Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams Win Titles In Canada - Mondays with Bob Greene

By Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene – 12 August 2013

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Milos Raonic 6-2 6-2 to win the Coupe Rogers inMontreal,Quebec,Canada

Serena Williams beat Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-0 to win the Roger Cup inToronto,Ontario,Canada

Shahar Peer beat Zheng Saisai 6-2 2-6 6-3 to win the Caoxijiu Suzhou Ladies Open inSuzhou,China

Bradley Klahn beat Daniel Evans 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 to win the Comerica Bank Challenger inAptos,California,USA

SAYING

“To win here, I have to be playing my top level. Very happy the way that I played almost every match in this tournament. Is very important for me, this title. Just very happy for everything.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning the Rogers Cup.

“I said yesterday the only chance to win against Novak, the only tactic is to play very well. And I did. I played a very high level tonight, I think. I played with the right decisions in the important moments.” – Rafael Nadal, after beating Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 7-6 (2) in the Rogers Cup semifinals.

“It was very close match. Whenever we play against each other, it’s always a thrilling match for the crowd to see. We are both competing at the high level. We both want to win these matches.” – Novak Djokovic, who now trails 21-15 in his career meetings against Rafael Nadal.

“The goal is to try and peak at the US Open. – Andy Murray, after his shocking loss third round loss to Ernests Gulbis inMontreal.

“When I lose a match I am always a little bit sad. But still have to find some positives. It is my first tournament afterWimbledon. I was doing a pretty good job, so I just continue for next month.” – Li Na, after losing her Rogers Cup semifinal to Sorana Cirstea 6-1 7-6 (5)

“It was extremely hot out there and so tough to play, so I’m really happy I found the energy to win in the end. She was playing really well, and with the conditions, after the fourth game of the first set I was dead already. I’m sure in different conditions it would be a different game, but we both fought until the end and gave all our heart out there and I’m so happy to have won.” – Shahar Peer, following her triumph at the Suzhou Open, her first tournament title in four years.

SPOILER

Milos Raonic was trying to become the first Canadian to win the Rogers Cup in 55 years. Rafael Nadal made sure Canadawill wait at least one more year. The last Canadian to win what was then called the Canadian Open was Robert Bedard, who captured his country’s top tennis event in 1955. Now 81 years old, Bedard was among the crowd that watch Nadal win his third Rogers Cup title The Spanish star also won in 2005 and 2008. “I did a lot of things well,” Nadal said. “My return was huge this afternoon. I returned a few first serves of his in important moments, decisive. Then I think he play with more mistakes than usual. That helped me.” Playing his first tournament since suffering a first-round loss at Wimbledon, Nadal won his eighth title of the year and 58^th of his career. By reaching the final, the 22-year-old Raonic will move up to 10^th in the world rankings, the highest a Canadian man has ever been ranked. He also will be the youngest player in the top 10.

SERENA AGAIN

Serena Williams just keeps winning, which means she is steadily moving up in the records books. Her crushing victory over Sorana Cirstea in the Rogers Cup women’s final in Torontowas the 54^th WTA singles title of Williams’ career. That snapped a tie she had with Monica Seles and puts Williams into fifth place alone on the all-list. Only Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport have won more WTA singles titles than Williams. “There’s a lot of pressure and nothing is guaranteed, but I’m happy to do well,” Williams told the crowd. The Romanian was appearing in only her third WTA final. The world’s top-ranked woman player, Williams had no problems with her Romanian foe, needing just over an hour to capture the Rogers Cup for the third time.

SHAHAR STARS

When Shahar Peer beat China’s Zheng Saisai in the final of the Suzhou Ladies Open, it was the Israeli’s first tournament title in four years. Once ranked as high as 11^th in the world, Peer fell to 179^th earlier this year. But she reached her first WTA-level final in two years last month inBaku,Azerbaijan, and has now been in the quarterfinals or higher in her last four tournaments, having won 11 of her last 14 matches and nine of her last 10. Although her victory inSuzhou,China, will put her back in the top 100 in the world, Peer will have to qualify to gain a spot in the main draw of the US Open later this month. She split with coach Pablo Giacopelli several weeks ago and decided to focus on gaining ranking points and confidence by playing smaller events inAsia. It’s a decision that is paying off forIsrael’s top female player.

SLIPUP

Andy Murray was hoping to get a lot of practice on hard courts in preparation for defending his US Open title.Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis made sureMurrayhad as little work as possible. Gulbis shocked the Rogers Cup crowd when he upsetMurray6-4 6-3 in a third-round match. “I was playing a very good player today, someone that gives you very little rhythm on the court,”Murray said. “But I actually thought I hit the ball better today than yesterday.” After winningWimbledon– and becoming the first British player to do so since Fred Perry in 1936. “I had a bit longer to prepare this year,”Murray noted. “But maybe I just need to make sure I get a few more matches in practice in the future.”

SPECIAL FEELING

No surprise here. Serena Williams us the first player to qualify for this year’s TEB BNPParibas WTA Championships, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from Oct. 22-27. The world’s top eight women singles players and top four doubles teams will compete for a record-setting USD $6 million in prize money. It is the third straight year the TEB BNPParibas WTA Championships have been held in Istanbul. The defending champion, Williams has now qualified for the season-ending championships 10 times in her career and is a three-time champion, having also won in 2001 and 2009. She also reached the final in 2002 and 2004. This season Williams has amassed an impressive 51-3 record, and her titles include Roland Garros, her 16^th career Grand Slam tournament singles title.

SUPER HOT SORANA

It was a remarkable week for Sorana Cirstea. Playing in the Rogers Cup in Toronto, the unseeded Romanian battled into the final after posting victories over former world number ones Carolina Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic, defending champion Petra Kvitova and 2011 French Open winner Li Na. “I am really excited for what’s happened this week,” Cirstea said. “Everything now is coming together for me.” The Romanian’s lone singles title came five years ago atTashkent.

STRIKE

Mardy Fish took time from practicing so he could indulge in another of his favorite sports. The American threw out the first pitch before the San Diego Padres took on the Cincinnati Reds in a baseball game. “I played a lot of sports growing up. I played a little baseball until I was 14 or so,” Fish said. “I was born in Minnesota so I’m a huge Twins fan. I know a couple of guys on the team, so I root for them.” Fish was inCincinnatipreparing for this week’s Western & Southern Open. Fish was a finalist in Cincinnati in 2003 to Andy Roddick and in 2010 to Roger Federer.

SISTERLY PAYBACK

Don’t blame Kirsten Flipkens if she feels a little shell-shocked. The Belgian lost the opening set 6-0, and then rallied to upset Venus Williams at the Rogers Cup inToronto. By the luck of the draw, Fipkens had to play Venus’ little sister, Serena, later in the tournament. Serena Williams was ready for the challenge. “After I won the first set (6-0) I definitely thought about Venus, and I thought about what a good comeback Kirsten had, so I thought, ‘I’m not going to get overconfident.’ She’s obviously a really good player, so I was just trying to stay really focused as well as really intense at that moment.” Serena won 6-0 6-3.

STRAIGHT IN

Bradley Klahn earned a wild card entry into the main draw of the US Open men’s singles, then captured the Comerica Challenger in Aptos,California,USA. The 22-year-old American reached the final in Binghamton,New York,USA, where he fell to Alex Kuznetsov. While at Stanford University, Klahn won the 2010 NCAA men’ singles title and was a four-year All-American. He clinched the wild card awarded to the American man who earns the most ranking points in two of four USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events, which includes a USD $100,000 event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and a USD $50,000 tournament in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Klahn received a wild card into the US Open qualifying last year. He won three matches, advancing to the main draw, where he upset fellow left-hander Jurgen Melzer in a five-set first round.

Shelby Rogers earned the women’s 2013 US Open wild card.

Collin Altamirano and Sachia Vickery won the USTA Boys’ and Girls’ 18s National Championships singles titles, earning each a wild card into the main draw of the US Open. The 17-year-old Altamirano became the first unseeded player ever to win the USTA Boys’ 18s singles in the tournament’s 71 years. Vickery, 18, is 230^th in the WTA rankings.

STICKING TOGETHER

Martina Hingis credits her doubles partner for bringing her back into the game. The Swiss star was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last month. Then she immediately signed up to play doubles on the WTA tour with Daniela Hantuchova. Hingis said it was Hantuchova who convinced her to play again. “When I was coaching Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, that’s when Daniela approached me and said, ‘Don’t you thing it would be great to play doubles? You’ve still got it.’” The two lost in the second round at the Rogers Cup inToronto, but they are entered into this week’s tournament inCincinnati,Ohio,USA, and at the US Open. Hingis teamed with Jana Novotna to win the US Open doubles in 1998.

SELES HONORED

Monica Seles, a two-time US Open champion, has been named the 2013 inductee into the US Open Court of Champions. Seles will be inducted during an on-court ceremony in Arthur Ashe Stadium prior to the women’s singles final on Sunday, September 8. The US Open Court of Champions salutes the tournament’s all-time greatest champions with an individual permanent monument that serves as a lasting tribute. Prior inductees include Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe, Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Jimmy Connors,Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Althea Gibson, Richard “Pancho” Gonzalez, Steffi Graf, Billie Jean King, Jack Kramer, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Margaret Osborne DuPont, Ken Rosewall, Pete Sampras, Bill Tilden and Helen Wills.

SALUTED

Alan Hassenfeld, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHoF) board, has been awarded the prestigious Chairman’s Award. Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the ITHoF, made the presentation at the tennis shrine in Newport,Rhode Island,USA. The former chairman of the board and present chairman of the executive committee of Hasbro, Inc., an international toy company, Hassenfeld has taken an active leadership role in ITHoF affairs, serving on both the Development Committee and the Capital Campaign.

SAD NEWS

Eiichi Kawatei of Japan is dead at the age of 79. Kawatei was a leader in the development and promotion of tennis inAsiaand worldwide for more than 40 years. He was highly active with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for more than 30 years, serving as a member of the Committee of Management, member of the ITF Board of Directors, Vice President, Chairman of the Junior Competitions Committee and Honorary Life Vice President. He also was a Technical Delegate for the Olympic Tennis Event each year since the sport’s return to the Games in 1988.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Aptos: Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram beat Chris Cuccione and Matt Reid 6-3 6-7 (6) 10-2 (match tiebreak)

Montreal: Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares beat Colin Fleming and Andy Murray 6-4 7-6 (4)

Suzhou: Timeo Babos and Michaella Krajicek beat Han Xinyun and Eri Hozumi 6-2 6-2

Toronto: Jelena Jankovic and Katarina Srebotnik beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke 5-7 6-2 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Cincinnati: www.cincytennis.com/

Winston-Salem: www.winstonsalemopen.com/?

New Haven: www.newhavenopen.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

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