu 7-6 (3), 6-1; Bethanie Mattek-Sands eliminated Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-4, 6-1; and No. 29 Varvara Lepchenko beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-1, 6-2.
"It's funny, because a couple of years ago, everyone was asking me: Where is women's tennis?" Mattek-Sands said. "Here we are now."
American Christina McHale lost to Jana Cepelova of Slovakia 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-4.
On the men's side, Michael Russell of the United States retired with a left hamstring injury trailing Martin Klizan 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Klizan plays Nadal in the second round.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia, at 18 the youngest player in the men's draw, made a successful Grand Slam debut by beating 34-year-old Radek Stepanek 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (11). Kyrgios won despite breaking serve only once.
"When you're good in juniors, it doesn't mean automatically you're going to be good in the men's tennis," Stepanek said. "He has some talent. He's serving big. He definitely has a chance."
Tennis: Nadal pushed in opening round - Sport - NZ Herald News
After more than 90 minutes of tense tennis, Nadal had finally won a set, leaving him only 20 sets from another French Open championship.
The Spaniard survived an early scare Monday and successfully began his bid for an eighth title at Roland Garros by rallying past Daniel Brands of Germany, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.
Nadal, who had lost only 14 sets in 53 previous matches at the French Open, fell behind when he was broken in the ninth game and was on the verge of digging a deeper hole in the red clay. He trailed 3-0 in the tiebreaker, then summoned his best shot-making to salvage the set and soon was in control against the dangerous Brands.
"He was playing unbelievable," Nadal said. "He was trying to hit every ball as hard as he can. Sometimes you feel you are not hitting a bad shot, and every time comes back a bomb. So I am very happy to be through, seriously."
Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open title last year, improved to 53-1 at Roland Garros. He's 37-2 since returning in February after a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury, reaching the finals at all eight tournaments he played and winning six.
Defending women's champion Maria Sharapova needed only 54 minutes to advance, beating Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-1. The No. 2-seeded Sharapova lost eight points in eight service games.
While Nadal took center stage, U.S. women fanned out to remote courts and quietly went 6-1. That included victories by Madison Keys, who won her Roland Garros debut, and by Melanie Oudin, who ousted No. 28 Tamira Paszek 6-4, 6-3. No. 17 Sloane Stephens, who reached the fourth round last year, beat Karin Knapp 6-2, 7-5.
American Ryan Harrison won a match at Roland Garros for the first time in three tries, beating Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). No. 19 John Isner improved to 4-4 at Roland Garros by beating Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Li Na, the 2011 women's champion, beat nemesis Anabel Medina Garrigues in her opening match, 6-3, 6-4. Agnieszka Radwanska, last year's runner-up at Wimbledon, defeated Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1.
The 6-foot-5 Brands, ranked 59th, came into his match against Nadal with an 0-4 career record at Roland Garros. But he gained a foothold with his big forehand and serves of up to 134 mph, while Nadal's feared groundstrokes lacked their normal depth and force at the outset.
The capacity crowd on center court sensed a possible upset and began rooting for Brands. But he gave Nadal an opening in the tiebreaker, blowing an easy backhand approach to make it 3-all.
"I was too sure to win the point and lost a little bit of concentration," Brands said. "That shouldn't happen against him."
From there the match quickly turned. On set point Nadal stretched to crack a backhand return into the corner for a winner, sparking his first celebration of the day.
"Winning the tiebreak, well, it was just like some oxygen," Nadal said. "I could finally breathe."
He earned his first service break of the match in the third set and held the rest of the way, serving better once he had the lead.
Seeded third but a heavy favorite, Nadal won his 16th consecutive match, and he improved to 34-0 in the first round at Grand Slams. He's trying to become the first man to win eight titles at the same major event.
Li, seeded No. 6, entered her match against Medina Garrigues with an 0-3 record on clay versus the Spaniard, but raced to a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes and broke serve six times.
Former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark ended a five-match losing streak by defeating Laura Robson 6-3, 6-2.
No. 4 Radwanska needed less than hour to advance. It was her first match since withdrawing before last week's Brussels tournament with a recurrence of the right shoulder injury that has bothered her the past couple of years.
"I decided to have a week of rest and just practice," she said. "I think it was a good move."
She'll next play American Mallory Burdette, who won in her Roland Garros debut Sunday. Radwanska was asked what she knew about her second-round opponent.
"To be honest, not much. Nothing at all, actually," she said with a smile. "I might Google her."
The search for the next generation of U.S. stars has been ongoing, which made Monday's success notable. Keys beat Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-2; Vania King defeated Alexandra Cadantu 7-6 (3), 6-1; Bethanie Mattek-Sands eliminated Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-4, 6-1; and No. 29 Varvara Lepchenko beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-1, 6-2.
"It's funny, because a couple of years ago, everyone was asking me: Where is women's tennis?" Mattek-Sands said. "Here we are now."
American Christina McHale lost to Jana Cepelova of Slovakia 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-4.
On the men's side, Michael Russell of the United States retired with a left hamstring injury trailing Martin Klizan 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Klizan plays Nadal in the second round.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia, at 18 the youngest player in the men's draw, made a successful Grand Slam debut by beating 34-year-old Radek Stepanek 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (11). Kyrgios won despite breaking serve only once.
"When you're good in juniors, it doesn't mean automatically you're going to be good in the men's tennis," Stepanek said. "He has some talent. He's serving big. He definitely has a chance."
Tennis: Nadal pushed in opening round - Sport - NZ Herald News
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Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable operator, won a unanimous court victory in its long-running legal match with independently owned Tennis Channel Inc.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that 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.
"This could be absolutely devastating financially to the Tennis Channel," said media analyst Derek Baine of consulting firm SNL Kagan.
The decision reversed a finding last year by the Federal Communications Commission that Comcast had illegally put the tiny Santa Monica channel at a competitive disadvantage.
Tennis Channel has been lobbying for more than three years to be included in Comcast's basic service that feeds more than 21 million homes. That package already includes two Comcast-owned sports channels — the Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network.
"This move, getting into more Comcast homes, was going to move the Tennis Channel up to the next level, but it is tough to get traction when you are an independent channel," Baine said.
Tennis Channel, which turns a profit, had been banking on a big boost in subscribers, which would have generated tens of millions of dollars more through higher ratings and new subscriber fees.
The channel had planned to use the money to strengthen its programming roster, which currently includes coverage of 120 tennis tournaments a year.
It had hoped that a wider distribution and larger audience would make it easier for Tennis Channel investors to sell the channel eventually to a major media conglomerate for a premium price.
On Tuesday, Tennis Channel Chief Executive Ken Solomon said he was disappointed with the ruling but said it was far from game, set, match.
"We are thriving as a channel and we are going to survive this," Solomon said in a phone interview from Paris, where Tennis Channel has been broadcasting French Open tennis matches.
"We've never been treated fairly by Comcast in the 10 years that we've been in existence, but this is not over," he said. "We are not yet at the end of the marathon — we are only halfway."
His company said it would consider an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Comcast long has argued that the FCC simply went too far in its findings.
"We are pleased the Court of Appeals correctly rejected the claim that we discriminated against Tennis Channel," Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast vice president for government communications, said Tuesday.
Last year, the FCC, after a lengthy analysis, agreed that Comcast had discriminated against the tennis operation by giving preferential treatment to the channels the cable company owned.
That 3-2 decision marked the first time that the government agency had found a cable operator in violation of anti-discrimination laws.
The appellate court, however, said in its 51-page ruling that Tennis Channel and the FCC had failed to provide enough proof that Comcast had shunted the channel to a less-favorable location simply because Tennis Channel was not affiliated with Comcast.
Comcast argued to the judges that Tennis Channel had agreed to be carried in the sports tier of channels when it negotiated a long-term contract with the cable company in 2005.
Comcast also pointed out that other big cable operators carried Tennis Channel in their sports tiers and that there was not enough consumer demand to warrant its inclusion in basic packages of channels.
"Comcast's decision to carry Tennis Channel was the product of legitimate business considerations, not affiliation," Fitzmaurice said.
Comcast scores a victory over Tennis Channel in court - latimes-com
On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that 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.
"This could be absolutely devastating financially to the Tennis Channel," said media analyst Derek Baine of consulting firm SNL Kagan.
The decision reversed a finding last year by the Federal Communications Commission that Comcast had illegally put the tiny Santa Monica channel at a competitive disadvantage.
Tennis Channel has been lobbying for more than three years to be included in Comcast's basic service that feeds more than 21 million homes. That package already includes two Comcast-owned sports channels — the Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network.
"This move, getting into more Comcast homes, was going to move the Tennis Channel up to the next level, but it is tough to get traction when you are an independent channel," Baine said.
Tennis Channel, which turns a profit, had been banking on a big boost in subscribers, which would have generated tens of millions of dollars more through higher ratings and new subscriber fees.
The channel had planned to use the money to strengthen its programming roster, which currently includes coverage of 120 tennis tournaments a year.
It had hoped that a wider distribution and larger audience would make it easier for Tennis Channel investors to sell the channel eventually to a major media conglomerate for a premium price.
On Tuesday, Tennis Channel Chief Executive Ken Solomon said he was disappointed with the ruling but said it was far from game, set, match.
"We are thriving as a channel and we are going to survive this," Solomon said in a phone interview from Paris, where Tennis Channel has been broadcasting French Open tennis matches.
"We've never been treated fairly by Comcast in the 10 years that we've been in existence, but this is not over," he said. "We are not yet at the end of the marathon — we are only halfway."
His company said it would consider an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Comcast long has argued that the FCC simply went too far in its findings.
"We are pleased the Court of Appeals correctly rejected the claim that we discriminated against Tennis Channel," Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast vice president for government communications, said Tuesday.
Last year, the FCC, after a lengthy analysis, agreed that Comcast had discriminated against the tennis operation by giving preferential treatment to the channels the cable company owned.
That 3-2 decision marked the first time that the government agency had found a cable operator in violation of anti-discrimination laws.
The appellate court, however, said in its 51-page ruling that Tennis Channel and the FCC had failed to provide enough proof that Comcast had shunted the channel to a less-favorable location simply because Tennis Channel was not affiliated with Comcast.
Comcast argued to the judges that Tennis Channel had agreed to be carried in the sports tier of channels when it negotiated a long-term contract with the cable company in 2005.
Comcast also pointed out that other big cable operators carried Tennis Channel in their sports tiers and that there was not enough consumer demand to warrant its inclusion in basic packages of channels.
"Comcast's decision to carry Tennis Channel was the product of legitimate business considerations, not affiliation," Fitzmaurice said.
Comcast scores a victory over Tennis Channel in court - latimes-com
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How do you solve a problem like Maria? Serena Williams has the answer. She, of course, has beaten Maria Sharapova 12 straight times over the last nine years.
How do you solve a problem like Serena? Craig O'Shannessy has some thoughts. An Australian now based in Austin, Texas, O'Shannessy goes where staggeringly few in tennis care to venture. He sparks up Dartfish software so common in other sports; he watches video of matches; then he unpacks the data and uses analytics -- not intuition -- to crack tennis' mysteries. Serena versus Maria? O'Shannessy can pop open his laptop and offer a dissertation. But here are two keys:
1) When Serena serves to the deuce court, virtually every first serve is aimed wide to the forehand. And virtually every second serve is up the tee to the backhand. So if Sharapova were inclined, she could position herself accordingly.
2) During the rallies, Sharapova consistently loses when she's seduced into thinking she has an open court. (Serena not only gets to the ball in time but then has angles as options.) "When Sharapova makes Serena stop, start and reorganize," said O'Shannessy, "she is far more successful."
O'Shannessy has similar observations watching Roger Federer play Rafael Nadal and then studying the data. When the two met in Rome, Federer won six of eight serve-and-volley points. He also won 11 of his 21 net approaches. So even though he lost 6-1, 6-3, Federer won 17 of 29 net approaches. Another bit of helpful data: Nadal hit each of 11 second serves to Federer's backhand. (Federer went around seven of the 11 and hit forehands.) Remember how Federer spent all those years chipping his backhands, which gave Nadal time to line up a forehand? In Rome, Federer "hit over" 25 of his 29 backhands. "The scoreline didn't show it," O'Shannessy said, "but that was the right play."
Still, more interesting are O'Shannessy's generic findings. Consider:
• Using the IBM data from the 2012 U.S. Open, he discovered that only seven of the 128 male competitors won more than half of the baseline rallies they played. Yet only seven male competitors won fewer than half their net approaches. (Think about this. And think about this again the next time you hear that the rackets and string technology have made approaching the net a fool's errand.)
• The No. 1 player in the world is lucky to win 55 percent of the points he plays in the course of a year. In 2011, Nadal won the French Open, taking 21 of 21 sets, 100 percent. Yet, he won only 56 percent of the points he played. "Not every point is equal. Some mean everything, some mean nothing."
• Overwhelmingly, the player who hits more second serves loses the match.
This isn't exactly the height of advanced statistics. And yet these nuggets tell such compelling stories. Tennis, O'Shannessy reckons, is half chess, half poker. Some of the sport is about moves and countermoves and grasping strategy. But it's also about knowing the percentages.
"Would you want to know that your opponent is serving every ball to the same place?"
It should be a rhetorical question. But it isn't. Walking through the players' lounge here, O'Shannessy, 46, goes unnoticed. He's another tanned, fit-looking coach with a low-riding ballcap and works with two players, Rajeev Ram and Alex Kuznetsov. (Ram went from No. 272 to No. 93; Kuznetsov has risen 100 spots in the last six weeks.) But players should be lining up to avail themselves to his wisdom.
"In other sports, video and analytics are so important," O'Shannessy said. "In tennis there's too much emphasis on how do I feel? Or, what were the conditions? Data is not part of the culture."
Read More: Analyzing Serena, Sharapova, Federer, Nadal at French Open - Tennis - Jon Wertheim - SI-com
How do you solve a problem like Serena? Craig O'Shannessy has some thoughts. An Australian now based in Austin, Texas, O'Shannessy goes where staggeringly few in tennis care to venture. He sparks up Dartfish software so common in other sports; he watches video of matches; then he unpacks the data and uses analytics -- not intuition -- to crack tennis' mysteries. Serena versus Maria? O'Shannessy can pop open his laptop and offer a dissertation. But here are two keys:
1) When Serena serves to the deuce court, virtually every first serve is aimed wide to the forehand. And virtually every second serve is up the tee to the backhand. So if Sharapova were inclined, she could position herself accordingly.
2) During the rallies, Sharapova consistently loses when she's seduced into thinking she has an open court. (Serena not only gets to the ball in time but then has angles as options.) "When Sharapova makes Serena stop, start and reorganize," said O'Shannessy, "she is far more successful."
O'Shannessy has similar observations watching Roger Federer play Rafael Nadal and then studying the data. When the two met in Rome, Federer won six of eight serve-and-volley points. He also won 11 of his 21 net approaches. So even though he lost 6-1, 6-3, Federer won 17 of 29 net approaches. Another bit of helpful data: Nadal hit each of 11 second serves to Federer's backhand. (Federer went around seven of the 11 and hit forehands.) Remember how Federer spent all those years chipping his backhands, which gave Nadal time to line up a forehand? In Rome, Federer "hit over" 25 of his 29 backhands. "The scoreline didn't show it," O'Shannessy said, "but that was the right play."
Still, more interesting are O'Shannessy's generic findings. Consider:
• Using the IBM data from the 2012 U.S. Open, he discovered that only seven of the 128 male competitors won more than half of the baseline rallies they played. Yet only seven male competitors won fewer than half their net approaches. (Think about this. And think about this again the next time you hear that the rackets and string technology have made approaching the net a fool's errand.)
• The No. 1 player in the world is lucky to win 55 percent of the points he plays in the course of a year. In 2011, Nadal won the French Open, taking 21 of 21 sets, 100 percent. Yet, he won only 56 percent of the points he played. "Not every point is equal. Some mean everything, some mean nothing."
• Overwhelmingly, the player who hits more second serves loses the match.
This isn't exactly the height of advanced statistics. And yet these nuggets tell such compelling stories. Tennis, O'Shannessy reckons, is half chess, half poker. Some of the sport is about moves and countermoves and grasping strategy. But it's also about knowing the percentages.
"Would you want to know that your opponent is serving every ball to the same place?"
It should be a rhetorical question. But it isn't. Walking through the players' lounge here, O'Shannessy, 46, goes unnoticed. He's another tanned, fit-looking coach with a low-riding ballcap and works with two players, Rajeev Ram and Alex Kuznetsov. (Ram went from No. 272 to No. 93; Kuznetsov has risen 100 spots in the last six weeks.) But players should be lining up to avail themselves to his wisdom.
"In other sports, video and analytics are so important," O'Shannessy said. "In tennis there's too much emphasis on how do I feel? Or, what were the conditions? Data is not part of the culture."
Read More: Analyzing Serena, Sharapova, Federer, Nadal at French Open - Tennis - Jon Wertheim - SI-com
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Marina Erakovic made a conscious decision recently to be more aggressive on court, and it goes a long way to explaining her varying results over the few months.
Last night she progressed to the third round of the French Open when she upset 16th seen Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2 2-6 6-4 and it was her positive intent which proved one of the decisive factors. It also helped her claim her first WTA title in Memphis in February.
Contrasting with that, however, is the fact she won only one of seven singles matches on her way to Roland Garros which dented her confidence and saw her drop to 92 in the rankings.
Her win over Cibulkova, which officially took two hours and 38 minutes but lasted more than five hours because of two rain delays, was her best result at a grand slam event and arguably the next best in her career behind her win over then world No 4 Victoria Azarenka in 2011.
"Relief, happiness, just very pumped,'' Erakovic told Newstalk ZB trying to describe her emotions afterwards. "I had some good support in the crowd, which was great.
It was just a good feeling.''
There's little doubt she's been helped by a favourable draw, which saw her open up against Great Britain's Elena Baltacha who was playing her first tournament since last year's Olympics. Cibulkova has also struggled this year to recapture the sort of form that saw her progress to the semifinals of the French Open in 2009.
Erakovic will now take on 17th seed Sloane Stephens, but the American is not a player Erakovic should fear. That might change if she somehow manages to advance to the fourth round where a potential date with world No 2 and four-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova awaits.
Stephens famously ousted Serena Williams on the way to the semifinals at this year's Australian Open and beat compatriot Vania King 6-1 6-3 in her second-round match. She reached the fourth round at last year's French Open and hits a flat ball, which Erakovic likes.
"I give Marina every chance of winning that,'' said Belinda Cordwell who was ranked No 17 in 1989. ``Sloane isn't a top-five, top-10 player who are, week in week out, in a different league.
"Marina is a confidence player. She's clearly capable of a high level of tennis after winning her first title.
"I noticed about two or three years ago all the players talked about `ripping the ball' and Marina is in that camp. The difference is keeping the unforced errors down and that's something players ranked in the 30s and onwards are grappling with. They all have the ability to hit their shots but the ones in the higher echelon can balance that without making too many errors. That's something Marina is still coming to grips with.''
Erakovic hit 38 winners to Cibulkova's 17, including two big forehands to close out the match, but that was countered by 71 unforced errors. She admitted she was too passive in the second set, which quickly passed her by, before going back to a more aggressive approach even when nerves kicked in during the deciding set.
"I'm working really hard and trying to play well and hopefully I can keep hitting the big forehands and serves and play well and do some more damage,'' she said.
Erakovic is already guaranteed to take home $97,000 in prizemoney and she becomes the first New Zealander to reach the third round at the French Open and equals her best performance at a grand slam after reaching the third round in Wimbledon, also in 2008.
Tennis: Erakovic adopts a more aggressive approach - Sport - NZ Herald News
Last night she progressed to the third round of the French Open when she upset 16th seen Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2 2-6 6-4 and it was her positive intent which proved one of the decisive factors. It also helped her claim her first WTA title in Memphis in February.
Contrasting with that, however, is the fact she won only one of seven singles matches on her way to Roland Garros which dented her confidence and saw her drop to 92 in the rankings.
Her win over Cibulkova, which officially took two hours and 38 minutes but lasted more than five hours because of two rain delays, was her best result at a grand slam event and arguably the next best in her career behind her win over then world No 4 Victoria Azarenka in 2011.
"Relief, happiness, just very pumped,'' Erakovic told Newstalk ZB trying to describe her emotions afterwards. "I had some good support in the crowd, which was great.
It was just a good feeling.''
There's little doubt she's been helped by a favourable draw, which saw her open up against Great Britain's Elena Baltacha who was playing her first tournament since last year's Olympics. Cibulkova has also struggled this year to recapture the sort of form that saw her progress to the semifinals of the French Open in 2009.
Erakovic will now take on 17th seed Sloane Stephens, but the American is not a player Erakovic should fear. That might change if she somehow manages to advance to the fourth round where a potential date with world No 2 and four-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova awaits.
Stephens famously ousted Serena Williams on the way to the semifinals at this year's Australian Open and beat compatriot Vania King 6-1 6-3 in her second-round match. She reached the fourth round at last year's French Open and hits a flat ball, which Erakovic likes.
"I give Marina every chance of winning that,'' said Belinda Cordwell who was ranked No 17 in 1989. ``Sloane isn't a top-five, top-10 player who are, week in week out, in a different league.
"Marina is a confidence player. She's clearly capable of a high level of tennis after winning her first title.
"I noticed about two or three years ago all the players talked about `ripping the ball' and Marina is in that camp. The difference is keeping the unforced errors down and that's something players ranked in the 30s and onwards are grappling with. They all have the ability to hit their shots but the ones in the higher echelon can balance that without making too many errors. That's something Marina is still coming to grips with.''
Erakovic hit 38 winners to Cibulkova's 17, including two big forehands to close out the match, but that was countered by 71 unforced errors. She admitted she was too passive in the second set, which quickly passed her by, before going back to a more aggressive approach even when nerves kicked in during the deciding set.
"I'm working really hard and trying to play well and hopefully I can keep hitting the big forehands and serves and play well and do some more damage,'' she said.
Erakovic is already guaranteed to take home $97,000 in prizemoney and she becomes the first New Zealander to reach the third round at the French Open and equals her best performance at a grand slam after reaching the third round in Wimbledon, also in 2008.
Tennis: Erakovic adopts a more aggressive approach - Sport - NZ Herald News
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When I was growing up, there was a slough by our house where kids would collect bugs and play tag, war and other games in the dirt and mud and water and weeds.
At some point in the '70s or early '80s -- around when Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and John McEnroe were engaging American fans -- the slough was filled in and tennis courts were built over it.
The tennis courts are gone now, replaced by a skateboard park.
I thought about that when I traveled to Europe this month to cover first the skateboards and BMX bikers at X Games Barcelona and now the French Open in Paris, where the American tennis players are possibly making a small stand for their old sport. "You're talking about choices," tennis coach, former player and ESPN analyst Darren Cahill said when I mentioned the skateboard park. "Not only are the mainstream sports available, but there are X Games sports available for kids now as well. Growing up 20, 25 years ago, playing tennis was pretty cool. Now, competing in the X Games is more cool than playing tennis.
"Competition means a lot, and getting the best athletes into tennis is much more challenging than it used to be 20 or 30 years ago, so we have to work hard that we get tennis into the schools, that we make sure that we're following up with the good athletes who show interest in the game. All the sports do that. It's all about competition, and tennis has to fight for its space."
With Americans playing well this first week at Roland Garros, the question is whether this is just a good couple of days or a sign tennis is gaining some of that precious space.
"I believe this is the turning point," said Patrick McEnroe, the general manager for USTA player development. "Last year, we had a decent first week, and I said it's great to have a good first week but it's more important to have a good second week. And we're getting much closer to that. On the women's side, we're very close to that. Obviously, we've got the No. 1 player, but there are also the younger players -- Madison Keys, Jamie Hampton, Sloane Stephens -- who are doing very well. "On the men's side, this was a big first week, to get those guys through the qualifying round and with Sam Querrey doing well. I don't think it's a flash in the pan by any stretch."
Fifteen American women were in the main draw, more than from any other country (including France), and 10 advanced to the second round. Seven Americans total reached the third round of singles (five women and two men), the most to do so on the clay courts at Roland Garros in a decade.
"It's been such a thin time. Other than the Williams sisters, there has been nothing here," Martina Navratilova said, agreeing this could be a turning point. "I think it kind of started at the Open two years ago, with the women anyway. I hope they can build on it. … This should give them confidence."
Serena Williams is the No. 1 woman in the world and is heavily favored to win her third major in the past year. But the other American women, youngsters Keys and Stephens along with veteran Bethanie Mattek-Sands, are making a statement as well. McEnroe says the American women are ahead of the men, which is partly thanks to the Williams sisters' success and fame inspiring younger players. Another major factor is the way the women have embraced training together in Boca Raton, Fla. Several players cited camaraderie from training together as a reason for their improvement.
"You can see they're working more on fitness, more on footwork," former player and current Tennis Channel analyst Mary Carillo said. "You're hanging around people you can see get fitter, get smarter, get more professional. I think there is a sense of professionalism among them now and camaraderie in large measure as well.
"That's why the Aussies ruled for so long. They left the continent for 10 months at a time. They ate together, they practiced together. They helped coach each other. There's something about that that creates a very positive atmosphere."
McEnroe said he is happy with the numbers on the women's side.
"Our goal was certainly to get the overall numbers up, and we're cautiously optimistic we'll have a couple top-10 or top-5 players," he said. "And we have another wave coming up behind them that we're confident about."
On the male side, tennis faces stiffer competition for the best athletes, who have a much wider variety of professional sports to lure them. And it's not just the X Games. It is also travel teams in other sports and athletes forced to focus on one sport and one sport only -- if they play any sport that isn't a video game.
As Cahill says, kids can play a team sport and have fun with their friends. Very few athletes make it professionally in any sport, but in basketball, football or baseball, Cahill says, "You can make a great living by being part of a team sport and not necessarily being one of the best players. In tennis, you have to be a great athlete, a great tennis player, to be putting money in the bank."
Still, the USTA has made a strong effort to get more kids playing, even encouraging companies to make smaller rackets for them, and Cahill sees an improvement in the American game.
"We're seeing some great teenagers coming through on the women's side, and I think, in three or four years, all things being good, they will consolidate themselves in the top echelon of the women's game," Cahill said. "The men are a little behind the women, but I think there is a group coming through in Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock and another bunch of kids just a little bit younger than that. It's a little bit difficult to say potentially where they'll wind up, but from a worldwide competitive standpoint, they have a chance."
Harrison, who lost a close, tough second-round match to John Isner on Friday, knows one thing that would make a big difference on the men's side.
"The unfortunate truth about the situation is you've got to have a guy who is American and winn
At some point in the '70s or early '80s -- around when Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and John McEnroe were engaging American fans -- the slough was filled in and tennis courts were built over it.
The tennis courts are gone now, replaced by a skateboard park.
I thought about that when I traveled to Europe this month to cover first the skateboards and BMX bikers at X Games Barcelona and now the French Open in Paris, where the American tennis players are possibly making a small stand for their old sport. "You're talking about choices," tennis coach, former player and ESPN analyst Darren Cahill said when I mentioned the skateboard park. "Not only are the mainstream sports available, but there are X Games sports available for kids now as well. Growing up 20, 25 years ago, playing tennis was pretty cool. Now, competing in the X Games is more cool than playing tennis.
"Competition means a lot, and getting the best athletes into tennis is much more challenging than it used to be 20 or 30 years ago, so we have to work hard that we get tennis into the schools, that we make sure that we're following up with the good athletes who show interest in the game. All the sports do that. It's all about competition, and tennis has to fight for its space."
With Americans playing well this first week at Roland Garros, the question is whether this is just a good couple of days or a sign tennis is gaining some of that precious space.
"I believe this is the turning point," said Patrick McEnroe, the general manager for USTA player development. "Last year, we had a decent first week, and I said it's great to have a good first week but it's more important to have a good second week. And we're getting much closer to that. On the women's side, we're very close to that. Obviously, we've got the No. 1 player, but there are also the younger players -- Madison Keys, Jamie Hampton, Sloane Stephens -- who are doing very well. "On the men's side, this was a big first week, to get those guys through the qualifying round and with Sam Querrey doing well. I don't think it's a flash in the pan by any stretch."
Fifteen American women were in the main draw, more than from any other country (including France), and 10 advanced to the second round. Seven Americans total reached the third round of singles (five women and two men), the most to do so on the clay courts at Roland Garros in a decade.
"It's been such a thin time. Other than the Williams sisters, there has been nothing here," Martina Navratilova said, agreeing this could be a turning point. "I think it kind of started at the Open two years ago, with the women anyway. I hope they can build on it. … This should give them confidence."
Serena Williams is the No. 1 woman in the world and is heavily favored to win her third major in the past year. But the other American women, youngsters Keys and Stephens along with veteran Bethanie Mattek-Sands, are making a statement as well. McEnroe says the American women are ahead of the men, which is partly thanks to the Williams sisters' success and fame inspiring younger players. Another major factor is the way the women have embraced training together in Boca Raton, Fla. Several players cited camaraderie from training together as a reason for their improvement.
"You can see they're working more on fitness, more on footwork," former player and current Tennis Channel analyst Mary Carillo said. "You're hanging around people you can see get fitter, get smarter, get more professional. I think there is a sense of professionalism among them now and camaraderie in large measure as well.
"That's why the Aussies ruled for so long. They left the continent for 10 months at a time. They ate together, they practiced together. They helped coach each other. There's something about that that creates a very positive atmosphere."
McEnroe said he is happy with the numbers on the women's side.
"Our goal was certainly to get the overall numbers up, and we're cautiously optimistic we'll have a couple top-10 or top-5 players," he said. "And we have another wave coming up behind them that we're confident about."
On the male side, tennis faces stiffer competition for the best athletes, who have a much wider variety of professional sports to lure them. And it's not just the X Games. It is also travel teams in other sports and athletes forced to focus on one sport and one sport only -- if they play any sport that isn't a video game.
As Cahill says, kids can play a team sport and have fun with their friends. Very few athletes make it professionally in any sport, but in basketball, football or baseball, Cahill says, "You can make a great living by being part of a team sport and not necessarily being one of the best players. In tennis, you have to be a great athlete, a great tennis player, to be putting money in the bank."
Still, the USTA has made a strong effort to get more kids playing, even encouraging companies to make smaller rackets for them, and Cahill sees an improvement in the American game.
"We're seeing some great teenagers coming through on the women's side, and I think, in three or four years, all things being good, they will consolidate themselves in the top echelon of the women's game," Cahill said. "The men are a little behind the women, but I think there is a group coming through in Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock and another bunch of kids just a little bit younger than that. It's a little bit difficult to say potentially where they'll wind up, but from a worldwide competitive standpoint, they have a chance."
Harrison, who lost a close, tough second-round match to John Isner on Friday, knows one thing that would make a big difference on the men's side.
"The unfortunate truth about the situation is you've got to have a guy who is American and winn
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Dobbs Ferry High School senior Shawn Hadavi defeated the heat and his opponent in the championship match of the NYSPHSAA state singles tennis tournament at the USTA National Tennis Center Saturday in Flushing Meadows.
Hadavi topped fellow Westchester County player Taiyo Hamanaka of Eastchester High School 6-4, 7-5 to win the title on a humid day in Queens.
"I just worked really hard and my coach (Eric Bartell) helped me a lot," Hadavi said. "I was really tired, but I was playing for my school and my coach."
Hadavi said he had hope to win the area Section 1 (Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties) high school championship and have a chance at the state title.
"The goal was just to win sectionals and everything else was a bonus," Hadavi said.
Hadavi beat Justin Fields of Beacon High School 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 in the semifinals Saturday morning. Hamanaka defeated Zain Ali of Half Hollow Hills 6-3, 6-0 in the other semifinal.
Dobbs Ferry High's Hadavi Wins State Singles Tennis Title | The Greenburgh Daily Voice
Hadavi topped fellow Westchester County player Taiyo Hamanaka of Eastchester High School 6-4, 7-5 to win the title on a humid day in Queens.
"I just worked really hard and my coach (Eric Bartell) helped me a lot," Hadavi said. "I was really tired, but I was playing for my school and my coach."
Hadavi said he had hope to win the area Section 1 (Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties) high school championship and have a chance at the state title.
"The goal was just to win sectionals and everything else was a bonus," Hadavi said.
Hadavi beat Justin Fields of Beacon High School 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 in the semifinals Saturday morning. Hamanaka defeated Zain Ali of Half Hollow Hills 6-3, 6-0 in the other semifinal.
Dobbs Ferry High's Hadavi Wins State Singles Tennis Title | The Greenburgh Daily Voice
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Serbian eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic launched a foul-mouthed tirade at French Open fans on Saturday who he claimed were sabotaging his Roland Garros campaign.
Tipsarevic lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in the third round in a tense confrontation on Court Seven.
The 28-year-old singled out two spectators who he said talked and shouted out his opponent's name every time he tossed the ball to serve.
Both men were eventually ejected from the stadium after Tipsarevic had made repeated requests early in the second set to have them dealt with.
"There were two guys in the corner constantly taunting and laughing, and you could really see they didn't come to watch any tennis but just to pose," said Tipsarevic.
"I just snapped, because you could really see they didn't really care, what the score was or even who was playing. They just wanted to look nice and be at the French Open. They had no respect to the players in terms of being quiet or whatever.
"So at one point I was getting ready to serve at like, I think 30-15 on my serve, and one of the guys just started screaming, calling somebody to the stands."
Tipsarevic admitted he was wrong to swear at the fans, an outburst that could lead to a fine.
"There's no excuse for my reaction I should have talked to the referee first, but the referee told him to be quiet. Then one of the guys kept provoking me, screaming, 'Come on, Youzhny' before I tossed my balls.
"The referee had them removed. I think basically the problem was that I used the F word, and that was not pretty. But on the other hand, I just snapped. That's it. It happens to everyone."
Incidents of crowd trouble at tennis tournaments are rare although 45 people were evicted from the Australian Open on the first three days of the 2010 tournament in Melbourne.
In 2008, police at the event resorted to using pepper spray to quell unruly fans.
Tennis: Tipsarevic in foul-mouthed clash with fans
Tipsarevic lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in the third round in a tense confrontation on Court Seven.
The 28-year-old singled out two spectators who he said talked and shouted out his opponent's name every time he tossed the ball to serve.
Both men were eventually ejected from the stadium after Tipsarevic had made repeated requests early in the second set to have them dealt with.
"There were two guys in the corner constantly taunting and laughing, and you could really see they didn't come to watch any tennis but just to pose," said Tipsarevic.
"I just snapped, because you could really see they didn't really care, what the score was or even who was playing. They just wanted to look nice and be at the French Open. They had no respect to the players in terms of being quiet or whatever.
"So at one point I was getting ready to serve at like, I think 30-15 on my serve, and one of the guys just started screaming, calling somebody to the stands."
Tipsarevic admitted he was wrong to swear at the fans, an outburst that could lead to a fine.
"There's no excuse for my reaction I should have talked to the referee first, but the referee told him to be quiet. Then one of the guys kept provoking me, screaming, 'Come on, Youzhny' before I tossed my balls.
"The referee had them removed. I think basically the problem was that I used the F word, and that was not pretty. But on the other hand, I just snapped. That's it. It happens to everyone."
Incidents of crowd trouble at tennis tournaments are rare although 45 people were evicted from the Australian Open on the first three days of the 2010 tournament in Melbourne.
In 2008, police at the event resorted to using pepper spray to quell unruly fans.
Tennis: Tipsarevic in foul-mouthed clash with fans
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That is the stark contrast highlighted by an opening week at Roland Garros which involved no British men in singles action for the first time since 2007.
Frenchmen were everywhere you looked, with Gael Monfils taking early top billing and leading man Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fancied for a run at the final having landed in the more comfortable side of the draw.
France has 20 men ranked higher than Britain's number two James Ward, at 207 in the world, and provided seven of the last 32 at Roland Garros.
Without injured US Open champion Andy Murray, Britain had just one man in qualifying, the recent Australian import Brydan Klein, who lost in the first round.
But success is relative and the Paris crowd are a demanding bunch; they have left many a French player an emotional wreck after failing to perform. Richard Gasquet has had a turbulent relationship with his compatriots since being touted as a future world number one at the age of nine. He now uses his failure, if it can be called that, to reach the top of the rankings as a positive.
"I think not so much pressure," said the world number nine. "Nobody expects I win the tournament, but for sure I want to perform here. I'm very motivated, so I will try to do my best.
"There is a lot of French good players, and we will try our best to go far in the tournament, but for sure we are not the favourite. There is Djokovic and Nadal."
And there is the problem.
It was not Tsonga, Gasquet or Monfils who dominated the build-up to the French Open but Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires 30 years ago.
If the British are obsessed with their now 77-year-wait for a Wimbledon men's champion, 1983 is starting to feel like an awful long time ago across the channel.
Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and the rest are all terrific players, but the odds on any of them winning a Grand Slam are long while the top four continue to dominate.
"The sooner the better," is tournament director and French federation chief Gilbert Ysern's blunt point of view on when a French man will win a major.
"Still talking about Yannick Noah's win 30 years ago is not too good," he told BBC World Service. "It's difficult because the level of the top four guys is so high that it's very difficult for any player, including ours, to beat them.
"We have top-10 players but beating two or three of the top four to get a Grand Slam title is a very, very difficult achievement and unfortunately they have not succeeded yet, and I believe it's going to be difficult the next two or three years." Still, the Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen stadium courts have thrilled to the exploits of Monfils in recent days, and the prospect of Tsonga facing Roger Federer in the quarter-finals will keep tennis in the spotlight in France.
British tennis has been given a boost in recent years by the arrival of Laura Robson and Heather Watson as world-class players, but the hopes of a home winner at Wimbledon next month rest solely with Andy Murray - and his vulnerable lower back.
That France can produce more top-class tennis players should not come as a surprise looking at the statistics, despite solid numbers being hard to come by.
The two countries have similar population sizes and, according to Tennis Europe, numbers of regular players (although that figure is especially debatable), but France has 50% more tennis courts, four times the number of indoor courts, and three times the number of clubs.
With tennis so much more part of the sporting culture it is little wonder the French can produce more top men than Britain, with a ratio of 20 to 1 in terms of the top 200. However, Britain leads 1-0 in terms of Grand Slam singles titles in the last 30 years.
"We do believe that a Grand Slam winner or a number one in the world is not something that a federation can provide," says Ysern.
"We believe that if we do a good job we will breed top-100, top-50, maybe top-20 players, then the one who's going to win a Grand Slam or reach number one in the world is going to have something I'm not sure a federation can give him. "It's some additional thing they really have personally and it's difficult for a federation to teach that to any player."
France and Britain share an annual fortnight of tennis purgatory, but while the French enjoy a week of thrills and spills before missing out on the prizegiving, Britons wonder where the rest of their tennis players are, all the while expecting the number one to be there at the business end.
The best a Frenchman has done at Roland Garros since Noah was Henri Leconte's final in 1988, but he was swept aside by Mats Wilander, while Britain has been able to enjoy - or endure - Tim Henman and Murray providing seven semi-finals and a final in the last 15 years.
Maybe the men should take the advice of Mary Pierce, the woman who ended France's 33-year wait for a female French Open champion in 2000.
"There is definitely that extra pressure because you want to win for yourself and for the crowd, and your family," she told the BBC. "I had my aunts, cousins, uncles here. You have lots of extra media attention, so there's definitely more pressure.
"You have to mentally psyche yourself out and tell yourself it's just another match, just another tournament.
"I know I've come through so many matches on that court because of what that crowd gave me - it can be just one fan with one word or little phrase - but there are some players that couldn't ever deal with the pressure and expectations."
Tsonga will do well to convince himself it is just another match when he steps onto court to face Federer in the quarter-finals, but with previous Grand Slam wins over the Swiss - and a draw that kept him apart from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - the anticipation is building.
"I'm French, it's in France, and of course there may be a bit more pressure, but for me it's positive," he said. "It's positive pressure, be
Frenchmen were everywhere you looked, with Gael Monfils taking early top billing and leading man Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fancied for a run at the final having landed in the more comfortable side of the draw.
France has 20 men ranked higher than Britain's number two James Ward, at 207 in the world, and provided seven of the last 32 at Roland Garros.
Without injured US Open champion Andy Murray, Britain had just one man in qualifying, the recent Australian import Brydan Klein, who lost in the first round.
But success is relative and the Paris crowd are a demanding bunch; they have left many a French player an emotional wreck after failing to perform. Richard Gasquet has had a turbulent relationship with his compatriots since being touted as a future world number one at the age of nine. He now uses his failure, if it can be called that, to reach the top of the rankings as a positive.
"I think not so much pressure," said the world number nine. "Nobody expects I win the tournament, but for sure I want to perform here. I'm very motivated, so I will try to do my best.
"There is a lot of French good players, and we will try our best to go far in the tournament, but for sure we are not the favourite. There is Djokovic and Nadal."
And there is the problem.
It was not Tsonga, Gasquet or Monfils who dominated the build-up to the French Open but Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires 30 years ago.
If the British are obsessed with their now 77-year-wait for a Wimbledon men's champion, 1983 is starting to feel like an awful long time ago across the channel.
Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and the rest are all terrific players, but the odds on any of them winning a Grand Slam are long while the top four continue to dominate.
"The sooner the better," is tournament director and French federation chief Gilbert Ysern's blunt point of view on when a French man will win a major.
"Still talking about Yannick Noah's win 30 years ago is not too good," he told BBC World Service. "It's difficult because the level of the top four guys is so high that it's very difficult for any player, including ours, to beat them.
"We have top-10 players but beating two or three of the top four to get a Grand Slam title is a very, very difficult achievement and unfortunately they have not succeeded yet, and I believe it's going to be difficult the next two or three years." Still, the Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen stadium courts have thrilled to the exploits of Monfils in recent days, and the prospect of Tsonga facing Roger Federer in the quarter-finals will keep tennis in the spotlight in France.
British tennis has been given a boost in recent years by the arrival of Laura Robson and Heather Watson as world-class players, but the hopes of a home winner at Wimbledon next month rest solely with Andy Murray - and his vulnerable lower back.
That France can produce more top-class tennis players should not come as a surprise looking at the statistics, despite solid numbers being hard to come by.
The two countries have similar population sizes and, according to Tennis Europe, numbers of regular players (although that figure is especially debatable), but France has 50% more tennis courts, four times the number of indoor courts, and three times the number of clubs.
With tennis so much more part of the sporting culture it is little wonder the French can produce more top men than Britain, with a ratio of 20 to 1 in terms of the top 200. However, Britain leads 1-0 in terms of Grand Slam singles titles in the last 30 years.
"We do believe that a Grand Slam winner or a number one in the world is not something that a federation can provide," says Ysern.
"We believe that if we do a good job we will breed top-100, top-50, maybe top-20 players, then the one who's going to win a Grand Slam or reach number one in the world is going to have something I'm not sure a federation can give him. "It's some additional thing they really have personally and it's difficult for a federation to teach that to any player."
France and Britain share an annual fortnight of tennis purgatory, but while the French enjoy a week of thrills and spills before missing out on the prizegiving, Britons wonder where the rest of their tennis players are, all the while expecting the number one to be there at the business end.
The best a Frenchman has done at Roland Garros since Noah was Henri Leconte's final in 1988, but he was swept aside by Mats Wilander, while Britain has been able to enjoy - or endure - Tim Henman and Murray providing seven semi-finals and a final in the last 15 years.
Maybe the men should take the advice of Mary Pierce, the woman who ended France's 33-year wait for a female French Open champion in 2000.
"There is definitely that extra pressure because you want to win for yourself and for the crowd, and your family," she told the BBC. "I had my aunts, cousins, uncles here. You have lots of extra media attention, so there's definitely more pressure.
"You have to mentally psyche yourself out and tell yourself it's just another match, just another tournament.
"I know I've come through so many matches on that court because of what that crowd gave me - it can be just one fan with one word or little phrase - but there are some players that couldn't ever deal with the pressure and expectations."
Tsonga will do well to convince himself it is just another match when he steps onto court to face Federer in the quarter-finals, but with previous Grand Slam wins over the Swiss - and a draw that kept him apart from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - the anticipation is building.
"I'm French, it's in France, and of course there may be a bit more pressure, but for me it's positive," he said. "It's positive pressure, be
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It’s a long way from Roland Garros and the French Open, but about 100 tennis lovers jammed the Salt Lake City Council chambers Tuesday evening to call fault on the municipality for not renewing the contract for Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy.
Mike Martines has operated the tennis facility, also known as the Dee Smith Tennis Center, 1216 Wasatch Drive, for 15 years. Along the way, his supporters say, he took a decrepit city tennis park and turned it into a first-rate facility. Martines raised about $500,000 in private funds to upgrade the club, including a bubble for wintertime play.
But the administration of Mayor Ralph Becker did not renew Martines contract for the upcoming fiscal year. Unlike the past 15 years, the city wanted one vendor to operate both the Wasatch Drive operation as well as the Liberty Park Tennis Center.
"I’m pretty sad," Martines said in an interview Tuesday. "We were forced to bid on Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy and Liberty Park. We didn’t want to do that."
Bill Paulos, a supporter of Coach Mike’s, said Martines "took a rotten asset of the city turned it into a beautiful asset the city could be proud of."
The decision not to award the contract to Martines seems to be made in a vacuum, Paulos said.
"If there were a malpractice law for a municipality, this would be it," he said.
Martines has made selfless contributions to the citizens of Salt Lake City, Sharon McGough told the City Council.
"We really believe that if you see how many people come out for Coach Mike and how deeply we care about him, it might make a difference."
Before the public hearing, Councilman Charlie Luke, who represents the area around the tennis academy, explained that the council does not have control over contracts at city parks. "I have only heard positive things about Coach Mike’s," he said. "But the council doesn’t get involved in specific projects, so we’re out of the loop on this."
A spokesman for the mayor said the city must seek "maximum public benefit" when contracting for municipal services.
"The important factor in the ‘Request for Proposal’ process is to ensure a fair process that leads to the best public benefit," said Art Raymond.
But he noted that although another vendor has been selected, the process is not over. Until a contract is signed, nothing is final, Raymond said.
Most in attendance, like 90-year-old tennis player Barbara West, told the council they couldn’t understand the decision not to award the contract to Coach Mike, who she said has not only built a facility but an entire community of tennis players.
"Why is a well-managed, fiscally sound program being changed?" she asked. "Why?"
Tennis fans rally for Coach Mike at S.L. City Council | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mike Martines has operated the tennis facility, also known as the Dee Smith Tennis Center, 1216 Wasatch Drive, for 15 years. Along the way, his supporters say, he took a decrepit city tennis park and turned it into a first-rate facility. Martines raised about $500,000 in private funds to upgrade the club, including a bubble for wintertime play.
But the administration of Mayor Ralph Becker did not renew Martines contract for the upcoming fiscal year. Unlike the past 15 years, the city wanted one vendor to operate both the Wasatch Drive operation as well as the Liberty Park Tennis Center.
"I’m pretty sad," Martines said in an interview Tuesday. "We were forced to bid on Coach Mike’s Tennis Academy and Liberty Park. We didn’t want to do that."
Bill Paulos, a supporter of Coach Mike’s, said Martines "took a rotten asset of the city turned it into a beautiful asset the city could be proud of."
The decision not to award the contract to Martines seems to be made in a vacuum, Paulos said.
"If there were a malpractice law for a municipality, this would be it," he said.
Martines has made selfless contributions to the citizens of Salt Lake City, Sharon McGough told the City Council.
"We really believe that if you see how many people come out for Coach Mike and how deeply we care about him, it might make a difference."
Before the public hearing, Councilman Charlie Luke, who represents the area around the tennis academy, explained that the council does not have control over contracts at city parks. "I have only heard positive things about Coach Mike’s," he said. "But the council doesn’t get involved in specific projects, so we’re out of the loop on this."
A spokesman for the mayor said the city must seek "maximum public benefit" when contracting for municipal services.
"The important factor in the ‘Request for Proposal’ process is to ensure a fair process that leads to the best public benefit," said Art Raymond.
But he noted that although another vendor has been selected, the process is not over. Until a contract is signed, nothing is final, Raymond said.
Most in attendance, like 90-year-old tennis player Barbara West, told the council they couldn’t understand the decision not to award the contract to Coach Mike, who she said has not only built a facility but an entire community of tennis players.
"Why is a well-managed, fiscally sound program being changed?" she asked. "Why?"
Tennis fans rally for Coach Mike at S.L. City Council | The Salt Lake Tribune
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Marina Erakovic broke through the US$1 million barrier earlier this year and, after the last fortnight in Paris, is well on her way to earning her second million.
Erakovic and Zimbabwean partner Cara Black were bundled out of the doubles quarter-finals at the French Open overnight (NZT), going down 2-6 7-6 6-4 to second seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.
She picked up NZ$41,000 (euro25,000) for her efforts on top of the $98,000 (euro60,000) she earned for reaching the third round of the singles before being beaten by 17th-seeded American Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-7 6-3.
It takes her prizemoney for the year to US$359,584 and career earnings to US$1,348,902.
The 25-year-old can look forward to another good payday in the next month with the circuit about to hit the grass, culminating with Wimbledon where she had previously enjoyed her best success at a grand slam tournament. Grass is her favourite surface.
Erakovic will play at Birmingham and will enter qualifying for Eastbourne before heading to Wimbledon where she will play singles and once again team up with Black in the doubles.
Her form in the doubles at Roland Garros wasn't a surprise, given Erakovic and Black had played in consecutive WTA finals in the two weeks immediately before the French Open, but her progress in the singles was encouraging after winning only one of her seven matches previously.
It will also boost her rankings, which should jump from 92 to about 70 in singles and from 32 to the mid-20s in doubles.
Erakovic has made a conscious decision over the past 12 months to play more aggressively and it's a tactic that brings both risk and reward.
'I think I'm playing good tennis,'' Erakovic told Newstalk ZB when reflecting on her French Open campaign. ``I have got nothing but positives to take out of this tournament. The match against Sloane was very tight and I definitely had my chances.
"I want to continue, I want to keep improving, I want to hit the ball bigger and bigger. I feel I can take a lot of confidence out of this tournament.''
Erakovic and Black had their chances in their doubles quarter-final against Hlavackova and Hradecka, who won the French Open two years ago, but converted only five of 16 break point opportunities, including three break points when 2-2 in the final set.
"We could talk about it all day long and say we could have done this and that but we were down 5-2 in the second set and came back [to win it in a tiebreaker],'' Erakovic said. ``We fought really hard and came very close. There were a lot of positives to come out of it.''
Tennis: Erakovic banks on more success - Sport - NZ Herald News
Erakovic and Zimbabwean partner Cara Black were bundled out of the doubles quarter-finals at the French Open overnight (NZT), going down 2-6 7-6 6-4 to second seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.
She picked up NZ$41,000 (euro25,000) for her efforts on top of the $98,000 (euro60,000) she earned for reaching the third round of the singles before being beaten by 17th-seeded American Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-7 6-3.
It takes her prizemoney for the year to US$359,584 and career earnings to US$1,348,902.
The 25-year-old can look forward to another good payday in the next month with the circuit about to hit the grass, culminating with Wimbledon where she had previously enjoyed her best success at a grand slam tournament. Grass is her favourite surface.
Erakovic will play at Birmingham and will enter qualifying for Eastbourne before heading to Wimbledon where she will play singles and once again team up with Black in the doubles.
Her form in the doubles at Roland Garros wasn't a surprise, given Erakovic and Black had played in consecutive WTA finals in the two weeks immediately before the French Open, but her progress in the singles was encouraging after winning only one of her seven matches previously.
It will also boost her rankings, which should jump from 92 to about 70 in singles and from 32 to the mid-20s in doubles.
Erakovic has made a conscious decision over the past 12 months to play more aggressively and it's a tactic that brings both risk and reward.
'I think I'm playing good tennis,'' Erakovic told Newstalk ZB when reflecting on her French Open campaign. ``I have got nothing but positives to take out of this tournament. The match against Sloane was very tight and I definitely had my chances.
"I want to continue, I want to keep improving, I want to hit the ball bigger and bigger. I feel I can take a lot of confidence out of this tournament.''
Erakovic and Black had their chances in their doubles quarter-final against Hlavackova and Hradecka, who won the French Open two years ago, but converted only five of 16 break point opportunities, including three break points when 2-2 in the final set.
"We could talk about it all day long and say we could have done this and that but we were down 5-2 in the second set and came back [to win it in a tiebreaker],'' Erakovic said. ``We fought really hard and came very close. There were a lot of positives to come out of it.''
Tennis: Erakovic banks on more success - Sport - NZ Herald News
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The tennis anti-corruption unit has banned Russian player Sergei Krotiouk for life and given him a $60,000 fine after finding him guilty on 41 charges of rule violations.
The Tennis Integrity Unit said on Thursday the charges covered breaches of three articles of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program during 2012 and 2013.
These involve attempts to influence ‘‘the outcome or any other aspect of an event,’’ to ‘‘facilitate any player not to use his or her best efforts in any event’’ and to offer money or other benefit ‘‘with the intention of negatively influencing’’ a player’s best efforts in any event.
The 34-year-old Krotiouk is ranked No.789 by the ATP.
The TIU was formed by the ATP and WTA tours, the ITF and the Grand Slam Committee.
Read more: Russia tennis pro Krotiouk gets life ban
The Tennis Integrity Unit said on Thursday the charges covered breaches of three articles of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program during 2012 and 2013.
These involve attempts to influence ‘‘the outcome or any other aspect of an event,’’ to ‘‘facilitate any player not to use his or her best efforts in any event’’ and to offer money or other benefit ‘‘with the intention of negatively influencing’’ a player’s best efforts in any event.
The 34-year-old Krotiouk is ranked No.789 by the ATP.
The TIU was formed by the ATP and WTA tours, the ITF and the Grand Slam Committee.
Read more: Russia tennis pro Krotiouk gets life ban
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There was never any question that the Spanish national anthem would be played for the French Open men's singles winner Sunday. And for most tennis watchers, there was no doubt which Spaniard would be the one to hold the trophy aloft.
Rafael Nadal cemented his reputation as the sport's greatest-ever exponent on clay by scything down countryman David Ferrer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, to harvest a record-extending eighth French Open title. No man has ever claimed the same Grand Slam tournament as many times, or won as many matches, 59, on the red clay of Paris. Nadal, 27, has failed to conquer Roland Garros only once since 2005, when he won the French Open in his first try, and on Sunday neither the tenacious play of his 31-year-old compatriot nor the histrionics of some protesters — including one man who tried to storm onto the court with a lighted flare — could impede his march to a 12th major title.
Only Swiss virtuoso Roger Federer, with 17, owns more Grand Slam titles among active men's players. Nadal now ranks third on the all-time list of major winners, moving past former greats Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver to tie Roy Emerson. Federer and Pete Sampras, with 14, are the only players ahead of him.
His triumph over Ferrer, a friend and foe, on a gray, drizzly day continued an astonishing comeback that began in February, when Nadal returned to the tour following a seven-month layoff to rest a dodgy knee.
He survived a marathon semifinal against top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Friday and wore tape below the troublesome left knee Sunday, but his speed and agility did not appear hampered.
"Very happy, very emotional, very important victory for me," Nadal said after the final. "Five months ago, nobody of my team dreamed about one comeback like this, because we thought that [was] going to be impossible. But here we are today, and that's really fantastic and incredible."
By a quirk of rankings math, Ferrer will actually leapfrog Nadal — who as defending champion could gain no extra points — to No. 4 in the world simply by having made it to the final.
"It's strange, no? I lost the final against Rafael, but tomorrow I am going to be No. 4 and him No. 5," Ferrer said, then added: "I prefer to win here and to stay No. 5."
Ferrer is known as one of the workhorses on the men's tour, a consistent performer who is consistently overlooked because of the star wattage of Federer and Nadal as well as the ascent of Djokovic. Sunday's was Ferrer's first Grand Slam tournament final; by contrast, it was Nadal's 17th.
Both men are dogged defenders who specialize in retrieving balls that other players give up for lost, putting in enough mileage sprinting back and forth and side to side for an SUV to run out of gas. It seemed only fitting that the fastest man on Earth, Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt, presented the champion's trophy Sunday.
Although Ferrer often gave as good as he got from both wings, Nadal was the superior striker. The younger Spaniard used his racquet as both cudgel and needle, bludgeoning his opponent with groundstrokes of ferocious spin or threading shots through narrow openings that few others would attempt. His face was constantly twisted into a mask of malice aforethought as he whacked the ball over the net with as much precision and power as he could.
The match began on a tentative note, with both men holding and losing serve in the first four games as they sought their rhythm. The drop in temperature from the day before and the moisture-laden air slowed down the ball, which made it tough for Ferrer to charge the net the way he had last month in Rome, where he snatched a set from Nadal in their most recent encounter.
"To beat Rafael on clay court, I need to play more aggressive, to finish the points at the net, to play my best tennis," Ferrer said. "But when the court is slower, it's very difficult. He has more power than me."
At 3-3 in the first set, Nadal's two-handed backhand scooped a quicksilver winner over the net to earn the break he needed, though he added one more for good measure.
He went up a gear in the second set, firing winners almost at will as a few raindrops spattered the red dust and tournament officials waited on the sidelines to give the signal to halt play if necessary.
Down 1-0, Ferrer watched helplessly as his compatriot whipped three winners in a row to break his serve, one off the backhand and two from the forehand. More unplayable shots whizzed past Ferrer to put him in a 3-1 hole against his surging opponent.
The next game produced the finest rally of the match: a 29-stroke exchange of punch and counterpunch, with short balls and even shorter angles, that finally ended when Nadal cracked a backhand cross-court shot past Ferrer to save a break point.
The only unexpected drama erupted minutes later when a few protesters near the top of the stadium began shouting their opposition, apparently, to France's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. A masked, shirtless man trying to make the same point then jumped onto Nadal's side of the court holding a flare spewing pink sparks. Security officials swiftly wrestled him down and hustled him out.
"I felt a little bit scared at the first moment because I didn't see what's going on. I just turned there and I watch a guy with some fire, so I got a little bit scared," Nadal said afterward. "It's one of those things that nobody can prevent. Just can say thank you very much to all the security guys."
The disturbance seemed to rattle him on the court, at least temporarily: He served for the set at 5-1 but double-faulted on his way to dropping the game. Although Ferrer said the incident did not affect him, he fared no better, double-faulting twice to lose the following game — and the set — at love.
Trailing 4-3 in the final set, Ferrer went for too much, pushing a shot just long on break point to allow Nadal to serve for the title. After 2 hours 16 minutes of play, the clay-cour
Rafael Nadal cemented his reputation as the sport's greatest-ever exponent on clay by scything down countryman David Ferrer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, to harvest a record-extending eighth French Open title. No man has ever claimed the same Grand Slam tournament as many times, or won as many matches, 59, on the red clay of Paris. Nadal, 27, has failed to conquer Roland Garros only once since 2005, when he won the French Open in his first try, and on Sunday neither the tenacious play of his 31-year-old compatriot nor the histrionics of some protesters — including one man who tried to storm onto the court with a lighted flare — could impede his march to a 12th major title.
Only Swiss virtuoso Roger Federer, with 17, owns more Grand Slam titles among active men's players. Nadal now ranks third on the all-time list of major winners, moving past former greats Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver to tie Roy Emerson. Federer and Pete Sampras, with 14, are the only players ahead of him.
His triumph over Ferrer, a friend and foe, on a gray, drizzly day continued an astonishing comeback that began in February, when Nadal returned to the tour following a seven-month layoff to rest a dodgy knee.
He survived a marathon semifinal against top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Friday and wore tape below the troublesome left knee Sunday, but his speed and agility did not appear hampered.
"Very happy, very emotional, very important victory for me," Nadal said after the final. "Five months ago, nobody of my team dreamed about one comeback like this, because we thought that [was] going to be impossible. But here we are today, and that's really fantastic and incredible."
By a quirk of rankings math, Ferrer will actually leapfrog Nadal — who as defending champion could gain no extra points — to No. 4 in the world simply by having made it to the final.
"It's strange, no? I lost the final against Rafael, but tomorrow I am going to be No. 4 and him No. 5," Ferrer said, then added: "I prefer to win here and to stay No. 5."
Ferrer is known as one of the workhorses on the men's tour, a consistent performer who is consistently overlooked because of the star wattage of Federer and Nadal as well as the ascent of Djokovic. Sunday's was Ferrer's first Grand Slam tournament final; by contrast, it was Nadal's 17th.
Both men are dogged defenders who specialize in retrieving balls that other players give up for lost, putting in enough mileage sprinting back and forth and side to side for an SUV to run out of gas. It seemed only fitting that the fastest man on Earth, Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt, presented the champion's trophy Sunday.
Although Ferrer often gave as good as he got from both wings, Nadal was the superior striker. The younger Spaniard used his racquet as both cudgel and needle, bludgeoning his opponent with groundstrokes of ferocious spin or threading shots through narrow openings that few others would attempt. His face was constantly twisted into a mask of malice aforethought as he whacked the ball over the net with as much precision and power as he could.
The match began on a tentative note, with both men holding and losing serve in the first four games as they sought their rhythm. The drop in temperature from the day before and the moisture-laden air slowed down the ball, which made it tough for Ferrer to charge the net the way he had last month in Rome, where he snatched a set from Nadal in their most recent encounter.
"To beat Rafael on clay court, I need to play more aggressive, to finish the points at the net, to play my best tennis," Ferrer said. "But when the court is slower, it's very difficult. He has more power than me."
At 3-3 in the first set, Nadal's two-handed backhand scooped a quicksilver winner over the net to earn the break he needed, though he added one more for good measure.
He went up a gear in the second set, firing winners almost at will as a few raindrops spattered the red dust and tournament officials waited on the sidelines to give the signal to halt play if necessary.
Down 1-0, Ferrer watched helplessly as his compatriot whipped three winners in a row to break his serve, one off the backhand and two from the forehand. More unplayable shots whizzed past Ferrer to put him in a 3-1 hole against his surging opponent.
The next game produced the finest rally of the match: a 29-stroke exchange of punch and counterpunch, with short balls and even shorter angles, that finally ended when Nadal cracked a backhand cross-court shot past Ferrer to save a break point.
The only unexpected drama erupted minutes later when a few protesters near the top of the stadium began shouting their opposition, apparently, to France's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. A masked, shirtless man trying to make the same point then jumped onto Nadal's side of the court holding a flare spewing pink sparks. Security officials swiftly wrestled him down and hustled him out.
"I felt a little bit scared at the first moment because I didn't see what's going on. I just turned there and I watch a guy with some fire, so I got a little bit scared," Nadal said afterward. "It's one of those things that nobody can prevent. Just can say thank you very much to all the security guys."
The disturbance seemed to rattle him on the court, at least temporarily: He served for the set at 5-1 but double-faulted on his way to dropping the game. Although Ferrer said the incident did not affect him, he fared no better, double-faulting twice to lose the following game — and the set — at love.
Trailing 4-3 in the final set, Ferrer went for too much, pushing a shot just long on break point to allow Nadal to serve for the title. After 2 hours 16 minutes of play, the clay-cour
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Both players, facing off for the first time, held serve until Federer broke Janowicz's final service game of
the first set in Rome on Friday, reports Xinhua.
The world 24-ranked Pole fought back in the second set and broke Federer early, but could not shut the door when leading by 5-4, hitting two double faults to be broken.
Federer then cruised in the ensuing tie-break to seal the win in 85 minutes. In the semi-finals, the Swiss will play against France's Benoit Paire.
Fifth seed Rafael Nadal held off fellow Spanish David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6 and 6-2 to set up a semi-final clash with Tomas Berdych. The latter ousted top-ranked Novak Djokovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
In the women's draw, top seed Serena Williams swept past Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-2, 6-0. She is to meet qualifier Simona Halep of Romania who beat Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Federer, Nadal in semis of Italian Open tennis - Hindustan Times