Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Australian Open
Men’s Singles: Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 3-6 6-1
Women’s Singles: Caroline Wozniacki beat Simona Halep 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-4
Men’s Doubles: Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4 6-4
Women’s Doubles: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-3
Mixed Doubles: Gabriela Dabrowski and Mate Pavic beat Timea Babos and Rohan Bopanna 2-6 6-4 11-9 (match tiebreak)
Boys’ Singles: Sebastian Korda beat Tseng Chun Hsin 7-6 (6) 6-4
Girls’ Single: Liang En Shuo beat Clara Burel 6-3 6-4
Boys’ Doubles: Hugo Gaston and Clement Tabur beat Rudolf Molleker and Henri Squire 6-2 6-2
Girls’ Doubles: Liang En Shuo and Wang Xinyu beat Violet Apisah and Lulu Sun 7-6 (4) 4-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)
Men’s Wheelchair Singles: Shingo Kunieda beat Stephane Houdet 4-6 6-1 7-6 (3)
Women’s Wheelchair Singles: Diede De Groot beat Yui Kamiji 7-6 (6) 6-4
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer beat Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid 6-4 6-2
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles: Marjolein Buis and Yui Kamiji beat Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot 6-0 6-4
Quad Wheelchair Singles: Dylan Alcott beat David Wagner 7-6 (1) 6-1
OTHER:
Newport Beach (men): Taylor Fritz beat Bradley Klahn 3-6 7-5 6-0
Newport Beach (women): Danielle Collins beat Sofya Zhuk 2-6 6-4 6-3
SAYING
“Winning is an absolute dream come true. The fairytale continues for us, for me, it’s incredible.” – Roger Federer, after winning his sixth Australian Open and 20th Grand Slam tournament title.
“It’s a dream come true, and my voice is shaking. It’s a very emotional moment.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after winning her first Grand Slam tournament title.
“I was close again, but the gas was over in the end.” – Simona Halep, after losing the final to Caroline Wozniacki.
“I got too nervous to watch but woke up to @CaroWozniacki new number one and aussie open champ. So awesome. So happy. Are those tears? Yup they are. From a year ago to today I’m so proud my friend so proud. Literally can’t even sleep now.” – Serena Williams, in a Tweet congratulating Caroline Wozniacki’s victory.
“I want to congratulate Simona. I know today is a tough day and I’m sorry I had to win.” – Caroline Wozniacki, who won her first Grand Slam tournament title after losing her first two finals, to Simone Halep, who now has lost three Grand Slam tournament finals.
“I’m still losing and I’m still waiting. Maybe the fourth one will be with luck.” – Simona Halep, after her third Grand Slam tournament final disappointment.
“To be honest with you, regardless, I think I’ve had an incredible career. The end of the day, I think a lot of people would like to be in my position. Obviously adding a Grand Slam to my CV is what caps it off.” – Caroline Wozniacki.
“(I feel) like I’m still in a dream. I cannot believe it. It’s like a dream (that’s) real.” – Liang En Shuo
“After I was fortunate enough to achieve my dreams on the court, I have done my best to, in turn, help young people achieve theirs.” – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, after being made a Companion in the Order of Australia, the country’s highest honor.
“Honestly, I think that’s one of the most positive things about all of this. I’m never going to get that question again.” – Caroline Wozniacki, noting she will no longer be asked when she will win a Grand Slam tournament title.
SWISS MASTER
After winning a record-tying sixth Australian Open and his 20th Grand Slam tournament title, Roger Federer showed his human side. The Swiss master broke down in tears. “During the match I constantly thought about the fact that I could reach 20,” Federer told the Swiss TV station SRF. “I was nervous the whole day, I thought about what would happen if I lose, if I win. That’s why I broke down during the (post-match) speech.” And despite Federer’s strong start, winning the opening four games in just 13 minutes, the 36-year-old found himself in a battle with big-serving Marin Cilic. The Croat over-powered Federer in the fourth set, winning five consecutive games, and appeared to be dominating the match as the two began the fifth. “I got off to a flyer, but I froze in the tiebreak and lost that second set and lost control of the match,” Federer said. “I got a bit lucky tonight, I think.” He also found his serve again in the final set and won five of the last six games to once again walk away with the big trophy. “It was an amazing journey for me. It could have been the best two weeks of my life,” Cilic said. “I had the chance at the beginning of the fifth, but he played a great match.”
SWEET CAROLINE
Caroline Wozniacki turned her third Grand Slam tournament final into her first major title. “I’m sorry I’m just taking a second to hug Daphne,” Wozniacki said of the women’s singles champion trophy. “I dreamt of this moment so many years, to be here now it’s a dream come true.” Along with the biggest title of her career, Wozniacki also regains the number one ranking for the first time in six years, a record between stints at the top in the Open era. It was the first time in the Open era that players ranked one and two in the world faced each other in a major final without either having won a Grand Slam title. “I know that today is a tough day,” Wozniacki said to the runner-up, Simona Halep, who has now lost in three Grand Slam finals. “I’m sorry I had to win today, but I’m sure we’ll have many matches in the future. Incredible match, incredible fight. And again, I’m sorry.” Halep became dizzy and called a medical timeout in the second set to have her blood pressure taken. She then began grabbing at her left thigh between points, but won the set to level the match. Then it was the Dane’s turn. After losing her serve for a second straight time to fall behind 3-4, Wozniacki had her left leg taped by the trainer. She then won the next three games to capture her first Grand Slam title. Wozniacki is the third first-time major winner of the women’s singles in the last four Grand Slam tournaments.
Following the match, Halep was hospitalized and treated for dehydration.
SLAM TWICE
The Australian Open proved to be a financial windfall for Mate Pavic. The Croatian pocketed USD $325,000 in the fortnight after he teamed with Oliver Marach of Austria to win the men’s doubles, then with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski to capture the mixed doubles title. “I have to say I did not imagine that I’m able to do that,” Pavic said of his double doubles success. The Australian Open was the first tournament Pavic and Dabrowski had played as a team. And they didn’t drop a set until the final, where they rallied to win the title in a match tiebreak when Dabrowski hit a return winner on match point.
SIDELINED?
Pain in his shoulder has slowed Grigor Dimitrov’s preparation to defend his title at next week’s Sofia Open. “I underwent a medical examination,” the Bulgarian said. “I didn’t feel well, I felt pain in my shoulder.” Dimitrov was upset in the Australian Open quarterfinals by Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund. Dimitrov blamed the loss on his fatigue. “I played some tough matches in Australia and I got tired,” the 26-year-old said.
STRONG SHOWING
Although blisters along with Roger Federer ended his run in the Australian Open semifinals, Hyeon Chung is heading home to South Korea as a hero. “I think he’s going to achieve next level excellence, Top 10 for sure,” Federer said of Chung. The 21-year-old Korean backed up his Next Gen ATP Finals title last November by eliminating Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev en route to the penultimate round of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. “I think (I took) a lot of confidence,” Chung said. “I played a lot of good players in the last two weeks. I can play more comfortable on the court with the great players like Roger. I think I can play better next time.” Chung became the first player from Korea – male or female – to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
STAR FROM TAIWAN
South Korea’s Hyeon Chung wasn’t the only young Asian to blossom at the Australian Open. Liang En Shuo became the first player from Chinese Taipei to become a Grand Slam girls’ singles champion when she stopped Clara Burel of France in straight sets. And she wasn’t finished. Liang teamed with China’s Wang Xinyu to win the junior girls doubles, downing Violet Apisah of Papua New Guinea and Lulu Sun of Switzerland. Liang joins Wang Shi-ting, the current Chinese Taipei Fed Cup captain, and Latisha Chan, currently the top-ranked doubles player, as players from their country to win a junior girls’ Grand Slam title. Wang partnered Nicole Pratt to win the French Open girls’ doubles in 1989, while Chan and China’s Sun Sheng-nan won the Australian Open girls’ title in 2004.
SENDS REGARDS
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer may be one and two in the rankings and big competitors on a tennis court. But that doesn’t affect their friendship when they aren’t facing each other, usually with a tournament title on the line. Because a right leg injury, Nadal was forced to retire in his fifth-set Australian Open quarterfinal against Marin Cilic. “I wrote to Rafa late last night before I went to bed,” Federer said in an on-court interview. “It was the last thing I did, to make sure he was OK. It was not nice to see a rival and friend go out.” Nadal said the injury was “not so serious. In the next few days I will be in sports rest and perform anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. The doctors tell me that in two weeks I will be able to get back on court, progressively resuming my workouts. … I will play in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami.”
SPLITSVILLE AGAIN
Twenty years to the day after Petr Korda won the Australian Open men’s singles title, his son, Sebastian, won the Australian Open junior singles boys crown. In keeping with family tradition, Sebastian celebrated with the same scissor-kick routine his dad performed in 1998 after beating Marcelo Rios of Chile. Sebastian Korda beat Taiwan’s Tseng Chun-hsin to win his title. “It feels pretty good,” young Korda said. “It’s definitely special, including being here in Australia. My sister won her first title here, as well. My dad won his only Grand Slam title here, so it’s very special.” Korda’s sister, Jessica, is a golfer and won her first professional title, the Women’s Australian Open, in Melbourne in 2012. “I would love to be there, especially 20 years later, it’s very special for me,” Petr Korda said. “But I decided to stay home to let him enjoy the Australian Open the way he needs to enjoy it. If I would be there, I believe I would be a distraction because that trip would not be about him, it would all be about dad’s 20th (anniversary).”
SPOTLIGHT
Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won the Australian Open women’s singles four time, has been made a Companion in the Order of Australia, the country’s highest honor. Now 66, Goolagong Cawley won the Australian Open women’s singles in four consecutive years, 1974 thr4ough 1977, along with five Australian Open doubles titles. She also won Wimbledon twice and the French Open once, as well as the Wimbledon doubles in 1974. Her latest honor is in recognition to her services to tennis and her work as a role model and advocate for young Indigenous Australians.
STAYING AWAY
Citing problems between Israel and the Palestinians, Thulas Nxesi, South Africa’s Sports and Recreation minister, says he will boycott the Davis Cup tie between Israel and South Africa this weekend. “International solidarity and the boycott against Apartheid South Africa played a big role in our liberation,” Nxesi wrote in a letter. “Indeed, one of the most well-known slogans came out of that contest – ‘no normal sport with an abnormal regime!’” While Nxesi says he’s staying away, Tennis South Africa (TSA) said that while the event has “evoke a variety of views from different groups within our society,” the competition will go on as planned.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Newport Beach (men): James Cerretani and Leander Paes beat Treat Huey and Denis Kudla 6-4 7-5
Newport Beach (women): Misaki Doi and Jil Teichmann beat Jamie Loeb and Rebecca Peterson 7-6 (4) 1-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)
lavackov
SURFING
Dallas: www.tennischampionshipsofdallas.com/
Midland: www.dowtennisclassic.com
St. Petersburg: http://wta.formulatx.com/en/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Sofia: https://sofiaopen.bg/en
Quito: www.ecuadoropen.com.ec/
Montpellier: www.opensuddefrance.com/
Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN
$125,000 The RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA, hard
WOMEN
$799,000 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard
$250,000 Taiwan Open, Taipei, Taiwan, hard
$100,000 Dow Tennis Classic, Midland, Michigan, USA, hard
DAVIS CUP
(First Round)
WORLD GROUP
France vs. Netherlands at Albertville, France, hard
Japan vs. Italy at Morioka, Japan, carpet
Spain vs. Great Britain at Marbella, Spain, clay
Australia vs. Germany at Brisbane, Australia, hard
Kazakhstan vs. Switzerland at Astana, Kazakhstan, carpet
Croatia vs. Canada at Ostjek, Croatia, clay
Serbia vs. United States at Nis, Serbia, clay
Belgium vs. Hungary at Liege, Belgium, hard
GROUP I
Americans Zone: Chile vs. Ecuador at Santiago, Chile, clay; Barbados vs. Colombia at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Dominican Republic vs. Brazil at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, hard
Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. New Zealand at Tianjin, China, hard; Pakistan vs. Korea at Islamabad, Pakistan, grass
Europe/Africa Zone: South Africa vs. Israel at Centurion, South Africa, hard; Ukraine vs. Sweden at Dnipro, Ukraine, hard; Austria vs. Belarus at St. Polten, Austria, clay
GROUP II
Americas Zone: Guatemala vs. Venezuela at Guatemala, Guatemala, hard; El Salvador vs. Uruguay at San Salvador, El Salvador, hard; Mexico vs. Puerto Rico at Tijuana, Mexico, hard; Bolivia vs. Peru at La Paz, Bolivia
Asia/Oceania Zone: Sri Lanka vs. Thailand at Colombo, Sri Lanka, clay; Indonesia vs. Philippines at Jakarta, Indonesia, hard; Hong Kong vs. Iran at Hong Kong, hard; Lebanon vs. Chinese Taipei at Beirut, Lebanon, hard
Europe/Africa Zone: Romania vs. Luxembourg at Piatra Neamt, Romania, hard; Morocco vs. Georgia at Marrakech, Morocco, clay; Slovenia vs. Poland at Maribor, Slovenia, hard; Zimbabwe vs. Turkey at Harare, Zimbabwe, hard; Egypt vs. Norway at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, hard; Denmark vs. Ireland at Birkerod, Denmark, hard; Tunisia vs. Finland at Tunis, Tunisia, hard; Lithuania vs. Estonia at Siauliai, Lithuania, hard
GROUP IV
Asia/Oceania Zone at Muscat Oman, hard: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Guam, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Oman, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$697,930 Diema Xtra Sofia Open, Sofia, Bulgaria, hard
$697,930 Open Sud de France, Montpellier, France, hard
$561,345 Ecuador Open, Quito, Ecuador, clay
$100,000 Kunel Patel San Francisco Open, San Francisco, California, USA, hard
FED CUP
First Round
World Group
Belarus vs. Germany at Minsk, Belarus, hard
Czech Republic vs. Switzerland at Prague, Czech Republic, hard
France vs. Belgium at La Roche-sur-Yon, France, hard
United States vs. Netherlands at Asheville, Tennessee, USA, hard
WORLD GROUP II
Slovakia vs. Russia at Bratislava, Slovakia, hard; Australia vs. Ukraine at Canberra, Australia, grass; Romania vs. Canada at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, hard; Italy vs. Spain at Chieti, Italy, clay
GROUP I
Americas Zone at Asuncion, Paraguay, clay: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela
Asia/Oceania Zone at New Delhi, India, hard: China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Thailand
Europe/Africa Zone at Tallinn, Estonia, hard: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey
GROUP II
Asia/Oceania Group at Isa Town, Bahrain, hard: Bahrain, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Pacific Oceania, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan
