Thursday, 30 September 2010

jelena jankovic

Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Who Will Join Federer and Nadal in Barclays ATP World Tour Finals?

All the major ATP Tour titles for 2010 have been decided. Roger Federer took the Australian Open and Rafael Nadal cleaned up at the French Open, Wimbledon and most recently the US Open.

However, the line-up for season finale at the O2 Arena in London, where the top eight players in the standings compete in the World Tour Finals, is still largely undecided.

On account of their form in the Slams both Nadal and Federer are guaranteed a place in London … but the other six places remain very much up for grabs.

Next in line come Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Surprisingly both have only won once during the season and that’s why neither is 100% assured of making the end of season championships. However, it would take a seismic shift in the rankings for either player to miss out.

Barring such a miracle that still leaves half of the 8 places unresolved at this late stage of the campaign. Robin Soderling in 5th spot is well-placed to qualify and Tomas Berdych, after big performances in Paris and London during the Summer, comes next on the list. Both these guys will only have themselves to blame should they fail to make it to the November showpiece.

The interesting battles will come further down the list, especially with Masters Series events (offering some big ranking points) to come in Shanghai and Paris.

Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny look certain to be in the shake-up. The first three have been in poor form recently and will need to up their performances. Youzhny, on the back of a run to the semis in New York, clearly has momentum.

Injury has blighted the seasons of Nikolay Davydenko, Juan-Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Gonzalez. They will have to start again from scratch in 2011.

Finally, guys like Jurgen Melzer, Marin Cilic and Mardy Fish must retain some small hope of making the line-up but, realistically, each must achieve a Masters Series win in order to boost their chances.

The finals moved to London from Shanghai in 2009 with Nikolay Davydenko winning the title after a 6-3 6-4 victory over Del Potro. Roger Federer will be looking for a record equalling 5th title this year (Ivan Lendl won five times between 1981 and 1987).

Rafael Nadal will be chasing his first world crown this year and is keen to add this prize to his impressive haul for the season.

“My goal remains for me that the [Barclays ATP World Tour Finals] is probably the last big tournament that I didn’t win,” said the Spaniard after his US Open win.

“It’s the most difficult title for me to win because we play it indoors … so gonna be always very difficult if we don’t change that. But at the same time is a challenge for me to keep improving to have the chance to play well there and to have the chance to win, so that’s what I’m gonna try this year.”

Rafael Nadal To Return To Familiar British Territory Again in 2011: This Week in Tennis Business

Rafael Nadal, who became the first man to win consecutive French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles since Rod Laver did so in 1969, has announced that he will play in the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club in London in 2011. “I love playing at The Queen’s Club because it is a traditional club,” said Nadal. “Every time I have played there I have felt very welcome because of the British people and their support, and because of the tournament organizers who are so good at their job.” The AEGON Championships will take place from June 6-12, 2011.
On Tuesday, it was announced by BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Steve Simon that a site improvement project has begun at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is the site of the BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier tennis tournament, to be held March 7-20, 2011. Among the improvements at the tournament site will be, the addition of four lighted practice tennis courts, new and upgraded sport lighting on match courts, and viewing platforms adjacent to the main practice courts. In addition, court lighting will be added to Courts 7 and 8, which means all tournament match courts will include lighting, and lighting is being upgraded on Stadium 2 and 3. This will give the tournament site eight lighted match courts for the BNP Paribas Open, and 10 lighted courts for the year-round members. “Our goal is to continually seek ways to improve the Indian Wells Tennis Garden,” said Steve Simon, BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director. “Adding courts, lighting and additional upgrades will offer players and fans a better experience at the BNP Paribas Open and make it a more attractive destination for future events.
The USTA announced on Tuesday that eight of the nation’s top junior players will play against some of the top collegiate players in a unique round-robin tournament in the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic at the Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena, Calif., from Setpember 24-26. 2010 US Open Boys’ Champion Jack Sock leads the junior entry list, while four players will be represented from six NCAA Division I schools including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, the University of Kentucky, the University of Texas and the University of Southern California. Each school will send four players to compete alongside the eight juniors, and the 32-man field will be split into eight pools featuring three collegiate players and a junior. Following three matches in pool play, the eight pool winners will compete in a single-elimination, 10-point tiebreak tournament. The winner of the tournament will receive a USTA-sponsored wild card into a USTA Pro Circuit event that is yet to be determined. The event, which was founded 10 years ago by Cal-Berkeley coach Peter Wright and Meadowood Tennis Director Doug King, will feature junior players for the first time after being held exclusively for college players the first nine. “I’m very pleased that juniors are now being incorporated into this event and will be competing against some of the country’s top collegians,” said Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development. “Collegiate competition is a key component of the pathway from junior tennis to professional tennis, and letting our juniors compete with college veterans will help with their physical and mental development.” This will be the tenth consecutive year the event has been held at Meadowood, and the third year Land Rover has served as the title sponsor.
The exclusive presale ticket offer for the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York City featuring exhibition matches between Andre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras and John McEnroe vs. Ivan Lendl, went on sale on Tuesday, September 21 at 12pm and will last until Sunday, September 26 at 11:59pm. Tickets can be ordered by calling 866-858-0008 or by going on the Ticket Master website at: Be sure to use the code STAR11. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 27.
The ATP Champions Tour has added an event in Sydney at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre and John McEnroe and Australian tennis legend Patrick Rafter will participate in the tournament. The tournament, which will take place from November 11-14, will also feature former World No. 1 Mats Wilander, 2001 Wimbledon Champion Goran Ivanisevic, and Pat Cash.
The International Tennis Federation announced over the weekend that BNP Paribas will continue its sponsorship with Davis Cup and Fed Cup for an additional five years through 2016. The new agreement also includes sponsorship of Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, ITF wheelchair tennis activities, and the biennial Worldwide Coaches Conference and regional coaches workshops. The recent announcement was made at the Davis Cup semifinal match between France and Argentina in Lyon. “BNP Paribas is an outstanding partner for the ITF’s international team competitions,” said Francesco Ricci Bitti, ITF President. “As one of the world’s largest banks, with a network in over 80 countries, it is a perfect fit for both Davis Cup and Fed Cup with its global reach. Added to this is BNP Paribas’s love of and commitment to tennis around the world, which is a responsibility that we at the ITF are proud to share with them. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with BNP Paribas, now through at least 2016.”
Bob and Mike Bryan will host the “All Star Tennis Fest & Wine Tasting benefiting the Bryan Brothers Foundation” on Saturday, September 25 at the Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, Calif. The event will feature nine-time Grand Slam doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey. The event will run from 1:00pm -5:00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official website: http://www.bbtennisfest.com.
Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King will bring their annual WTT Smash Hits charity night of tennis to Washington, D.C., for the first time in the events 18-year history on Monday, November 15 at the Bender Arena on the campus of American University. Tennis legends Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Anna Kournikova and James Blake will join other top players for the WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO. “We are so thrilled to bring Smash Hits to our nation’s capital this year,” said Billie Jean King, WTT co-founder. “This is the perfect venue for us to raise the awareness of HIV and AIDS and we are excited to build upon the growing support in the community for WTT.”
Former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam singles champion Jim Courier, as well as former World No. 10 Mikael Pernfors will headline the Third Annual Magarino Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Pro Tennis Classic Presented by Merrill Lynch on September 26 at the Lake Mohawk Tennis Club in Sparta, N.J., benefiting the Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation for improvements and upgrades to its Maternity Unit and Women’s Health Initiative.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the election of eleven new members to the Board of Directors. The new directors were recently elected at the Hall of Fame’s Annual Meeting in New York City. The new directors are John P. Arnhold of New York; Mark D. Ein of Washington, D.C.; Renée A.R. Evangelista of Lincoln, R.I.; James (Jim) L. Farley of Cincinnati, Ohio; Philip H. Geier, Jr. of New York; Madam Sun Jinfang of China; Katherine Burton Jones of Newton, Mass.; Geoff Pollard AM of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Will Prest of Minneapolis, Minn.; Michelle Sicard of New York; and Ken Solomon of New York. Additionally, George Gowen, who served as General Counsel for the Hall of Fame for the past 30 years, has been recognized as a Hall of Fame Life Trustee. Gowen is a partner at the firm of Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller in New York.
Billie Jean King was inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame during a ceremony that took place in New York City during the 2010 US Open. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, and to follow in the footsteps of Dennis Van der Meer, Howard Head and Alan Schwartz,” said King.
Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) CEO Dan Santorum received the ITF Service to the Game Award at the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., and at the USTA Annual Meeting in New York City. The award is given to an individual who has rendered long and distinguished service to the game of tennis.
Miles Maclagan, Andy Murray’s former coach, will take over as Philipp Kohlschreiber’s new coach. Maclagan started coaching Murray in 2007 and helped him reach two Grand Slam singles finals before losing his job this past July. Maclagan is a former Great Britain Davis Cup player and reached a career high No. 172 in the ATP Rankings in 1995.
According to the Daily Mail, Laura Robson has split with her coach Martin Bok, though the two may continue to work together until the end of the season. The paper indicated that Bok did not want to increase his traveling as Robson plays more tournaments starting next year.
Richard Gasquet has stopped working with coach Gabriel Markus. “I’ve been happy to work with Richard and we’ve had success,” Markus told L’Equipe. “He has improved his ranking and his tennis. I tried to show him my way of seeing things and I did a little, but I think it’ll be more confortable to continue as before, with Eric Deblicker. They have a very good relationship, and I wish them the best.”
According to Nielsen, Rafael Nadal’s four-set win over Novak Djokovic in the championship match of the US Open averaged 2.17 million viewers between CBS and ESPN2. That’s down 36 percent from 3.39 million from last year’s five-set final between Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro, all shown on CBS. This year’s final was pushed from Sunday to Monday because of the rain and was then rain-delayed for two hours forcing CBS to push their coverage to ESPN2.
The top six Spanish WTA Tour players announced that they will boycott the opening round of Fed Cup next year because of dissatisfaction with the Spanish Federation’s “total lack of support and interest towards Spanish women’s tennis.” The letter was sent to the Federation by players Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Arantxa Parra Santonja, Carla Suarez Navarro, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Lourdes Dominguez Lino. Among the complaints was the lack of funding and the decision to hold the Spanish national championships on clay during the hardcourt season. More recently, the Spanish Federation released a statement saying they are committed to putting more money into the women’s game. Parra Santonja has told the EFE that the top Spanish women players are sticking to their plans to boycott their first round Fed Cup match next year despite the Spanish Federation trying to counter their concerns.
Lleyton Hewitt may be sidelined for up to three weeks with a right hand injury that forced him to pull out of Australia’s Davis Cup World Group playoff against Belgium last weekend.
Zheng Jie of China will likely miss the rest of the year due to left wrist surgery.
According to Russian press, 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina gave birth to her second child, a boy, two weeks ago. Myskina already has a 2 ½ year old son, Zhenya.
Bob Bryan announced on his Twitter page that he got engaged to girlfriend, Michelle Alvarez, an Attorney, at Pfeifer Falls in Big Sur, Calif.
Mahesh Bhupathi and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta are officially engaged according to his Twitter page and India press. However, a publicist for Dutta said that “there are no plans for a wedding for the next couple of years.” Bhupathi divorced his former wife earlier this year after six years of marriage.

Rafael Nadal to play in 2011 Aegon Championships

Tennis fans with Aegon tickets will get the opportunity to see world number one Rafael Nadal in action.

The Spanish star, who won the US Open last week after overcoming Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the final, has announced he will take part in the 2011 Aegon Championships, which run from June 6th to 12th.

Playing in front of fans with Aegon tickets has proved to be something of a good luck charm for Nadal in the past, with the 24-year-old reaching the Wimbledon final shortly after each of his four previous appearances at The Queen's Club.

Commenting on the news, Nadal revealed he loves taking part in the tournament because of its traditional setting and his relationship with the local fans.

"Every time I have played there I have felt very welcome because of the British people and their support," he explained.

He added that playing in the 2010 championships had "definitely" helped him prepare for his victory at Wimbledon.

Tuesday, 21 September 2010

Swiss Cup defeat puts Federer withdrawal in the spotlight

BERNE (Reuters) - Roger Federer's Davis Cup future was again the subject of debate following Switzerland's 5-0 defeat by Kazakhstan and relegation to next year's Europe/African group.

The defeat drew attention to Federer's last-minute decision to pull out of the team, announced on Wednesday only 48 hours before the start of the tie in Astana, because he said he was tired after the U.S. Open.

"The door is still open for Federer but the team will not be unconditionally directed around him," Erik Keller, chairman of Swiss Tennis's Davis Cup committee, told Swiss media in Astana. "We will not allow professional organization to be shaken."

World number three Federer has played 37 Davis Cup rubbers and led Switzerland to the semi-finals in 2003.

From 2005 until last year, he has only represented his country in the playoff round which decides whether they stay in the World Group for the following season or are relegated.

Is Grigor Dimitrov the next Roger Federer?

There are few avid tennis fans who have not heard of Grigor Dimitrov who has been tagged as the next big phenomenon on the tennis court. The young player, who hails from Bulgaria, is only 19 years old and turned professional only two years ago in 2008. His first major breakthroughs were as a junior player, where he won the boys singles tournaments at Wimbledon and the junior US Open, giving him a junior high rank of world number one.

Dimitrov achieved his highest professional career ranking only a day ago, on September 20, 2010. The 6 foot 2 inch player defeated former Top 20 player Dmitry Tursunov to win his second consecutive ATP Challenger-level event. This victory enabled him to claim the Bangkok title and move up 44 places to a career high of world number 146.

This young player also scored a victory at the ATP tournament, the Geneva Challenger, at the end of August this year. With this Bangkok title, his win streak increases to 10 matches. Dimitrov has had an exceptional summer, with victories in three European Futures events. He has won 22 of his last 23 matches, as well as both Futures and Challengers.

Grigor Dimitrov, also known as G-Force, seems to have caught the eye of several authorities; the first agency to discover his talent was the Aegon 2009 organizing team, which offered him a wild card to the tournament. However, he seems to be the first player of his generation to be compared with all-time tennis legend, Roger Federer.

The first comparisons made are physical. It is impossible to miss the dark hair, held by a bandana; the black slanting eyes, the firm cheekbone structure; the lanky frame. To add to this, Dimitrov seems to idealize Federer, with his all back strip being highly reminiscent of Federer’s own.

Another reason for this comparison is Peter Lundgren. Lundgren was Roger Federer’s coach in his pre-championship days, during the training that led to his first Wimbledon title. He has since then taken on the coaching of Grigor Dimitrov, and has reported that this new talent has even more potential than Federer had.

However, all these factors aside, G-Force’s game speaks for itself. The first shot to catch the eye is his smooth backhand; with a sweep echoing Federer’s style, his single handed backhand is fast, effective, flexible and may become his signature shot. To add to this, his serve stance is almost identical to Federer’s: feet placed one in front of the other, knees bent. However, Dimitrov’s serve is already more powerful than that of the Swiss champion. His forehand is also classic Federer: spinning off his leading leg, the other leg lifted slightly. It is fast and adaptable, and will no doubt improve. In addition to this, his strange drop shot – curved and slicing – makes it almost seem as if he is being coached by Federer himself.

Dimitrov’s failures, if any, are directly linked to his young age and lack of experience. He seems to be leggy and still underdeveloped, but is still growing. Another fault of his is his puppy-like enthusiasm; he jumps in to take every shot possible, often risking sprains and breaks. However, this attack and keenness were what made Federer’s game so pleasant to watch. He also possesses the control that Federer himself fought hard to master past the age of 18, giving more credence to Lundgren’s assessment.

Dimitrov is all set to compete in another ATP Challenger tournament in Bangkok this week, where his first match will be against the seventh seed Ivan Dodig.

Friday, 17 September 2010

Roger Federer announced on Wednesday that he will not be participating in Switzerland's

Former world No. 1 tennis player Roger Federer announced on Wednesday that he will not be participating in Switzerland's Davis Cup match in Kazakhstan this weekend. On his official website, Federer said that he is trying to stay fresh for the rest of the season and that he needs time to relax after "intense weeks" of recent North American competition.

Over the last month and a half, Federer has seen his share of action. In early August, he reached the final at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, and lost in straight sets to Andy Murray. Later that month, he won the Cincinnati Masters with a victory over American Mardy Fish. Federer also reached the semi-final at the U.S. Open, losing a close and intense five-set match to eventual finalist Novak Djokovic.

By skipping the Davis Cup match, Federer is not scheduled to play until the Shanghai Masters, which begins on October 10.

Without Federer, the Swiss team will now be led by Stanislas Wawrinka, who made it to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, and lost to Mikhail Youzhny. Switzerland will travel to Astana on Friday for the playoffs against Kazakhstan, to see which country will advance to the world group in the Davis Cup competition next year.

Federer began the year ranked No. 1 and early on, it looked like Federer was ready to dominate, especially after winning the Australian Open in January. But he did not reach the semi-finals at both the French Open in May and Wimbledon in June, losing his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal, who won both titles, as well as the U.S. Open, to takeover Federer’s distinctive lead in the rankings. With his loss at the U.S. Open to Djokovic, Federer dipped to No. 3 in the rankings, with Djokovic moving up to No. 2.

Roger Federer wasn't among those finalists

The tournament has only just ended but, as always, we are already looking back on it fondly.

The crowd, the energy and the constant noise have been replaced by silence, focus and emptiness. Only the finalists remain.

And, for once, Roger Federer wasn't among those finalists; he fell in the semi-finals, beaten by Novak Djokovic after missing two match points.

It's a year now since the Swiss player stopped being totally convincing. We were used to way better form from him. He is no longer steady and consistent enough during his matches.

Yet we were kind of reassured by his summer. He was playing so much better. His matches against Djokovic and Tomas Berdych in Toronto brought the 'old Roger' back: focused from the first to the last point, crushing, offensive.

His footwork was again in shape and his whole game was benefiting from it, and so we had huge ambitions for him in New York.

But in the US Open he didn't display any of this. Moving too slow, not really inspired in his attacking game and lacking aggression, Roger has once again showed a face that we're starting to get used to.

And so here are the questions that are now surfacing. Are those losses evidence of the fading of King Federer? Is Roger the victim of a motivational crisis after the birth of his daughters - but also after his French Open and Wimbledon double in 2009? Is the Swiss player injured?

He has already admitted that he had been playing many matches with an injured back. If we're paying a lot of attention to the way he played in New York, to the way he moved, we could easily believe it.

Anyway, this Federer isn't the big champion we know he is. He will have to solve, and fast, all his issues, mentally and physically.

Otherwise, he won't be able to win Grand Slams again; not with this level of play, even if it's enough for now to get to the quarter- or semi-finals.

On the other hand, Rafael Nadal is having an amazingly successful season, with three Grand Slams and three Masters 1000 under his belt. He only failed at the Australian Open, pulling out injured during his match against Andy Murray - but having already played great tennis.

Rafa is bossing the whole field and, most impressively of all, he's doing it on every surface.

He keeps improving on his serve and his backhand. The intensity he can display and his focus make him a rare kind of player. I've never seen anyone able to hit each ball from January 1 to December 31 with the same power and will to succeed. If he can stay healthy, he could prevent Federer from winning any further majors.

Novak Djokovic has been the positive story of this summer.

Struggling a lot during the first part of the year, he prepared perfectly for the US Open. He worked so hard and arrived physically fit, which is key for him.

His serve is mainly back, a problem solved with Todd Martin's input, and finally his forehand is a weapon again and helps him to dictate the game when he needs to.

He had the good fortune to meet a not-so-inspired Federer in this semi-final though. For sure Nole is on the right path but if he wants to win another Grand Slam, confronted by those two giants, Federer and Nadal, it seems like the road is still pretty long.

Disillusion is the most suited word for what happened, again, to Andy Murray. He's really having a disappointing season.

He was seen as the number one outsider following his victory in Toronto where he beat Nadal and Federer - but ended up falling in the third round to Stanislas Wawrinka.

The Scotsman is still capable of the best as much as he is of the worst. That has been his main issue for two years now. He can't find a way to maintain a steady level and it's still really hard to find a guideline in his game.

The amazing talent is still there, but he hasn't succeeded in finding his own style whereas the best players are always using the same weapons from one match to another, finding intensity and confidence.

As far as Tomas Berdych goes, he has improved a lot this year and he's way more consistent than he used to be. He reached the final at Wimbledon and the semi-final of the French Open.

Yet, as I've already said, I still feel he's not at the same level as the top players. His game is really clean but maybe too predictable and lacking of diversity. At the US Open, Michael Lodra and his unique way of playing knocked him out in straight sets.

A word finally on Marcos Baghdatis and David Nalbandian, who also didn't confirm their return to the top level. They are often brilliant in less important events, but it's the Grand Slams that are career-makers. Seeing them back in shape is encouraging - but we'll have to keep an eye on them in the months to come.