Andy Murray Captures Abu Dhabi Exhibition - Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

SAYING

“I felt I was dominating the points a lot of times, but I am missing competitive spirit. I am going to keep working hard to get that.” – Rafael Nadal, after losing 6-2 6-0 to Andy Murray.

“She had nothing to lose and absolutely went for it. It all came off for her. I don’t feel like I went away. I kept trying my guts out and unfortunately I came out on the wrong end this time.” – Samantha Stosur, who lost to Varvara Lepchenko after having match point at 6-4 4-6 5-1.

“I don’t know exactly what happened. I’ve never had anything happen to my left shoulder before. It’s pretty sore and at the end of the match when I was reaching out to sign autographs it was quite painful.” – Andy Murray, complaining of an injury after his semifinal victory over Rafael Nadal.

“I think knowing that I put in the work in the off-season helped my confidence, even though it was the first match of the season and you’re not supposed to be too confident. But knowing you’ve done the work really helps when you’re out there and playing.” – Ajla Tomljanovic, a wild-card entry at the Brisbane International, after upsetting Jelena Jankovic in a first-round match.

SEASON OPENER

Andy Murray captured the Mubadala World Tennis Championships title without breaking a sweat. That’s because the title match of the Abu Dhabi exhibition wasn’t played when Novak Djokovic pulled out of the final suffering from a fever. He had earned a spot in the final by besting Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals. “It’s unfortunate that Novak wasn’t feeling well,” Murray said. “It happens.” The world’s top-ranked player wasn’t the only player with problems. Even Murray complained of pain in his left shoulder during his 6-2 6-0 semifinal win over Rafael Nadal. Murray was to undergo a scan before playing in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, this week.

Nadal said he wasn’t worried about his lopsided loss to Murray in his first competitive match since undergoing an appendectomy at the start of November. He also missed a large part of the second half of the 2014 season with a wrist problem. “This was not the best start possible against a tough rival in Andy Murray,” Nadal said. “But there are only small things I need to adjust. I had a lot of chances to have a closer result. I have to improve, that’s obvious, and I’m going to improve. This match helps me and the defeat does not affect me too much.”

STOSUR SHOCKED

It definitely was not the way Samantha Stosur wanted to start her year. The 2011 US Open winner had match point at 5-1 in the third set when Varvara Lepchenko began her comeback in a first-round match at the Brisbane International. It was Lepchenko who advanced to the second round 4-6 6-4 7-5. “For 99 percent of that match I’m really happy with the way that I played and what I did, and there are lots of good things I can take away from tonight, that I feel like have been a major improvement on some of my other first rounds in Australia,” Stosur said. “But look, 5-1, match point, you get yourself into that winning position, there’s not too much you’re doing wrong. I don’t feel like I did too much wrong even from that point. She just played a fantastic last set from that position.”

Stosur wasn’t the only big-name player to fall on the opening day at Brisbane, Australia. Ajla Tomljanovic won 18 of the last 24 points to upset Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (6) 6-0 and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi knocked off fifth-seeded Andrea Petkovic 6-4 5-7 6-4.

SKIPPING BRISBANE

Two former US Open champions have withdrawn from the season’s first ATP World Tour tournament in Brisbane, Australia. Marin Cilic, who won America’s Grand Slam tournament in September, has not yet recovered from a right shoulder injury. Tournament director Cameron Pearson said Cilic has “lost his race against time to regain full fitness.” After winning the US Open, Cilic withdrew from several tournaments before winning the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Russia, in October.

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, withdrew from Brisbane because of his left wrist injury. Del Potro hasn’t played since undergoing surgery on the wrist last March. It now appears unlikely he will defend his Sydney International title he won last year, and there is a question as to whether he will be able to play in the Australian Open later this month.

STAYING HOME

Australian Nick Kyrgios, who upset Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last July, withdrew from this week’s Hopman Cup competition. Kyrgios has a back injury and was replaced on the Australian team by Matthew Ebden for the Perth, Australia, event.

SELECTED

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has been selected a Global Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play, an organization that uses the power of sports and play to educate and empower more than one million children around the world. “I’m so excited to be a Global Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play,” the fourth-ranked player said. “It’s a charity whose work I really believe in – giving children the opportunity to learn through sport is a cause that’s very close to my heart.” The Czech left-hander joins an international team of over 300 volunteer Athlete Ambassadors from 40 countries. Right To Play was founded in 2000 by Johann Koss, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating. The program teaches children to protect themselves from disease and encourages them to attend and stay in school and to resolve conflicts peacefully.

STRICTLY TENNIS

The first male player from Asia to reach a Grand Slam tournament final, Japan’s Kei Nishikori has received another honor. His run to the US Open final, including a victory over world number one Novak Djokovic, and his play throughout 2014 was enough for Reuters news agency to name Nishikori the winner of its Breakthrough of the Year Award.

SMALL PAYCHECKS

Despite the huge paychecks taken home by Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and the other top stars, most professional tennis players don’t make much money. Fewer than 1,000 pro players break even in the sport and far fewer make a decent living. The ATP World Tour, which runs the men’s circuit, announced recently it was increasing prize money significantly over the next four years. But that money will go to the biggest tournaments. Adjusting for inflation, prize money on the ATP’s Challenger Tour – tennis’ minor league for men – has fallen by 25 percent in the last six years. An analysis by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) showed that only 336 men and 253 women made more money than they spent playing tennis in 2013. The ITF estimated that the 4,978 men who won some prize money in 2013 averaged a little over USD $13,000. Women did a little better. The bottom 99 percent of the 2,650 women who earned prize money averaged about $22,600. The survey showed that fewer than 200 women are earning a living from tennis. That’s because players are individual contractors who must pay for their own transportation, equipment, coaching and – at some events – accommodation and food.

The ITF is considering how to divide the revenue among players in a way that’s best for the game. It is studying the sport’s economics to make sure that players who are good enough to break through don’t quit the game before doing so while hastening the departure of those who aren’t good enough. In March the ITF Board will consider the idea of several changes, including increases to prize money and hospitality. An ATP spokesman said it will likely increase prize money and hospitality spending at Challenger tournaments this year, too.

SPONSOR

American sportswear manufacturer Under Armour has signed former Wimbledon and US Open champion Andy Murray to a four-year contract. According to British news reports, the deal is worth USD $25 million. Murray, who began his career wearing Fred Perry clothing, had recently completed a four-year sponsorship deal with Adidas. Murray won the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013. He is currently ranked sixth in the world.

SURFING

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Doha: www.qatartennis.org/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/2015/

Shenzhen: www.shenzhenopentennis.com/2015/chs/

Auckland (women): www.festivaloftennis.co.nz/asbclassic/

Sydney: www.apiainternational.com.au/

Auckland (men): www.festivaloftennis.co.nz/heinekenopen/

Hobart: www.hobartinternational.com.au/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

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