Novak Djokovic has the chance to win his second Wimbledon title later today, and is keen on making amends for his recent near-misses at Grand Slams. Djokovic has been ranked in the top two ever since he won the 2013 Australian Open, but his prolonged stay at the top of the ATP hasn't helped him to add any more majors to his collection since then. At the moment he's lost five of his last six slam finals, and under different circumstances would have been in with a fighting chance of catching up with Roger Federer's record of 17 slam titles. As it happens he's stuck on six, but he'll have a chance to make it seven on Sunday when he faces Federer in the final of Wimbledon 2014. "I want to try to get the title. It would mean a lot mentally for me," said Djokovic after edging his way past Grigor Dimitrov in a nervy four-set semi-final on Friday. It would seem that even an elite athlete such as Djokovic, who possesses greater mental strength than most mere mortals, will still need to draw comfort from success from time to time. "Losing three out of four last Grand Slam finals, it cannot be satisfying," he admitted."Of course. I don't want to sound like I'm not appreciating to play finals of Grand Slam. It's already a huge result. We cannot take that for granted." He added: "But, again, I know that I can win the title. I should have won few matches that I lost in finals of Grand Slams in last couple years. "But it's an experience. It's a learning process. It's understanding, identifying where the problem is, pushing for it, working on it. It's mental at the end of the day. You have to be able to be at the top of your game, mentally fresh and motivated, calm and composed." Djokovic refused to say which slam finals he felt he should have won, but instead spoke of how difficult it is to win a slam. He expressed his respect for those who have been able to do so on a consistent basis. "Things have to come together for you to win a Grand Slam. That's why not so many players throughout the history have done that," he told reporters. "I appreciate all the results and respect all the opponents, Federer for example, for winning so many Grand Slams. It's a remarkable achievement. "So I understand, you know, what you have to go through as a player in order to win a Grand Slam. It's a big task. At the end of the day that's what you work for. Day in and day out, you are out there on practice courts and you're dreaming big to win Grand Slams. This is your inspiration." Djokovic probably doesn't enjoy reflecting on his runner-up finishes, but feels that it's necessary to do so in order to work out where he went wrong. He believes that he and his team can learn from mistakes made or opportunities missed in the past. "I try to learn from those," he added. "Those are the big matches. I'm not by myself. I have the team of people around me that are experts in their own fields. They try to all help me out and analyse my game, as well as my mental approach and state in which I am. "So we will try to understand, you know, what I did wrong in French Open final from a mental perspective, and to make it better in two days." ]>
Roger Federer believes his love of tennis has enabled him to maintain his status as one of the best players in the world for over a decade. The past year has been one of incredible ups and downs for Federer. At Wimbledon 2013 he was dumped out in round two by Sergiy Stakhovsky, and he later went on to make an early exit at the US Open at the hands of Tommy Robredo. The aura had vanished, and Federer went from slam contender to fading light. At least it seemed that way. There was talk of a back injury, but Federer's determination to continue playing made this excuse, if you can call it that, look thin. It was almost as though discussion of the problem was distracting attention from the unwanted demise of one of the greatest athletes in world sport. There were a few other coincidental narratives from the season too, including Federer's decision to switch his racquet, and his split from coach Paul Annacone. Federer's fall from the top, however short-lived, appeared to offer a realisation that Federer's years of greatness were behind him. Many thought that Federer had won his last slam, and others surmised that the Swiss might not be far from retirement, such was the extent of his struggle.  Such talk can be swept to one side now. It's become clear that the 32-year-old was being held back from his best tennis due to the injury last season, and 2014 has been a very successful year so far. Federer has already come close to winning two Masters titles, and believe it or not, he now stands just one win away from slam No. 18 at Wimbledon 2014. Has Federer fluked his way through at the All-England Club? Certainly not. Firstly it's impossible to do that at a slam, and secondly, the man has exuded confidence and calm from the first match onwards. It's evident that Federer still has what it takes to compete at the highest level, and he could well be on his way to another Wimbledon title. It's now been 11 years since he first won the tournament. Federer says he couldn't have achieved what he has, over such a lengthy period of time, were it not for his unwavering love for the game. "I played all the slams, 50 plus now," he said after his three-set win over Milos Raonic in the semi-finals. "From that standpoint I never had a five-month break or anything like that. I think for that you need to be, first of all, healthy physically, but also mentally ready to do it. "You've got to love the game, because if you don't love it, then it's just going to be too hard. I think that's kept me going quite easily actually, because I know why I'm playing tennis. Deep down that's really important." Federer later elaborated on the aspects of tennis that he draws the most pleasure from. "The fun for me is being able to do it, at this age, with a family, with the team I have," he remarked. "We have a great relationship. I know so many people over time now on the tour, so it's really something I really, really enjoy. "So the fun is not just after match point when you see somebody, it's the entire package. I really enjoy it. For that matter, it makes everything so much more worth it." Federer is clearly enjoying his tennis, but Sunday's showdown with Djokovic in the final will be as much about business as it will be about pleasure. The Serb has lost five of his last six slam finals, and will arrive on court with every intention of denying Federer an historic victory. The matter of whether or not the Swiss legend will be able to look back on the match fondly is yet to be resolved. ]>
Following his early defeat at Wimbledon twelve months ago, Roger Federer is delighted to have made it through to this year's semi-finals at the All-England Club. 2013 wasn't the best of seasons for Federer. A back injury troubled him throughout the year and his results, for the first time in a decade, were something other than consistently exceptional. The Swiss still compiled a highly respectable 45-17 match record, but his bid to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals was only secured at the last minute. He'd fallen a long way, by the standards of one of the greatest players of all time, since when he topped the rankings again for a brief spell in 2012. There were numerous disappointments in 2013. Defeats to Federico Delbonis, Daniel Brands, Julien Benneteau and Tommy Robredo were amongst them. However, the one which really hit the veteran hard was his second round exit at Wimbledon to Sergiy Stakhovsky. Federer had been the defending champion, but couldn't find a way to deny the Ukrainian's serve and volley onslaught. This year's tournament at the All-England Club has panned out a lot differently. Federer has made it through to the semi-final stage for the ninth time, and on seven of the eight occasions that he made it this far he went on to lift the trophy. His performances have been exceptional too, and he didn't lose a set until he recorded a 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over his compatriot Stan Wawrinka. Speaking to reporters after the match on Wednesday, Federer explained what the win meant to him after last season's struggle. "I'm really pleased to have come through," he said. "Last year was a major disappointment for me because I always see Wimbledon as one of my main goals of the season, side-by-side with rankings and some other highlights that I choose that there are for me. "I try to be in the best possible shape, so last year was rough. I was very disappointed. Went back to the practice courts. Didn't have any options left at that point. "I'm happy that one year later I'm back in the semis and with a chance to go further." Federer was also happy to have wrapped up his win over Raonic by the end of play on Wednesday. The victory guaranteed him a day of preparation ahead of Friday's all-important semi-final run-in with Milos Raonic. "I can really prepare well. It's a comfortable place to be," said Federer. "I must say, I know there's pressure, but the confidence is there. You know there is a chance now to go a step further because you trust your game. That's where I am right now. I'm really excited about the next couple days now." If Federer is to close in on an eighth Wimbledon title he'll now need to figure out a way past the Canadian rising star. Raonic is ranked beneath Federer, but is growing in stature as a player at a considerable pace. The 23-year-old may have lost to Federer in all of their four previous meetings, but two of these went to a final set tie-breaker, and the last battle between the pairing was over a year ago. It would seem that Raonic is a superior player now than he was last season. Federer's main task will be to find some sort of rhythm in a match that won't really allow for it. The two competitors rank in at third and fourth in the ATP for highest percentage of service games won, and on average the two players are only broken once in every ten service games. The quick Wimbledon lawns will only exacerbate the impact of this, and the turf, by this stage of the tournament, is going to throwing up a couple of uneven and dead bounces. There are many who would love to see Federer add an elusive 18th slam to his collection but it's not going to be easy for the 32-year-old. An intense semi-final awaits, and following that, potentially one of the toughest and most nerve wracking matches of the father of four's career.]>
Andy Murray's Wimbledon title defence ended on Wednesday as he was beaten by rising star Grigor Dimitrov, going down in straight sets in the quarter-finals. Murray had made a scintillating start to his Wimbledon 2014 campaign, and prior to the quarter-finals he hadn't even lost a set at this year's grass slam. Although expectations had initially been tempered due to Murray's relatively recent back surgery, the early displays were enough to indicate that Britain might celebrate yet another week of Murray-mania for a second year running. However, despite showing much promise, Murray's charge stalled and finished as he fell to a 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 defeat against the young Bulgarian. It had been generally accepted that the World No. 13 posed a threat to Britain's top player, though few spectators or pundits could have imagined that the emerging talent's efforts would lead to a one-sided victory. Murray didn't hold back after the match, lamenting the level of his play. "My start to the match was poor," he said. "I started the match badly. And I think that gave him confidence. "I should have done a better job at the beginning of the match of making it tougher for him, and I didn't manage to do that. Also, when I got back into the second set, the end of the set, you know, that was my opportunity there. He'd been up in the set a break and I'd come back. Momentum was starting to shift a little bit. Couldn't quite do it." "He was the better player from start to finish," continued Murray when probed further. "He played better tennis than me for the entire match." The Scot refused to discuss tactics, but stated that whatever they were, he didn't execute them as well as he would have liked to. "Also, your opponent can do things in the match that you're also, you know, not expecting, or hitting the ball in certain places which doesn't allow you to do exactly what you want on the court," he added. "He did a good job of that." Murray also elaborated on his coaching situation with Amelie Mauresmo. He intends to extend the partnership but appreciates that he's not the only person who has a decision to make. "We'll sit down and chat about that maybe tomorrow or in a few days. It has to come from both sides," he told reporters. "I've really enjoyed the last couple of weeks. I've found it good fun. I found it calming. Tactically, you know, I feel like the chats have been good. Also the direction that I would like my tennis to go in. So I hope so, but we'll need to sit down and chat." Upon being asked about his opponent's potential, the two-time slam winner explained that the last year has been one of great improvement for Dimitrov, who this afternoon faces Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals. "He plays well on all of the surfaces; he moves well; he's a very good athlete; he has variety in his game, which helps him play on all of the surfaces," said Murray. "He's a talented guy. He has a talented hand, so he can dig himself out of tough situations and points. When you think the point's won, he can come up with some great shots. "I don't know his exact potential. It's impossible to say. But he's obviously made some big improvements over the last 12 to 18 months and he's getting better." Another impressive display later today could put 23-year-old Dimitrov in with a chance of winning the first slam of his career. ]>
Roger Federer hopes to see more young players break through to the top of the ATP World Tour. Speaking after his fourth round Wimbledon triumph over Tommy Robredo this week, Federer said when asked about the rising average age in the men's singles draws: I think it's good and bad, to be honest. "I think it's good to have all the guys around. It shows as tough as the game is, it's still possible to last, you know. It's not like guys are just dropping out at 28, 29, 30 years old just because it's too physical, it's too demanding, too many tournaments having to be played, the rallies are too long, everything is too stretched, it's too extreme. "I don't feel it's that way, even though the points are taking longer. We see more of these lateral points, which are rough, you know. But then again, there is a factor of many things." Federer and Robredo are both amongst the veterans of the game, though at 32 years of age they were both able to make it through to round four at a tournament that's arguably the most prestigious in the sport. The two players aren't alone in their ability to continue excelling into their thirties, as 35-year-old Radek Stepanek gave Novak Djokovic cause for concern in week one, and 36-year-old Tommy Haas would have been seeded at the All-England Club had he not needed shoulder surgery. Federer does, however, believe tennis would benefit if there were more rising stars mixing things up and making the chase for the slams a little less predictable. "More teenagers are coming through," he continued. "Now with [Nick] Kyrgios, there's finally somebody again. Back in the day it was just normal. I mean, [Boris] Becker won the tournament here at that age. It's been quite interesting just to follow that. I would think it would be great for the game if we had more teenagers, seeing guys sort of come through the tournaments on the biggest stage at a young age. "I always think that's so interesting, like what Rafa did or [Andy] Murray or [Novak] Djokovic or Becker or [Michael] Chang did. I think it's always good for the game. But then again, it's also good to keep all the guys in the sport." ]>
Novak Djokovic is hoping to make the most of Boris Becker's presence on his coaching team during the final stages of Wimbledon 2014. Djokovic has been questioned repeatedly about the appointment of Becker, who joined his team at the beginning of the season. The German, who won Wimbledon three times in the 80s, was brought in to help Djokovic with the psychological side of winning slam tournaments, as well as for other more general coaching purposes. The mental side of the game is something that the Serb possibly, though not definitely, needs a little help with. It's only natural that doubts might creep in for Djokovic now that he's lost five of his last six slam finals. Djokovic is now hoping to benefit from the Becker factor at Wimbledon. He's made it through the early rounds unscathed, but faces his biggest challenge of the tournament so far on Wednesday, as he'll meet Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals. The Croatian has been in great form this season and his service game has taken on a new life since he started working with Goran Ivanisevic. Djokovic was asked if this is the part of the tournament where the impact of Becker is at its most pronounced. "Of course," replied the World No. 2. "He's my coach and we're working daily on all possible aspects of my mental and physical, emotional preparation and trying to get myself in the best possible shape. "He can dedicate himself and help as much as he possibly can, but I need to execute the same work that we are doing. But we do have a much better understanding now, and it shows on the court." Djokovic also expressed his admiration for Ivanisevic's work with Cilic. The 25-year-old rained down 33 aces in round four against Jeremy Chardy. "Since he started working with Goran that he has improved, especially in his service department, where for his height I thought that he didn't use his full potential up to now work with Goran, where it's evident that it works well for him," Djokovic told reporters. "Especially on the grass it serves as a great weapon. He won here in straight sets against Chardy and [Tomas] Berdych and some very good players. So it says enough about his quality play in this tournament." ]>
Milos Raonic has made a flying start to this year's Wimbledon Championships, but he's managed to avoid being at the centre of attention. Raonic is the ninth seed at Wimbledon 2014 and his serve makes him stand out as one of the ATP's star players, and yet he heads into the second week of the third Grand Slam of the year with minimal expectation resting on his shoulders. The 6'5" Canadian had never been beyond the second round here prior to last week, but with that being said he's always had a game that could be effective on grass courts, and he'd lacked experience on the surface in previous editions of the tournament. Still, with Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all playing incredibly well at SW19, nobody is really talking about Raonic at this stage. It was even the case that when he defeated Lukasz Kubot in round three his post-match press conference was staged in the second interview room. The main stage had been reserved for his compatriot Eugenie Bouchard. This might be a good thing for Raonic, and to add to this the 23-year-old is growing in confidence when it comes to competing at the biggest events. He's never seemed to struggle with nerves in particular, though experience is still valuable. "I feel much more comfortable in these situations," he said after making it through to week two. "Understanding of how I need in prepare, what I need to do over the next 48 hours or however long it may be, 36 hours." Another reason to start looking at Raonic is the fact that he's one of only three players to make it through the first week of Wimbledon 2014 without dropping a set. The two other men to achieve the feat were Andy Murray and Roger Federer, who have eight Wimbledon titles between them. That's not bad company to be in. Raonic explained, not for the first time, that he's had to work at improving his grass court game since he sustained a right hip injury at the All-England Club in 2011. "Because of that, I sort of lost the next year on this surface," he said on Saturday. "Last year I just struggled finding my tennis. Just not only on grass, but on the tournaments before. "So this time around I think I'm starting from very low comfort and feeling pretty comfortable. So I feel like this year I've made pretty significant progress on this surface." As Raonic and Bouchard were speaking on Saturday, albeit in different rooms, Raonic echoed the WTA No. 13 by insisting that getting through week one isn't necessarily enough of an achievement. "The tournament doesn't start until Monday really," he remarked. "There is a lot of good tennis that's been played, but now you got to sort of step up your level. It's not about just getting through. "At this point in the tournament you have to be playing good tennis and you got to compete like crazy." Raonic's grass court progression will really be put to the test this week as he enters the latter stages of the tournament. Kei Nishikori, a potential fourth round foe, is bound to give him plenty to think about. His other possible opponent, Simone Bolelli, though less of a threat on paper shouldn't be written off considering his performances so far. If Raonic gets through that test it's probable that he'll meet Nadal in the quarter-finals. This match, should it take place, could give us a better idea of how far away the Canadian is from winning one of the majors at this stage in his career. Should Raonic find a way to win against the World No. 1 it's doubtful that he'll be relegated to the second interview room in years to come.]>
After making it through to the the fourth round at Wimbledon 2014, it appears Eugenie Bouchard is not content with simply progressing to week two. Bouchard's slam performances in 2014 have been outstanding and at the halfway point in the season she's already achieved back-to-back semi-final appearances at the majors. She's just two wins away from making it three-in-a-row at Wimbledon, in spite of the fact that she's only making her second appearance at the All-England Club. The young Canadian booked her place in round four on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over fellow French Open semi-finalist Andrea Petkovic, which you might assume would be considered a massive achievement for the rising star. However, the ambitious 20-year-old doesn't really appear to be overwhelmed by the occasion in the slightest, rather she sees her current situation as a step on the path to greater things. "I wouldn't consider myself deep into Wimbledon at this stage," said Bouchard after dismissing Petkovic. "I'm into the second week, which is great. But I want to go so much further. At the same time I'm focused on one match at a time." Bouchard appears to be treating the grass slam, in a sense, as though it's just another International tier tournament on the WTA circuit. Even so, she's clearly aware of the significance of the competition and what it means both historically and at present to the sport. "Of course, Wimbledon is probably the most prestigious tournament in the world," she continued. "It's the one everyone wants to do well at. It's just inspiring being here on the grounds, walking around. I get chills down my spine…It's a special place to be here and I would love to stay a really long time." Bouchard plays with a focus and poise that distinguishes her from the rest of the pack. Her press conference comments bear more than a slight resemblance to those of fellow Nike ambassador Maria Sharapova, and it would seem that like Sharapova, Bouchard has an approach to her game that could make her one of the greats of the emerging generation. "I'm always focused on trying to do the best I can," she said on Saturday. "I don't want to stop here just because I've achieved something new. I have worldwide goals. I just want to keep going forward." Bouchard now moves on to a match against Alize Cornet, who stunned Serena Williams in three sets in the third round. Bouchard insists that she won't be thinking too much about her meeting with Cornet last season, where she lost to the Frenchwoman 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 in Strasbourg. "She likes to be aggressive. Her forehand, she likes to put a bit more spin on it. Her backhand is a little bit more flat," said Bouchard of her next opponent. "I'm going to talk to my coach about a few tactical things, but other than that focus on my side of the net because that's when I play my best, when I focus on my serve, my return, and moving forward, which I think was the key today as well, moving forward."]>
Maria Sharapova could face Serena Williams in this year's Wimbledon quarter-finals, and would need to overturn a lengthy losing streak in order to beat the American. Since the Wimbledon draw was released there was hype about a potential rematch between Serena and Sharapova, and now that we're almost a week into the tournament the contest is looking all the more likely to take place. Williams booked her place in round three with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 rout of Chanelle Scheepers on Thursday, and Sharapova joined her later in the day with an equally confident 6-2, 6-1 dismissal of Timea Bacsinszky. Such a rematch would be one for the history books as Sharapova won her first, and to date last Wimbledon title a decade ago in 2004. She was a teenager back then and had been expected to become the latest gallant runner-up when she met Serena in the final. However, she stunned the tennis world with a dominant 6-1, 6-4 win. She then beat Williams again in the final of the WTA Tour Championships to take a 2-1 head-to-head lead. Many believed that this would kickstart one of the greatest rivalries that the WTA would ever witness. This anticipated rivalry never really developed though, and at this particular phase of the 2014 grass slam Serena's record against Sharapova stands at 16-2. 15 successive victories for the all-time great have put to bed any doubts about who deserves to be No. 1, and Sharapova simply hasn't been able to find a way past her nemesis. Sharapova's outlook towards the rivalry remains, at least in public, incredibly level-headed. She told reporters on Thursday that she'd love the chance to take on Serena again, and simply hopes to be competing in the quarter-finals. Following her French Open charge, which brought her a second clay slam, few would bet heavily against Sharapova failing to make the last eight at the All-England Club next week. Speaking of the possible clash, Sharapova remarked: "If we do get to the stage of playing against each other, first of all, I'll be happy to be in that stage, in the quarterfinal stage, facing against her on one of the courts. "We played each other many times. I haven't had the best results against her. I always look forward to that opportunity and the challenge to play against the best, try something a little bit different to try to get a win out there." It doesn't seem like Sharapova has undertaken any early scouting of her possible quarter-final foe just yet. "I haven't had a chance to watch too many of her matches," she added. "But it doesn't really matter. I mean, she's been here. She's done it many, many times." Serena moves on to a third round meeting with Alize Cornet, who defeated her earlier in the year in Dubai. Sharapova, meanwhile, is to take on Serena's compatriot Alison Riske on Saturday. Sharapova is expecting a real test from the American underdog. "I feel like her game matches up with grass extremely well," she said of Riske. "She stays down really low, hits really flat from both sides, has had steady results on the surface. It's going to be a challenge. I look forward to playing her."]>
Roger Federer and Lukas Rosol have express concerns about the amount of time taken by certain players between service points at Wimbledon this week - and it seems as though Rafael Nadal is the main man under scrutiny. The official rule at Wimbledon and the rest of the slams is that players are allowed 20 seconds to make a serve, but on Thursday Nadal was averaging 25 seconds per serve in his 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Rosol. The speed of Nadal's play has been criticised numerous times in the past, though the Spaniard seems incapable of playing quickly and instead prefers to go through his set of rituals before starting off a point. Not for the first time, Federer made it abundantly clear that he doesn't enjoy seeing competitors take so long. Whilst he didn't call out Nadal by name, he said that the amount of time taken by Nadal on Thursday had been too long. "I just think it's important that we, as players, play up to speed and don't exceed the speed -- the time limit, because what I don't want is that we lose viewers because we play too slow," said the 17-time slam winner. "I was talking in particular if the points are short. You cannot take 25 seconds. I mean, I know you need to focus. That you can do in 10 seconds. Just can't be that we only see two points per minute. I just feel like we need to keep up the pace and obviously play according to the rules. "The rules are there not to be broken, but of course you need to give leeway to tough rallies and somebody who's got -- needs a bit more time. I'm fine with that. "I just think overall -- because I just realise it happened to me. I did watch some matches. I don't remember who it was. But they were playing so slow I was like, Okay, I really -- I can't watch it. It's like going too slow for me. That's why I said that." Federer was then asked if he'd been watching Thursday's first match on Centre Court, which of course was Nadal's four-set tussle with Rosol. The 32-year-old's response was to say that he hadn't seen much of it, and he initially said that 25 seconds between points was just about acceptable. However, upon being informed of the 20 second rule, he added: "It's 20. Okay. So that's not so cool, then. That's an umpire's call, I mean, you know, really..." The situation appeared to get to Rosol too, who had the early momentum against Nadal but was unable to break down the World No. 1 once he'd played his way into the match. The Czech refused to blame Rafa's antics for the defeat, which was in fitting with a well-contested match that was played with no fear but plenty of respect. Even so, he didn't seem entirely pleased with Nadal's slow play. "I think all the players should have same time between the points," said the Czech. "But always best players, they're taking much more than the normal players, you know, and nobody is telling them nothing. I don't know why. "There was no chance to -- he was taking between the serves at least -- when the game starts it was not 30 seconds. It was one minute always." "He is doing all his rituals. Somebody has to tell them something… I just said to times to the referee if it's still okay, and he was saying to me, yes, it was fine." "But this is not the point why I lost today. No. Didn't bother me. But the referee was not going with the rules."]>
Milos Raonic says he's adapting to the challenges of grass court tennis and is hoping to meet expectations at Wimbledon 2014. Raonic has been considered as a potential title challenger at Wimbledon ever since he made his breakthrough at the 2011 Australian Open, and whilst he's never been past round two at the All-England Club, there's a general consensus that he can go a lot further this time around. Speaking after his comfortable 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 dismissal of Australia's Matthew Ebden, Raonic explained that he's starting to get to grips with the challenges of competing on grass. "I'm figuring out more," he said. "I still got to get a little bit better on second serve returns." Raonic bowed out in the second round last season at SW19 following three tight sets against Igor Sijsling. This time around the Canadian believes that he's in a better position, both mentally and with his game, to close in on the second week of the grass slam. "Last year [I] was struggling between a coaching change and did not play well pretty much three weeks in a row on clay coming into here," said Raonic. "After that as well on the grass I didn't feel like I played well. I was just struggling with my tennis, but then I was also struggling with all the outside things of trying to figure out where and how everything should be in place." Raonic says that he's got ambitions of outstripping his previous best efforts at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old is the eighth seed this year and on paper should be able to do just that. "Obviously I don't enjoy my results that I've had so far here," he admitted. "But that prospect of doing much better, knowing that this year I'm in much better shape than I was last year, psychologically and as a tennis player, it's exciting. I know I want to do much better than I have."]>
Andy Murray responded to Virginia Wade's criticism of his decision to hire Amelie Mauresmo as his coach. Wade expressed her surprise and confusion regarding Murray's decision to hire Mauresmo, admitting that she initially thought the hiring was no more than a publicity stunt. This wasn't the first time that Wade had been vocal in her negativity towards Murray, who she described as a 'drama queen' following the Scot's second round clash against Jarkko Nieminen at Roland Garros 2012. Murray had been struggling with the back problem that eventually led to surgery at the end of last season. Speaking at the weekend, Wade remarked: "It's hard to read him. Mauresmo was a total shock, I thought they were all fooling around. I think again he's maybe trying to mess with everybody. I don't know. She was a great player, she's a great person. I think she was a little fragile mentally because she had the capabilities of beating everybody." It would seem that Murray was far from rattled by the comments. "She’s done it a few times before with me," he responded. "It doesn’t surprise me.” Murray continued by elaborating once more on his decision to hire Mauresmo "She’s a very, very nice person," he said. "She’s very easy to speak to. She’s very easy to communicate with. She listens well. She’s firm, as well. So there are the reasons why I wanted to give it a shot, and hopefully it will work out well. "She was someone who struggled with nerves and conquered them later in her career, which when you start to coach someone, I think you can help more than someone that hasn’t had those issues before. She understands the psychological part of the game maybe more than some because of that." Murray's decision to hire Mauresmo achieved the approval of fellow 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli. Bartoli had received coaching assistance from Mauresmo before and during her maiden slam success at the All-England Club. Bartoli, who retired shortly after winning her first slam last season, said: "I think it’s amazing to see that a guy, one of the top players in the world, is hiring a woman to coach him. That is showing also the next generation that it is really moving on and women can coach some guys. "Amelie won Wimbledon as a player and kind of as a coach without dropping a set with me last year, so … she is definitely on a good roll." The off-court discussions haven't had any effect on Murray's game or his title defence. He made a smooth start to his 2014 charge on Monday by overcoming Belgium's David Goffin, 6-1 6-4 7-5. The World No. 104 threatened a comeback in the third set for brief moments but couldn't get his nose in front of the two-time slam winner. ]>
Roger Federer has sent out a warning to his rivals ahead of this year's Wimbledon Championships, and claims he can win the title for an eighth time. Federer's Wimbledon credentials can't be questioned in any way. The Swiss maestro has won the tournament seven times, and at 32 years of age he's still able to enter the tournament as the World No. 4 and fourth seed. The 17-time slam winner might not possess the aura that belonged to him for most of the past decade, yet he's undoubtedly still one of the sport's star performers. Federer feels good about his chances of adding to his slam collection at the end of the upcoming Wimbledon fortnight. He won his second ATP title of the season last week in Halle, and unlike last year doesn't have to worry about back problems or shaky form. His chances may even have been bolstered by his new larger racquet, which along with new coach Stefan Edberg appears to have encouraged positive changes to his game. "I feel I have a very good chance again this year," said Federer in a pre-Wimbledon press conference. "I hope to utilise my fitness, the amount of matches I've played this year. So I'm really coming in with a much better feeling than maybe in the last year." Federer seems confident about every aspect of his game. Given his famous proficiency for lawn tennis, this could come at the expense of his biggest rivals on the hallowed Wimbledon lawns. "This year I feel all the options are there," he said. "Return, serve, serve and volley, come in, my backhand - everything is working to my liking. For that reason, I feel I'm a bit more relaxed mentally because I know it is there." Federer also feels that a lot has changed for him since 2013's grass slam, in which he was stunned in round two by Sergiy Stakhovsky. The Ukrainian's serve and volley performance put an end to a title bid that had been billed by a handful of onlookers as Federer's last major opportunity to win another slam. "I don't know if my game was good enough to win the entire thing last year, but I knew it was good enough to go deep, semis at least, something like that," added the father of four. "Then maybe if the draw falls its way, maybe I could have won it. I had too many hiccups leading into Wimbledon and probably somehow I felt those. "Plus, Stakhovsky did play well, so you've got to give him credit, as well. This year I come in not more wary or like I underestimated Stakhovsky in any way last year. My game, there's certain things I wanted to do, but I couldn't figure out or couldn't do it." Federer fans will be pleased to discover that the veteran is in such a positive mood. On paper he's in with a real shot at glory this time around, especially since his main title rivals appear to be struggling in certain regards. Novak Djokovic was forced to pull out of an exhibition match at The Boodles this week, which may have been due to lingering wrist concerns. Andy Murray made an early exit at the Queen's Club and hasn't quite been in top form since returning from back surgery. Rafael Nadal, the recently crowned Roland Garros champ, hasn't enjoyed good results on grass since injuring his knee on the surface in 2012. With this in mind, there are grounds for believing that 2014 could be Federer's year at the All-England Club.]>
Andy Murray has said he is feeling better now than he did ahead of his successful campaign at Wimbledon twelve months ago. Murray was the talk of the tennis world last year when he lifted the Wimbledon title, ending a huge wait for Britain, who hadn't seen a home champion since Fred Perry won the title in 1936. The Scot went through the entire grass swing unbeaten and appeared to be at the top of his game, despite having had to pull out of the French Open that season due to a back injury. After Murray succeeded at Wimbledon in 2013 his form slumped a little, partly due to a recurrence of his back problems, and it became clear that he'd need to undergo surgery. The surgery took place at the end of the season, and Murray has spent the first half of 2014 trying to get back to the peak of his abilities. His return has been impressive, but he's not quite looked like the same threat as he did last summer. Murray's recent run to the French Open semi-finals indicates that another big summer could be on the way, though many pundits are understandably reserved in their predictions for Murray's Wimbledon run this time around. This sentiment may have been strengthened by Murray's recent loss to Radek Stepanek at Queen's. Still, this defeat occurred shortly after his lengthy slam campaign, and Murray says he's feeling better now than he did last season. "I feel pretty good, the last couple of days I’ve been moving well. I moved OK at Queen’s but I’ve started moving well over the last few days," he told ahead of his first round game. “I’ve practised with [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga and [Grigor] Dimitrov, then obviously had a good match here [he defeated Tommy Robredo in straight sets], so I’ve spent a lot of time on the courts and I’m feeling good.” Murray says the difference between now and last year is that he's no longer enduring daily concerns about his back. "It’s something I have to always monitor throughout my career and look after but I’m not waking up in the morning worrying about how I’m going to feel," he added. "That was the case for a while before surgery."]>
Novak Djokovic has dismissed any doubts about his fitness ahead of Wimbledon following rumours that his right wrist problem had flared up. There were concerns about Djokovic's condition this week as he made a late withdrawal from an exhibition match at The Boodles. The World No. 2 had been present on site at Stoke Park on Thursday and still decided not to take part in the action. An on-court announcement of the withdrawal sparked worries that the Serb's Wimbledon hopes had been waylaid by a wrist problem. Djokovic has since explained that his decision to pull out of The Boodles was related to the injury, which troubled him earlier in the season. Apparently the transition from clay to grass had once again aggravated his wrist. "It's the first time that I have problems with the wrist. I started feeling it before Monte Carlo tournament started," said Djokovic. "I played Monte Carlo under strange conditions, under a lot of pain. I decided to skip Madrid, which was a good decision, because I played pain-free in Rome and Roland Garros." Djokovic claims that the pain has been alleviated by his decision to rest up. Given that Djokovic is generally considered the favourite to win Wimbledon 2014, his cautiousness is most likely for the best. "Right now I don't feel any pain," he added. "But I felt like when I'm changing surfaces, especially from clay to grass, in the opening few days of the practice here got a little bit of a strange sensation in the wrist. Now it's fine, so hopefully it can stay that way." Djokovic is set to enter Wimbledon 2014 as the top seed and the news that he's fully fit should restore the belief in his chances of picking up his second title at the All-England Club. The Serb will begin his campaign with a first round clash against Andrey Golubev next week. It's a match that Djokovic is expected to win comfortably, though Golubev has the ability to make life difficult for highly-rated opponents. For evidence of this, look no further than the Kazakh's victory over Stan Wawrinka in the Davis Cup this year. ]>
Roger Federer believes that Andy Murray is in good enough form to defend his Wimbledon title over the coming fortnight. Federer has made some interesting remarks ahead of Wimbledon 2014, especially with regards to his own game as he seems to possess a lot more confidence than he did last season. That said, the Swiss star is well aware of the capabilities of his rivals and expects stiff competition as he bids for slam title No. 18. One of Federer's main rivals for the title will be defending champ Murray, who ended Britain's lengthy wait for a Wimbledon winner last season. Murray seems to be closing in on top form again this summer, and has shown plenty of progression since returning from back surgery at the start of the year. The Scot's semi-final run at Roland Garros should probably be considered as a sign of good things to come. Federer now feels that Murray has recovered his status as one of the men to watch out for at the All-England Club in 2014. "Defending champion is never an easy thing," said the 32-year-old. "But then again, he played so well on grass the last few years. "He was winning the Olympics, winning Wimbledon, winning Queen's last year. So he knows how it's done, and I would feel comfortable if I was Andy at this point. I think he's fought back nicely, bravely. I think he is where he wants to be before Wimbledon, in my opinion. "Clearly in a perfect world you don't want to have surgery, looking back one year ago," added Federer. "I still think he's good enough now to defend again; whereas maybe three to four to five months ago, honestly I wasn't sure about that. But now I think the way he's playing, the way he's got himself back into shape again, I think he can really believe again. That's what's most important now." Murray will begin his campaign on Monday with a clash against Belgium's David Goffin. The World No. 104 isn't expected to cause many problems for the two-time slam winner, though the road to round two isn't necessarily a straightforward one. Goffin has shown a knack for producing strong performances when he's under the spotlight. Federer would vouch for this assertion, as he was taken to four sets by a determined Goffin in an exciting fourth round encounter at Roland Garros 2012.]>
Andy Murray and Sabine Lisicki will headline the first two days of Wimbledon 2014 on the opening Monday and Tuesday respectively. Murray, the 2013 champion, will be the first man on court for the men's singles main draw at Wimbledon 2014. The honour, afforded to him by virtue of last year's triumph, will provide a great sense of occasion for the home crowd. This has been heightened by the lifelong wait for a British champ to follow in the footsteps of Fred Perry, who won his third and final Wimbledon title in 1936. Murray's opponent will be David Goffin of Belgium. Goffin isn't considered to be a major threat to the third seed's title defence, though he's developed something of a reputation for being a big-game player. This was highlighted in 2012 when he fell to a four-set defeat against Roger Federer at Roland Garros. In the women's draw it's up to Lisicki to kick-off proceedings. The German steps up to the plate due to the absence of Marion Bartoli, who retired shortly after winning her first slam at the All-England Club last year. Lisicki, of course, was last season's runner-up, falling to an emotional defeat after winning over the crowd in the earlier rounds. Lisicki's 2014 campaign will begin against Israel's Julia Glushko. Many won't be aware of Glushko's talents, but like Goffin she's a competitor who can produce the goods against high-calibre opponents. Lisicki's serve may prove to be too much for the 24-year-old, but an upset will be possible if Glushko is allowed to play her exciting attacking game. A packed crowd is expected at Centre Court for the opening days, and Murray in particular will be in the spotlight. Despite having made an admirably successful return from back surgery, the Scot's form hasn't quite been at a slam-winning level, though his run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros can only be considered as a huge positive. Murray says that the pressure is a little different for him this season, and when asked about his chances of winning the title, replied: “I’m not looking that far ahead, to be honest, it took me a long time to win the first one. It may be a bit naive to think the second could come around so quickly, but I’ll try my best to give myself a chance. I’ve done that quite well over the last few years, so hopefully I can do that again.” And of the stress associated with shouldering the hopes of a nation, he said: "From my side it’s not [an issue], because I still want to try to win more if I can. So I’ll be putting pressure on myself to perform well. In terms of the media and from the public’s perspective, [expectations] may be a little less this time, but not from myself.”]>
Milos Raonic accepts that it's not that easy to adjust to grass court tennis, but he's working on a way to maximise his results on the surface. When I first saw Raonic burst onto the scene at the 2011 Australian Open I wondered about the impact he could have at Wimbledon. The young Canadian had emerged, seemingly from nowhere, to make a Melbourne run that took him all the way to the last sixteen. There were many things to admire about the big man's game, though the standout feature of course, was his serve, which regularly threatens the 150mph mark. I wondered how well this serve would work for him on the Wimbledon lawns for obvious reasons. This sense of intrigue built further when he unleashed a tournament record 129 aces in Memphis, where he fought off five championships points before falling to the narrowest of defeats against Andy Roddick in the final. Unfortunately, Raonic was forced to withdraw at Wimbledon that year in round two, with a right hip injury getting the better of him early on against Gilles Muller. My plans to see him play, not helped by a rain delay in what my fellow Brits brazenly refer to as 'summer', were to be put on hold. He would go on to make second round exits at his next two campaigns. In hindsight I can see that perhaps I, and countless other observers, were wrong to expect so much of the Canadian during the lawn tennis swing. It's been a long time since Pete Sampras owned the SW19 lawns, and the most recent titlist to win off the back of a big serving game was Goran Ivanisevic back in 2001(though Roger Federer is no slouch in that department, to be fair). When I spoke to Raonic on Tuesday at The Boodles I was keen to get his take on the subject. It's something he's clearly considered before, or at the very least has been asked to consider before. Regardless, his response was an intriguing one, and his famed knowledge of the game came to the fore. "I think it's different from the way it used to be," he said. "Because, you look at, let's say, Goran when he won in 2001 I believe. He had 200 aces in seven matches. I don't think really that's possible, unless you have a really long 70-68 (fifth set in the) first round. The courts are slower." Milos believes, with good reason, that a key reason for the change has been the slowing up of the grass courts and a general improvement in court maintenance. After all, Raonic's fastest serve, a 155mph laser beam, was somewhat quicker than anything that Ivanisevic ever threw at his opponents. Although it's true that Goran possessed the accuracy of a top marksman as well as the benefit of being a tricky lefty, you can't help but think that Raonic would have been the scourge of returners at Wimbledon had he been competing in the 90s. "I think the courts have slowed down and the courts are much better as far as bounces (are concerned)," Raonic continued. "So not everybody's rushing to get in and take the ball out of there. Guys are, especially the second week, are way more comfortable just staying back and playing hard court tennis or clay court tennis, as you may. Counter-punchers can actually get through whereas you'd never really see that. I think the courts are a lot more, all the surfaces are, more unified." Raonic also admits that he's not been handed the best introduction to grass tennis. The playing surface and the Canadian climate go together like peanut butter and pickles, so Raonic didn't get the opportunity to compete on the greens until he started to cut his teeth on the professional tour. "If I look back at it I played a few times Newport, I played junior Wimbledon, and other than that these weeks leading into Wimbledon and Wimbledon is pretty much the only grass tennis I've played," he said. The 23-year-old also admits that the surface can be troublesome, especially given the limited time for the transition from clay. One week you compete from the back of the court, striking the ball in a comfortable higher hitting zone. The next you've got to contend with low bounces, bobbles, and fizzing serves and forehands. Despite claiming to enjoy playing on grass, Raonic continues: "I have my frustrations especially. Sometimes in the tournaments leading into (Wimbledon), it's really hard to find a great grass court around the world. "It's always about adjusting. And you go from, on clay having more time, and you know you can get the feeling right, but maybe you don't enjoy it as much because you don't get as many winners or free points, but at least you get always a good feeling and you just have to compete well. Whereas grass sometimes you can have a lot of lulls in the match and that can sometimes be frustrating." The trials and tribulations that accompany the grass swing are no secret. Anyone paying even the slightest interest to Rafael Nadal's recent press conferences will have noticed this, and the Spaniard isn't the only person who has to work hard to adapt. Raonic feels that the transition is even tougher for the ATP's giants. Standing at a well-built 6'5", Milos isn't as well-suited to swift changes of direction as the likes of Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray. He's not the slowest either, but movement is taking on an increasing significance in top-level grass court tennis and every yard of court coverage counts. "I've got quite long legs so my centre of gravity is higher," explained the World No. 9. "So it's sort of finding the footing." The injury that he sustained against Muller in 2011 was also a setback. It provided a psychological issue of sorts, affecting his ability to trust his movement on the sometimes slippery courts. This issue could perhaps account for last year's defeat to Igor Sijsling, as many competitors complained about the courts. Round one alone provided more tumbles than a low-grade slapstick comedy. "I think the first year it was (bad luck)," said Raonic when I asked if his perceived underperformance on grass was a result of bad luck or a failure to produce his best tennis. "I think the first two years I tried to put behind me because the first year I got hurt, and the second year I think I just struggled a lot confidence-wise. It was the first time I was back on grass after having hip surgery and it wasn't a pleasant injury to deal with. And it did happen as a slip on the surface. So I was very, you could say passive." From a personal perspective I can admit that I've scaled back my expectations for Raonic on grass. Regardless, the rising star has bags of potential and I expect to see him grow as an all-surface player. I'll stick my neck out and say a few subtle changes or realisations are all that's needed to turn the Canadian into one of the main Wimbledon contenders. In Raonic's own words: "I feel now I give myself a much better opportunity, I know how to play more the situations. I'm still trying to find my way through what I need to do exactly on the grass. I think I've been consistently good at getting through the earlier rounds, so I think the more I can play matches the better I'll get. I'll be able to find more answers on solutions on whatever we should be doing. "I think the initial changes maybe for someone that's smaller than me are easier. But I think if I can get that behind me that grass should be better for me. I don't think there's anybody that would say they play necessarily their best tennis on grass. But it's more about managing, about who plays less below what their best would be." Raonic's form of late has provided a step in the right direction, provided that we overlook his early Halle exit. He reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, and before that tested Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Rome Masters. With his serve working well (and let's not forget that there's more to his game than that), Raonic feels ready for the challenge ahead. "I know that, like I did on clay, in big moments I would serve well," he added. "And I know that if I do that on grass that's going to get me through a lot of difficult situations and that's going to put more stress on my opponents." It's hard to argue with that analysis. Chances are it will be even harder to argue if you happen to be the unlucky blighter, and I feel I can say blighter when we're talking about tennis played at the All-England Club, stood on the other side of the net at Wimbledon in 2014 and years to come.]>
Ahead of the start of Wimbledon 2014, Roger Federer is hoping that his recent triumph at the Gerry Weber Open is a sign of things to come ahead. Federer is renowned for his grass court exploits and it's his talent for competing on the Wimbledon lawns that's earned him seven of his 17 slam titles. Many feel that the 32-year-old's hopes of winning another major rest solely on his performances at the All-England Club over the coming fortnight, and it would seem that the Swiss has lost little, if any, of his sharpness for grass court tennis. Federer returned to title-winning ways last week at the Gerry Weber Open, where he got through the entire tournament for the loss of just one set. The title, which was Federer's seventh in Halle, is arguably the best preparation he could have hoped for ahead of Wimbledon 2014. He's now won two tournaments this season, putting him ahead of where he was at the end of last year with half of the season still to play. Federer will be eager to avoid a repeat of the grass swing pitfall of 2013. After winning the Gerry Weber Open last season he subsequently fell to a second round exit at Wimbledon, suffering at the hands of serve and volleyer Sergiy Stakhovsky. The defeat was the low point of the veteran's season, and Federer is now aiming to put this behind him and rekindle the form that once made him the main man at SW19. "In the past when I played here [in Halle], I usually have also done well at Wimbledon," he said at the weekend. "These two months in the season have always marked the greater successes for me, so I hope today's victory will be a lucky charm. Last year the double didn't sort the same effect, but I really hope this year I will manage to win both titles." Federer also spoke of his fondness for Halle and how he still sets out with the intention of winning every tournament that he participates in. He's already reached the final of two Masters events this season in Monte Carlo and Indian Wells, so this unwavering ambition is by no means delusional. "It is great having won 7 titles here in Halle. It's a very special event for me, and I hope I am going to be back here next year when it become an ATP 500 tournament I play to win titles," he said. "I am very pleased with my performance. I work hard, and that's not to reach the quarters or semifinals, but to go all the way through. Considering the results I have had in the past, it is fundamental for me to compete for winning titles. I think the title of this week was well deserved".]>
Roger Federer remains the highest earner in professional tennis according to magazine. Federer is the seventh top earner in world sport according to the magazine's annual earnings estimations, with Rafael Nadal hanging behind him at No.9. The two leading tennis stars place behind Floyd Mayweather, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James, who are ranked first, second and third respectively. As Federer heads towards his mid-thirties his star power remains strong and the top events still clamour for his participation. Nonetheless, he's slipped from his ranking of second top sports earner in the world, which he held last year. His annual earnings are believed to have dropped from $71.2million to $56.5million. Nadal's earnings are said to be in the region of $44.5million. What may surprise some people is the extent to which brand endorsements account for the bulk of Federer's pay packet. His 2013 season was a lean one for winnings by his standards, as he raked in $4.5million to Nadal's $14.5million. However, the renowned Nike, Lindt and Gillette brand ambassador pulled in $52million in endorsements compared to Nadal's $30million. Novak Djokovic also ranks highly as the third highest paid tennis player. He claimed over $33million, which doesn't put him in the same ballpark as Federer or Nadal, but does put him ahead of the WTA's biggest names. Maria Sharapova, Li Na and Serena Williams were the three female tennis stars to make the top hundred, ranking in at No. 34, No. 41 and No. 55 respectively. The high earnings come at a time where many players struggle to make a living from playing on the professional tour. However, with the major disparity emerging from endorsements rather than prize money, the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom may appear a little skewed. Still, it's amazing to think that many highly talented players endeavour to earn enough money to fund life on the tour, whilst an elite few earn over $10million annually through prize money alone. Should something be done to level the playing field, or is the system an appropriate one for rewarding and encouraging talent?]>
Britain's Laura Robson, who is currently recovering from an injured left wrist, has ruled herself out of the 2014 US Open. We're halfway through the season now and Robson has still only completed one full match in 2014. This match wasn't Robson's best either, as she fell to a one-sided first round loss against Kirsten Flipkens at the Australian Open. A left wrist injury, which had forced her out of the ASB Classic in Auckland, appeared to be her biggest problem against the Belgian. Following her Aussie Open defeat Robson refused to blame her injury, yet British pundits were unconvinced that the youngster was anywhere near to full fitness. There were even rumours surfacing that a member of her management team had claimed that she was in no condition to take part in a competitive contest. Robson has since had to make repeated withdrawals from tournaments she'd committed to. The latest news is that the 20-year-old won't return to action prior to the conclusion of the US Open. "I'd still like to be able to play some matches at the end of this year and get some competitive tennis in before Australia," she said. "I'm basically going to be playing some very small tournaments to try and get my ranking up again." Robson says that she initially found it immensely difficult to adjust to life away from the court. She says that she's now over this hump and seems happy enough to be watching from the sidelines. She'll be a part of the BBC's commentary team for this year's Wimbledon fortnight. "I went through a very, very depressed stage," said Robson to . "I didn't go on any tennis websites because I was so jealous of everyone able to play." She now says that she's "past that stage," and will be stepping up her rehab in August by playing mini tennis with sponge balls. She added: "At the moment it's kind of a day-to-day thing in terms of pain and how the inflammation is going, but rehab seems to be coming along nicely." ]>
Stan Wawrinka is likely to receive a lower seeding at Wimbledon 2014 but insists that he doesn't particularly care about the number next to his name. Wimbledon is the one slam tournament where seedings don't necessarily correspond to the official ATP rankings. Instead, the ordering takes grass court form into account, allowing adjustments for the impact of the the trickiest playing surface in the sport. World No. 3 Wawrinka, whose grass court results in recent years haven't been spectacular, can expect to suffer as a result of this and it's believed that he might even be seeded outside of the top five. The Swiss No. 1 has improved in every department as a competitor over the past year and has proven capable of beating anyone. Consistency has been lacking a little, but Wawrinka has established himself as one of the ATP's elite talents nonetheless. There's a chance that he'll enjoy the best fortnight of his career-to-date at the All-England Club this time around. Wawrinka was asked about Wimbledon seeding following his 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals of the Aegon Championships. The man who won this year's Australian Open as the eighth seed seemed fairly nonchalant about the issue. "You know, Wimbledon, they do what they want," he said. "It's been like that since many years. To change the seeding, we don't have a choice, so for me it's fine. I knew that with my past two years on grass I didn't have any results, so for sure my ranking will drop a little bit for the seedings. I'm going to be five or six. "So we'll see. At the end of the day, it doesn't change much. You have to play well. You have to start well the tournament if you want to go far, it's that simple." Wawrinka fell to a disappointing early exit at the French Open this year, which left him with ample opportunity to sharpen his lawn tennis game. The 29-year-old now seems content with how he's moving and feeling the ball on the quicker and lower bouncing surface. "I had a lot of time on the grass, so it's been really good for the preparation for Wimbledon," remarked the Swiss. "I can still improve, for sure. I have time for Wimbledon to get ready. I need to do more hours on the practice court, more exercise with Magnus [Norman]. "In general, I feel okay. I'm sure I'm going to be ready for Wimbledon, and I'm sure if I can start well the tournament I will have some chance to do it really well."]>
Rafael Nadal's preparations appear to have stalled ahead of his upcoming slam campaign at Wimbledon 2014. Nadal is a two-time Wimbledon champion, though his chances of winning the tournament appear to be slimmer than usual this year. He recently admitted that he's struggled with grass court tennis since injuring his knee in 2012, and he's not had a huge amount of time to get ready for the short-lived grass swing following his title success at Roland Garros. To add to this, Nadal's Gerry Weber Open campaign hit the skids shortly after it began, as he was sent to a 6-4, 6-1 exit in round two on Thursday by Dustin Brown. The German can be a devilish opponent on grass courts and a tired Nadal couldn't find an answer to the unique brand of serve-and-volley tennis that was thrown at him. The World No. 1 could probably have used some more competitive lawn tennis ahead of his charge at the All-England Club. Knee concerns and a struggle to transition from clay to grass aren't the only problems for Nadal. The Spaniard admitted this week that he's still suffering from a lingering back injury, and he's not sure if he'll be able to take part in any of next week's pre-Wimbledon exhibition matches. "Probably I will take two or three days off," said Nadal, who is currently back home in Mallorca. "I will fly to Wimbledon Wednesday early morning and play and practice a few days there. I don’t know if I’m going to have one match or not before." "I don’t have a very bad feeling but I still feel the back a little bit," he added. "It’s something similar I had at the Australian Open. I have a little bit of an oedema in the bone in the back. "And I felt that during Roland Garros in the first round, especially in the second round it was worse. But it’s true that after the second round I was improving. Today is not the worst day but I feel that I need to improve, I need to rest a little bit. I need to improve a little bit to try to play well in Wimbledon." The biggest on-court symptom of the injury is that Nadal is unable to strike his first serve with the usual venom. He said, "it’s a little bit more dangerous for me to change the directions. It’s difficult to create all the power with the back."]>
Vera Zvonareva and Taylor Townsend have been handed two of the remaining wildcard entries for the women's singles at Wimbledon 2014. Zvonareva, who finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon 2010, currently ranks at No. 559 in the WTA and is aiming to recover her status as one of the WTA's top players after missing the whole of the 2013 season due to a right shoulder injury. The Russian underwent surgery in February last year and has since been working hard to get her career back on track. Zvonareva has been in action this season but has only won one of her five matches. The triumph was recorded in Pattaya City over wildcard entrant Peangtarn Plipuech. However, she's only won one set in her other matches, and whilst this set was a bagel, it didn't prevent her from falling to a 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 loss against Shuai Peng at the BNP Paribas Open in March. This contest was Zvonareva's most recent singles outing. A wildcard for the women's doubles has also been granted to Zvonareva, who will form a high-profile partnership with Martina Hingis. Zvonareva has a track record of success in doubles at SW19 too, having made it to the women's doubles final in 2010 alongside compatriot Elena Vesnina. She went one better in the mixed doubles, partnering Andy Ram in a title-winning effort back in 2006. Townsend's situation is somewhat different. The 18-year-old lefty is one of the tour's rising stars and won plenty of fans with her run to the third round at Roland Garros this year. The American finished as the runner-up in the Junior Wimbledon final behind Belinda Bencic last season, so clearly has the credentials for main draw participation. "I just got the best news of my life. Thankyou @Wimbledon." Townsend wrote on Twitter upon learning of her wildcard. She spoke of how much she'd appreciate a wildcard for Wimbledon after her Roland Garros exit, joking that she would "pass out right now" if given one. "Honestly, that would make my day," she added, before expressing her love for the event. "Wimbledon is like my favorite tournament, I swear, I love the grass," she said. "I just love the tournament, the atmosphere. That would mean the world to me if I got a wildcard just because I just love the tournament so much. I love grass. I have done well in the juniors there. So I just love the atmosphere. That would -- oh, my God, I'll probably cry. I'm not a crier, either. So that means a lot."]>
Novak Djokovic and Jelena Ristic will reportedly get married after Wimbledon 2014. The exact details of the Djokovic wedding have proven tricky to track down and misleading news reports have emerged in the Serbian media. There were recent reports claiming that Djokovic and Ristic were to wed this weekend, though it would seem that the couple are instead to marry in the gap between Wimbledon and the US hard court swing. Serbian daily claim to have found out about the post-Wimbledon plans from several sources. "The wedding of our best sportsman will not be held this weekend, but right after Wimbledon," remarked a source close to Kurir. "Tennis players will have a break of about a month and Novak decided to get married in that period. If he would make the wedding now, Novak would be in big problems, since as early as next week he will go to London, where he will prepare for the coming tournament which is specific as it is being played on the grass and for such surface one needs a period of adjustment." Due to the lack of official information being provided for the wedding, independent news company inSerbia have expressed their skepticism about the legitimacy of the revelation. Further reports, this time from Montenegro, claim that "preparations for the wedding are being wrapped up." There has been no statement from Djokovic yet, though the World No. 2 was photographed with an all-male selection of friends in Ibiza following his runner-up finish at Roland Garros. Some believe that this was Djokovic's bachelor party, though the official line was that he “went to the island to recover from an exhausting season on clay and to recharge his batteries for the upcoming Wimbledon.” Djokovic is currently working on his preparations for Wimbledon and making the adjustments required for grass court tennis. He's scheduled to take part in the Boodles Challenge next week, where he'll play an exhibition match on the pristine Stoke Park lawns.]>
Andy Murray is taking a brief rest before starting his push for a successful Wimbledon title defence following his early exit at the Queen's Club. Murray had won his last 19 grass court matches ahead of his second round meeting with Radek Stepanek at the Aegon Championships, but this counted for nothing as the Czech veteran swept him aside in straight sets, 7-6(10), 6-2. Things could have turned out much better for the Brit but he let slip a 6-2 lead in the first set tie-breaker and effectively handed the momentum to the 35-year-old. Murray appeared to lack the attacking punch needed to make a big impact on the Queen's Club lawns, and in this regard you could say that his lengthy run at Roland Garros robbed him of the opportunity to work on his grass court game. Stepanek, on the other hand, offered up few opportunities for the Brit and dropped only four of the 42 points played behind his first serve. Wimbledon 2014 is now the focus for 27-year-old, who gave his thoughts on the defeat and explained his upcoming Wimbledon plans in his latest column. He also admitted that he's not entirely sure how his coaching partnership with Amelie Mauresmo will play out. "It looks like I’ll be heading to Wimbledon a little earlier than planned after losing to Radek Stepanek at Queen’s," said Murray. "I’d never say it’s a blessing in disguise – I don’t enjoy losing and I messed up that first set by missing so many set points – but at least I now get the chance to give my body a bit of a break. "I had planned to take Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off if I’d got to the final at Queen’s, but that can just move forward and give me five or six days on the grass next week. My new coach, Amelie Mauresmo, is going to play in an exhibition while I’m resting and we’ll get back together after the Rally For Bally charity match at Queen’s on Sunday afternoon, when we can head over to the All England Club to start work. "Obviously, Amelie and I don’t know exactly how it’s going to work out yet because we’ve only spent two days together, and I’ve been playing matches on those days, so there’s not a whole lot you can do in that time. "I had a little chat with Amelie after that but there was no chance to go out for dinner or spend the evening together as I had a match to prepare for the following day." "Next week we’ll have a lot of time to talk on the practice court in a bit of peace and quiet, before things start to get a bit hectic in the few days before Wimbledon starts. "Amelie is a former Wimbledon champion, so she’s experienced all of that, and she also knows that however many times you go through it, making the switch from clay to grass is tricky." Murray continued by saying that he's feeling physically fit, but needs a little time to adjust to competing on the quicker courts. There are a number of things for Murray to work on, including dealing with the lower bounces and adjusting to quicker rallies. Murray's struggles in this department were evident on Thursday, when he instinctively focused on keeping the ball in play at times when he had opportunities to put Stepanek on the back foot. As Murray says, his early Queen's exit opens a small window of opportunity for focusing on his upcoming challenge, and that should give him a chance of repeating his Wimbledon 2013 heroics. His form this season hasn't quite been of the highest standard, though the semi-final run at Roland Garros was a huge step in the right direction and should give British fans reason to be hopeful ahead of the upcoming slam fortnight. ]>
Rafael Nadal has admitted that he finds the transition from clay to grass court tennis to be a major challenge. Nadal headed into the Gerry Weber Open this week with tempered aspirations. Having won the French Open title on Sunday, the Spaniard's preparation time was far from ample, and the transition from dirtballing to lawn tennis was to be jolting rather than gradual. He told his fans not to expect much from him in Halle. "I have the highest motivation possible to play here," he said on Wednesday, before providing another reason why he might not live up to his top seed status. "I would like to be competitive. Everybody knows how difficult the transition is [from clay to grass].” This transition turned out to be too abrupt for the world No. 1 on Thursday, as an inspired Dustin Brown gave him the runaround during a 6-4, 6-1 second round clash. Brown mixed powerful serving with uncompromising returns, and threw in some flair and crafty net approaches for good measure. "I lost today because my rival was playing better than me," said Nadal in reflection. "And at the same time, as I said yesterday, the transition from clay to grass is difficult, especially when you arrive a little bit tired and not at 100 per cent. But I tried my best." It's no surprise that Nadal is keen to talk down his chances during the lawn tennis swing. Not only has he struggled with the surface physically since he injured his knee in 2012, but he's also now lost his last three matches on grass. To make matters worse, World No. 85 Brown is the highest-ranked of the competitors to have beaten him, as Wimbledon conquerors Lukas Rosol and Steve Darcis were ranked No. 100 and No. 135 respectively when they sent the former champ packing. Nadal's transition problems shouldn't necessarily lead to a breakdown though, as Brown's grass court ability is widely acknowledged. However, the German feels that he had a good idea about what to do in order to stump the Spaniard. "I took away the big things in [Nadal's] game that make him the unbelievable player that he is. I hit a lot of big serves. I had a plan and it worked out," said the dreadlocked serve-and-volley expert. Moving forward, the question is 'what can we expect of Nadal at the All-England Club in 2014?' In truth, it's hard to find an answer to that question. The Mallorcan has won the title twice and yet his recent grass court form is far from promising. His comments on Wednesday reflect his experiences of this particular version of the sport. “Grass is always a bit of a lottery," he said. "On grass you need to be at 100 per cent because movement is important here, especially for a player like me. I’m not a player who’s going to serve 35 aces per match."]>
Despite having never it past the second round, Grigor Dimitrov believes he's got what it takes to win Wimbledon. Dimitrov is starting to escape from the 'Baby-Fed' moniker that stuck with him in his first few years on the ATP Tour, which was thanks in part to his gracious movement and elegant yet impactful tennis. However, you can't help but wonder if the Bulgarian will be hopeful of being compared to the 17-time slam winner now that Wimbledon is approaching. Roger Federer has won the grass slam seven times to date, so if you're going to be likened to anyone during the grass swing you could do a whole lot worse. Whilst Dimitrov's backhand and other aspects of his game are debatably Federer-esque, his results at the All-England Club aren't. The 23-year-old made a second round exit in his last three Wimbledon campaigns and fell to a first round loss when he debuted at the tournament in 2009. Regardless, when he spoke at the Aegon Championships this week after beating Britain's James Ward, Dimitrov revealed that he'd like to become a member of the All-England Club, just like his girlfriend Maria Sharapova. The Russian became a member by virtue of winning the Championships in 2004 and Dimitrov hopes to emulate that feat on the hallowed lawns. “I'd say my goal is to become a member at Wimbledon the easiest way possible," said Dimitrov. "That is to win seven matches. I do believe that's possible.” Dimitrov has been focusing on the quicker courts with coach Roger Rasheed and is now looking to rekindle and improve upon the form that made him a semi-finalist at Queen's in 2012. After beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin in round two he'll now face Alexnadr Dolgopolov in today's quarter-finals. "I have been here quite a few days already and been playing a good practice season on the grass, been working a lot in the gym,” he added. "I think at the moment it is really a good time for me to just compete. “The grass; I think that's a really good test. From my point of view, it's a good one for me mentally and physically to see where we are at the moment and what we have to work on.” Dimitrov also explained that he enjoys the Wimbledon traditions, including the Middle Sunday break and the all-white clothing rule. He said: “It's just history and who doesn't want to be a part of history? I just think that it's something very special. It's really appreciated in a very specific way and in my eyes, it’s very valuable." ]>
Rafael Nadal's first grass court appearance of 2014 didn't go as planned as he fell to a 6-4 6-1 defeat against a fired up Dustin Brown at the 2014 Gerry Weber Open on Thursday. When Nadal picked up his ninth French Open title on Sunday, he vowed to compete in Halle. The Spaniard knew that expectations would have to be lowered, but following his late pull-out from 2013's edition of the tournament he appeared determined to come good on his Halle commitment this time around. Nadal can't be faulted for pitching up and having a go, but he simply didn't have the energy left in the tank to get past Brown. The German wildcard arrived, as ever, ready to throw 100% into every shot and this, combined with his grass court nous, was too much for the World No. 1. Nadal put up a solid defence throughout the first set but was broken when serving at 4-5. Brown, who has a knack of attempting ludicrous shots, managed to earn a breakthrough by returning almost every Nadal serve with immense ferocity. Rafa's response to the strategy wasn't quite sharp enough and in fairness, there was little he could do. Following his loss of the first set Nadal seemed completely drained. This isn't to say, however, that Brown didn't produce exquisite tennis to break down his opponent. The German achieved his first break of the second set by playing two precise lobs, and his next break of serve was also achieved by sending the ball over Nadal's head as he approached the net. There was more to the performance than brute force and hoping for the best. The result doesn't necessarily cast any doubts over Nadal's Wimbledon prospects. The Mallorcan has had very little time to adapt to the grass courts and insufficient time to rest up after beating Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros final. Nadal had said on Sunday that a fifth set may have been too much for him, and when he says something like that you know he's pushed himself to his limits. Some will now be wondering about Brown's Wimbledon prospects. The 6'5" serve and volley specialist reached the third round at the All-England Club as a qualifier last year and was responsible for one of the biggest shocks of the early stages as he defeated Lleyton Hewitt in four sets. This time around he won't have to qualify. It's probably too early to get carried away about what the World No. 85 can do though. His style of play allows little margin for error and for every tremendous shot there tends to be a misjudged one. The benefit of this style of play is that he can trouble the likes of Nadal, but can he really maintain such a standard over seven best-of-five set matches?]>
Marcos Baghdatis is the marquee name on the wildcard list for Wimbledon. Former Australian Open runner-up Baghdatis is the biggest name on the list so far, which at present is largely occupied by British players. The Cypriot's selection is perhaps a no-brainer given that he was once a top ten player, though his ranking has been on the slide ever since 2012 and he's currently placed at No. 118. Baghdatis' title success at the Nottingham Challenger, one of the few grass court tournaments to feature a near-ATP quality field, cemented his wildcard credentials. The other competitors joining Baghdatis as men's singles wildcards are the British quintet of Daniel Cox, Kyle Edmund, Daniel Evans, Daniel Smethurst and James Ward. Ward and Evans stand out in particular as tricky opponents for the direct qualifiers. Ward was able to record a momentous triumph over Sam Querrey in the Davis Cup earlier this season, whilst Evans, a player with serious top 100 potential, reached the semi-finals of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors as a qualifier in February. The British trio of Naomi Broady, Tara Moore and Samantha Murray have been given wildcard entries to the ladies' singles, along with Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic. For those of you wondering about Pliskova's inclusion, take note of the fact that the 22-year-old won the recent ITF Nottingham tournament. Pliskova was a junior Wimbledon champion back in 2010, which also bolsters the case for her inclusion. There are also notable wildcards for the doubles competitions. The standout selection has to be the pairing of Martina Hingis and Vera Zvonareva. The former seems increasingly keen to continue her doubles renaissance, whilst the latter is aiming to get her career back on track following a lengthy injury layoff. Hingis is a former singles champ at Wimbledon (1997) and a two-time doubles winner (1996, 1998). Zvonareva, on the other hand, enjoyed her most successful slam run to date at Wimbledon 2010, where she finished as the runner up in both the singles and women's doubles competitions. The announcement of the gentlemen's doubles wildcards should be of particular interest to British fans. The Skupski brothers, Ken and Neal, are set to compete, as are the established and successful duo of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins. Daniel Evans and James Ward are the third men's team to be announced so far. Full Wimbledon wildcard list so far: EVENT 1: GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES 1 BAGHDATIS, Marcos (CYP) 2 COX, Daniel (GBR) 3 EDMUND, Kyle (GBR) 4 EVANS, Daniel (GBR) 5 SMETHURST, Daniel (GBR) 6 WARD, James (GBR) 7 To be announced 8 To be announced EVENT 2: GENTLEMEN’S DOUBLES 1 EVANS, Daniel (GBR) and WARD, James (GBR) 2 FLEMING, Colin (GBR) and HUTCHINS, Ross (GBR) 3 SKUPSKI, Ken (GBR) and SKUPSKI, Neal (GBR) 4 To be announced 5 To be announced 6 To be announced 7 To be announced EVENT 3: LADIES’ SINGLES 1 BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 2 MOORE, Tara (GBR) 3 MURRAY, Samantha (GBR) 4 PLISKOVA, Kristyna (CZE) 5 To be announced 6 To be announced 7 To be announced 8 To be announced EVENT 4: LADIES’ DOUBLES 1 BROADY, Naomi (GBR) and DANIILIDOU, Eleni (GRE) 2 HINGIS, Martina (SUI) and ZVONAREVA, Vera (RUS) 3 KONTA, Johanna (GBR) and MOORE, Tara (GBR) 4 RAE, Jocelyn (GBR) and SMITH, Anna (GBR) 5 To be announced 6 To be announced 7 To be announced EVENT 5: MIXED DOUBLES – TO BE ANNOUNCED 1 2 3 4 5 EVENT 9: GENTLEMEN’S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES 1 EGBERINK, Tom (NED) and REID, Gordon (GBR) EVENT 10: LADIES’ WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES 1 KRUGER, Katharina (GER) and WALRAVEN, Sharon (NED) QUALIFYING GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES 1 CORRIE, Edward (GBR) 2 GOLDING, Oliver (GBR) 3 RICE, David (GBR) 4 WARD, Alexander (GBR) 5 WILLIS, Marcus (GBR) 6 Wild card Play-off place 7 Wild card Play-off place 8 To be announced 9 To be announced QUALIFYING GENTLEMEN’S DOUBLES 1 To be announced 2 To be announced QUALIFYING LADIES' DOUBLES 1 MURRAY, Samantha (GBR) and WINDLEY, Jade (GBR) 2 To be announced QUALIFYING LADIES’ SINGLES 1 BOULTER, Katie (GBR) 2 DUNNE, Katy (GBR) 3 WINDLEY, Jade (GBR) 4 Wild card Play-off place 5 Wild card Play-off place 6 To be announced 7 To be announced 8 To be announced]>
Roger Federer says he was happy to see long-time rival Rafael Nadal win the French Open for a ninth time on Sunday. Federer's French Open achievements would appear to be far more impressive had he not competed in the same era as 'King of Clay' Nadal, though the Swiss maestro told reporters in Halle this week that he was happy to see the Spaniard triumph at Roland Garros once more. Nadal's form had been in question prior to the start of the event. His results were far from bad, yet his relatively early exits in the opening weeks of the European clay swing raised eyebrows. The world No. 1 fell to back-to-back quarter-final defeats in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, which sent him to his first April without an ATP title in almost a decade. He later won the Madrid Masters but was beaten in the final of the Rome Masters by Novak Djokovic. Nadal would later overcome the agile Serb in four sets in the Roland Garros final, prompting the praise of Federer. "I was very happy for him because it’s tremendous what he proves on clay every year," said Federer of the Mallorcan. "You have to raise your hat to him." Federer thought it laughable that critics would talk down Nadal or describe him as vulnerable heading into the 2014 clay slam. The 32-year-old explained that in his mind the left-hander was always going to be the man to beat in Paris. "For me, it was clear before that he is the favourite," he said. "Now, everybody says that it was evident that he’ll win. But before it was said that he can’t play tennis anymore because he had lost on clay twice. Therefore, I think it’s nice that he proved them otherwise." Although some suspect that the nature of the relationship between Federer and Nadal isn't entirely positive, it would seem that there is great mutual respect between the stars of the 'Fedal' rivalry. The evidence of this from Nadal's side could be found in Spain's El Pais this week. This week the Spanish daily reported that Nadal shed tears of joy when he saw Federer win the French Open in 2009. "He deserved to win all four slams,” said Nadal. "I am one of those people who believes that when you work towards something and you deserve it, the logical thing is for you to eventually achieve it."]>
Andrey Kumantsov has received a lifetime ban from competitive events due to multiple violations of betting and match-fixing rules. Kumantsov received the lifetime ban on Tuesday following an investigation by the Tennis Integrity Unit. The London-based organisation, which was initiated by the ITF, ATP and WTA, found the 27-year-old guilty of 12 charges under the anti-corruption code. No particular details about the nature of the offences, spanning from 2010-2013, have been revealed. A statement from the Tennis Integrity Unit read: "The lifetime ban applies with immediate effect and means that Mr. Kumantsov is not eligible to participate in or attend any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis." Kumantsov achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 261 in September 2010, and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 237 in August of the same year. The Russian only competed in two top-level matches and racked up career earnings of $103,856. Kumantsov's final ATP appearance was at the St. Petersburg Open in 2012, where he qualified for the main draw before retiring prior to an imminent loss against Estonia's Jurgen Zopp in the first round.]>
Andy Murray has explained his decision to appoint Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach. Following the departure of Ivan Lendl shortly after the Australian Open, Murray had been pondering over who to hire as his coach for a fair amount of time. His shortlist was believed to include the likes of Mats Wilander, Tim Henman and Jonas Bjorkman, but his final decision was to hire former WTA No. 1 Mauresmo. The appointment has surprised a number of onlookers, for the most part because the overwhelming majority of male players are coached by men. However, Murray recently explained at Roland Garros that he doesn't care about the gender of his coach. He's only really concerned about the results. Bear in mind that Murray was coached by his mother, Judy, for most of his life. Like Lendl, Mauresmo brings slam winning experience to the table. The Frenchwoman won a pair of majors in 2006 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She also won the WTA Championships in 2005 and picked up a silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Mauresmo's coaching credentials can't be faulted either. She's currently the Captain of the French Fed Cup team and has worked with the likes of Michael Llodra and Marion Bartoli. Many believe that she played an instrumental role in the latter's Wimbledon success in 2013. Whilst the other potential coaches linked to Murray are also of unquestionable merit, Murray has explained why he chose Mauresmo specifically. "Just from speaking to her, she's very calm, she's a good person," he said. "I think we will communicate well together, and I think that's a very important part of coaching. "I obviously worked with my mum for a long time and then even periods when I was 16, 17 years old. For me it doesn't feel like a very different thing. I wasn't paying my mum so it'll be a little bit different this time around because I'll be employing Amelie. I think it's exciting, something a bit new for me, something a bit fresh and hopefully it works well." Reactions to the appointment have been a little mixed but generally positive. Tennis legend Billie Jean King believes that the partnership could be very effective. "It is not the gender of the coach that is important, it is the strength of the relationship between the coach and the player that will make the partnership work," she said to . "Women have coached men for years, going back to Bobby Riggs and Eleanor Tennant. What is important is that this is what Andy feels is best for his current situation."]>
Andy Murray admits he wasn't too pleased to see Alex Salmond waving a Scottish flag when he won Wimbledon last summer. Murray has often done his utmost to avoid political issues, especially those relating to Scottish independence. This particular topic is becoming increasingly relevant given that the independence referendum will be held 100 days from now on September 18. However, in an interview with the magazine, Murray gave some insight as to where he stands on the whole Great Britain/Scotland debate. Murray revealed how he first met Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, in 2012 following his first taste of slam glory at the US Open. "He seemed perfectly nice to me but I didn't like it when he got the Scottish flag up at Wimbledon," he said. Murray, who won a gold and a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, added, "I started competing for Great Britain when I was 11. I'm 27 now and I've been competing for Great Britain for 16 years." Murray's quietness on the issue of Scottish independence has been no surprise. The World No. 5 has been eager to stay out of trouble after saying that he'd support "anyone but England," at the 2006 World Cup. The comment was intended as mild banter but caused a tabloid-fuelled media frenzy in England. When last asked to comment on the referendum at the BNP Paribas Open in March, Murray said: "I don't know a whole lot about politics, and I have made that mistake in the past and it's caused me a headache for seven or eight years of my life and a lot of abuse. So I wouldn't consider getting involved in something like that ever again." It's unlikely that Salmond will be using Murray's next success as an opportunity to express his patriotism. A spokesperson for the politician stated, "Andy is reigning Wimbledon champion and a great Scottish tennis player. He has made it clear a number of times he doesn't want to comment on Scottish politics. Everyone should just accept that and let him get on with playing tennis."]>
Novak Djokovic's game plan didn't work out for him on Sunday as Rafael Nadal reigned supreme once again at Roland Garros. The rivalry between Djokovic and Nadal has been through numerous swings in the balance of power, and it was up to Nadal to find the answers in Sunday's 2014 French Open final. With Djokovic holding a four-match winning streak over his greatest rival, thanks in part to his devastating crosscourt backhand, many had wondered if the Serb had finally worked out the World No. 1. However, the rivalry hasn't been one-sided in the past few years as both players have proven to be capable of adjusting their strategy and turning the tables on a fairly frequent basis. The result of this has been one of the most entertaining displays of one-upmanship that's ever been seen in professional sport. Unfortunately for Djokovic, it was Rafa's turn to flip the switch on Sunday. The aforementioned crosscourt backhand, Djokovic's go-to move against Nadal of late, came unstuck against a barrage of down the line forehands on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Serb reaped the rewards of it in the first set of his 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 defeat, and yet as the match progressed Nadal grew in confidence, forcing the Serb to mix things up. You can't help but think that the Spaniard had worked on responding to this particular shot with Uncle Toni. "I think he was covering the forehand angle quite well," said a despondent Djokovic in the press room. "My backhand crosscourt wasn't as effective as it was maybe in the previous matches against him. He was hitting down the line forehand really, really well, so I think his first shot off the forehand, off my return, was terrific today." Djokovic was keen not to make excuses for the defeat. He refused to blame the crowd, the conditions or fatigue, though he did muse that things might be different if he were left-handed. However, he didn't hide his disappointment at failing to complete the Career Grand Slam and take the No. 1 ranking spot. "It's finals of Grand Slam," he said. "I have expectations. You want this win as much as your opponent across the net. That's it. I'm an emotional player, and the tennis court is an arena and I'm there to fight and I'm there to try to win, and show my emotions. Unfortunately, it didn't work this time." Once he's finished resting up it's very likely that Djokovic will begin plotting his next Nadal strategy with coaches Boris Becker and Marian Vajda. Although it's been stunning to see him target Nadal's razor-sharp forehand with such success, we may see a different approach from the 27-year-old if he meets the Mallorcan at Wimbledon. ]>
Rafael Nadal is exhausted after Sunday's 2014 French Open triumph, but he still intends to compete at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. There's little time for a turnaround for Rafa as he'll begin his Gerry Weber Open campaign just a few days after the French Open final. It's likely that the Spaniard will be back in action on the German lawns on Wednesday, so any hopes of a lengthy slam celebration have no doubt been canned. So much for winning a 14th slam title and levelling Pete Sampras on the all-time leaderboard. You could easily question Nadal's decision to compete in Halle, and when he was faced with the same issue last season he chose to withdraw from the Gerry Weber Open before he'd even reached the final at Roland Garros. One might assume that this decision spurred him on to take to the lawns in Halle this time around, as the tournament organisers would have grounds to be disgruntled if their star player had pulled out for two years straight. There are other incentives for the Spaniard to compete in Germany, however. For a start, the tournament should give him more of a chance to adapt to the grass courts in time for Wimbledon 2014. He fell to a shock first round defeat at the All-England Club last season against Steve Darcis, who has remained under the radar ever since. A repeat of such a result would be a massive disappointment for Nadal and his fans. Rafa elaborated on his decision on Sunday, shortly after overcoming Novak Djokovic in four sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4" "I am going to Halle tomorrow," he vowed. "I want to try to play well again in Wimbledon. I'm healthy. That's the most important thing, I feel…for me, is a tournament I really love so much, so after the match of today and after how tired I am, after a little bit the back problem that I had during the whole tournament, is in a strong position to go to Halle. "But I really feel that I have compromised with them to go there. I missed it last year. I don't want to miss it two years in a row. At the same time, is the right way to prepare Wimbledon. So I really want to do it and try my best there. We will see what's going on." Nadal's expectations are grounded for the upcoming week. He claimed to be out of energy after winning the fourth set against Djokovic, and he also admitted that he's going to struggle to prepare properly for Halle in the limited time available, but that's not the full extent of his problems. He also explained to reporters that he's found it difficult to compete on grass since he injured his knee in 2012. "Grass always was a little bit harder for me after the injury," he added. "I get injury here in 2012; I played 2012 Wimbledon with that injury. I never played a match after that Wimbledon. Last year I tried, but I was not enough ready to compete in Wimbledon. Let's see how is my feelings there this year, but it's very important tournament."]>
Rafael Nadal won the 2014 French Open on Sunday, but later admitted he might not have won a ninth Roland Garros title if Novak Djokovic had been able to push him to a fifth set. Nadal had entered the French Open final with a four-match losing streak against Djokovic, but after losing the first set he found the inspiration to fight back for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 triumph. Djokovic had a serious opportunity to take both the second and the fourth set to a tie-breaker, though on each occasion he crumbled as Nadal's defence and incredibly angled baseline strokes ruled the day. The fourth set won the match for Nadal but could easily have turned out differently. Djokovic had been serving at 4-5 down and from this position was expected to force a tie-breaker. However, Nadal turned the screws in this crucial game and on championship point Djokovic's challenge fizzled out with a disappointing double fault. The Serb will surely be ruing his poor service game, as it took his Roland Garros head to head against Nadal to 0-6, and more to the point, guaranteed that he'll have to wait at least another year for the Career Grand Slam, which is increasingly threatening to elude him. To make matters worse for Novak, it seems as though he'd have been in with a chance had he pushed the contest to a deciding set, as Nadal admitted to reporters that he was pretty much dead on his feet by the time he won the slam. "Physically I felt I was totally empty, drained, exhausted," remarked the World No. 1. "Five sets, I don't know if I could have played a five set match. I was not feeling well at all physically speaking. "Motivation and also the hope that I could perhaps win this match, win the tournament, the appetite I had, well, these are the reasons why I managed to stick to it to the very end. Mentally I was so strong. I really wanted to defeat him. I don't really know how to describe these things, but I managed to stick to it. I suffered quite a lot, but I found solutions. When there were problems cropping, I managed to find the solutions when the moments were very difficult with a number of shots which were quite tricky from the tennis point of view. I succeeded. I managed to win the match and the tournament." Nadal's will to win has never been lacking, as we saw on Sunday. Even so, he feels that he relishes victory more and more as he progresses through his career. He believes that slam successes take on extra importance when you realise you're running out of time to win more. "Last year was with 27; this year is with 28. That's not forever," he said. "You know how hard is all the things that I am doing here. You want to enjoy the moment. You feel your emotions when you are there and you did it, because you know how much you worked to be there. But at the same time, because I repeat, that's not forever. You have few more opportunities, yes, but you don't know if you're gonna win it again." Nadal will have little time to dwell on claiming his ninth Roland Garros title, as he's now headed to Halle where he'll play the Gerry Weber Open. It's likely that his campaign will begin on Wednesday, leaving little time to adjust to the grass courts. The turnaround may seem sharp but Nadal is keen not to disappoint after backing out of his commitment to compete in Halle last season. He also expressed his desire to prepare for Wimbledon as well as possible, following 2013's first round loss to Steve Darcis.]>
Maria Sharapova attributed her latest Roland Garros triumph to sheer perseverance and hard work after she beat Simona Halep 6-4 6-7 6-4 in Saturday's 2014 French Open final. Sharapova won her first slam at Wimbledon 2004 a mere three years after turning pro, and by 2008 had added Australian Open and US Open titles to her collection. The Russian's status as one of the world's star players was never in doubt during these years, but three quarter-final appearances was the best that she could muster at Roland Garros, prior to her semi-final breakthrough in 2011. This isn't an achievement to sniff at, yet the Russian was unhappy about her movement on red clay and considered it her worst surface. With this in mind you can only imagine the jubilation that she felt in 2012 when she finally completed the Career Grand Slam. Some had thought that MaSha's time was up as far as slam winning was concerned, as her repeated shoulder problems had taken some sting out of the serve that had once terrorised the WTA. However, it would seem that this recurring injury enabled Sharapova to focus on other aspects of her game, and by 2012 she reigned supreme at Roland Garros. On Saturday she added yet another French Open title to collection. It's now the only slam that she's won twice, and the unexpectedness of the situation wasn't lost on her when she spoke to the press after defeating Halep. "If somebody had told me that I'd win -- at some stage in my career that I'd have more Roland Garros titles than any other Grand Slam, I'd probably go get drunk," said Sharapova to the amusement of the reporters at her post-match press conference. "Or tell them to get drunk, one or the other." Putting the humour to one side, Sharapova continued by saying that it was hard work that got her to where she is now. Many players simply choose to avoid their least favourite surface but Sharapova is a different breed of competitor. Now we can all see that her efforts have been extremely fruitful. "It's really amazing. I feel that I worked to get to this position,"  she said, her arm draped over the trophy. "There's nothing else. There is no substitute in these titles. You can't just go out there and just do it without putting in the effort, putting in the work. "You're not just born being a natural clay court player. Okay, maybe if you're Nadal. But certainly not me. I didn't grow up on it; didn't play on it. I just took it upon myself to make myself better on it. There is no one else that was going to do that for me. I had to do the work." Besides sacrificing her time to be the best clay court player she can be, Sharapova also revealed that she's had to forego some of her favourite activities in Paris over the past fortnight to ensure that she stayed on the right track for French Open glory. "There is a reason why I haven't been to one shop while I have been in Paris. It's because I want this," she said. "I haven't eaten many macaroons, either. It's because I want this. So all those things contribute."]>
Rafael Nadal's topspin forehand could be the difference in this afternoon's 2014 French Open final, where he'll take on long-time rival Novak Djokovic. Nadal and Djokovic are preparing for their 42nd head to head showdown and this time the stakes couldn't be higher. Djokovic, now on the cusp of a Career Grand Slam, is aiming to finally capture the Roland Garros title and reclaim the No. 1 ranking spot. Nadal, on the other hand, will be doing his utmost to stay at the top of the pile and dominate Roland Garros for a ninth time. It's doubtful that anyone will ever win more singles titles here. The margin of victory is likely to be small, if last year's emotional rollercoaster of a semi-final is anything to go by. Djokovic appeared to have a crucial break in the fifth set of that showdown but let his advantage slip. The turning point ended up being a fluffed overhead that was agonisingly sent into the net. Djokovic went on to lose 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7, extending his Roland Garros losing streak against Nadal to five matches. Djokovic had to search far and wide for the answer to Nadal's game and fell to another painful slam defeat against the Spaniard in the US Open final. However, Novak's endeavours finally started to pay off, and his 6-3, 6-4 victory at the China Open kicked off a four-match winning streak against Nadal, which he'll take into Sunday's final. The latest of these Nole wins occurred in the final of the Rome Masters. Each event is different though, and past form might not be the biggest factor in Sunday's French Open final. Instead, there's a good chance that the weather in Paris could be the difference maker. Nadal has played superbly all week, and yet he was notably phenomenal in Friday's semi-final against Andy Murray. The Scot was punished every time he hit to Nadal's forehand, and his attempts to trouble Nadal's backhand, whilst relentless, were only partially effective. The heat worked in Nadal's favour for several reasons. Firstly, though perhaps least importantly, his court coverage is always staggering, and when he maintains this in hot conditions there are few who can keep pace. Beyond this, the heat and dryness of the court gave Rafa's topspin forehand extra kick and took the ball outside of Murray's favoured hitting zone. Nadal should have a good chance of dismissing Djokovic, though perhaps not so easily, if Sunday turns out to be a scorcher. Nadal has looked like a machine in all of his matches here so far, barring his battle against compatriot David Ferrer, in which - shock horror - he dropped a set. However, the Murray display really stands out as Nadal put on a clinic for the two-time slam winner. Djokovic, on the other hand, needed time to adjust to the conditions on Friday as it's been overcast and gloomy for much of the tournament. His semi-final opponent Ernests Gulbis later stated that their clash had been a low quality grind-fest. Also, there's an interesting contrast in the post-match comments of Nadal and Djokovic regarding the climate. "For me is much better when the weather is like today," said Nadal on Friday. "My ball creates more topspin. The ball goes quicker in the air, and with my forehand I am able to create more with less." Djokovic's remarks were a little less certain. "It requires a little bit of an adjustment," he said after beating Gulbis. "Because we played for over 10 days of the tournament in overcast and a little bit heavier conditions. The ball wasn't bouncing as high. Today the hitting point was a bit higher, so you had to adjust to that. And of course it was strong sun. That also affects the fatigue of the players…at the end of the day, in the end of the match I managed to find a necessary rhythm." Will a 'necessary rhythm' be enough to stop Rafa if we wake up to baking sunshine on Sunday? It seems unlikely, and Djokovic will need to rely on his gymnast-like agility on more than a few occasions if that's the case. The topspin not only adds weight to Nadal's forehand, but also gives him a greater margin of error and allows him to add extra angle to his strokes. The combination of Nadal and clement weather could well turn out to be the perfect storm of Djokovic's nightmares. ]>
Novak Djokovic plans to take the game to Rafael Nadal when he meets the Spaniard in Sunday's 2014 French Open final. Djokovic has won his last four matches against Rafa, which has led many pundits to the opinion that the Serb is the favourite to win Sunday's French Open final. Although Nadal, an eight-time French Open winner, is renowned as the 'King of Clay', Djokovic has now been seeking the elusive Career Grand Slam for a long time and appears to be presented with his best opportunity yet. Djokovic has been impressive throughout the 2014 season. There were a few alarm bells ringing when he reached March without having won an ATP title, and yet he's since been able to reestablish himself as a near-invincible force. Wins over Nadal certainly helped him on his way, as Djokovic beat the World No. 1 in the finals of the Miami and Rome Masters. With the latter final being played on red clay, Djokovic is surely now primed for the ultimate clay court achievement. Djokovic is making no secret of his game plan against Nadal. Perhaps this is a reflection of the confidence that he has in being able to beat his biggest rival. He openly stated that the key to the match will be to play penetrating attacking tennis. "There is not going to be a significant difference in my tactics against Nadal comparing to other prior matches that are played, especially the one in Rome," he said. "I'm going to try to be aggressive, because that is the only way I can win against him. I know that of course this is the court he's most dominant on. He has only lost one time in his career. This is where he plays his best." Nadal's aforementioned Roland Garros dominance has come at the expense of Djokovic on occasion. The most high-profile instance of this was in last year's semi-finals, where Djokovic threw away a commanding position in the fifth set before suffering a gutting 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7 defeat. Djokovic also fell to defeat against Nadal at Roland Garros in the 2012 final, where Rafa fought off a late resistance en route to a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win. "We played some really close and good matches, good quality matches the last two years here," added Djokovic. "Especially the one last year serving at 4-3 in the fifth set to go 5-3. It was a very close one. "Knowing that I was that close to win against him the past two years gives me that reason to believe that I can make it this time. Of course I'm going to go out on the court trying to win, trying to do my best.  I'm not going to serve and volley, that's for sure, but I'm going to try to stay with my own tactics. I know what I need to do in order to win. "It's easier said than done, of course, because we all know how good he is on this court. But he's not unbeatable. Winning against him last couple of matches in the finals, big events, definitely gives me confidence that I can do it again."]>
Maria Sharapova's 2014 French Open campaign has been filled with intense three-set battles. Her will to win is perhaps what's pulled her through. Psychology is an important element to any sport, and it's perhaps at its most obvious in tennis. There's no place to hide in the singles game, and if you're not in the zone there's nobody there to bail you out. We've found throughout the years that the most successful players have an incredible amount of intensity, focus and composure about them. Few players embody these characteristics better than Maria Sharapova. The Russian has needed to draw upon her resilience and experience in her last three matches at Roland Garros, which all went the distance. She made life a bit easier before that run of matches by beating Paula Ormaechea 6-0, 6-0 in round three, but since then it's taken more than just ability to get her through to the final. Sharapova was troubled by Sam Stosur in round four, but after a close first set was able to see off the threat of her experienced opponent with a third set bagel. Next up was Garbine Muguruza, who like Stosur came flying out of the blocks and won the first set. Once again it was up to Sharapova to respond, and she did so magnificently. A late break of the Spaniard's serve won her the second set, and she then clinched the decider 6-1. After those two matches we all expected Sharapova's ruthless streak to emerge in the first set of the semi-finals, yet she once again fell behind. This time she was up against Eugenie Bouchard, who like fellow young gun Muguruza played an entertaining and fearless brand of tennis. Sharapova then went a break down in the second set but still wouldn't be denied. A stunning fightback, characterised by impressive reliability and a hailstorm of winners, spurred the seventh seed onwards to glory. What we've seen from Sharapova throughout her Roland Garros campaign has been hugely impressive. The pressure has been on her ever since Serena Williams, Na Li and Agnieszka Radwanska exited the draw, and she's been more than equal to the task. Following her match against Bouchard, Sharapova was asked what it's like to face several young players, especially those who possess a different kind of hunger to win and don't appear to be daunted by the prospect of taking on an in-form Career Grand Slam winner. "Well, I still have the hunger, even though I'm in a different generation," she replied. Those comments shouldn't surprise anyone who's watched Sharapova's performances this week. The Russian clearly isn't finished winning slam titles yet and she seems to want to win as much as ever. To add to this she's got the valuable experience of having won every slam on offer and doesn't currently look prone to lapses of concentration. As far as the slow starts are concerned, the Sugarpova founder doesn't seem too bothered. "At the end of the day, it's not how you finish a first set," she said on Thursday. "It's how you finish the last set." You can't argue with that logic. Sharapova will now meet fourth seed Simona Halep in Saturday's final. She enters the contest as the favourite and holds a 3-0 head to head record against her. Don't expect any complacency from MaSha though. Halep's ascendency of the rankings over the past year has been anything but subtle and noobdy will be underestimating the Romanian right now. ]>
Is the Federer-Nadal rivalry dead? We might find out for sure at this year's star-studded Gerry Weber Open. The longstanding on-court rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has been one of the most intensely viewed and debated head-to-heads of all time. Sure, the recent dominance of Nadal has made the battles between the two greats of the game a little one-sided, but there are many out there who believe that the Swiss maestro still has the edge on grass courts. With that in mind we're in for a treat next week when the 22nd edition of the Gerry Weber Open starts. The two leading slam winners (amongst active players) are the marquee names in the draw for Germany's premier tennis event and we may well see them face off in the final. Federer returns to Halle as the defending champion, though unlike last year it doesn't look like he'll be grabbing any headlines by arriving with a new snazzy haircut. Nonetheless, the tennis will be as eye-catching and elegant as ever from the 17-time slam winner, who has already marked out the grass swing as a pivotal moment in the season for him. Federer is clearly excited about his return to Halle, where one of the local streets is named after him. He doesn't expect to have an easy time on court though, as his continued presence, twinned with the shortness of the grass season, appears to have attracted one of the best player fields ever witnessed here. "The road to the tournament victory has gotten much more difficult in recent years because there are so many top players in the field,” acknowledged Federer ahead of his latest Halle title charge. "The spectators can look forward to an extremely strong tournament, I am certain of that.” Nadal, as you'd expect, is eager to ensure that Federer faces nothing but the stiffest of competition for the title. "I urgently want to have a successful start to the grass court season," said the Spaniard, who will be the top seed next week. "Halle is a tremendously organised tournament with a great audience. Everybody wants to play their best tennis." Federer and Nadal are naturally the main men for the upcoming week in Germany, but as mentioned before, there's even more serious talent vying for the title. Two-time champ Tommy Haas is getting on a bit, but he's still a world class competitor on grass. Equally, Kei Nishikori looks a serious threat on current form, provided that we forget about his French Open campaign. Let's not forget that this is a grass court event too. Roland Garros quarter-finalist Milos Raonic will be in attendance. Few people will want to face his rocket of a serve on these quick and low bouncing courts. The same can be said of Jerzy Janowicz, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last season.]>
Roger Federer will head to this year's Gerry Weber Open as the ATP's greatest ever performer on grass courts. Since 1973, Federer is the ATP's Win-Loss Index leader for career grass court matches. The 17-time slam winner's record on the surface currently stands at 122-18, and he's been able to pick up 13 titles in the process. Seven of these have been won at Wimbledon, where he's been able to stamp his mark on the game and earn a reputation as the King of the Lawns (which doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Rafael Nadal's King of Clay moniker). Federer's Win-Loss Index stands at 0.871 (matches won per matches played) on grass, and he's followed on that list by John McEnroe (119-20 record) and Bjorn Borg (61-11 record). Intriguingly, Andy Murray stands at fourth on the list, ahead of Pete Sampras and Rod Laver, with a win-loss record of 73-14 and an Index of 0.839, in part thanks to his current 18-match winning streak on grass. This means that Federer will enter the Gerry Weber Open and Wimbledon 2014 as the ATP's all-time leading light for lawn tennis. Even so, he's not necessarily the favourite to win the event. Nadal will be in the draw and hungry to make amends for last year's shock first round exit at Wimbledon. The Spaniard is also a former Wimbledon champ so his grass court credentials shouldn't be sniffed at. Federer will also have to deal with the likes of Milos Raonic, Tommy Haas, and Kei Nishikori. Haas famously defeated him in the 2012 Halle final, whilst Nishikori has caused the Swiss maestro plenty of problems in recent times. It's hard to know what to make of Raonic though, as the Canadian hasn't yet worked out how to maximise his abilities on grass. His movement has improved lately though, and that booming serve is bound to leave a few scorches in the turf and cause a fair amount of dismay for fearful ball boys and girls (which seems a better term than 'ball people'). It's going to be hard for Federer to find the level of play that made him the dominant player of the 2000s (and a little beyond), though he could roll back the years during the grass swing, starting at Halle. He claims to believe that he can win Wimbledon this year, and few pundits would have the nerve to suggest that he's a rank outsider at the All-England Club.]>
Andy Murray, Tim Henman and Martina Navratilova will all be part of next month's Rally for Bally. The tragic death of Elena Baltacha, who was still playing tour-level tennis at this time last year, was saddening for all involved in the tennis industry. The Brit, a former national No. 1, passed away on May 4th following her battle with liver cancer. She was aged 30.  In honour of the much-loved WTA star, the 'Rally for Bally' will be held on June 15th. Proceeds raised will be donated to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis. Many of the nation's biggest names, plus Navratilova, have signed up to take part in the upcoming charity matches. The 'Rally for Bally' will feature three mixed doubles matches. These will take place at the Aegon Championships (Queen's Club), the Aegon Classic (Birmingham) and the Aegon International (Eastbourne). The Queen's Club and Birmingham matches will take place on finals day, whilst the Eastbourne match will take place ahead of the start of the Aegon International. Murray, who knew Baltacha well, will be joined by his brother Jamie, as well as a well-known selection of players that also includes Henman, Ross Hutchins, Greg Rusedski, Jonny Marray, Anna Keothavong, Joanna Konta and Heather Watson. So far it's been revealed that Hutchins and Andy Murray will be on opposing doubles teams at the Queen's club. Navratilova, Keothavong, Henman and Jamie Murray will play in Birmingham, and Rusedski and Marray will be on opposite sides of the net in Eastbourne. Charitable donations can be made for the event on the Rally for Bally Just Giving page.]>
Ernests Gulbis appeared to be a different man after returning from his medical timeout during Sunday's win over Roger Federer at the 2014 French Open. Gulbis had been struggling at two breaks down in the fourth set of his clash against Federer when he called the physio on court to deal with apparent back and hamstring problems. Although he was unable to level up the set when he returned to action, Gulbis quickly halted Federer's momentum and took back a break. He then built on this in the fifth set to complete a sensational 6-7 7-6 6-2 4-6 6-3 triumph over the former champion. There have been abuses of medical timeouts in the past, and whilst Federer didn't appear overly suspicious of Gulbis' break, he appeared to shoot the Latvian a few menacing glances after the world No. 17 returned to the court. The situation wasn't helped by the sharpness of Gulbis' return game after emerging from the tunnel. Federer later offered up his thoughts on the incident. "If the rules allow you to do that, what can you do?" said Federer, who experienced the same issue in round three against Dmitry Tursunov. "It's definitely something that hasn't happened very often against me. Back to back matches, they leave the court, go for treatment and then come back. You don't know what they were doing. Must be lower back or thigh or groin or something like that, because the rest they have to do on the court." Federer didn't appear to be hung up on the issue but noted that there's scope to take advantage of the current rules. "That's part of the game," he added. "In the past I guess it's been abused much more than today, but still, what can you tell? He didn't look hurt in any way. But if you can use it, might as well do it. "Clearly you don't want anybody to abuse it. I hope that Ernests didn't or whatever, whoever did it doesn't do it for that." Despite having just suffered a disappointing slam defeat, the Swiss No. 2 claims that he's now fully focused on taking the grass swing by storm. Moreover, he believes that he's got a real opportunity to excel on the quicker surface. When asked if he felt he can win Wimbledon 2014, he replied, "I do feel so." The Swiss legend's next outing will be at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, where he returns as the defending champion. "Clearly first the focus is on Halle, try to defend my title there," he said. "It's nice going back to a place where I have to defend something. Hasn't been like this for a while, so that's something I'm looking forward to. "I think when I'm healthy, like I have been now for the last six to nine months, I think clearly I can also decide the outcome of the matches more than I could last year. So I"m very excited about my chances for Wimbledon now this time."]>
A back injury is threatening to bring down Rafael Nadal's 2014 French Open bid. Nadal had been the clear favourite to win this year's Australian Open final, though a back injury ultimately ensured that he was unable to play his best tennis. The Spaniard was left to think about what could have been as he fell to a four set defeat against Stanislas Wawrinka, who picked up a maiden slam title at the start of the year. Roland Garros has always been a happy hunting ground for Nadal, though it looks like there's a chance that his back concerns will return to haunt him here as well. The Spaniard's serving was limited on Saturday as he beat Leonardo Mayer 6-2 7-5 6-2 in round three, and he later revealed to reporters that he wasn't 100% fit. "I felt a little bit my back, so that's why I slow down a little bit the serve," he said. He explained that the issue has been bothering him since the start of the week, adding: "I felt a little bit from the beginning. In the second match I was not serving that fast, too." Nadal told the press that he had strappings put on his back after the match, and was asked if he was worried. "No," he replied. "I had the problem in Australia. It's real. That's the real thing. During my career I had few problems, so always can happen things. Hopefully will not be this case." The world No. 1 wasn't quite firing on all cylinders against Mayer and didn't serve a single ace in the encounter, which lasted for over two hours. He was also dragged into a 60-minute second set. Although he accepts that he wasn't serving particularly fast (his average first serve speed was 165kmh, the same as Mayer's average second serves), he also explained that his opponent had done enough to test him. "As I said, my back was hurting a little," said Nadal. "This is what I said on day number one. During the second day, as well. So that's why I served more slowly since I started feeling the pain. During the second set, nothing really happened.  I won 7-5.  I managed to break at the right moment when it was 5-5. "That's about it. Now that was the third round. The opponent wants to win as well. I'm not the only one who wants to win, and therefore the second set had perhaps less intensity." Nadal will now be grateful for all the rest time he can muster ahead of his fourth round showdown against Dusan Lajovic. The young Serb is currently the world No. 83 and has defied all expectations to get this far. A straight sets win is expected for the defending champion.]>
Novak Djokovic believes that he's not the only player who can cause problems for world No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the 2014 French Open. Djokovic's third round clash against Marin Cilic on Friday wasn't an easy one, and the Serb needed to show grit and resilience to get past his powerful opponent with a 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-4 scoreline. The Croatian has been a force to be reckoned with since he started working with Goran Ivanisevic, and Djokovic needed almost two hours to see off the match after winning the first two sets. Djokovic was only able to take seven on his 22 break points as Cilic hung on. However, the resistance could only last for so long, and Djokovic eventually managed to grind down the big server with reliable baseline play. The Serb made 37 unforced errors throughout the course of the match, whereas Cilic made a whopping 64. When Djokovic met the press he was asked about the match, but also about Dominic Thiem's recent comments. The young Austrian was beaten by Nadal on Thursday and claimed that Djokovic alone has the talent and fitness to keep up with Nadal when the Spaniard is able to play his game. Novak said he was flattered by the remark, but stressed that he's not the only man with the ability to get the better of the 'King of Clay'. "Obviously it's nice to hear that. But I don't think I'm the only one," he said. "There are players who are definitely able to compete with Rafa on this surface, especially this year. He has lost to [Nicolas] Almagro, to [David] Ferrer, two big tournaments. "Definitely this is the tournament that he likes the most. I'm talking about Rafa. He lost once in his life on this tournament, on this court. So for sure, he's the most dominant player around in Roland Garros in history. We all know that, and we all know how good he is. But in the end of the day, you don't go out with a white flag on the court. You try to win whoever is across the net." Tsonga currently seems destined for a meeting with Nadal in the final. He'll arguably have the momentum should the clash go ahead, as he's won his last four matches against his biggest rival. The latest of these wins, which will perhaps turn out to be a telling one, was his three set triumph at the Rome Masters. The 4-6 6-3 6-3 loss may play on Nadal's mind if he meets Djokovic next week on Court Philippe Chatrier.]>
Ernests Gulbis caused controversy on Friday by making sexist remarks in his post-match press conference at the 2014 French Open. Gulbis is rarely too far from controversy and his press conference remarks are often quotable. Whilst this is usually entertaining it looks like he's attracted the wrong sort of attention with the remarks made after Friday's win against Radek Stepanek. The comments detract a little from Gulbis' superb on-court performance. Gulbis was asked about his two younger sisters, who also play tennis. When asked if he expects them to go on to professional playing careers, the Latvian expressed his hope that neither would opt for a life on the WTA tour. "Hopefully they will not pursue professional tennis career," he said. "Hopefully. Because for a woman, it's tough. I wouldn't like my sisters to become professional tennis players. It's tough choice of life. A woman needs to enjoy life a little bit more. Needs to think about family, needs to think about kids.  What kids you can think about until age of 27 if you're playing professional tennis, you know. That's tough for a woman, I think." These remarks haven't gone down well with some fans, though Maria Sharapova believes we shouldn't be taking the World No. 17's remarks too seriously. "I don't think we can take everything serious when he speaks," she said. "Let's be honest with that. "I think he's great entertainment and we love to listen to what he has to say. But, of course, you have different opinions. In a way, I think he was joking, but he's playing the sport, so how bad can it be? If he felt so bad about it, and even if he's a male, I don't think he'd be playing it." The WTA and the sport of tennis as a whole has been at the centre of many issues of gender equality. Generally speaking, the achievements made in this department have been hugely uplifting, and the equal prize money on offer at slams is one example of equality in action. Sharapova feels that it's best to focus on the positives that tennis has given her. "I think the sport brings so many opportunities to women. It's brought me so many things into my life and my career. I don't regret any step that I have taken," she continued. "On the other hand, sometimes I wake up and think, 'Well, I don't wish this on my kids'. But then when I'm playing the matches, I'm in front of thousands of people and the experience that this sport brings, I think 'I want my kids to do this', this is such a huge lesson in life."]>
Roger Federer's personal life doesn't appear to be stopping him from playing world class tennis at the 2014 French Open this week. The 17-time slam winner booked his place in round four of the French Open on Friday with a 7-5 6-7 6-2 6-4 win over Russia's Dmitry Tursunov. It looked like the Swiss maestro could be in for a serious challenge when the second set tie-breaker didn't go his way, but an injured Tursunov started to struggle with his return game as the match wore on. Federer was a picture of consistency and didn't have his serve broken once in the clash, which went on for over three hours. The fourth seed pressed home his advantage with 15 aces and a thoroughly impressive 56:39 winners to unforced errors ratio. Besides the fact that he couldn't clinch the second set, the performance was hard to criticise. The 32-year-old seems relaxed on court, and any concerns about recent the birth of his twin sons causing a distraction seem to be misplaced. Federer was asked about the recent additions to his family in the press conference after the match, and revealed that he's delighted with his family situation and isn't struggling to focus on his tennis. "It's just a different pace day to day," he said. "Spending time not only with my daughters but now also my sons. So there is a bit of a different dynamic. But overall, clearly enjoying ourselves, like never before. "I'm very happy in my personal life, and that is very positive for my on court performance, as well, I believe. How I sleep hasn't been interrupted. I'm a true professional when it comes to those kind of things. But clearly anything away from centre court here and the grounds I have a very nice time with my family every minute." Federer added that he draws inspiration from seeing his children in the crowd, even if they aren't necessarily watching his matches. "I feel happy as a person, and if they watch 10 minutes or five sets, it doesn't change anything," he remarked. "It's nice to be all together with the whole family. That's what matters." Federer might be needing a little inspiration and support next week when he meets Ernests Gulbis in round four. The Latvian produced an explosive performance earlier in the day to defeat Radek Stepanek, and his serve and baseline game were both staggeringly good. Federer will of course be the favourite when he takes on the World No. 17, but he'll need to be on his game in order to reach the quarters.]>
Agnieszka Radwanska insists that the early exits of Serena Williams and Na Li didn't affect her focus this week at the 2014 French Open as she became the latest high profile casualty at Roland Garros. Radwanska fell to a 6-4 6-4 defeat against rising star Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday. The Pole, who entered the tournament as the third seed, had been tipped as a title contender following the unexpected defeats of Williams and Li earlier in the week. In spite of this, Radwanska told reporters that she wasn't particularly bothered about the draw, and that results elsewhere hadn't distracted her from her own matches. "I think the draw is so big, and it's still, you know, third round," she said after losing to Tomljanovic. "I think it doesn't really matter if someone is out or not. It's still a lot of matches to go, still the first week. Maybe that matters a little bit later in the second week, but doesn't matter now. "I was saying yesterday that it doesn't mean if first and second seed lost doesn't mean the third one is going to win. It's stupid to say that. Of course it's always opportunity. Doesn't matter who is in the draw. If you play good and when you're doing the thing that's really working for you well, and playing the same level, then you're gonna win. Doesn't matter who is in the draw. I just didn't play good enough today to win the match." There wasn't a huge amount to separate Radwanska and her Croatian opponent on Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday, though the World No. 72's power and attacking capabilities appeared to make the difference on the heavy clay. Neither player had a positive winners to unforced errors count, and another decisive factor appeared to be Tomljanovic's cutting edge when playing behind her first serve. "Well, she definitely played good tennis today," said Radwanska. "I had my chances. I didn't take them.  I think that cost me the match…Definitely she's serving very well. Even with the heavy balls she can still serve pretty hard. So I think she served pretty hard today as well. Solid game from the baseline, as well. She's moving pretty well, and mixing up a lot of dropshots, slice, pretty much everything on court."]>
Rafael Nadal believes Dominic Thiem has plenty of potential. Nadal's 6-2 6-2 6-3 triumph over Thiem at the 2014 French Open on Thursday was routine in terms of the scoreline, yet the world No. 1 was impressed by the Austrian, who kept him on court for two hours and five minutes. Nadal was forced to rely on consistency to work his way through, and finished the match with only 16 winners and 19 unforced errors. Thiem's ratio of 27-41 reflected a more enterprising but ultimately less successful strategy. Nadal had his serve broken twice and was made to work hard in the first and third sets in particular. He explained to reporters that he thinks the 20-year-old can go a long way if he puts in the effort required to maximise his talents. "At the age of 20 you are very young today," said Nadal. "Was similar when I was in and I was 17. He already has positive serves, a lot of power with his forehand, with his backhand. I didn't have that serve at the age of 17. I didn't have the backhand, I didn't have that power. "So always is question of keep improving, make the normal evolution, be humble enough to keep practicing as hard as you did before. I am not lying, seriously. I'm almost 28. [Novak] Djokovic and Andy [Murray] are 27. [Roger] Federer is, I don't know, 32. The new generation, new players, have to come. We're not gonna be here for 10 more years." Speaking more about the world No. 57, Nadal added, "I think that this player has a huge potential and could be one of the ones who's going to replace us. His tennis style is really good. What he could work on is his footwork and how he moves on the court. That's all. "With this he could perhaps come to the balls, come to the points more. But otherwise he lost ground for a little while. Apart from that, I think his speed is really good, and also the way he changes directions, he serves well, as well. I think he has a bright future ahead of him." Thiem has already enjoyed a big season, recording wins against the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Simon.]>
Andy Murray has refuses to rule out appointing a female coach, but has dismissed speculation that he is to hire Amelie Mauresmo. Murray is currently looking for a replacement for the legendary Ivan Lendl, who coached him to glory at the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon 2013. He's now taken a fair amount of time making the decision but has constantly reminded reporters that he won't be rushed. The latest rumour to emerge was that Murray would be appointing WTA hero Amelie Mauresmo for the role, though Murray insisted on Thursday that he's yet to make a decision. "Ever since I stopped working with Ivan, there has been a lot of different names that people have mentioned," said Murray. "Obviously Amélie this week. There was [Mats] Wilander. There has been [Jonas] Bjorkman, John McEnroe, [Martina] Navratilova, Leon Smith, who is the Davis Cup captain, Bob Brett. There has been a lot of people that people have talked about. When the time is right I will make an announcement. But nothing to say just yet." "They are all very, very good," he added. "Some ex players, some very good coaches, as well. It's not like any of them have been bad names. I like all of the people that have been mentioned. I have a good relationship with most of them, as well. Some of them I don't even know, really." It was put to Murray that there may be a stigma about being coached by a female, and It's hard to think of a big name ATP player that lists a female as their coach. It would seem that Murray has the maturity to overlook any chauvinistic remarks that could be headed his way though. "For me, I don't care. I don't really care whether some of the other male players like it or not.  That's not something that really bothers me," said the world No. 8. "I was coached by my mum for a long time.  I have had her around at tournaments for a long time. There has been ex players and stuff that have said, 'Oh, your mom shouldn't be around' or she shouldn't come and support you or come to watch. You know, it's silly.  "Everyone is entitled to have the team around them that they want. Everyone works very differently. Some men might not work well with a female. Some men might work well with a female coach. It's just whatever your preference is and whatever your needs are. That's basically it." For now, Murray appears to be doing just fine without a high-profile coaching appointment. He's made a solid start to his Roland Garros campaign and defeated Marinko Matosevic 6-3 6-1 6-3 in round two on Thursday. His next opponent will be Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.]>
Stanislas Wawrinka will learn to cope with the pressure of being one of the star players on the ATP tour, compatriot Roger Federer has insisted. Federer fought his way through a tough match against Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday at Roland Garros, elevating his return game to deal with an unorthodox opponent. Although the 17-time slam winner was able to make smooth progress to round three, the same can't be said of fellow countryman Wawrinka, who fell to a surprising first round defeat against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday. Wawrinka admitted that day that he's not finding it easy to adjust to the pressure of being one of the game's highest achievers. He also told reporters not to expect the same consistency that we've gotten used to seeing from Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Federer showed sympathy for Wawrinka's position but also said that he expects his Davis Cup teammate to improve and learn from the whole experience. "With Stan, I understand where he is, because I was in such a position at a moment in my career, and it's not even the pressure itself," said the 32-year-old. "I think it's how you look at yourself and at your game. "Without changing everything, this is what he's got to work on and solve this, fix this. Little by little. It will not happen overnight. But with Australia, with Monaco, it's in his pocket already. Nobody can take this from him. It will give him time to work on this. I trust that he will find the right solutions in the months to come." Federer has had years to deal with the weight of expectation, and throughout the last decade he's generally taken everything in his stride. The World No. 4 admits he's a little taken aback by his own consistency, as well as that of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. "For me it's totally normal. I have never really understood how Rafa, Novak, and myself, we can play at such a level all the time, being consistent," he added. "For me, that was a shock to see all of us so consistent like this, steady if I can say." ]>
Maria Sharapova isn't getting distracted by other results this week at the 2014 French Open and insists she is only interested in her own path through the main draw at Roland Garros. he last few days have been positive for Sharapova. Not only did she book her place in the third round of the French Open with a 7-5 6-2 triumph over Tsvetana Pironkova, but she also appears to have benefitted from the unexpected losses of Serena Williams and Na Li. With the WTA's two highest-ranked players now out of the way, the Russian is arguably the title favourite here at Roland Garros. She's refusing to get carried away though. "I think you always have to follow your path and always concentrate on your work and who's ahead of you and not get worried about what's going on," said the career Grand Slam holder ahead of Friday's clash with Paula Ormaechea. "Obviously when you go on court you're aware of a lot of the upsets, not just in the women but in the men, as well. So it's great to get a win in that type of atmosphere." Sharapova was in superb form during this year's clay season. Although she made a third round exit at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she achieved back-to-back title successes at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and the Mutua Madrid Open. These results are further cause for suggestions that Sharapova will win the title. As far as Wednesday's win is concerned, Sharapova was glad to have recovered from a slow start to get the better of Pironkova. The 27-year-old didn't particularly enjoy the conditions either. "I think it's always a challenge to go into a match knowing that it's going to be cold and might be a bit windy. So you have to mentally be prepared for that," she said. "I started off quite cold, wasn't moving my feet enough. Just not really having good rhythm. Once I got the break back, I started feeling a bit more aggressive and much better about my game, and I was able to hold that until the end of the match."]>
After a number of potential title contenders crashed out of the 2014 French Open in the early stages of the competition, Novak Djokovic has claimed that he won't be underestimating any of his opponents at Roland Garros. A number of matches haven't played out as expected at Roland Garros this week, though Djokovic's 6-1 6-4 6-2 dismissal of Jeremy Chardy on Wednesday can still be described as routine. The Serb is arguably the title favourite here following his recent triumph over Rafael Nadal at the Rome Masters, and it wouldn't be a major surprise to see him complete the Career Grand Slam at the end of next week. Even so, the world No. 2 is refusing to lose focus on his upcoming challenges. "In the Grand Slam we all know that in the opening rounds that the lower ranked players have a lot of motivation to play their best and to win against top players on the big stadiums," said Djokovic. "I just saw that Serena [Williams] also lost. So it's definitely a surprise to see the big favourites coming out. "Again, you can never underestimate any opponent in a Grand Slam, because Grand Slams are, you know, the biggest events we have in this sport, and it's where all the players want to perform their best and it's where they get this extra strength and inspiration to play their best." Djokovic has fared better than the likes of Stanislas Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov, who had been expected to go deep in the men's singles draw. Wawrinka explained to reporters on Tuesday that he was feeling the pressure of being a slam winner, and Djokovic, who won his first slam back in 2008, said he can relate to the Australian Open champ's situation. "I understand what Wawrinka is going through," he said. "[In] 2008 when I won my first Grand Slam, I know how that period went after that. It's the first time that you have to encounter pressure or expectations of being a favourite on Grand Slams." "I think it's a new experience, and it's something that is going to be with him for the rest of his career, because he's a Grand Slam winner now, so he's going to be favourite in most of the events where he plays. That's something new. It's a new dimension, I think, from the mental aspect, but it's part of the sport." Djokovic himself has been at the top of the game for a long time now and has come to see the pressure as merely a part of the job. He says that he's grown to appreciate it. "With the great success comes great responsibility," he continued. "And it's all part of the growing up, part of development. I guess it's all a big lesson in the end of the day. But over the years I realised that the pressure is a privilege, because it means that you're doing something that is valuable. I always dreamed of being at the top of the game and competing for big titles. I'm fortunate in my life to be able to feel the pressure. It means that I'm up there, I'm competing on a high level."]>
Serena Williams made no excuses following her shock loss to Garbine Muguruza in round two of the 2014 French Open on Wednesday. We all knew that Muguruza would be a dangerous opponent, but nobody could have anticipated that the young Spaniard would play world No. 1 Williams off the court at Roland Garros. The contest finished with a 6-2 6-2 scoreline, and Serena simply never looked like she was going to win. The performance was a million miles from being one of the American's best, and she put if down to having an off day, especially with her serve. "Well, I don't think anything worked for me today... nothing really worked. I don't know anything that actually worked," she said. "My serve hasn't been good yet. I can't say this whole tournament, because my tournament didn't last long, but yeah, just in general." The stats back up Serena's comments. She only hit three aces on Wednesday and eradicated the benefit of these by making five double faults. Uncharacteristically she won just over half of her first service points and a mere four of her 15 second service points. Besides the serving there were other elements of Serena's game that let her down. Strategically she was out of sorts, failing to win a point on any of her five charges of the net. Her winners to unforced errors ratio of 8:29 was also worthy of note. "It was one of those days," added Serena in reflection. "You can't be on every day, and, gosh, I hate to be off during a Grand Slam. It happens. It's not the end of the world. It is what it is. "Obviously I'm super disappointed and it's hard. I worked really hard. But, maybe I can do better.  I know for a fact I can work harder. I know for a fact I can play so much better than what I did today, so, it's a double edged sword. I didn't play well, but I can play better." World No. 35 Muguruza now moves onto a third round meeting with Slovakia's Anna Schmiedlova. The young Spaniard has been rocketing up the rankings this season and has already won her first WTA title [WTA Hobart] as well as achieving a runner-up finish in Florianopolis. With the draw blown wide open here at Roland Garros, there's a chance that this exciting prospect will feature in the business end of the tournament. ]>
Andy Murray is hoping to improve as the 2014 French Open progresses, and was content with his first round win against Andrey Golubev on Tuesday. Tuesday's performance wasn't exactly a vintage one from Murray, but it was enough to earn him a 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory over Golubev, who can be a tricky opponent. Golubev, of course, is the man who nearly guided Kazakhstan to a sensational Davis Cup triumph over Switzerland earlier in the year, as he earned a shock victory over Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka. Golubev's giant killing streak threatened to emerge once more at Roland Garros, though the World No. 8 was ultimately able to extinguish the plucky Kazakh's campaign. Murray later admitted that he's not hung up on his performance, and is simply pleased to have made a winning start in Paris. The win may have been even sweeter for the Scot given that a back injury, which he later had surgery on, prevented him from competing here last season. "It was fine.," said Murray of his performance. "I won the match. I did enough. I did what I had to do, and I got myself into the tournament now. [There have] been quite a few upsets here the last few days and tricky conditions. So the most important thing is to get through." Murray feels that he's made a habit of emerging from difficult opening matches at the slams and says he was confident about progressing. "I think I've done a good job of that the last few years," he said. "In the slams I have not always played my best tennis the beginning of the tournaments, but I found ways to get through and get myself into the tournament and give myself opportunities to do well in these events." Despite having seen the likes of Wawrinka and Li Na make surprising early exits this week, Murray appears to be more focused on his own challenges  "Regardless of what's happened to the other players, I still hoped that I would try or be able to find ways through my first match and negotiate my way through a tricky opponent in these conditions. So I was happy with that," he continued. Murray's next opponent will be Marinko Matosevic. The Wimbledon champ believes that Matosevic fully deserves his 'Mad Dog' nickname, but we can expect to see a serious contest in round two. "He's a good ball striker. He's had some good wins on the tour as a result of maybe being a bit up and down," said Murray. "He can play good tennis. He's a strong guy. Yeah, it will be tough."]>
Lleyton Hewitt's 2014 French Open campaign came to an end on Tuesday, leaving the former world No. 1 to focus on preparing for this summer's grass swing. Hewitt's ranking has dropped considerably since the days when he was seen as a serious contender for slam title. He's currently the world No. 46 but remains one of the most popular players on the tour, and his fighting spirit makes him a great player to watch at the most prestigious events. Unfortunately for Hewitt fans, the 33-year-old bowed out in round one at Roland Garros on Tuesday despite winning the first set of his match against Carlos Berlocq. The contest finished 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-4. Although he refused to be drawn into any discussion about how many years he's got left on the tour, Hewitt told reporters that he's feeling good physically and is looking forward to the tennis to be played over the next month. The 2002 Wimbledon champion also revealed that he expects his best results of 2014 to occur during the grass swing, and that he's got every intention of testing the best at the All-England Club. "I feel especially at Wimbledon there is not as many guys that have a realistic shot," he remarked. "[There aren't many] guys that can go out there and compete against the top guys who possibly can win the tournament. I think I'm one of those guys who can go out there and push those guys. "If I execute everything, and my ball striking - I'm feeling pretty good about it at the moment. That's one area that, going straight onto the grass gives me a lot of confidence. With Wimbledon coming up that's obviously the next main focus." Hewitt also explained that he could take some positives from his defeat against Berlocq. He impressively managed to fire in 56 winners in the clash, which lasted for over three hours. However, it was unforced errors that let him down as he made 53 to Berlocq's 26. Hewitt may also be ruing his missed opportunities, as he was only able to convert two of 13 break points. The Aussie was understandably delighted with his net play though. His sprints to the front of the court won him 38 points, with 75% of his charges proving fruitful. "I was pretty happy with how I hit the ball," said Hewitt. "Returned serve well. My net play was fantastic. I came in on the right balls. Occasionally lost a couple, but I felt like my volleying was really good today. "It's obviously disappointing right now, but there are positives. My body feels good and I played over three hours and I feel like I could keep playing."]>
Although he is currently struggling with a back injury, the home crowd is hoping for big things from Richard Gasquet at the 2014 French Open. Gasquet's problems have been well documented in the run up to Roland Garros, and his decision to compete was only made last week following a practice session with Paul-Henri Mathieu. That said, the fans in attendance on Tuesday at Court Suzanne Lenglen could be forgiven for forgetting about the twelfth seed's injury, as Gasquet cruised to a 6-2 6-1 7-5 triumph against Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic. Tomic has also endured injury problems lately and hasn't hit top form since returning from hip surgery. Gasquet's service motion didn't appear to be affected greatly by the back injury, but the Frenchman told reporters that he's not feeling completely comfortable. There were fears that he might be rushing his comeback by competing here, which is an understandable opinion given that Gasquet hasn't played a competitive match since losing against Roger Federer in the fourth round of the Miami Masters in March. "It's okay. I can't serve 100%, but I serve about 80% of my capacities," explained Gasquet on Tuesday afternoon. "I have been in pain.  I have some muscle pains after the match, but it's nothing like what it was two weeks ago. It's much better, obviously. "I was a little apprehensive. My body is not at 100% of its capacities. I have stopped playing for eight weeks. I only have trained for 10 days, so it's difficult. But in spite of all of this, I don't expect too much of myself. I'm happy if I'm not in pain, and I do my best with my capacities. But what matters most is that I am not in pain, no pain at all, because it was really unbearable." The French fans can consider themselves fortunate to be seeing Gasquet in action this week. The initial analysis of the back injury had been bleak and it was believed that the 27-year-old could be set for a lengthy lay-off. "I went through all sorts of medical checks, and they said maybe I would have to stop for four or five months," said Gasquet. "It's not that bad. I know what's wrong with me. The diagnosis took time, but at least I'm happy about that. "I'm frustrated that I cannot play 100%, but I'm happy I can play again, and that's really what matters most. Everybody can have pains now and again. It's rather positive for the rest of the tournament. It's not the best time, but it could have been even worse. Honestly, I'm very relieved." Gasquet now moves on to a second round clash against clay specialist Carlos Berlocq. The unseeded Argentine played well in his first round dismissal of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, putting up a solid defence and frustrating the Aussie by keeping the ball in play. Gasquet could be forced to work for every point against Berlocq, which won't be ideal given his current condition. "It's going to be tough, but again, I don't want to expect too much of myself," said Gasquet in anticipation of the match. "I want to be relaxed, to be aggressive, and to think maybe not, why not?  He's the favourite, but I'm so happy that I'm here."]>
David Ferrer insists Rafael Nadal should be considered the favourite to win the 2014 French Open, dismissing suggestions that the world No. 1 is vulnerable at the moment. Ferrer may well be looking out for his compatriot's results, as Nadal will be his quarter-final opponent next week if the main draw pans out as expected at Roland Garros. As you might expect, Ferrer was quizzed about Nadal today following his 6-4 6-3 6-1 dismissal of Igor Sijsling, and he did his best to silence the idea that Rafa might be more beatable than usual. Many have focused on Nadal's form following his quarter-final exits at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open. However, it seems that pundits might be clutching at straws with the 'Nadal confidence crisis' story following the Mallorcan's Madrid Masters triumph and runner-up showing at the Rome Masters. Ferrer believes this story is being pushed by a number of people who don't know much about tennis. He also doesn't think that too much should be read into his victory against Nadal in Monte Carlo. "Rafael, he's No. 1 of the Race [to London rankings]," said Ferrer on Tuesday. "Of course he's having very good moment. The people outside sometimes talk without know about the tennis. Here is a new season. Rafael is No. 1 of the world. He is the favourite in Roland Garros." Ferrer thinks it makes sense to overlook Nadal's Monte Carlo and Barcelona campaigns. "He won in Madrid, he did final in Rome. And in clay court for me he's the best player," he said. Ferrer also explained that he's not thinking about facing Nadal right now. Instead he's thinking about his second round match, which will be against the winner of the all-Italian duel between Simone Bolelli and Andrea Arnaboldi. "My next match I have to play against Bolelli or Arnaboldi, no?" said the 2013 French Open runner-up. "I am not thinking about Rafael. It is a long way to play with him. I am only focused with my next opponent." Nadal has so far done his bit to ensure that we'll see a French Open rematch between last year's finalists in 2014. The top seed destroyed Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in the first round, and will now be preparing for his second round showdown with Dominic Thiem. The young Austrian appears destined for a big career in the game but will probably be out of his depth against the 'King of Clay'. ]>
Grigor Dimitrov fell to a shock three-set defeat against Ivo Karlovic in the first round of the 2014 French Open at Roland Garros on Tuesday. Karlovic was at his best and Dimitrov had no answers for the big man's tennis as he fell to a disappointing first round exit. Many had touted Dimitrov as a dark horse for the title and with good reason too. However, the world No. 12 ran into a tricky and unorthodox opponent, and was unable to break the Croatian's serve. He's by no means the first opponent to suffer that particular problem against Karlovic. The match lasted for almost two hours and Dimitrov was only able to set up one break point. He failed to take it, and was crucially broken by Karlovic once in each of the first two sets. The third set went to a tie-breaker, and the shoot-out form of the game just so happens to be another of Karlovic's strengths. The contest finished with a 6-4 7-5 7-6 scoreline. Dimitrov had been in good clay court form following an ATP Bucharest title success and a semi-final appearance at the Rome Masters. He tried to put things into context in the post-match press conference, and was able to admit that the loss was a consequence of not raising his game against a dangerous opponent. "It's never easy to play against Ivo," said the Bulgarian. "Of course, it's a big disappointment for me, losing first round of the tournament. I like my chances here. Been playing good tennis on the clay courts, so I don't want to be too disappointed, because it's, you know, it is what it is. It happened. "He played really good. He came from playing a final last week [ATP Dusseldorf] and really confident. Played really good tennis, serving well, and actually all around the court his shots were really good. It was, it was a very tough task for me today, especially if everything was going his way.   "I just couldn't find the rhythm, and I couldn't achieve any of the little opportunities that I had in the match. It's something to obviously learn from, but in a way was one of those days that, you know, you can't control anything. It happens." Dimitrov will now be focusing on the grass swing ahead of Wimbledon 2014, and doesn't seem too keen to over think Tuesday's defeat. He was also keen not to make excuses for losing to Karlovic, despite having mentioned that he'd just endured a difficult couple of days. "It's just gonna sound like an excuse, so I'd rather not talk about it. It's just things that I had to go through. Very simple," he said.]>
After falling to a shock first round exit at the 2014 French Open on Monday, Stanislas Wawrinka said that he's not at the same level as the main title contenders. Wawrinka's remarks are anything but fresh as he's been saying the same thing throughout the season, though it's easy to understand why he keeps reminding the press. His 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-0 defeat against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday was considered a huge upset, yet the same result wouldn't have garnered anywhere near the same amount of attention had it occurred last year. "I've had ups and downs," said Wawrinka. "That's why I'm saying I am not at the level of [Novak] Djokovic, [Rafael] Nadal, [Roger] Federer, because they have been around for many years, and they win everything. I know I'll have the level. I could defeat them, but it's different. I need to put the puzzle back together, find solutions, because the pressure is different. "I'm not saying I have more pressure, but the pressure is different. My expectations are different. I feel so strong when I practice. Everything goes so fine when I practice that I'm probably too demanding during the match, and I'm not happy when there are some small things not going the way I want them to go. "As I want to play better, I want to progress, I want to do better. Sometimes that's negative for my game thinking about all these small things." This time last year, Wawrinka had just made his return to the top 10, and this was seen as a massive achievement for a man who at the time seemed destined to be Switzerland's No. 2 until Federer's eventual retirement. The 29-year-old's Australian Open and Monte-Carlo Masters achievements mark a massive leap forward, though he's yet to find the consistency that his biggest rivals are renowned for. Amongst his many successes, Wawrinka's season has included defeats against Andrey Golubev, Dominic Thiem and Alexandr Dolgopolov, amongst others. As far as Monday's result is concerned, Wawrinka says he simply had no solutions for Garcia-Lopez. There's no shame in this as the World No. 41 is known to be a capable dirtballer, and he won the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca this season. That said, Wawrinka expressed a fair amount of disappointment with his performance. "It's one of the very few times, maybe the first time I felt so bad on the court," said the world No. 3. "Everything is changed this year for me. On the positive side, of course, but it's new challenges, new things that you have to manage, new solutions you need to find, and I want to do that. Sometimes it's a small detail that's going to make the whole difference on the court, and I know that for now.  So I need to take a few days off and start again."]>
Rafael Nadal admits that he's not enjoyed his most successful clay season so far, but insists he is not dwelling on any of his defeats. Nadal has been one of the ATP's star men during this year's European clay season, though some pundits have been talking up his vulnerabilities following his early exits in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. These defeats ensured that he endured his first April without a title in almost a decade. Although the world No. 1 bounced back by winning the Madrid Masters and finishing as the runner-up at the Rome Masters, he was questioned about his recent form following Monday's composed 6-0 6-3 6-0 dismissal of Robby Ginepri. Nadal revealed that he found his game towards the end of the Rome Masters. Although he progressed quickly a week earlier in Madrid, he didn't feel that he was on court long enough to assess where he was at - a surprising opinion given that his lack of court time was a result of one-sided victories. "Madrid is a Masters 1000, and I didn't play that much until the final. I lost no set," said Nadal. "I think I never played any long match until the final, so this is a tournament during which I didn't spend that much time on the court." "But after Madrid and mostly after the two first rounds in Rome, which were very difficult with very difficult conditions, with a lot of wind, very cold, I think I started being what I used to be in the past and playing the way I used to play in the past." "My game was back, much better than during my first tournaments on clay. Had it been possible, had I been in a position to use my shots in Madrid or in Rome or in Barcelona, the process would have been far less complex for me. And maybe I would come here with slightly more confidence. But I think the beginning of the season on clay was positive." Nadal is now looking forward to the rest of his matches at Roland Garros. He was asked again about his 6-7 4-6 defeat against David Ferrer in the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals, and replied by insisting that he'd moved on from the loss. "Let's face the facts.  In Monte-Carlo the match was what it was," remarked the Mallorcan. "Everything went very fast. And to be very honest, I can't exactly remember how I felt three or four weeks ago. And then when you take a rest and you start practicing again, you get back to your routine, you forget about everything that happened. I don't think about Barcelona or Monte Carlo anymore. I'm just focused on my matches and today could only think about Ginepri."]>
Despite having just welcomed two more children into the world, Roger Federer says he's feeling fit and ready for this year's French Open. Federer's twin boys stole headlines in the middle of the Madrid Masters this year,  and the news also led to concerns about the Swiss No. 2's ability to focus on this year's summer slams. Regardless of his early exit in Rome, the 32-year-old has been playing well this season, and many consider him to be amongst the contenders for top honours over the next month or two. "It's almost the same situation," said Federer when asked if having two more children had affected his Roland Garros preparations. "They sleep that much that I don't feel bad yet going out of the room and coming back." "So things are fairly normal. Clearly there is a bit more happening and there is a bit more you can do if you want to, but Mirka takes care of most of it," he added. "I hold them as much as I can, but I clearly also want to go out and about with the girls. Routines are pretty much the same, really." Federer says he's feeling good ahead of the tournament and he's happy with the way that he's coped with life on the tour this year. He also seems confident following his runner-up finish at the Monte Carlo Masters. "Playing well in Monaco was helpful in the sense that when I went to training I knew what I needed to work on," he said. "Clearly was very exciting times. For me, I feel like I'm in good shape. I know where my game is at." Federer thinks that the extra time spent at home has allowed him to work on areas that he's targeted for improvement during the year. "Because I was home and it gave me more time to train. I have become again a touch stronger in the last few weeks and months really, which was important after the year I had last year that I do take those opportunities when I have them to work very hard." "I feel very strong, actually," he said when asked how he feels physically. "I always hoped that around March, April time this year I was going to be feeling strong again, that I was able to catch up on the lost time I had last year. And that's how I feel.  It's been really solid in practice; no setbacks in matches; I have been able to back them up time and time again."]>
Rafael Nadal successfully defended his Madrid Masters title following a dramatic clash against Kei Nishikori. The result will surprise few people, though the manner of it should be a talking point for the next couple of weeks at least. Nadal had been in cruise control throughout this year's Madrid Masters but quickly found himself in trouble against Nishikori. Japan's No.1 won the first set 6-2. TENNI-ESP-ATP(Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images)However, Nishikori was unable to build upon the strong start. This was partly due to a flurry of vicious forehands from Nadal, but also due to a back injury that gradually became more of a problem as the match wore on. Nadal went on to win the second set before Nishikori withdrew with the score at 2-6, 6-4, 3-0. Nadal has looked more vulnerable than usual lately, and Nishikori was in charge before the injury started to take its toll. The 24-year-old will now enter the top 10 and there's no reason why he can't go deep at Roland Garros and/or Wimbledon. Although Nadal got the result that he wanted, he may have wanted to win the final more convincingly after winning every other match this week in straight sets. TENNIS-ESP-ATP(Photo by DANI POZO/AFP/Getty Images)With the win Nadal becomes the first player to win four Madrid Masters titles and edges closer to some of the greats on the all-time leader boards. With his 63rd title he's now just one tournament triumph away from drawing level with Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg at fifth on the overall all-time winners list, and two more clay titles will enable him to level Guillermo Vilas' record of 46 Open Era titles on the dirt. Mutua Madrid Open - Day Nine(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Nadal's victory also keeps him at the top of the ATP World Tour rankings for another week. Novak Djokovic is hot on his tail, but injury struggles prevented the Serb from picking up any points at the Magic Box. Mutua Madrid Open - Day Nine(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Nadal has now leapfrogged Stanislas Wawrinka into the top spot in the ATP Race to London rankings. He'd been in fourth at the start of the week behind Djokovic and Roger Federer also. He now takes pole position ahead of the Rome Masters, and potentially for the upcoming summer slams. TENNI-ESP-ATP(Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images)]>
Here's a run down of our top five talking points from this week's Mutua Madrid Open... 1. Rafael Nadal has his mojo back Nadal seemed to reluctantly accept that there was something lacking from his game prior to his Madrid Masters campaign. However, whilst his 'confidence issues' were aired at his first press conference, they were nowhere to be seen when he stepped on the court. Following his stunning 6-1 6-0 dismantling of Juan Monaco in round one, Nadal has gone from strength to strength. Ahead of Saturday's semi-finals, he was yet to drop a set this week and makes for a convincing title favourite. 2. Maria Sharapova is on her way back to the top There's no way that Sharapova is only the ninth best player in the WTA, so her current ranking slightly obscures the fact that there are only one or two players who can really claim to be more capable than her. We've seen the Russian tough out a couple of tricky matches here, but on the whole she's produced free-flowing attacking tennis and now appears to be the favourite to win the title. 3) This Roberto Bautista-Agut guy might not be a one-hit wonder Bautista-Agut has appeared to punch above his weight in the early stages of 2014. He's already beaten Jerzy Janowicz, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro this season, and these wins no longer appear to be one-offs. The Spaniard was faced with the mammoth task of facing Nadal in the semi-finals on Saturday, but he can take a huge amount of pride in his achievements here regardless of whether or not he troubles the World No. 1. His results in Madrid should propel him to the top 30 when the rankings are updated. 4. Petra Kvitova can produce the goods on clay Kvitova isn't famed for her clay court prowess, at least in comparison to her ability to perform on other surfaces. However, the Czech has made it to the semi-finals this week and has beaten some quality opponents on the way. She was handed a walkover in the quarter-finals where she was supposed to meet Serena Williams, but even so, this run could give Kvitova reason to believe in her chances of making an impact at Roland Garros. 5. Another twist in the Race to London The Race rankings have made for interesting viewing this season. Nobody could have predicted that Stanislas Wawrinka would have entered the Madrid Masters as the Year-To-Date No. 1, and fewer would have anticipated that Roger Federer would sit one place ahead of Nadal. However, the latest twist is that Nadal is closing in on a successful Madrid title defence that would send him from fourth to first. Expect more jockeying for position over the next few months. ]>
The Mutua Madrid Open continues on Friday, and here is our pick of the quarter-final matches to watch in the men's singles... 1. Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych Nadal vs. Berdych is going to be the main match on Friday's schedule and with good reason too. The draw has panned out in a slightly unusual way, and this upcoming quarter-final is pretty much the only one that could have been predicted with any degree of confidence at the start of the week. There were question marks over Nadal's confidence prior to the start of the tournament; the man himself even recognised that he wasn't playing with his usual swagger. Even so, the Spaniard has looked remarkably solid in his opening matches and has reached the last eight for the loss of just six games. Berdych can't make a similar boast, but his section of the draw has been tougher. He began with a straight sets dismissal of Kevin Anderson, and then recorded a superb 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over twelfth seed Grigor Dimitrov, who may well have been feeling the strain after a second round thriller against Marius Copil. Nadal has dominated his rivalry with Berdych over the years, winning 17 of their 20 matches. His winning streak over the Czech currently stands at 16 matches. Even so, the Czech is a very capable opponent and he's been competitive in his recent battles with the World No. 1. 2. Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Santiago Giraldo This clash between two of the main draw's lesser known competitors has been picked for the exact opposite reason of Nadal versus Berdych. Neither player has any significant experience of going deep in a Masters Series event, and it will be intriguing to see how they perform with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs. Whilst I tipped Bautista Agut to do well at the start of the week, he's going to need to show a different kind of grit and determination now that we're at the business end of the tournament. Giraldo, meanwhile, will be faced with the challenge of maintaining his impressive recent run, and that could add to the pressure of the situation. Giraldo played out of his skin to beat seventh seed Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2 in the third round, whilst Bautista Agut couldn't have done much more in his 6-4, 6-2 dismissal of Lukasz Kubot. If both players reproduce their third round form then this contest could be a classic.   ]>
Play at the Mutua Madrid Open continues on Friday, and we've picked out two of the best matches scheduled to take place at the WTA Madrid... 1. Maria Sharapova vs. Na Li This one promises to be a blockbuster clash. Li currently holds a career high ranking of No. 2 in the world, whilst Sharapova is in good form and looking to claw her way back to the top of the rankings. It's not easy to choose a favourite. Sharapova was pushed in round two by Christina McHale but appeared to steady the ship in the third round, where she eliminated Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-3. As she moves from taking on a slam winner to taking on a two-time slam winner she can expect things to get a little tougher. Li made it as far as the third round without dropping a set, though her third round clash against Sloane Stephens presented a few problems. The American won the first set but couldn't produce the kind of heroics that have made her a threat at recent majors. Li eventually battled back for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. Sharapova is meeting one of the WTA's very best here but might draw confidence from her 9-5 head to head record against the Aussie Open champ. To add to this she's won four of the last five meetings between the two players, and holds a 3-1 record against Li on clay. 2. Serena Williams vs. Petra Kvitova Sharapova versus Li isn't the only clash to take place on Friday between two slam winners. Admittedly, there's a notable difference between all-time great Serena and one-time Wimbledon champ Kvitova, but this contest could get interesting. Both players are very clean strikers of the ball, and it will be intriguing to see how Williams deals with a player who has the power to dominate a few rallies against her. However, recent matches suggest that Kvitova could be in trouble here. Whilst Kvitova has had to battle through two three-set clashes en route to the quarter-finals, Serena has routinely thrashed everyone in her path in the early rounds. Head to head history also points towards a triumph for the World No. 1, as Williams has won all five of her previous matches against the Czech. Even so, there's no reason why Kvitova shouldn't be able to make this match an entertaining one if she can make her relatively high-risk tennis pay off.]>
Play at the Mutua Madrid Open continues on Thursday, and we've picked out three of the best matches scheduled to take place at the WTA Madrid... 1. Serena Williams vs. Carla Suarez Navarro Serena could receive her first serious test at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday, following very convincing wins against Belinda Bencic and Shuai Peng respectively. Both of these players are highly capable, but neither is amongst the seeds like Suarez Navarro, who will have hopes of causing a major upset. Suarez Navarro has also gotten this far without dropping a set. That said, she's got a massive task ahead of her and something to prove too. In all three of the Spaniard's previous meetings with Williams she's been outmuscled and outthought. She's only won five games across the three matches and has been bagelled every time. The most recent contest between the two players was in the quarter-finals of last season's US Open. It finished 6-0, 6-0 to Serena. Will Suarez Navarro be able to do better this time around? You'd certainly hope so, seeing as she's playing in front of a home crowd. Maybe she can use her previous misfortunes against Serena as motivation for a very unlikely upset. 2. Maria Sharapova vs. Samantha Stosur Sharapova entered this year's Mutua Madrid Open as the ninth seed and she'll be looking for a lengthy run that could send her back into the top five. She's managed to stay in the draw so far, but endured some nervy moments as she claimed a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 triumph over Christina McHale in round two. Stosur has also suffered from a bit of a ranking slide, though unlike Sharapova she's not been in the kind of form that indicates a return to the top. Even so, she's made it through to the last sixteen in Madrid, fighting through an incredibly tough section of the draw in the process. She started with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Aussie Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova, and then defeated Spanish up-and-comer Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. This could be an intriguing clash. Stosur might have picked up some confidence following her recent wins. If this can help her to play to the level that once made her one of the WTA's elite stars, Sharapova could be in trouble here. 3. Petra Kvitova vs. Lucie Safarova Play begins on the Arantxa Sanchez Vicario court with an all-Czech showdown between Kvitova and Safarova. Kvitova holds a 3-0 head to head record against her compatriot and will be looking for her third win of the year over her Fed Cup teammate. Safarova isn't exactly a no-hoper here and might be able to unsettle the former Wimbledon champ on the Madrid clay. The World No. 6 has needed three sets to win both of her matches here, whilst Safarova was in command in round two as she ousted Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-2.]>
Here's our pick of the top ATP players to look out for today at the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open... 1. Rafael Nadal Nadal should be able to coast through his match against Juan Monaco, and even if he's not at his best it's unlikely that the result will be in much doubt. The last word of that sentence could be key in some regards though, especially in light of the Spaniard's remarks ahead of the start of his campaign. "When you lose, you have a hard moment, you have more doubts,” is what the World No. 1 said to reporters on Sunday, in light of his first April without a trophy since 2004. What we're looking at here is the manner of Nadal's performance. Perhaps he'll clinch a dominant win and take confidence from that. On the other hand, maybe he'll edge through in three sets, which might not be a bad scenario as he'll be keen to work on his clutch play. His body language and tennis should both make for interesting viewing. 2. Andy Murray Murray hasn't competed since the Davis Cup quarter-finals and will be aiming to make a winning start to his campaign against Nicolas Almagro. He couldn't have asked for a much tougher second round contest, as Almagro is on home soil here and just so happens to be the same man who ousted Nadal at last week's Barcelona Open. There have been moments this season when it's looked like Murray could be just a few matches away from the form that won him two slams. At other times it's looked like the Scot could have a long way to go. The Madrid Masters may help us to get a better idea of what to expect from Murray over the next few months. Another possible twist in the tale surrounding this match involves Murray's coaching situation. If he performs well here it's probable that he'll hold off on his search for a coach to replace Ivan Lendl. Should he make an early exit, there may well be a bit more urgency about his recruitment drive. 3. Ernests Gulbis/Alexandr Dolgopolov This one's a bit of a cheat, as two players have been selected simultaneously. The reason for this is that Gulbis and Dolgopolov will be facing off in the day's most intriguing showdown. Gulbis and Dolgopolov are both capable of breathtaking attacking tennis and we can expect fireworks on the Madrid clay. Both players have a tendency to keep the points short, which is a little at odds with the tennis we regularly see at the Magic Box. Dolgopolov keeps the rallies short for game plan reasons, whereas Gulbis seems more inclined towards attempting the spectacular for the sake of it. Either way, the efforts of both players almost always make for enthralling viewing. ]>
Action at the Mutua Madrid Open continues on Wednesday, and we've picked out our Top 3 WTA matches to watch... 1. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Roberta Vinci There haven't been too many big moments for Vinci this season. The Italian has put together a dismal 6-12 match record for 2014, though she's looked a little sharper in recent months. Vinci is currently in need of some big wins to get her season on track and to help her cling on to a place in the top 20. It will be intriguing to see what she brings to the table against former World No. 1 Wozniacki, who will surely pull through if Vinci shows no improvement. 2. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Jelena Jankovic This is another clash that has the potential to go against the rankings. That said, Jankovic has won her last two matches against Pavlyuchenkova without too much stress, and is currently placed firmly in the top 10 following a very strong start to the season. Pavlyuchenkova is definitely the underdog, but as suggested above, her threat isn't one that should be taken lightly. She holds a 3-2 record against Jankovic overall and won the Open GDF Suez earlier in the season. 3. Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova Radwanska is the World No. 3 and third seed but that doesn't necessarily make her the favourite to win her upcoming clash with Kuznetsova. The Russian, who currently ranks in at No. 28, has superb clay court credentials and a winning record against Radwanska to boot. Kuznetsova was the French Open champion in 2009 and in theory is a dark horse for the Madrid title this week. Also, Kuznetsova's last match against Radwanska was at Roland Garros in 2012, and she won that match 6-1, 6-2. The victory took Kuznetsova's winning streak over Radwanska to six matches, and her overall record against the Pole to 10-3. It looks like Radwanska may struggle to live up to her billing on Wednesday. ]>
Roger and Mirka Federer are now the proud parents of two more children following the birth of twin boys Leo and Lenny. Federer celebrated yet another milestone doubles achievement on Tuesday night, though this time around there will be no Stanislas Wawrinka in sight and presumably no medals! For the second time running, the Swiss star has become the parents to twins, following the birth of twin girls Charlene Riva and Myla Rose in July 2009. Federer broke the news to the world on Twitter, with a message reading: "Mirka and I are so incredibly happy to share that Leo and Lenny were born this evening!" [txt8664] Although Federer had pulled out of the Madrid Masters to be with his wife, the due date for the expected child had been kept a close secret. "I apologise to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year," remarked Federer when he made the decision to withdraw. "I'll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the tour soon." As far as the ATP World Tour is concerned, there's also been no further announcement regarding Federer's due date - and by that I mean when we can expect him to return exactly. With the French Open looming and a shot at slam No. 18 on the way, it's likely that Federer will stay true to his word and be back in action in the near future. It's anyone's guess what the future holds for the little Federers, though many will be aware that there are now enough of them to complete a clean sweep of silverware at the slams. In the meantime we can still look out for Grigor Dimitrov. Just don't call him Baby Fed to his face.]>
There were few upsets at the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday, with Na Li and Agnieszka Radwanska amongst the winners. Li and Radwanska are the second and third seeds respectively, but fate handed them a tough draw in Madrid for round one. Even so, Li was able to book her place in the second round with a 6-1 7-6 victory over Kirsten Flipkens, whilst Radwanska eliminated rising star Eugenie Bouchard 7-6 6-2. A number of other seeded players also made the grade. Simona Halep ran riot against German qualifier Julia Goerges for a 6-2 6-0 triumph, whilst Jelena Jankovic looked confident as she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-3. Another former World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, joined Jankovic in round two by beating Ekaterina Makarova 6-2 6-2. Fourteenth seed Carla Suarez Navarro met expectations on home soil with a 7-6 6-4 victory over Yvonne Meusberger, and fifteenth seed Sabine Lisicki worked hard for a 6-2 6-7 6-3 scoreline against Czech qualifier Karolina Pliskova. However, Dominika Cibulkova's 6-4 6-0 loss against Sam Stosur prevented a clean sweep for the seeds. There were a few other high-profile results. Two-time slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova won 6-3 4-6 6-1 against Alize Cornet, and fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also prevailed with a 6-4 4-6 6-1 success against Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor. In the day's other match, Romanian wildcard Irina-Camelia Begu eliminated Shuai Zhang 6-4 7-5.]>
Andy Murray has refused to rule out the possibility of hiring John McEnroe as his new coach. Following the departure of Ivan Lendl from Murray's team, many onlookers are wondering if the Wimbledon champion will end up with another high-profile coach. After all, the Scot's partnership with Lendl - one of the greats of the Open Era - proved to be fruitful and helped him on his way to two slam titles. We've recently discovered that this may be the case. Murray seems open to the idea of being coached by McEnroe and has also been linked with the likes of Mats Wilander, though the Swede doesn't appear to be available for the role. McEnroe, however, is yet to be ruled out, and may even be a good option for the World No. 8. Regardless of what some might say about his famous fiery temperament, McEnroe is still as passionate about the game as ever. "Every player would consider someone with his credentials," Murray told . "When you are very competitive as a player, you are likely to be the same as a coach and that's also a benefit. He was a great player and he's always kept an interest in the game, which is important. He has a great knowledge of the sport." Although Murray is happy to talk about his thoughts on potential coaches, it doesn't look like he'll be rushed into a decision just yet. He revealed that he'll wait until after Wimbledon to make an appointment if he feels that's the right decision. "It depends how I do in the next couple of weeks," he remarked. "If I do well, I'm not going to have that much time. If I don't do so well, I'll have a little bit more time to think about it and chat to people. I need to have the right person in place. I don't want to have the wrong person in place by the French Open. I'd rather wait a few weeks and get the right person three weeks after Wimbledon."]>
Following his maiden Masters title in Monte Carlo, Stanislas Wawrinka has got to be counted amongst the main contenders to win the upcoming Mutua Madrid Open. The Swiss star has achieved some incredible milestone achievements in 2014, and was able to back up his maiden slam title a few weeks back by topping the pack in Monte Carlo. Now that he's proven capable of winning the biggest accolades in the game, many are wondering if Wawrinka will continue to take down the ATP's 'big four'. Wawrinka's 12-7 win-loss record in Madrid isn't particularly impressive, though he seemed to turn a corner last season at the Magic Box, where he finished as the runner-up to Rafael Nadal. This season he enters the event in top form. His victory over Roger Federer in the Monte Carlo final took his wins total to 20 for 2014, and sent him to the top of the ATP's race rankings with the season well underway. Wawrinka's ability to compete to a high standard on clay is no secret either. Last year he performed well outside of Madrid, winning the Portugal Open and finishing as a finalist in Buenos Aires. Beyond this he reached the semi-finals in Casablanca and the quarter-finals of the French Open. The main issue for Wawrinka is consistency. Whilst he's proven that he can beat anyone on his day, Wawrinka hasn't quite proved capable of the level of consistency shared by the elite four. He's only lost three times this season but questions were asked when he followed up back-to-back fourth round losses in Indian Wells and Miami with an unexpected Davis Cup defeat against Andrey Golubev. The doubts surrounding Wawrinka's consistency could serve him well next week, as he'll be able to enjoy being one of the title favourites without having to shoulder too much expectation. He'll certainly be one to watch.]>
Na Li isn't the favourite to win this year's Madrid Open but she's playing well enough to be in with a shot at the title. In all honesty, I'm of the opinion that this year's Madrid Open is going to be on Serena Williams's racquet, but if anyone is going to steal the title away then it's probably going to be Na Li. The two-time slam winner has been one of the WTA's most impressive players in the 2014 season so far, and holds an outstanding 21-3 win-loss record. Li's last outing was in Miami, where Serena defeated her in straight sets in the final. On the way to her meeting with the American, Li beat the likes of Carla Suarez Navarro, Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova. It seems as though she's lost very little, if any, of the momentum that won her back-to-back titles in Shenzhen and (of course) Melbourne in the first month of the season. Li is the second seed for the Madrid Open. That said, her run-in isn't as favourable as that of many of the other seeds, and a potentially tricky match against Kirsten Flipkens awaits in round one. Further down the line she'll probably have to deal with Sloane Stephens, and then Cibulkova or Maria Sharapova. It's clear that there's a lot of work to be done, but Li has progressed superbly as a player over the past few years and her on-court temperament should help her to overcome her challengers. Further, her offensive game is staggeringly good at times and her ability to perform on clay is not in doubt. She's a former French Open champion after all. The major problem for Li is that she'll probably meet Serena if she reaches the final. China's No. 1 has only won one of the 12 matches between the two players and the Miami defeat was her tenth loss in a row against her rival. This is anything but a cause for optimism when considering Li's title hopes.]>
I'm going to make one of the least adventurous predictions of all time and back Serena Williams to win this year's Mutua Madrid Open. The reasons for this are perhaps obvious. The American hasn't been at her unbelievable best at times in 2014 but she remains the top player in the WTA, and it's hard to see how anyone will get the better of her in Madrid if she's on her game. Heading into the tournament the 32-year-old holds a 15-3 match record for the season and won a title quite recently at the Miami Masters. She didn't cope too well with the change of setting for the Family Circle Cup where she lost her first match, but has since had plenty of time to recover. Serena is currently just one title shy of a landmark 60th, and even in her thirties looks set to go well beyond this current total. The European clay swing, which for her will begin in Madrid, should help her on her way. None can question the World No. 1's ability to perform on this surface, and though it's not traditionally been her best, last season it appeared to be. Serena was unbeaten in 2013 on clay, with the Madrid Open being just one of the five titles that she picked up. These included the French Open and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where she produced several huge performances that outlined her dominance of the WTA. Another supreme spell on the red stuff could be exactly what's needed ahead of the two summer slams, where Williams will have intentions of closing in on Steffi Graf's all-time record. Another reason for Williams to be optimistic in Madrid is the entry list. With Victoria Azarenka still waiting to make a comeback from her foot injury there isn't anyone present who's known to take the game to Serena in a particularly effective way. The best bet for an outsider is probably either Na Li or Simona Halep. Agnieszka Radwanska can also threaten, but Serena is consistently a more powerful ball-striker, and usually dictates terms when the two players meet. All in all, Serena looks like the player to beat. The draw doesn't appear to have presented her with any imminent danger and once she's built momentum she'll probably be impossible to stop. ]>
The last few months have gone superbly for Novak Djokovic, who heads to Madrid this week as favourite to win the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open title. My personal hunch is that Rafael Nadal will battle his way to the Madrid Masters title next week, though on paper the momentum is with Djokovic, and there's solid justification for the opinion that the tournament will be on the Serb's racquet. The world No. 2 has been on a tear recently and has somehow managed to claw back ranking points to the extent that he has an outside chance of reclaiming the top ranking spot in Madrid. A few months ago this seemed extremely unlikely. Djokovic currently holds a 19-3 win-loss record for 2014, and his Indian Wells/Miami double enabled him to strengthen his claim to being the ATP's main man. He was later beaten in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters by Roger Federer, but his wrist injury was clearly preventing him from playing his best tennis. With the injury not being as bad as initially feared, a fully fit Djokovic arrives in Madrid as the popular choice for being the favourite. Nadal's recent form, meanwhile, has been surprisingly human, and the Spaniard has just endured his first April without a title since 2004. To add to this, Nadal is currently on a  three-match losing streak against Djokovic, who may well have the psychological edge if the two competitors meet in the final as expected. Djokovic also has the benefit of having nothing to lose at the Magic Box next week. Following his shock second round exit last season he's only defending ten ranking points, whilst Nadal has to defend a whole 1000 as the reigning champion. If Djokovic wins the tournament this time around he'll be the new No. 1 if Nadal fails to reach the quarter-finals. From a mental perspective, Djokovic's position is in many ways favourable ahead of the second clay Masters event of the year. You could argue that the news of Djokovic's impending fatherhood provides a distraction, but equally, in light of his recent form it's just another reason for him to be saying 'who's the daddy?' It would be no surprise to see him pick up the Madrid title for a second time next weekend. ]>
Jonas Bjorkman is on the shortlist to become Andy Murray's new coach and could be in line to become the next high-profile Swedish trained in the ATP. Sweden's Mats Wilander has made it clear that he's not to be counted amongst the candidates to be Murray's next coach, but fellow Swede Jonas Bjorkman has emerged as one of the new front-runners. The charismatic former world No. 4 is on Murray's potential coach shortlist and could well be the man to fill the role vacated by Ivan Lendl. Murray is yet to make a decision and is considering several options, though Bjorkman could well be the man for the job. He knows about the pressures of the modern game having retired as recently as 2008, and won all four of the doubles slams as a player. In singles, he reached the semi-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. If Bjorkman joins forces with Murray he'll have hopes of becoming the next successful Swedish coach. Fellow Swede Magnus Norman can't be praised enough for his work with Stanislas Wawrinka, which has turned the Swiss from a capable performer into a slam winner. Stefan Edberg also appears to be a valuable coach, as Roger Federer's displays have improved noticeably since he teamed up with his childhood idol. Bjorkman doesn't appear to have lost his passion for tennis and the job could work out well for him as well as Murray. Since he played his last match as a professional the 42-year-old has still been a prominent figure in the game, working as the tournament director for the Stockholm Open and also as a lead commentator for Swedish TV. Beyond this he's put in plenty of hours helping the Swedish Davis Cup team, gaining experience that may have prepared him well for another high-profile coaching role.]>
Although he is in the middle of a 'slump' at the moment, there's every reason to back Rafael Nadal to win the Madrid Masters. Nadal appears to have lost momentum in the race for the Year-End No. 1 spot but his chances of picking up the Madrid Masters title really shouldn't be talked down. Although many will be quick to point out that he's just endured his first April without a title since 2004, the Spaniard is still, in my books at least, the man to beat on red clay. The reports surrounding Nadal's exits in Monte Carlo and Barcelona have been primarily focused on a lack of confidence and a loss of the mental edge that has made the Spaniard so unbeatable during the European clay swing in the past. However, there's more to it than that, and you can't help but think that the reaction to the defeats reflects the fact that Nadal has been so dominant in recent years, rather than the fact that he's fallen short in a couple of recent matches. Few people seem to be acknowledging the quality of the players that have beaten him on clay too. For instance, World No. 5 David Ferrer was his conqueror in Monaco. It's true that Nadal has made his compatriot look mediocre in the past, and also that his game is well-suited to making Ferrer struggle, yet Ferrer has been in the top 5 for a long time and his clay court credentials are up there with the best of the current generation. Only a handful of players can really claim to have the edge on the 'little beast' on this surface. And how about Nicolas Almagro, who beat Nadal in Barcelona? Almagro hasn't recently been able to find the consistency that he exhibited when he was a top 10 competitor, but he too is renowned for his mastery of the clay. There was a time when Almagro pretty much owned the South American clay swing and this shouldn't be forgotten. Sure, Nadal had won all 10 of his matches against Almagro prior to the Barcelona meeting, but there's really no need for major concern now that the streak has ended. It was probably going to happen sooner or later, and it's better for it to happen now as Rafa has time to alter his game if necessary in time for the French Open. Then again, Nadal doesn't really need to make any major changes. He dominated the first two sets against Almagro and was kicking himself for not capitalising on the opportunity to put away his fellow countryman. Nadal may be the World No. 1, but he's only human and can expect to have the occasional wayward day like this. He put himself in a great position to beat one of the world's best clay court players and blew his chance. This isn't ideal, but it isn't a reflection of a man in anything resembling a serious rut. Heading into the Madrid Masters Nadal has lost a couple of high-profile matches against top quality opponents. Nadal himself isn't happy with how he's played lately, but he's still only lost five matches this season and is debatably the favourite to win the Madrid title. He'll have the likes of Novak Djokovic, Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer to contend with, but there's a strong argument for backing him to prevail. He's not been losing to no-marks, and only Djokovic has beaten him in a manner that could be described as comfortable. Nadal will be back on home soil in Madrid and the return to Spain could provide the perfect opportunity to regroup. The only possible issue is the pressure that he's under to defend his ranking points, as he's the defending champion. Despite this, he only dropped one set at the Magic Box last season and when this happened he fought back and finished the match with a bagel (against Ferrer). The recent losses will most likely strengthen Nadal's resolve. Great champions usually find a way to succeed, and at 27 years of age Nadal is unlikely to stay 'down' for too long. The 2014 form guide might not show the top seed in the best light compared to previous years but the season is still young. I for one won't be surprised at all if he picks up his fourth 2014 title in Madrid.]>
Larry Stefanki is reportedly one of the names in the hat to become Andy Murray's new coach. Murray left Britain this week following a string of public outings in Scotland, during which he was granted the freedom of the city of Sterling and an honorary doctorate from Stirling University. However, despite the best efforts of reporters, he wasn't tempted to let out much information regarding the coaching vacancy, merely stating that “there’s seven or eight people I’ve got down on a list”. As suggested by Simon Briggs in the , it is believed that the Wimbledon champion would be most likely to want to team up with either Tim Henman or Darren Cahill. However, Cahill appears to be swamped by his commitments for ESPN and Team Adidas, whilst Henman has repeatedly made it clear that he's perfectly happy with his current routine. Larry Stefanki is now perhaps the most probable hire for the Murray camp. He'd been offered the role in 2006 but declined it, admitting that he wasn't too comfortable about the prospect of dealing with the media attention. Legendary 'Winning Ugly' coach Brad Gilbert ended up with the job. Despite this, Stefanki went on to work with Andy Roddick prior to his compatriot's retirement back in 2012. At the time, Stefanki remarked: "I’m not totally retired yet. I still have that thing inside my soul to coach at the highest level. It’s in my blood. I like the challenge of someone challenging themselves." Stefanki is a former coach of Henman and has expressed his admiration of Murray previously, stating: "He’s a good friend. I really like him as a person. He has that kind of humour that is so dry; he’s almost the driest comedian possible. I’m a big fan."]>
Rafael Nadal is in serious danger of losing his No. 1 ranking spot to Novak Djokovic following a quarter-final exit at the 2014 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadel. Nadal had entered the Barcelona Open as the red hot favourite and for good reason. The World No. 1 had been unbeaten at the tournament since he made a second round exit in 2003, and in the process had picked up eight titles. However, he fell to an unexpected demise on Friday at the hands of compatriot Nicolas Almagro. It's not just the lack of a title this week that's caught people off guard. It's also the fact that he lost to Almagro, an opponent who he'd beaten comfortably in all 10 of their other previous matches. Throughout these 10 contests he'd only ever surrendered two sets, and it was a shock to see him lose two to his compatriot in one day as he fell to a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. loss. This could be a turning point in the battle for the No. 1 ranking spot. Nadal has a massive points total to defend over the next few months, and he's already dropped 830 points in the European clay swing following back-to-back Monte Carlo and Barcelona quarter-final defeats. Suddenly his lead over Djokovic doesn't look so unassailable. Djokovic's points total will remain at 11040 this week, though Nadal's is set to drop to 1290. Djokovic hardly has any points to defend in Madrid and Rome, whilst Nadal will need to be at his best for those events. To make matters worse for Nadal, a French Open title defence looks like an absolute necessity if he's to stay at the top of the pile. Of course it's not all doom and gloom for Rafa, who is only a couple of hundred points behind Djokovic in the ATP Race rankings. However, for now, the hunter has become the hunted, and it looks like the Spaniard is struggling a little. He even admitted to a lack of confidence ahead of this week's event, which is not something that we're used to hearing. Djokovic has a major opportunity to apply pressure and make up ground over the next couple of months, and on current form he should be able to do just that. His wrist injury has turned out to be less of an issue than initially feared and he's looked like the ATP's main man of late. However, we shouldn't expect this game of cat and mouse to continue in this fashion. The momentum in the Nadal/Djokovic rivalry has been subject to frequent swings in the past and once we get to the end of the US Open it will be Djokovic who has points to defend. Wimbledon should also be a consideration, as Nadal has a huge opportunity to make up for lost ground there too. For now though, Djokovic will be the happier of the two players heading into the Madrid Masters. ]>
Rafael Nadal is in danger of being overtaken by Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP World Tour rankings. Prior to the start of the week Nadal had held a lead of 2050 points over Djokovic at the top of the rankings, though the Serb held a 95 point lead over him in the 2014 ATP Race To London. Although it had seemed like 2014 could be another year of dominance for Rafa, it now looks like his No. 1 ranking could be at risk. Nadal's 2013 clay swing was a roaring triumph, as he picked up titles at Roland Garros, Madrid, Rome and Barcelona. In the process he was able to amass 5,100 points, which he might struggle to defend this time around. Djokovic, on the other hand, only has 1,910 points to defend, following a Monte Carlo triumph and a semi-final showing at the French Open last season. It's understandable to believe that Rafa has a chance of staying on top of the pile, though his 2014 European clay swing has begun with an unexpected quarter-final loss against David Ferrer in Monaco. The Mallorcan seemed to be a little out of sorts as he slumped to the 7-6 6-4 defeat, sparking doubts about his ability to reproduce last year's heroics. Djokovic had been making steady progress in Monte-Carlo but lost his semi-final showdown against Roger Federer on Saturday, meaning he'll lose ground on Nadal in the overall rankings due to the points he's defending from last season. However, he lost in the second round of the Madrid Masters and couldn't get beyond the quarters in Rome in 2013. This gives him plenty of space to make up for lost ground, and Nadal can't really afford to lose. There are other men for Rafa to look out for further down the line, if we look solely at the Race To London. Stanislas Wawrinka is a mere 60 points behind Nadal in third place, and fourth-placed Federer is just 275 points behind Rafa. Wawrinka is guaranteed to overtake Nadal thanks to his semi-final run in Monte Carlo, and Federer will close the gap to under 100 points at the very least. The flip side of a Federer win over Djokovic on Saturday would be that the 17-time slam winner would overtake Nadal in the Race To London, with almost five months of the 2014 season played.]>
We've picked out three players who could cause a stir at the upcoming 2014 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters... We can rightfully expect the attention to be primarily focused on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at this year's Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, though there are a couple of other players in the mix who could shake things up at the prestigious event. The depth of the field in Monte Carlo is fairly impressive, though we've singled out three players who have the ability to upset the odds and pick up the title.1. Grigor Dimitrov Sony Ericsson Open - Day 7(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Dimitrov has been steadily climbing the rankings and now sits at a career-high of No. 15. He's achieved this by compiling a 14-5 match record for 2014, which includes a title run on the clay of Acapulco. The Bulgarian appears to be fulfilling his outstanding potential and we all know that he's capable of breathtaking performances following his exploits over the past year or so. Dimitrov reached the fourth round here last season before falling to an agonising 6-2 2-6 6-4 loss against eight-time champion Rafael Nadal, and was also narrowly denied by the Spaniard in this year's Australian Open quarter-finals. Is it time for Dimitrov to turn the tables? 2. Fabio FogniniItaly v Great Britain - Davis Cup World Group Quarter-Finals: Day Three(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)World No. 13 Fognini is one of the ATP's men of the moment and he's already amassed a staggering 21 wins at the top level this season. The Italian is also one of this year's clay court titlists, having topped the pack in Vina Del Mar. He backed this up by reaching the final in Buenos Aires where he was stopped by David Ferrer. If there were any doubts about Fognini's ability to perform against the best players on the dirt he dispelled them by winning a crucial singles rubber against Andy Murray in the Davis Cup quarter-finals just over a week ago. That said, Fognini has fallen to a handful of baffling one-sided defeats this year, and will need to be more resilient to succeed in Monte Carlo. He reached the semi-finals here last season, so ranking points will be on the line.3. Milos RaonicATP Masters Series Monte Carlo - Day Two(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)It doesn't usually make a lot of sense to back the big men on clay, but Raonic is a player who has dedicated a lot of his time to playing on the red stuff. As the eighth seed for this event, Raonic has received a relatively favourable draw and should be capable of making it to round four. Should he achieve that he's likely to run into Stanislas Wawrinka, who has looked a little shaky lately. Raonic hasn't been able to compete as much as he might have liked to this season, but his last two tournament outings resulted in back-to-back Masters Series quarter-finals. This is pretty encouraging and as we all know, Raonic has the ability to match anyone simply by repeatedly holding his venomous serve. It's easier said than done, but remains a weapon that other players on the tour can only dream of having in their armoury.]>
The French team has made it through to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup World Group following an entertaining 3-2 victory over a weakened German side. Heading into the clash it had looked like France would run riot against Germany. The home nation were able to call upon Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra. Even without the absent Richard Gasquet they possessed a world class team. Germany, meanwhile, were without Tommy Haas, Florian Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Daniel Brands. Their highest ranked competitor for the tie was to be World No. 93 Jan-Lennard Struff, who as it happened wasn't involved in any of the rubbers. Even so, the crowd in Nancy were stunned on Friday as Tobias Kamke and Peter Gojowczyk stepped up to the plate and gave Germany a 2-0 lead. Kamke outclassed Benneteau in three sets, whilst Gojowczyk somehow got the better of world No. 12 Tsonga in a nervy five-set battle. The travelling side were just one match away from an historic triumph. It fell to the duo of Benneteau and Llodra to keep the tie alive, and that's exactly what they did. The German pairing of Kamke and Andre Begemann pushed them to a fourth set on Saturday but the ability of the French double act shone through. The comeback was still on heading into Sunday's schedule, but this time around the Frenchmen were in no mood to let the underdogs hold them back. Tsonga secured a routine win over Kamke, leaving Monfils and Gojowczyk to take part in the decider. This contest turned out to be something of an anti-climax for the weekend. After losing the first set with little resistance, the world No. 119 was able to force a tie-breaker in the second set. However, he didn't win a single point in the breaker and Monfils went on to seal the victory in straight sets. The win has sent France through to the final four where they'll face defending champions the Czech Republic.]>
Andy Murray is suffering from a stomach bug and is a doubt for Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Italy. Murray is reportedly dealing with a stomach bug that could rule him out of the clash against Italy. He was absent when the draw was made on Thursday and instead spent time in his hotel room as he aimed to get over the illness as quickly as possible. British team captain Leon Smith may have to make a last-minute decision on whether or not to select Murray on Friday. As things stand there's a bit of time for the World No. 8 to recover as he's due to play in the second singles rubber. He'll face Andreas Seppi for that clash, with Fabio Fognini and James Ward facing off beforehand. Murray was due to train with the team on Thursday evening, though apparently he's under doctors orders not to play until Friday at the very least. Smith has claimed that the squad is "not overly, overly worried," but British fans and reporters may take a different stance. Murray's inclusion is the cornerstone of the British title charge and they'll go from being slight favourites to huge underdogs if the Wimbledon champion can't compete this weekend. Murray is still expected to step out on court tomorrow, but should he not be able to play it's likely that his replacement will struggle against Seppi, Fognini, or both. This tie now hinges on developments regarding Murray's fitness to compete in the coming hours.]>
Roger Federer's run at the Miami Masters was cut short on Wednesday as he suffered a quarter-final defea to an inspired Kei Nishikori. Federer's aura appears to have come back to some extent following his recent runs in Dubai and Indian Wells, but Nishikori showed the rest of the ATP that the 32-year-old is still beatable. After going down a set and a break against the world No. 5, Japan's No. 1 was able to claim a dramatic 3-6 7-5 6-4 success. This came just one day after he saved four match points on his way to victory over world No. 4 David Ferrer. "Feeling good, of course, to beat Roger," said Nishikori after the match. "I thought I really played well, especially in the third. I was hitting both deep and striking well. Everything was going well. There [were a] couple of tough moments, but I was fighting through and happy to win today." The contest was a nervy one up until the very end, with Nishikori clinching the win on a break point at 5-4 in the third set. He'd opened up two break points in the fourth game of the third set but wasn't able to convert. Federer felt that he could have done a few things a lot better but gave credit to his opponent nonetheless  "I could never really get my service games going," he said. "On the return, as the match went on, I think it was that Kei started to serve a bit better, which made it more difficult." The 17-time slam winner added: "I think Kei does really well controlling the ball. He has great technique, especially on the backhand, very simple, very short back swings, so he does a really nice job of having good timing. I predict he's going to be Top 10 in a short while."]>
Roger Federer enters the BNP Paribas Open with high hopes following his title success at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Federer was able to exceed expectations in Dubai, picking up his sixth title at the ATP 500 event with victories over Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych. The 17-time slam winner looked more like the man who once dominated the ATP than he has done in a long time last week, and he appears to have gained confidence from winning the event. "Of course it's nice beating Novak and all that, but for me it stands out winning a tournament, holding a trophy in my hands," said Federer. "I'm not holding Novak up, you know." "It was a great bonus to be able to beat [Djokovic] on a hardcourt and he's had a great last six months or so and he usually plays so well in Dubai so this was a big win for me," the Swiss told reporters in California. "And same with beating Berdych as well - he's been having a great season so far." "So it's just nice being able to win, beat as many top 10 guys now in two months than what I did all of last year. I enjoyed Dubai and beating those two guys and getting the trophy, it was a perfect week." Federer, who also be competing in the Sony Open in Miami, added: "This definitely helps with the confidence. Now it's just important that I get through these two tournaments in a good way, on the court playing but also physically."]>
Novak Djokovic feels positive about his decision to hire Boris Becker as a coach, but admits that the appointment is a risky one. Djokovic has been able to achieve plenty of continuity by retaining the services of coach Marian Vajda, but admits that his decision to add Becker to his team could potentially backfire. Regardless of this, the World No. 2 has no intention of dwelling on potential negatives and appears to be looking forward to receiving more of Becker's guidance. "Whenever you make a change in life, it's a potential risk, right," Djokovic said prior to his straight sets win over Lukas Lacko in the first round of the Australian Open. "I'm really excited about this cooperation. I'm excited about this partnership that I have with Boris that also has been approved and supported by Marian, who is still in the team. Also they have a great communication. All I see is positive results, and hope for that obviously. I cannot predict or promise anything now." Djokovic believes that Becker's experiences from playing in a previous era of tennis could translate into valuable coaching advice. In particular, Djokovic is hoping that the 6-time slam winner can help him with his attacking game, and his serving in particular. "Obviously he's one of the big names in the sport, has won over 60 titles, Grand Slams, No. 1, Davis Cup,” added the Serb. "I have the utmost respect for what he has achieved in his career. The great serve. Obviously at the time the construction of the point was different. Everything was faster. Served and volleyed many times. "But tennis has evolved in a way because of the technology. Now the game is based on the baseline, longer rallies and so forth. Well, I believe with his great volleys, that aggressive kind of mindset also, from that point of view he can help me."]>
The 2014 Australian Open gets underway on Monday, and if Andy Murray hits form he'll be a genuine title challenger. Were it not for the fact that Murray underwent back surgery towards the end of last season, we'd be talking about him as being one of the favourites for the Melbourne title without a doubt. The Brit is a three-time runner-up here, and had the genius of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer not intervened, he'd only need the French Open to complete a Career Grand Slam. Expectations for Murray have understandably been lowered prior to the start of this event, though the draw should give him a chance to find his feet from the word Go (Yes, his first opponent will be Go Soeda). After taking on Soeda, Murray will then take on a qualifier if he wins. At the time of writing we've no idea who that is, but what we do know is that Murray will most likely be in the draw for the last 32. In round three Murray could be pitted against Feliciano Lopez or Michael Llodra. Lopez in particular could be a tough opponent, and if the rumours about the pace of the courts are to be believed, the power and accuracy of his serve will be a potent mix. Funnily enough, Llodra is also capable of firing in a devastating serve or two, so Murray will need to return well. Fortunately for the Scot, his returning is one of his best attributes. Big serving is a theme that will continue for Murray if he reaches round four, as he'll probably take on either John Isner or Philipp Kohlschrieber. The difference in height between the two players is about a foot, which makes both serves troublesome for different reasons. Isner's is monstrous and comes in at great height, whereas Kohlscreiber's doesn't bounce up too much and can be hard to control. Kohlschreiber offers more from the baseline, though Isner has the ability to play a very delicate drop shot, which could really put Murray's back to the test. Neither player would be an easy opponent. From here the tournament continues to get tougher. Possible quarter-final foes for Murray include Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco. A Federer versus Murray quarter-final could be a spectacular contest, and Tsonga - a former finalist here himself - could also give Murray a run for his money. Verdasco is less likely to pull through, but if he does, his ferocious topspin forehand should give him an outside chance. In the semi-finals Murray could face either World No. 1 Rafael Nadal or World No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro. Rafa will be aiming to back up a terrific 2013 by adding another slam to his collection, whilst Del Potro's performances last year mark him out as a serious challenger for the biggest accolades in the game. At this stage in the tournament Murray's fitness could be an issue, and it might take something special to see him through to the final. If Murray manages to repeat his 2013 exploits and reach the title match he'll most likely have Novak Djokovic waiting for him on the other side of the net. Following an outstanding finish to the 2013 season there's a good case for the Serb being the favourite to win this tournament. In the unlikely event that Djokovic should fall short, other possible finalists from the bottom half of the draw include David Ferrer, Jerzy Janowicz and Stanislas Wawrinka.]>
The 2014 Australian Open starts on Monday, and Novak Djokovic won't have too many complaints about his draw. Djokovic returns to Melbourne as the defending champion, and his past form at this event arguably makes him the favourite to hoist the trophy at the end of the fortnight. To add to this, Nole finished the 2013 season with an outstanding winning streak, going unbeaten after the US Open and giving his biggest rival Rafael Nadal plenty to think about. On the whole Djokovic appears to have been handed a relatively favourable draw. He'll begin with a first round clash against Lukas Lacko, and could face either Leonardo Mayer or Albert Montanes in round two. It would be surprising to see Djokovic drop a set in either match. Djokovic would also be a comfortable favourite for round three, where Dmitry Tursunov and Marcos Baghdatis are possible opponents. The rest of the tournament should be more challenging. Ernests Gulbis stands out as a likely fourth round foe. The mercurial Latvian enjoys playing against the world's best and has the weapons to test anybody in the ATP. Sam Querrey could also be lurking in round four, though he'll need to show a vast improvement on his 2013 form. It seems unlikely that Djokovic will face any major threat of elimination until the quarter-finals, where he could meet Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss No. 2 was on the receiving end of two narrow five-set losses to Djokovic in the slams in 2013, including a blockbuster battle in Melbourne. The opportunity to see the two top ten stars do battle again would be more than welcome. Should Wawrinka fall short, Richard Gasquet and Tommy Robredo are two players in this section of the draw with a decent track record of going deep in the slams. As far as semi-final opponents are concerned, Jerzy Janowicz looks the most dangerous. With the courts in Australia playing at great speed, the Polish powerhouse could be a real handful. Tomas Berdych, Tommy Haas and David Ferrer are three other contenders who could meet Novak in the final four. Should Djokovic reach the final again he'll probably take on either Nadal, Andy Murray or Roger Federer. With Murray looking slightly sluggish following his recent return from injury, and Federer not really at his slam-winning best, Nadal appears to be the man he'd face. Recent showdowns between Djokovic and Nadal have been intense and the on-court shift of power between the two players continues to change direction. Another epic Australian Open final between these two greats of the game could well be on the way, and there are few tennis fans who won't be excited by that prospect.]>
Rafael Nadal enters this year's Australian Open in great form, and many are expecting him to steal the crown from defending champion Novak Djokovic. Although the Serb has reigned supreme in Melbourne in recent years, there's belief amongst Rafa fans that the current World No. 1 gained a significant mental edge over Djokovic on hard courts by beating him in the final of the 2013 US Open. Before Nadal can start seriously thinking about another battle with his biggest rival, he'll first have to work his way through the top half of the draw. In some regards the draw has been hard on the Spaniard, and his first round clash against Bernard Tomic is evidence of this. Although few would really back the 21-year-old to succeed, Tomic is a huge talent and he's been making a lot of noise in recent years about his dreams of being one of the world's best players. This is a superb opportunity for him to prove his mettle. Should Nadal prevail he'll face either Thanasi Kokkinakis or Igor Sijsling in round two. Whatever the outcome, this is a match that has 'routine Rafa win' written all over it. In round three Nadal is likely to meet No. 25 seed Gael Monfils. The Frenchman took a set from Nadal in the Doha final and would present something of a threat. Regardless, he'll need to play out of his skin to test Nadal. The draw will start heating up in the fourth round. Another Aussie, this time Lleyton Hewitt, could be waiting for the top seed at this stage. Following his ATP Brisbane triumph the 32-year-old looks more dangerous than he has done in years. Kei Nishikori and Andreas Seppi are other potential opponents for the Mallorcan. If Nadal reaches the quarter-finals there's a chance that he'll run into fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro or Milos Raonic. Raonic's serve makes him a tough opponent, whilst Del Potro is looking stronger and stronger with each month. It might be only a matter of time before the Argentine steps it up and wins the second slam title of his career. Of the players who Nadal could meet in the semi-finals Andy Murray looks the most capable. Still, following his return from back surgery the Brit is still a little bit off the pace. If he reaches the final four, however, we can safely assume that he'll be somewhere near the top of his game. The other man to look out for in Murray's section of the draw is, of course, Roger Federer. If Federer excels in the early rounds there's bound to be talk of an 18th slam title. Djokovic appears to be the most likely finalist from the bottom half of the draw and it's hard to picture anyone else emerging. Honourable mentions should go to Stanislas Wawrinka and Jerzy Janowicz. With the Australian hardcourts playing at great pace there's no reason why Janowicz shouldn't be able to repeat his Wimbledon heroics with another deep run. Wawrinka, meanwhile, has been growing in confidence and ability. Heading into the tournament he's looking like a dark horse for the Aussie Open crown. ]>
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be the men to beat on the ATP tour in 2014, says Roger Federer. Federer is the top seed at this week's Brisbane International, and remains in the draw thanks to a second round victory over Jarkko Nieminen. In a press conference at the tournament, the Swiss told reporters that he expects Nadal and Djokovic to lead the way in the ATP in 2014. "I think Rafa and Novak are going to be the ones who are going to be the ones to beat this season, particularly in the beginning," said Federer. "Then as we move forward, you have to see if they stay injury-free and keep on winning. I kind of expect them to go deep in most of the tournaments they'll enter, of course." Federer also commented on the situation of Andy Murray, who was beaten in round two of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open by Florian Mayer on Wednesday. The 17-time slam winner believes that the best-of-five battles at the upcoming Australian Open could provide Murray with a massive test following his recent return from injury. "I think Murray, we hope he's going to come back strong," said Federer. "It's nice that he already played a few matches this year now, even though it was an exhibition match. It's a big step forward for him in his mind. "I'm eager to see him again. It's been since probably the U.S. Open I haven't seen him, so I'm hopeful for him that it's going to be fine for the Australian Open, which is going to be a huge test for him now because it's best-of-five-set matches and so forth." ]>
The Australian Open is just a couple of weeks away and here are three less obvious players away from the 'big four' who could surprise us in Melbourne... 1. Milos Raonic The potential of Milos Raonic first became evident at the highest level when the Canadian reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2011. He achieved that feat as a qualifier and even took a set from David Ferrer before bowing out against the Spaniard. This time around Raonic will enter the event as a recognised threat, and will start 2014 as the World No. 11. His serve is as ferocious as any on the tour and with Ivan Ljubicic's assistance he's becoming a stronger all-round competitor. He'll be able to grind down most opponents in the Melbourne heat, and his serve should have even more zip if he's on court for night matches. Few will fancy their chances against Milos. A semi-final appearance is perhaps unlikely, but far from implausible. 2. Jerzy Janowicz Jerzy Janowicz reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2013 courtesy of some impressive performances and a fairly open draw. Although he disappointed in the US Open that followed, there's no reason why he shouldn't return to the fore in Melbourne. The 6'8" Pole is still a fairly inexperienced player in some regards, yet his ability is not in question and his serve and forehand are amongst the most devastating in the game. Janowicz has all the raw materials required to be a genuine contender for major titles. He could go deep in January. 3. Lleyton Hewitt Rather than an up and comer, our first choice is none other than Aussie veteran Lleyton Hewitt. It's fair to say that the 32-year-old's best days are behind him, yet his desire to win the Australian Open could spur him on to something special. He showed glimpses of brilliance at the US Open where he bested Del Potro, and he still has a huge amount of fire in his belly. With the right draw there could be hope of a second week appearance for the baseline battler.]>
The Australian Open is fast approaching and we've picked out three players who could cause a stir at the first Grand Slam of 2014... The 2014 Australian Open should give us a taster of what to expect for the rest of the season, and will give several players a huge opportunity to make a breakthrough and outline their potential to perform in the slams. Although we're expecting big things from the 'big four' and Juan Martin Del Potro, we've selected three less obvious players who could surprise us in Melbourne. 1. Lleyton Hewitt Rather than an up and comer, our first choice is none other than Aussie veteran Lleyton Hewitt. It's fair to say that the 32-year-old's best days are behind him, yet his desire to win the Australian Open could spur him on to something special. He showed glimpses of brilliance at the US Open where he bested Del Potro, and he still has a huge amount of fire in his belly. With the right draw there could be hope of a second week appearance for the baseline battler. 2. Milos Raonic The potential of Milos Raonic first became evident at the highest level when the Canadian reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2011. He achieved that feat as a qualifier and even took a set from David Ferrer before bowing out against the Spaniard. This time around Raonic will enter the event as a recognised threat, and will start 2014 as the World No. 11. His serve is as ferocious as any on the tour and with Ivan Ljubicic's assistance he's becoming a stronger all-round competitor. He'll be able to grind down most opponents in the Melbourne heat, and his serve should have even more zip if he's on court for night matches. Few will fancy their chances against Milos. A semi-final appearance is perhaps unlikely, but far from implausible. 3. Jerzy Janowicz Jerzy Janowicz reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2013 courtesy of some impressive performances and a fairly open draw. Although he disappointed in the US Open that followed, there's no reason why he shouldn't return to the fore in Melbourne. The 6'8" Pole is still a fairly inexperienced player in some regards, yet his ability is not in question and his serve and forehand are amongst the most devastating in the game. Janowicz has all the raw materials required to be a genuine contender for major titles. He could go deep in January. ]>
Are we about to see a changing of the guard at the top of the game after years of a Grand Slam scene dominated by four men? The ATP is arguably in the midst of some of its best years of all time, with a leading selection of elite stars dominating the slams and taking tennis to the next level. In recent times the slams have been all about the battles between Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer, who have been dubbed the 'big four' by fans and pundits alike. Whilst these players have held a stranglehold on the majors there's only so long that this can continue for. Firstly, Federer is now 32-years-old and the cracks are showing as he's slipping away from the top of the rankings. Nadal's situation is also debatable. The Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational in 2013 but it remains to be seen how long he can maintain his current level. He's overcome his knee injury for now. The question is, 'will he be able to stay injury free and remain a leading light into his thirties?' He's still only 27, so it's hard to know what to expect. There could be a lot of magic left in the Mallorcan. That leaves Djokovic and Murray, who are both 26 and were born a week apart. Both play a brutally physical game that will be hard to sustain as they enter the twilight years of their careers. Regardless, both men could very realistically still have five years left at the top of the game. Murray is just making his return from back surgery and seems to be making steady progress. It's likely that he'll be capable of big things in 2014. The most notable threat to the current order is Juan Martin Del Potro. The Argentine is a slam winner himself and appears undaunted by the ATP's stars. Importantly, he also has the firepower to dictate terms against these players, and that quality is severely lacking in the rest of the top twenty. Should Delpo make a real breakthrough in 2014 it's likely that he'll simply replace Federer as the fourth member of the big four, or we may even briefly enjoy a 'big five' if Federer can find a way to roll back the years. Looking further down the ATP rankings it's hard to find an immediate threat to the big four. There are a lot of players with huge potential but it might be a while before any of them get their hands on the biggest trophies. This isn't to say that there's a lack of willing challengers. Bernard Tomic, for instance, recently stated, "generations will move on, for sure in two or three years there will be no Federers." He added that he hopes to be one of the stars of the next generation. The recent pictures of Tomic enjoying a lap dance and partying on the Gold Coast might encourage people to take him less seriously, though he insists he'll be training hard from next week onwards. There are a few other up-and-comers to look out for, including Grigor Dimitrov, Jerzy Janowicz and Milos Raonic. Dimitrov has won a lot of fans for his graceful style of tennis and superb shotmaking, yet consistency has been lacking. As for Janowicz, his size, serve and forehand make him a force to be reckoned with. His movement isn't too bad either and he outlined his slam credentials by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals. As for Raonic, his serve is one of the most lethal weapons in the game. He's making impressive progress under the guidance of Ivan Ljubicic too, who seems to be moulding him into a more rounded player. So will there be an upheaval at the top of the rankings? For now it seems unlikely, and if Djokovic, Murray and Nadal can stay fit, all three could be set to dominate for the next three years, maybe more. It would be wishful thinking to expect to see Federer in the frame at that stage, though Del Potro is shaping up to be a worthy replacement. If we're to see significant changes in the next few years it will be up to the young guns to step up and improve. There are a lot of extremely talented players coming through, yet the standard required to compete with the current slam contenders is remarkably high. Whether or not anybody proves to be capable remains to be seen, and with the ATP's stars showing their current amount of professionalism and dedication, it will take a tremendous effort to shake things up.]>
The Czech Republic successfully defended their Davis Cup title with a 3-2 victory over Serbia on Sunday. The 2013 Davis Cup final went right down to the wire with Radek Stepanek and Dusan Lajovic competing in a decisive fifth rubber. In the end it was the 34-year-old Czech who rose to the occasion, powering his way past the underdog for an emphatic 6-3 6-1 6-1 victory. The day had started brightly for Serbia in Belgrade, as Novak Djokovic got the better of Tomas Berdych in the first reverse singles rubber. The World No. 2 left nothing to chance, maintaining his impressive winning streak by downing Berdych in straight sets 6-4 7-6 6-2. Novak said after the match that he'd only be happy with the win if Serbia won the tie, but Stepanek then made sure that Djokovic's hopes of a Davis Cup win on home soil were dashed. Stepanek was delighted with the win, which made him only the third player to have won a fifth rubber in a Davis Cup final on two or more occasions (the other two players were Henri Cochet and Fred Perry). "I don't think words can describe it," he said after the match. "To defend this trophy means the world for us right now. For our country, waiting 32 years for a second title, now we are one of the five countries who have been able to defend a title. We made history today." Ultimately, Serbia were unable to compensate for the absence of Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic, who both could have made a huge impact. They were also hit hard by an inspired performance from Stepanek. “You are either going to rise up and play your best tennis or the player in front of you is going to do the same thing,” said Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic. "In this moment Stepanek played maybe even the best tennis that he has played in his life. He played a perfect match."]>
Andy Murray has revealed how Rafael Nadal once pranked him. Nadal often comes across as a serious character, especially on the court where he's roared and fist-pumped his way back to the top of the ATP World Rankings. However, he certainly has a more light-hearted side, as Murray pointed out on ITV's Jonathan Ross show this week. Murray said he was out in New York at a restaurant with his girlfriend Kim Sears, when Rafa decided to have some fun at his expense. "He did prank me once in New York," said Murray on the show, which goes out in the UK on Saturday night. "Basically I was sitting at dinner with my girlfriend and, during the meal I was checking my phone and I looked at one of the messages and it was from a number I didn’t recognise and it said something like, ‘Oh my God, Andy, you look so sexy tonight. It’s a shame you’re here with your girlfriend.’ "So I obviously didn’t tell my girlfriend at first, I didn’t want to ruin the meal. So I put it back in my pocket. Then on the way back from the meal it clicked who it was, and obviously the whole time he’d been watching me from a distance looking at this message and seeing my face." On a different tangent, Murray also explained that he tries not to look at his mother, British Fed Cup captain Judy Murray, during matches. "I try not to. I watched the last game at Wimbledon a couple of days after, my mum’s reactions after the points aren’t particularly helpful," he said. "In that game, I’d lose a match point and she would sort of stand up rigid, sort of saying, ‘It’s ok,’ but I’m looking at her thinking, ‘I can tell in your face, you’re thinking, ‘It’s not ok.’’ I don’t think it’s easy watching your kids playing in matches like that and you actually feel bad when you see how much stress they’re going through." ]>
Rafael Nadal he is hoping to play better against David Ferrer in London this week following his defeat to his compatriot in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters on Saturday. Nadal's nine-match winning streak against Ferrer was snapped this weekend, as the third seed upset the world No. 1 in straight sets, 6-3 7-5. Nadal has dominated Ferrer in recent years but ran out of answers in the semi-final showdown. He can now look forward to facing Ferrer once again in just a matter of days, as the two players will meet in their first round robin clash of the 2013 ATP World Tour Finals in London. "We know each other very well. I know what things he is doing well," Nadal said. "When he's playing well, he's very dangerous on all the surfaces, but especially on this one, because it's probably the worst surface for me." Rafa believes that he'll need to do a few things differently next week in order to avenge Saturday's loss. "I need to move quicker. I was slow,” he said. "I felt that I [was] always a little bit late on the ball. David, he's quick and he plays inside the court and he puts you pressure on you all the time. If I move [better], I’m going to have the chance to hit the ball quicker and play with [fewer] mistakes." Nadal now holds a 20-5 head-to-head record against Ferrer and seems likely to bounce back with another win. Nadal will also need to contend with Tomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka this week, who have both been placed in Group A. Group B, meanwhile, consists of Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Roger Federer and Richard Gasquet. ]>
The list of nominees for this year's Comeback Player of the Year award has been released by the ATP. The accolade provides recognition for those players who have made successful returns to the game following lengthy absences. The candidates are as follows: Rafael Nadal Nadal has enjoyed one of the greatest comeback seasons of all time. Whilst the Spaniard finished 2012 as the World No. 4, he missed most of the second half of the 2012 season and didn't make his return to action until February 2013. Many were concerned that his knee problems would end his time as one of the ATP's elite performers, yet he's climbed back to the top of the rankings and picked up French Open and US Open titles in the process. Nadal has won 10 titles so far despite having to miss a few events to avoid overusing his knee. His ascendency to the top of the rankings is all the more impressive given that Novak Djokovic has continued to play to an exceptional standard. Rafa has simply been peerless for the past 10 months. Somdev Devvarman Somdev Devvarman had to go through surgery for his right shoulder in 2012 and fell all the way down to No. 656 when the year-end rankings were finalised. He's since had to work hard to make a return to the top hundred, reaching the second round of the French Open and US Open as a qualifier. He's now ranked at No. 90. Tommy Robredo Tommy Robredo was ranked inside the top hundred throughout 2002-2011, but in 2012 a leg injury that required surgery forced him out of action. As a result he finished 2012 as the World No. 115. Robredo's return to the top in 2013 has been impressive and his performances in the slams in particular have been noteworthy. He sensationally came back from two sets down three times times in a row en route to the French Open quarter-finals. He later reached the quarters at the US Open, producing a great performance to oust Roger Federer in round four. On top of this, Robredo managed to pick up titles in Casablanca and Umag in 2013. Dmitry Tursunov Dmitry Tursunov has received his third nomination for this award following successful comebacks in 2003 and 2011. ”It’s probably like my fifth time attempting to get the coveted title,” joked the Russian. “Always someone gets in my way. This time I think it’s going to be rough. I’m not losing hope. I’m 30. I think I have a couple more comebacks in me. I’m planning to get this one, and if not, I might retire and I might come back and try to get it again.” Tursunov began 2013 as the World No. 125 and has since risen to No. 39. Having made his return from a wrist injury he needed to go through qualifying on several occasions to earn the right to compete in ATP World Tour main draws. Tursunov has really come into his own in the second half of the season, reaching the quarter-finals or better at five events between August and September. ]>