Djokovic cedes Australian Open set in 1st round

MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic did something he hadn’t in 14 years: He dropped a set in a first-round match at the Australian Open.

That didn’t bother him, though. He actually looked upon the challenge he faced Monday night under the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena as a good thing.


“I actually like tough first rounds — in Grand Slams, particularly,” the defending champion at Melbourne Park said after getting past 37th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. “Because it gets me going. From the beginning, I have to be alert. I have to be on a high level. And I think I was.”

Djokovic last ceded a set in an Australian Open opener all the way back in 2006, during a loss to Paul Goldstein. Since then, the 16-time Grand Slam champ had produced 13 consecutive straight-set wins in the hard-court tournament’s first round; add in the initial pair of sets against Struff, and the streak was at 41.

But then came a bit of a blip.

Struff managed to break Djokovic three times in that third set alone.

“He turned it around. He was not missing much,” the second-seeded Djokovic said. “Credit to him for fighting. He’s a very powerful player.”

Also worth mentioning: Djokovic helped his opponent by faltering with two double-faults on the last two points of the set.

Soon, though, he regrouped, taking eight of nine points to begin the fourth and was on his way to the 900th match win of his career. The last set took all of 22 minutes.

The first set offered its own hiccups for Djokovic. He was a point away from taking it while serving for the set at 5-3 before finding himself locked in a tiebreaker against the big-hitting Struff, who has lost in the first round in 16 of his 26 career major appearances.

Djokovic began to show signs of frustration, rolling his eyes and spreading his arms wide, as if to say, “What is going on here?!” after one miss, hanging his head and slumping his shoulders after another. Eventually, he came through there.


All in all, even with some less-than-perfect patches, Djokovic considered the evening a satisfactory way to launch his bid for a record eighth title in Melbourne.

“I ended this match in a good fashion, in the right way,” Djokovic said, “and this is very positive.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Deaf South Korean tennis player notches landmark win

Lee Duck-hee became the first deaf player to win an ATP match on Monday, making a statement with a straight-sets win over Henri Laaksonen in Winston-Salem.

“People made fun of me for my disability. They told me I shouldn’t be playing,” the 21-year-old South Korean said after shrugging off a lengthy rain delay to post a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory.

“It was definitely difficult, but my friends and family helped me get through,” Lee said. “I wanted to show everyone that I could do this.

“My message for people who are hearing impaired is to not be discouraged. If you try hard, you can do anything.”

Lee, ranked 212 in the world, turned pro at 15 and achieved his best ATP singles ranking of 130th in the world in 2017, toiling mainly on the developmental Challenger circuit.

He admits that his disability can make life on court frustrating: he can’t hear line calls or the umpire’s call of the score and relies on gestures to sort out any confusion.


At Lee’s post-match press conference on Monday, his fiancee pitched in to help out a Korean translator.

It was the end of a long day for Lee, who was two points from victory when thunderstorms swept through the area.

When he and Switzerland’s Laaksonen returned some five hours later Lee quickly polished off a win he admitted he hadn’t been expecting.

“I thought that I was just going to do my best and try to stay focused, but I came out a winner,” said Lee, who had reached his first Challenger final almost three years in Little Rock in June.

Lee next faces third-seeded Hubert Hurkacz, the world number 40 from Poland, in the second round.


“I’m going to go to the match with the same attitude,” Lee said. “I’m going to do my best and see what happens.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Naomi Osaka’s knee injury lends uncertainty to US Open

MASON, Ohio — Naomi Osaka felt a strange sensation in her left knee, different than anything she’d experienced. The U.S. Open champion left the court worried about whether she’ll be in shape to defend her precious title.

Osaka retired from her quarterfinal match at the Western & Southern Open on Friday, unsure what’s going on in the knee. She expected to get an MRI.


For now, the player currently ranked No. 1 in the world is concerned about her chances of making another deep run in New York.

“Last year, I won the U.S. Open,” she said. “This year, I’m trying to play the U.S. Open.”

The problem came out of the blue.

Osaka split two sets with Sofia Kenin. She felt something unusual in the knee while serving early in the third set. After a timeout to have it examined and wrapped, she played a couple more points before retiring .


“I have no idea what’s going on,” she said.


With that, Kenin advanced to the semifinals for the second straight week. During her run to the semifinals in Toronto, she knocked off then-No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, an upset that allowed Osaka to move up to the top ranking. She’ll face Madison Keys, who beat Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semifinals for the first time.

Barty is in position to snatch it back heading into the Open. She beat Maria Sakkari 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 with an encouraging all-around effort.

“Still not quite there, but we’re getting better and better each match,” the French Open champion said. “I think that’s the beauty of being able to stay alive in the tournament is to give myself an opportunity to keep getting better. I think I’m still aiming to obviously do very well here, but the big picture is New York in 10 days’ time.”

She needs some work on those first sets, though.


Barty got ahead 5-2 in her opening set and got sloppy, letting it slip away. It was the second straight day that Barty rallied after dropping a first set. She fought off a match point during a three-set win over Anett Kontaveit on Thursday, showing poise that she’d need to draw upon again a day later.

“There is certainly no panic, where it gets to the stage where I’m kind of overwrought or can’t think straight,” she said. “I’m still able to, more times than not, have the ability to relax and kind of stay clear and come back to what works.”

Barty will face Svetlana Kuznetsova, who reached her first semifinal of the season by beating third-seeded Karolina Pliskova 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Kuznetsova is playing only her ninth event after missing the start of the season because of a knee injury. On a hot, humid afternoon, she got treatment for tightness in her upper right leg after the second set and twice again during the final one.

On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic continued his push for a second straight Cincinnati title, beating Lucas Pouille 7-6 (2), 6-1. He’ll face Danlil Medvedev, who knocked off qualifier Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3.

Djokovic winced on a serve in the second set and got the muscles above and below his elbow rubbed during the changeover as he led 4-1. He broke Pouille and served it out despite the discomfort.

“I managed to finish the match,” Djokovic said. “A little bit of tightness in my elbow, but hopefully everything will be fine tomorrow.”

Qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka withdrew because of illness, sending David Goffin into the semifinals. Nishioka had a good tournament showing, beating sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori — a player he called his hero — and Alex De Minaur to reach the quarterfinals.

Goffin will face Richard Gasquet, who advanced with a three-set victory over Roberto Bautista Agut. Gasquet had groin surgery in January and fell to No. 68 in the ATP rankings on July 29, his lowest in nine years. He’s back in an ATP Masters 1000 semifinal for the first time since 2013 in Miami.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer was upset Thursday, leaving Djokovic as the only high seed left in the bracket.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic edges Federer in 5 sets for 5th Wimbledon trophy

WIMBLEDON, England  — Novak Djokovic became the first man in 71 years to win Wimbledon after facing match points in the final, coming back to beat Roger Federer in an unprecedented fifth-set tiebreaker Sunday.

By barely emerging to win 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) after nearly five tight, tense and terrific hours, Djokovic claimed his fifth championship at the All England Club and second in a row.

“Unfortunately in these kinds of matches,” Djokovic said, “one of the players has to lose.”

This triumph also earned Djokovic his 16th Grand Slam trophy, moving him closer to the only men ahead of him in tennis history: Federer with 20, and Rafael Nadal with 18.

Federer has ruled grass courts since the early 2000s; he has won Wimbledon eight times dating to 2003, and this was his record 12th appearance in the title match. But Djokovic is now 3-0 against Federer in finals at the place and 4-0 against him in five-setters.

This one was unlike any other, though.


That’s because, while it was reminiscent of Federer’s 16-14 fifth-set victory over Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final, that score is no longer possible: The All England Club altered its rule this year to do away with never-ending matches and institute a tiebreaker at 12-all in a deciding set.

At one point during the final set Sunday, Djokovic asked chair umpire Damian Steiner whether the change called for the tiebreaker at 10-10. Later, when Djokovic held for an 11-10 lead, it was Steiner who got confused, beginning to call out the score as 11-9, before catching himself.

Federer and Djokovic pushed each other to the limit in what became as much a test of focus and stamina as it was about skill. It is destined to be discussed for years.

“I’ll try to forget,” joked Federer, who is less than a month shy of his 38th birthday and would have been the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era.

First, it was Federer who kept falling behind, then coming back. He twice trailed by a set. He was down a break early in the crucible of the fifth. And, then, after seemingly gaining the upper hand, standing a single point from winning while serving for the victory at 8-7, 40-15, he faltered.

He sent a forehand wide on the first championship point, and Djokovic produced a cross-court forehand winner on the next. Soon enough, the 32-year-old Djokovic had broken back and on they would play.

Djokovic has done this to Federer before. In the semifinals of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Opens, Djokovic erased two match points before coming back to win each time.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rafael Nadal tumbles out of Mexican Open, falling to Nick Kyrgios

ACAPULCO, Mexico — Rafael Nadal tumbled out of the Mexican Open on Wednesday night, squandering three match points in a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) loss to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.

Playing his first event since losing to Novak Djokovic in late January in the Australian Open final, the top-seeded Nadal dropped the first two match points on Kyrgios’ serve and the last one on his own first serve.

Nadal won in Acapulco in 2005 and 2013. On Tuesday night, the second-ranked Spanish star opened play with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mischa Zverev.

Kyrgios set up a quarterfinal match against Stan Wawrinka, a 7-6 (5), 6-4 winner over seventh-seeded Steve Johnson in the hardcourt event at The Princess Mundo Imperial.

The top seed also fell in the women’s event, with Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia beating Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-3 for her first victory in seven career matches against players ranked in the top 10. The fourth-ranked Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open, was making her first appearance in the event since winning the 2016 title.

“It was just a tough match, obviously she played well,” Stephens said. “A tough day. But I’m not too sad about it. I’m just going to go back and work some more, practice some more and get ready for Indian Wells.”

Haddad Maia will face Wang Yafan in the quarterfinals. Wang led Monica Puig 4-1 when Puig retired because of an injury.

In men’s play, second-seeded Alexander Zverev beat David Ferrer 7-6 (0), 6-1 in the late match. He will play fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur, a winner over Feliciano Lopez in a walkover.

Third-seeded John Isner beat fellow American Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal match against eighth-seeded John Millman. Millman beat Peter Gojowczyk 6-0, 6-2.

Cameron Norrie beat fourth-seeded Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3. Norrie will face Mackenzie McDonald, a 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-3 winner over sixth-seeded Frances Tiafoe.

Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro is sidelined by a knee injury.

In women’s play, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka routed Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal against fifth-seeded Sofia Kenin. Kenin led 6-4, 4-1 when Katie Boulter retired.

Third-seeded Donna Vekic advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Christina McHale; Bianca Andreescu topped fourth-seeded Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2, 7-5; seventh-seeded Saisai Zheng edged Timea Babos 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; and eighth-seeded Johanna Konta beat Varvara Flink 6-4, 6-1.

In the quarterfinals, Vekic will play Konta, and Zheng will meet Andreescu.

Lesia Tsurenko, the women’s winner the last two years, is skipping the event.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic wins third US Open, equals Sampras on 14 Grand Slams

New York, United States — Novak Djokovic clinched his third US Open title on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 triumph over Juan Martin del Potro, taking him level with Pete Sampras’s mark of 14 Grand Slams.

Djokovic, playing in his eighth final in New York and already the champion in 2011 and 2015, is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the record 20 held by Roger Federer.

It was also the third time the 31-year-old Serb — who missed last year’s tournament with an elbow injury which sent his career into a mini-crisis — completed the Wimbledon-US Open double.

For world number three Del Potro, it was a heartbreaking experience coming in just his second Slam final, nine years after he was crowned US Open champion.

It was Djokovic’s 15th win over the Argentine and fifth in five at the Slams.

Victory also means that 50 of the last 55 majors have been win by the ‘Big Four’ of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray.

With the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof closed as heavy rain swept New York, conditions were slow and sluggish.

After taking just two points off Del Potro’s first three service games, Djokovic, in his eighth final in New York and 23rd at the majors, pounced to break for 5-3.

The key was his success with a lung-busting 22-shot rally and he pocketed the set when the 29-year-old del Potro netted a forehand.

It was only the second set dropped by the Argentine at the tournament.

For Djokovic, it was an illustration of him growing into the championships as he took his run of consecutive sets won to 14, stretching back to the second round against Tennys Sandgren.

Djokovic was soon 3-1 up in the second set before Del Potro carved out his first break point of the match to level at 3-3.

He had three more chances in the eighth, all saved by Djokovic in a marathon 20-minute game which left even Hollywood superstar Meryl Streep clasping her head in astonishment.

The effort took its toll on a suddenly weary-looking Del Potro as a 95-minute set was claimed by Djokovic in the tiebreak.

Del Potro was looking at having to become the first man since Pancho Gonales in 1949 to win the US title from two sets down.

Djokovic sprinted into a 3-1 lead in the third set before a battling Del Potro clung on, hitting back for 3-3.

But off the back of a 24-shot rally, Djokovic broke again for 5-3 and he was within tantalising touching distance of his 14th Grand Slam title, just three months after he had left Roland Garros in despair after a shattering quarter-final exit. /cbb

source: sports.inquirer.net

Federer: I struggled to breathe in shock US Open loss

Roger Federer revealed he struggled to breathe during his shock 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/3) defeat to world number 55 John Millman at the U.S. Open on Monday.

The 37-year-old five-time champion labored to his earliest loss at the tournament in five years with his challenge sinking in the crushing humidity on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I just thought it was very hot tonight. Was just one of those nights where I guess I felt I couldn’t get air. There was no circulation at all,” said 20-time major winner Federer who was bidding to clinch the US Open for the first time in a decade.

“I just struggled in the conditions. It’s one of the first times it’s happened to me.

“It’s uncomfortable. Clearly just kept on sweating more and more and more and more as the match goes on. You lose energy as it goes by.

“But John was able to deal with it better. He maybe comes from one of the most humid places on earth, Brisbane!”

It was Federer’s first loss against a player outside the top 50 in 41 meetings at the US Open.

He finished with 77 unforced errors and 10 double faults but had a host of chances to take wrap up matters in straight sets, squandering set points in the second and third sets.

He had also been a break to the good at 4-2 in the fourth but the errors just kept piling up.

Monday’s result meant there would be no quarterfinal showdown with old rival Novak Djokovic who will now face Millman instead on Wednesday.

“I knew I was in for a tough one. Maybe when you feel like that, as well, you start missing chances, and I had those,” said the Swiss.

“That was disappointing. I was just happy that the match was over.”

Federer believes the decision to build a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium contributed to his problems.

The roof was open Monday, but the space above the cavernous arena has been reduced by the wings which help support the structure.

“I do believe since the roof is on that there is no air circulation in the stadium. I think just that makes it a totally different US Open,” said the world number two.

“Plus conditions maybe were playing slower this year on top of it. You have soaking wet pants, soaking wet everything.

“It was just tough. I thought John played a great match in difficult conditions.”

Federer said he did not regret his decision to invite Millman to come and train with him after the Australian had suffered a first round loss at Roland Garros.

The pair spent a few days on court before the Wimbledon warm-up event at Stuttgart.

“I didn’t know he had a girlfriend in Stuttgart. Just Severin (Luthi — his coach) asked him. He was like, Yeah, absolutely, I’m ready to come. We had a great few days, a good time together.”

Federer said he admired Millman’s fighting spirit, forged from suffering a series of injuries in his career.

He has undergone two surgeries on his shoulder and one on his groin.

As a result of his injury toils, his ranking slumped to 1,101 in August 2014 but recovered to 71 just 12 months later.

After a groin operation, Millman was slipping again with his ranking at 235 in August last year.

“I love his intensity,” said Federer.

“He reminds me of David Ferrer and those other guys that I admire a lot when I see them, when I see how they train, the passion they have for the game.

“He’s got a positive demeanor about himself on and off the court.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Resurgent Federer advances to Montreal final

Swiss superstar Roger Federer turned in a precision performance Saturday at the ATP Montreal tennis, using thundering serves and clever backhands to defeat unseeded Robin Haase for a spot in the final.


The 36-year-old Federer blasted nine aces and lost just nine points on his serve as he extended his match win streak to 16 — his longest win streak in five years.

He raised his game to another level when it mattered most, beating Netherlands Robin Haase 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in just 75 minutes.

“I’m very excited to be back in the finals,” Federer said. “A bit surprising, to be quite honest, because I hadn’t practiced much.”

Federer has taken more time off this year than usual. He skipped the clay-court season from April to mid-June.

“I came from vacation, did some fitness, saw how I was feeling and said, ‘You know what, I practiced so much the last year, let’s go play some matches.’

“It’s a big bonus right now and I hope I can play as free as I have so far in the finals tomorrow.”

Second seeded Federer will clash on Sunday with German Alexander Zverev who ended the Cinderella run of 18-year old Canadian Denis Shapovalov with a 6-4, 7-5 win in the other semi-final.

Federer is undergoing a resurgence this season after it appeared to many he might be slowing down as he transitions through his mid-30s.

“Confidence can get you a long way, and if you’re feeling fine physically and you are ready to fight mentally you have a lot of things in the bag,” said Federer, who would earn the second seed at the upcoming US Open if he wins in Montreal.

“And then the only thing that maybe is missing is practice, but sometimes practice is overrated. It’s all about the matches at some stage.

“I’m happy I’m playing as well as I am this year on the match courts. At the end that’s what matters because I spent hours and hours on the practice courts in the last year.”

The 19-time Grand Slam winner Federer is seeking his 27th Masters 1000 title and his third Canadian Masters crown after wins in 2004 and 2006.

Haase, who hit 17 winners, made a late charge and forced a second-set tiebreak before Federer stymied the challenge to win the match.

Zverev, 20, will have a much tougher time against the skilled veteran Federer than he did in beating Shapovalov.

‘Life-changing week’

Zverev came into Montreal with four titles this season while Shapovalov had just three career match victories. Shapovalov leaves Montreal with seven career wins, including a shocking upset of 10-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.

“It is a completely life-changing week,” said Shapovalov, whose dream run this week also included a win over former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.

The fourth seeded Zverev broke Shapovalov at 4-4 in the first set then served for the set to silence the partisan crowd.

Ultimately, Zverev played better in the key moments, finishing with two aces, winning 81 percent of his first-serve points and breaking the Canadian three times.

Shapovalov finished with three aces, six double faults and won 64 percent of his first-serve points in the one-hour, 43-minute match.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nishikori falters against Chung in all-Asian match in Paris

PARIS — Hyeon Chung fought back from two sets down against Kei Nishikori to keep alive his bid to become the first South Korean to reach the fourth round of the French Open.

Nishikori was leading 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 0-3 when rain stopped play on Saturday. The match will resume Sunday.

It is the first time in the Open era two Asian men have met as late as the third round in a Grand Slam tournament.

Chung has never beaten a top-10 player in six attempts.

But he was making the eighth-seeded Nishikori, the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam final at the 2014 U.S. Open, look ordinary.

Nishikori had to save a set point in the first set. In the second, the Japanese star appeared to have problems with the same right wrist he had treatment on in his second-round win over Jeremy Chardy. But he prevailed, and appeared on course for a straight-sets victory in his first meeting with Chung.

However, Chung took the third set in a tiebreaker, bringing up set point with a backhand down the line and clinching it when Nishikori hit long.

Chung broke twice at the start of the fourth set, prompting Nishikori to hurl his racket to the clay in disgust, and breaking it.

Nishikori had treatment on his back, and shortly after the rain started.

Chung began playing tennis with his parents at 6, and continued when a doctor recommended that looking at the color green helped his weak eyesight. ATP players voted him the most improved player in 2015.

In April, he reached the Barcelona quarterfinals as a qualifier, and in May he made his first ATP semifinals in Munich.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Federer stunned by world no. 116 Donskoy in Dubai

Sluggish Roger Federer rued a “crazy” failure to bury three match points in falling to a shock three-set defeat to Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy in Dubai on Wednesday.

Former world number one Federer, 35, who lifted his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, had match points in the second-set tiebreak and also led 5-1 in the third-set breaker.

But world-ranked 116 Donskoy battled back to stun the third seed and set up a quarter-final clash against Lucas Pouille of France with a thrilling 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5) victory.

“I surprised everyone today. I think whoever wins against Roger surprises himself,” said Donskoy 26.

“I can say it’s a dream come true, but I don’t like this because you always want to win, even if it’s Roger.”

It was just the third time since 2007 that Federer has been beaten by a qualifier.

“I just never really got going tonight and sort of felt heavy. But look, those matches happen frequently, where you just got to somehow find a way to come through,” said the Swiss legend, who was chasing a record eighth title at the Dubai Championships.

“Tonight I was convinced that if I came through I was going to feel better tomorrow. I came (to Dubai) early. I was perfectly prepared, it’s just a tough loss tonight. So many chances… It was crazy.”

Federer, who saw his eight-match win streak in 2017 ended by Donskoy, did not want to make excuses and said it had nothing to do with a leg injury picked up at the Australian Open, where he beat old foe Rafael Nadal in the final in his last appearance before Dubai.

“I just think it’s still the beginning of the comeback and I’ve got to take the positives out of playing again a tournament where I feel I’m quite healthy and I’m happy I got over the injury I sustained at the Australian Open,” he said.

Murray cruises

Top seed Andy Murray had no such trouble and said he was getting closer to his brilliant best as he hammered Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-0 to surge into the quarters.

The world number one’s rapid victory lined up a Thursday meeting with Philipp Kohlschreiber after the German beat Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4.

“It was very tough at the start, we both had chances in those early games,” Murray, who has never won the Dubai showpiece, said.

“I played very well. I served better today than in the previous round. I’m certainly playing better than I did at the start of the year. Everything worked well tonight.

“I moved well and played offensive. I was focused throughout. I didn’t give any cheap points away.”

Murray and second-round victim Garcia-Lopez had not faced off since 2012, with the Spaniard winning their last meeting at Indian Wells.

But there was never a hint of a repeat.

After the first four games lasting half an hour, the pace picked up with Murray winning the first set.

He tightened his grip, losing just one point on his serve in the second set on his way to a dominant victory.

Gael Monfils held off Britain’s hard-charging Dan Evans with a gutsy 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory.

The Frenchman is playing in the emirate for only the second time in his career after a first-round loss in 2008.

The world number 12 moves into a clash with Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, who needed almost two and a half hours to overcome sixth-seeded compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

“It was a great match,” said Monfils. “In the second set he started really going for his shots.

“I had to try and control him, I finally found a way to win.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Venus Williams reaches quarterfinals at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — Venus Williams has returned to the quarterfinals for the ninth time at the Australian Open, where she reached the same round on debut in 1998.

The 36-year-old, seven-time major winner had a 6-3, 7-5 fourth-round win Sunday over No. 181-ranked Mona Barthel, who won three matches in qualifying and then beat two Australian wild cards and Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig in the first three rounds.

Williams has advanced without dropping a set, finding her rhythm quickly after pulling out of a tournament in Auckland and withdrawing from the doubles before the first round at the Australian Open because of an elbow problem.

“It was just not ideal to start the year like this, and it was a ton of anxiety, to be honest,” Williams said of her preparation. “But really, at the end of the day, it’s about walking to the net, shaking hands as the winner.

“This is where you want to be … but this is not the end-all for me. This is not the end goal.”

Williams will next play No. 24-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-3 in the opening match of Day Seven at Rod Laver Arena.

Pavlyuchenkova’s win over fellow Russian Kuznetsova left Williams as the only Grand Slam winner left in that quarter of the draw.

Williams has a 3-2 edge in career meetings with Pavlyuchenkova, including wins in the last two matches.

But she hasn’t advanced beyond the quarterfinal round at Melbourne Park since her loss to younger sister, Serena, in the 2003 final. Against Barthel, she won 90 percent of points when she got her first serve into play, hit 31 winners and fired four aces while not serving any double-faults.

Barthel was the lowest-ranked player to reach the fourth round of the women’s draw here since 2010, although she has a career-high ranking of 23 and was consistently top 50 before an illness last year caused her slide down the rankings.

“I know what it’s like to be down on my luck,” Williams said. “We’ve played a couple of tough matches before. Today I expected to have some competition.”

Defending champion and No. 1-ranked Angelique Kerber was playing CoCo Vandeweghe in the last night match.

It’s a lot more crowded on the top quarter of the men’s draw, which features matches later Sunday involving top-ranked Andy Murray against Mischa Zverev and Roger Federer against Kei Nishikori.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raonic beats Nadal, keeps Brisbane title defense on track

BRISBANE, Australia — Rafael Nadal was up a set and had a break point against defending champion Milos Raonic when he sent a forehand just wide.

It was a mistake the 14-time Grand Slam champion wouldn’t recover from.

Raonic made the most of the reprieve, holding serve in that fifth game of the second set and then attacking Nadal’s serve in the eighth to swing the momentum his way in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win Friday at the Brisbane International.





The top-seeded Raonic broke Nadal’s serve again to start the third set, and calmly held on for only his second win in eight matches against the Spaniard.

Raonic served 23 aces and hit 50 winners to just 19 for Nadal, who could only convert one of his seven break-point opportunities.

As well as the big, deep service returns, Raonic also repeatedly went to the net, trusting his instincts and putting pressure on Nadal.

“Today the mentality behind the match was what sort of kept me around,” Raonic said. “Some moments things weren’t looking great. I wasn’t efficient coming forward. I was missing some shots I shouldn’t be. I was rushing.

“But at least I kept myself there, and I was able to always recuperate the next point. That’s what I have to be most proud of.”

Nadal, coming back from a layoff after an injured left wrist curtailed the end of his 2016 season, beat Raonic in an exhibition tournament last week. But Raonic played with more intensity in Brisbane, and Nadal said a couple of lapses were costly.

“Probably if I put that passing shot forehand cross, I had the break in the second set, big chance that we will be here one hour before with a victory,” Nadal said. “That passing shot was long, and that’s it. Then he had the break and match changes.”

Nadal said three wins at the exhibition tournament, two wins and a close result in Brisbane gave him confidence his progress was good ahead of the Australian Open, where he is desperate to make amends for a surprising first-round exit last year.

Still in contention to start back-to-back seasons with a Brisbane title, Raonic will play seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov – a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 winner over No. 4 Dominic Thiem – in the semifinals.

US Open champion Stan Wawrinka and third-seeded Kei Nishikori will meet in the other semifinal match.

The second-seeded Wawrinka beat unseeded Kyle Edmund 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals in his first trip to the Brisbane tournament.

In the previous three years, Wawrinka won the title in Chennai in the first week of the season before heading to Australia for the season’s first major.

Wawrkina has a 4-3 lead over Nishikori in career head-to-heads, including the semifinals at the US Open last year, but Nishikori won two of the three meetings in 2016.

Nishikori has now reached the semifinals four times in seven visits to the Brisbane International, needing just an hour for a 6-1, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Australian wild-card entry Jordan Thompson.

“I think I played one of the best matches so far, really dominating from the baseline and serving good today,” Nishikori said. “Everything was working well.”

US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova will play Alize Cornet in the women’s final on Saturday.

Cornet was leading 4-1 when French Open champion Garbine Muguruza retired with a right thigh injury. Pliskova beat sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal match.

“A little bit of luck never killed anybody,” said Cornet, who finished last year ranked No. 46 but now expects to be seeded at the Australian Open. “I’m just going to take it. I really enjoy the fact that I’m in the final. It’s a big day for me, yeah.”

Muguruza didn’t think the injury setback would trouble her at the Australian Open.

“It will not stop me,” Muguruza said. “Cornet was playing good. I couldn’t match her level today. I had some pains, and I thought it was smarter to take care of my body.” –John Pye

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic ‘rejuvenated’ by Murray top-spot battle

Novak Djokovic admits that Andy Murray’s dramatic last-gasp assault on his world number one ranking has rejuvenated a season which was limping into mediocrity for the 12-time major winner.

Djokovic has suffered a worrying dip in form since winning his first French Open and completing the career Grand Slam in June.

He had a shock early loss at Wimbledon followed by a first-round exit at the Olympics and a runners-up spot at the US Open.

But as the 29-year-old prepares to defend the Paris Masters title he has won for the past three years, he insists Murray’s charge for the top has provided the fresh impetus he needs.

“It makes me want to go on court and fight for every point because there is something to win at the end,” Djokovic said, adding he felt “rejuvenated and regenerated”.

If Djokovic reaches next Sunday’s final in Paris he will retain the world number one ranking that he has held for 122 weeks straight, no matter what Murray does in the French capital.

But if he fails to make the championship match, then Murray will become the number one as long as the British star wins the title.

The 29-year-old Briton took a step closer to the top spot on Sunday by winning the Vienna ATP title.

“Andy is playing maybe the best tennis he’s ever played. He definitely deserves to be in the position to finish up the year as number one. Whether or not that’s going to happen, it doesn’t depend only on him. It depends on me as well,” said Djokovic.

“I just try to work on my game these days and I know if I’m on the level I desire, I can challenge anybody or beat anybody.”

‘New ambition’

Djokovic, who has admitted “private issues” contributed to his summer slump — he has not said what those were — believes Paris is the perfect place to revive his fortunes on his return to the French capital.

“Winning Roland Garros this year gave me a lot of joy but it required a lot of energy. I felt a little exhausted after and I was a little less motivated,” said the Serb, who hasn’t played since a semi-final defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in the Shanghai Masters in mid-October.

“I took a little time to think about all these things, to find a new motivation and a new ambition. It’s in place. I feel good. I’m happy to come back here to Paris. I hope to have a good week.”

Djokovic has a bye in the first round at the Paris Masters before facing either Nicolas Almagro or Gilles Muller.

In Vienna, Murray swept past Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to earn his seventh title of the year and ramp up the pressure on Djokovic.

The Olympic and Wimbledon champion took his recent run to 15 straight victories, in which he has picked up the China Open and Shanghai Masters titles as well.

He now has 42 career titles and a second in Vienna, after also winning in 2014.

“I think I played my best tennis of the tournament today,” said Murray.

Like Djokovic, Murray too has a first-round bye in Paris and will face either Fernando Verdasco or Robin Haase in his opening match.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wawrinka conquers nerves, pain, Djokovic for US Open title

Stan Wawrinka’s US Open triumph over world number one Novak Djokovic gave him a third Grand Slam title in as many finals, but the 31-year-old Swiss says they don’t get any easier.

Wawrinka, described by Djokovic as a player who rises to the big occasion like no other, admitted he was a mass of nerves before Sunday’s championship match.

“I was shaking in the locker room,” he said, adding that during his last minute discussions with coach Magnus Norman “I start to cry”.

“I was completely shaking,” said Wawrinka, although he added that through it all he remained convinced that he had the game to win.

“Physically I was there. My game was there. Put the fight on the court, and you will have a chance to win,” he told himself.

That’s exactly what Wawrinka did, shaking off the loss of the first set to post a 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory over 12-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic.

He denied Djokovic a second straight US Open title, and for the third time beat a reigning number one in a major final.

Wawrinka had already been pushed to the limit in reaching the final.

He’d spent nearly 18 hours on court, saving a match point in a five-set thriller over unheralded Briton Dan Evans in the third round.

He had to rally against former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals, and escaped resurgent former champion Juan Martin del Potro in a quarter-final four-setter.

“I think this Grand Slam was the most painful, physically and mentally, that I ever played,” Wawrinka said. “I was feeling tired already at the beginning of the match. I was feeling the cramp coming in the third set.”

Feeling pain in the fourth, Wawrinka said he was determined “not to show anything” but just to “give everything and keep fighting and go try to win it”.

Wawrinka, who had handed Djokovic two of his biggest Grand Slam disappointments, including in the French Open final last year, said he expected his marathon tournament to be capped by an endurance test against the Serb.

“There is no secret,” Wawrinka said. “If you want to beat the number one player in the world you have to give everything.

“You have to accept to suffer and you have almost to enjoy to suffer.”

Wawrinka said things weren’t so difficult in 2014, when he won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, downing Djokovic en route to a meeting with then-number one Rafael Nadal in the final.

Back then, just reaching the final was an accomplishment to celebrate.

“I came on court to win it, but I knew it will be OK to lose it,” Wawrinka said.

“But then, then, then …. I’m not that young anymore,” he said. “You’re in another final of a Grand Slam, you don’t want to lose it … because the trophy of the winner and the finalist is not the same.”

– Step by step –

Wawrinka said his late career success is not the product of any grand design, but just the culmination of years of dedication.

“First I wanted to be a professional tennis player,” he said. “That means living with your passion, with your sport. Then (my goal) was to be top 100, then top 50.

“I never start anything (saying) I want to be number one, I want to win a Grand Slam. For me, it’s always step by step.

“The only thing I want to do is push the limit.”/rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Federer reaches crossroads at Wimbledon

Fifteen years after famously stunning Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, seven-time champion Roger Federer returns to the All England Club with his career at a crossroads and his confidence at crisis point.

The 34-year-old Swiss, holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles, is without a major since Wimbledon in 2012 and is enduring arguably the toughest year of his career.

Injury forced him to skip the French Open ending a streak of 65 successive appearances at the Slams stretching back to 1999.

He has failed to add to his 88 titles this year, his longest drought since 2000 and has suffered back-to-back semi-final losses in Stuttgart and Halle, both on grass which has been his preferred surface of domination.

In an indication of changing times, his last-four loss in Stuttgart to Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years.

But the Swiss star is adamant that he can still be a winner even if clinching an eighth crown at Wimbledon would make him the oldest ever champion in south-west London, surpassing Arthur Ashe who was a month shy of his 32nd birthday when he lifted the trophy in 1975.

“I think if my movement gets better and then the baseline game improves a little bit, I’ll be better on the big points, on the return and also in less trouble on my own service games,” said Federer.

“But I’m okay and I’m pleased. I’m feeling now we’ve got enough time before Wimbledon to get ready for that.”

The fact that Federer has reached the last two Wimbledon finals is testament to his capacity to surprise both his supporters and doubters.

The problem, however, is that he lost both those championship matches to Novak Djokovic, the world number one who currently holds all four majors and is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969.

Djokovic leads their head-to-head only by 23-22, but has claimed their last four clashes at the majors. Federer hasn’t defeated the Serb at a Slam since the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2012.

“Is Djokovic now the man to beat? Absolutely. Does he deserve to be where he is? 100 per cent. But is he beatable? Yes, of course he is. I beat him three times last year,” Federer told the Guardian this week.

Wimbledon has always been Federer’s home-from-home even if his first two visits as a pony-tailed contender with a short fuse and dream one-handed backhand ended in first round losses.

But his fourth round defeat of seven-time winner Sampras in 2001 marked him out as the American’s natural heir even if 2002 saw a woeful first round exit to Mario Ancic.

That blip was forgotten 12 months later when he won his first Wimbledon, spiking the heavy artillery of Mark Philippoussis in the final.

Since then, he has enjoyed more successes than setbacks.

Federer won the title every year between 2003 and 2007, adding two more in 2009 and 2012.

In between, he lost the 2008 final to Rafael Nadal in what is widely-regarded as the finest men’s championship match in history, a five-set epic which ended in semi-darkness.

However, there was also a shock second round exit to world number 116 Sergiy Stakhovsky in 2013.

Federer was 31 then and the career obituaries were being composed. They have been dusted off a few times since.

“Don’t you understand that playing tennis is great fun? I don’t need to win three slams a year to be content,” he told the Guardian.

“If the body doesn’t want to do it, if the mind doesn’t want to do it, if my wife doesn’t want me to do it, if my kids don’t like it, I’ll stop tomorrow. Zero problem.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

French Open: Serena sweeps aside Svitolina, schedule fears

Defending champion Serena Williams brushed off concerns about a busy playing schedule after powering into the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Williams reached the last eight at Roland Garros for the 10th time after pulverizing 18th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier.

But the world number one, who next plays Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, faces the challenge of playing four matches in four days in her pursuit of a record-equalling 22nd Open era Grand Slam title.

“Four in a row? I think for us…when we play regular tournaments you play four, five matches in a row. It’s what happens,” said Williams.

“In Rome I played four in a row? Five? I don’t know. But, you know, in Miami and Indian Wells you just play every day. It’s something you just get used to. It’s totally fine I think for me and for everyone.”

Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky dumped out sister Venus 6-2, 6-4 to rule out the prospect of the two Williams siblings meeting in the semi-finals.

Bacsinszky, who reached the semi-finals in Paris a year ago, reeled off nine of 10 games after trailing 0-2 in the first set to lay the foundation for her victory.

“If I could play here every day of my life, I would do it,” said Bacsinszky, who will meet unseeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens next.

“Being in a quarter-final in a slam is like every player’s dream. Like some have achieved it way more times than others, but for me it’s my third.

“I still sometimes cannot believe it, especially if you have a great win over such a good player.”

Bertens reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final after defeating American 15th seed Madison Keys 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

The world number 58, conqueror of Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the first round, has now won 11 straight matches after arriving in Paris fresh from lifting the Nuremberg clay-court title as a qualifier.

Putintseva, 21, the youngest player left in the draw, extended her best run at a major with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.

“I think I have been always playing well. It’s just in last few years I had some troubles with like sometimes fitness, sometimes my game that I have to change a little bit in the more aggressive way.

“But I think it’s just the moment came and now I’m playing better in this tournament,” said Putintseva, the world number 60, who was beaten in straight sets by Serena at Indian Wells this year.

“She’s a legend. I’m just gonna go there and show my game, show my best, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.

“Like I have nothing to lose obviously against her. Yeah, I’m just gonna go and play. What else can I do?”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic comes from same stock as other sport icons

Tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won a record fifth Indian Wells title on Sunday, says when he is at the top of his game it feels like he is “in the zone”.

Djokovic has been ranked No. 1 in the world since July 2014 and credits his magical run of success to not only a strict routine off the court, but incredible instincts on the court.

Djokovic describes it as “pattern recognition” — reacting and remembering both consciously and subconsciously to what his opponent is doing then capitalizing on that.

“Subconscious and conscious are directly linked. When you’re able to understand both and grasp both sides, you’re able to be in the present moment, which I think most of the professional athletes call in the zone kind of moment,” Djokovic said following his 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Canadian Milos Raonic on Sunday.

“Conscious, I think touches the material, physical part, where you can actually do something that’s tangible, which means prepare yourself mentally with video analysis, the data, the stats, the previous experiences.

“Subconsciously, I think it relates to yourself and how well you’re moving and how focused you are on the court and on your opponent.”

Djokovic, who is one of just three players to have more than 700 career wins, shares the same championship pedigree as a Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James or Tom Brady.

Thinking the same thing

“I can see that there is a lot of professional athletes at the very top level in different sports that explain it in maybe different words, but they are thinking about more or less the same thing that I’m thinking about,” Djokovic said.

“It all comes down to more or less the same thing, being able to use and maximize your potential as an athlete in every aspect of your being.”

Djokovic needed just 77 minutes to take down the hard-serving Raonic, who regularly clocks first serves at 140 mph (225 km/ph) and is off to a career best 14-2 start this season.

“All the top players have a very high level of sports and tennis intelligence otherwise they wouldn’t be here.

“There are people who rely more on the mathematical side and there are people who rely more on gut feeling, instinct and kind of figuring out the situations and doing what they think is most appropriate at the time.

“I believe the best way is somewhere in the middle.”

It is going to take that kind of dedication and devotion to get Djokovic over the next big challenge in his career  — winning a French Open.

He is hoping his third straight Indian Wells crown will finally be a stepping stone to his maiden win in Roland-Garros, completing the career Grand Slam.

“Roland Garros has been and is this year again one of the top priorities of the season,” he said.

“I grew up on clay, I love playing on clay. I still haven’t won that Grand Slam played on clay courts, but I have gotten very close a couple of times and I know that it doesn’t take too much more to win the trophy.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Davis Cup: Murray wins in 5 sets, Britain beats Japan

BIRMINGHAM, England — Once again, Britain had Andy Murray to thank for a victory in the Davis Cup.

Murray recovered from squandering a two-set lead to beat Kei Nishikori and give the defending champions a 3-1 win over Japan in the first round on Sunday.

Murray won 7-5, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 for his 14th straight victory in the Davis Cup, digging deep in his third match in as many days. This was the second-ranked Murray’s first event after five weeks off, during which he became a father for the first time.

“He is a man of steel, isn’t he?” Britain captain Leon Smith said of Murray.

“He is amazing. It is a privilege to sit there with him, and we will remember that for a long time.”

Britain will play a quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic’s Serbia in July, continuing the defense of a title it won for the first time in 79 years. Serbia defeated Kazakhstan 3-2.

The grueling contest between Murray and the sixth-ranked Nishikori lasted almost five hours and featured many memorable rallies. Murray appeared to be struggling physically during the third and fourth sets, but found some energy for the fifth set.

“The crowd helped, for sure,” said Murray, whose last action before this Davis Cup match was a loss in the Australian Open final to Djokovic on Jan. 31.

Murray preserved his record of having lost only once in his career from two sets up — in 2005 against David Nalbandian at Wimbledon when Murray was aged 18.

It was Nishikori’s first loss in 13 Davis Cup matches, a streak stretching back four years.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kyrgios beats Cilic at Open 13 to win 1st title

MARSEILLE, France — Big-serving Nick Kyrgios won his first career title with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory over fourth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia in the Open 13 final on Sunday.

Kyrgios closed out the match with his 17th ace to cap a dream week for the 20-year-old Australian, who didn’t lose a set and was unbroken in 47 games. Ranked 41st, he beat two top-10 players in No. 10 Richard Gasquet and No. 8 Tomas Berdych.

It was only Kyrgios’ second tournament of the year. He lost to Berdych in the third round of the Australian Open in January and was forced to withdraw from Rotterdam last week with an elbow injury.

“I didn’t really expect to win this title this week after having a couple of weeks off,” said Kyrgios, who lost his only previous final on outdoor clay last year in Estoril, Portugal. “But from the first round I started playing really well and just gained confidence as I kept winning matches.

“I think I served really, really well again. I was serving really well all week. I didn’t get broken once. That was the main thing that was good. And I was able to put pressure on my opponents’ serves a lot when I was going through my service games really quickly.”

The popular Krygios ended his victory speech with a few words of French, declaring to his fans “I really like cheese.”

Kyrgios had Cilic under pressure from the start and converted his eighth break point to go 3-1 up in the first set and never looked back, securing a second break in the seventh game before serving out the set to love.

Cilic fought back in the second set and almost leveled the match in the 10th game but Kyrgios saved the only break point he faced in the contest with a 201 kph (125 mph) ace.

“I felt I was getting much closer in that second set,” Cilic said. “I felt also that he was becoming a bit more frustrated, which was good for me. I had a chance at the end of the second set to get the break, but he managed to play well … I didn’t adjust well enough on the balls that were coming back.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Hot stuff Nadal into Argentina Open semi-finals

Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal reached the Argentina Open semi-finals Friday, braving temperatures of 33 degrees to clinch a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Italian journeyman Paolo Lorenzi.

Nadal, the world number five, is back on his favorite clay court surface and is playing his first event since his shock opening round loss to compatriot Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open last month.

He had seen off close friend Juan Monaco of Argentina in Thursday’s first round but faced a slightly tougher test Friday when 34-year-old Lorenzi, the world 52, clawed his way back from a 4-1 first set deficit.

But 29-year-old Nadal clinched victory on his first match point after one hour and 51 minutes on court.

It was the Spaniard’s 346th win on clay as he remains on track to claim a 48th career title on the surface which has brought him his greatest success.

Nadal will now face Austria’s world number 19 Dominic Thiem on Saturday for a place in the final.

Thiem, the fifth seed, defeated Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-2 in his quarter-final.

Thiem, the youngest player in the Top 20 at 22-years-old, lost to Nadal in their only previous meeting in straight sets at the 2014 French Open.

source: sports.inquirer.net