STARS
Agnieszka Radwanska beat Maria Sharapova 7-5 6-4 to win the women’s singles at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, USA
Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray 6-1 7-6 (4) to win the Sony Ericsson Open men’s singles in Miami, Florida, US
David Goffin beat Mischa Zverev 6-2 6-2 to win the Orange Open Guadeloup0e Challenger in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe
SAYING
“I thought I played a great match from the start to the end. But with such a quality player you really never know. That’s why he’s right at the top. He always comes back even if you feel that you have control of the match, so I am really happy to close it out in straight sets.” – Novak Djokovic, after beating Andy Murray to win the Sony Ericsson Open men’s singles title.
“I didn’t return well today, which is normally one of the best parts of my game. That was the difference, in my opinion.” – Andy Murray, after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Miami final.
“You do a really good job to get there, but it’s the toughest round. These last two tournaments are always tough because they’re so close together, and you’re playing six matches in an event – but I’m happy I got to play all six. I would have loved to be the winner, but that’s just the way it goes.” – Maria Sharapova, after losing in the final.
“I have to be proud of what I have done in the last couple of months. I am a human not a superwoman. I wish I could be, but I am not.” – Victoria Azarenka, after having her 26-match winning streak snapped.
“My serve was hot. I was like, `That’s pretty cool.”’ – Serena Williams, after matching a career high with 20 aces in her 7-5 6-3 victory over Samantha Stosur at the Sony Ericsson Open.
“(It’s) really, really special. Fifty tournaments takes a little doing. Six hundred matches takes a little bit of doing. Having done a three-peat here in Miami is awesome. Next year I hope to start another one.” – Leander Paes, after winning the Sony Ericsson Open men’s doubles.
“I do plan on trying to play a full schedule this year. If my ranking goes high again I have a chance of making it into the top eight. It might be nice to end at the WTA Championships. The Olympics is what I’m focused on now – I said that was the long-term goal when I started playing again. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to play the US Open or anything. The US Open is a very special place for me, so I would definitely like to play there as well.” – Kim Clijsters, on her schedule for the remainder of this year.
“It was about two years ago. He called me. I was like, ‘OK, hi.’ He said, ‘Do you want to play mixed in Olympics?’ I’m like, ‘It’s three years away.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah. Do you want to play?’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ So that’s how it happened.” – Ana Ivanovic, telling how she and Nenad Zimonjic decided to play mixed doubles together at the London Olympics this summer.
“When I don’t want to get up, if I want to do something different, if I want to make an error, then I think about the Olympics and how if I don’t do the right thing I might not be there. That keeps me on the straight and narrow. It’s just the ultimate level in sports. It’s about participating, it’s about having that experience, it’s about having the honor of being good enough to be there.” –Venus Williams, discussing the Olympic Games.
“I am extremely shy and can get embarrassed easily. And dancing in front of millions was a huge challenge for me.” – Martina Navratilova, after appearing with partner Tony Dovalani on “Dancing With the Stars” on American television.
SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE
Novak Djokovic won the Sony Ericsson Open for the second straight year, this time toppling Britain’s Andy Murray6-1 7-6 (4). It was Djokovic’s third victory on the hard courts in Miami, Florida, USA, her only loss coming to Murray in the hard court tournament in 2009. To get to the title match, Djokovic won a second-set tiebreak in his last three matches. “I didn’t drop a set, which is very impressive,” Djokovic said. “I’m really happy with the way I played last three matches against three very good opponents and top players, so this is a very positive thing for continuation of the season.” It was a strange week for Murray, who had two walkovers. Canada’s Milos Raonic withdrew before their second-round encounter with a right ankle injury, and Spain’s Rafael Nadal pulled out of their semifinal with a sore left knee.
SHARAPOVA STUMBLE
At least she gets to the title match. For the fourth time, Maria Sharapova failed to win the Sony Ericsson Open final, this time falling to Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 6-4. She also was runner-up in 2005, 2006 and last year. Ranked a career-best fourth in the world, Radwanska had advanced to the final by handing top-ranked Victoria Azarenka her first loss of the year. With her opponent content to just keep the ball in play, Sharapova made 45 unforced errors, many from the backhand side. In the 12th game of the first set, the Russian committed four unforced errors, including a blown overhead, to lose the set. “I lost against her the last few times, but today was a very tight match too, and I think O was better for just a couple of points each set,” Radwanska said. “It’s a great feeling to beat these kinds of players, especially in a final.” Radwanska beat Venus Williams en route to the final and won every set she played. Sharapova picked up her third runner-up trophy of the year, losing the finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, California, USA.
SIDELINED AGAIN
His left knee is bothering Rafael Nadal again. The Spaniard withdrew hours before the start of his semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Open because of a left knee injury that bothered him in recent matches. With his withdrawal, 2009 champion Andy Murray moved into Sunday’s final where he took on top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who advanced by beating Juan Monaco 6-0, 7-6 (5). Nadal said his knee had been getting worse and extensive treatment failed to help. “It looks like it’s nothing really different than happened a few times in the past,” Nadal said. “Hopefully with a few days off and with the right treatment, I will be in the right conditions to start to practice on the clay. I know what to do to get better quick, and that’s what we’re going to try.”
STEAMED
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was upset following his quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal at the Sony Ericsson Open. The Frenchman accused the chair umpire of giving his Spanish opponent preferential treatment, an accusation Nadal didn’t agree with. Tsonga complained during the match and afterward that when borderline calls went against him, umpire Damian Steiner was reluctant to overrule. “It’s not fair,” Tsonga said. “If it’s really close, he would never say ‘out’ against Rafa. If Rafa doesn’t like him any more, he would not be in the chair many times in a final and semifinal. Tsonga said he lost his concentration because he had to focus on the on watching the lines in case he needed to challenge a ruling. Many players content that since the advent of the Hawk-Eye replay review system, which allows players to challenge calls, umpires are less inclined to overrule lines people. I understand sometimes the frustration on this situation,” Nadal said. “It’s a general thing with the referees today that with the Hawk-Eye, I believe that they feel that they have less pressure than before. Probably knowing that you have the challenge, they don’t take the risk to have to overrule. He’s right in one thing; he’s wrong in another thing,” Nadal said.
SKIPPING TIE
Novak Djokovic won’t be there when Serbia takes on the Czech Republic in Davis Cup play. Ranked number one in the world, Djokovic also missed Serbia’s 4-1 first-round Davis Cup victory over Sweden. In their last Davis Cup meeting, Serbia beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in 2010. Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team will include ninth-ranked Janko Tipsarevic and 27th-ranked Viktor Troicki. The Czech Republic will use the same team that beat Italy when it meets Serbia: seventh-ranked Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol and Frantisek Cermak. The Czechs won their only Davis Cup title as Czechoslovakia in 1980.
Mardy Fish and John will lead the United States against France. In the first round in February, Isner beat Roger Federer, calling the victory the biggest of his career, as the Americans beat Switzerland. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra have been named to the French team. “I chose the same players who beat Canada (4-1) in Vancouver in the first round,” French Davis Cup captain Guy Forget said. “It will be an extremely difficult match against the United States. They are at a much higher level than the Canadians.”
Austria will call on 22nd-ranked Jurgen Melzer, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya when it takes on defending Davis Cup champion Spain. “We are the absolute underdogs,” Austrian Davis Cup captain Clemens Trimmel said. “Any other result than a Spanish win would mean a major sensation. Every single point we might win there would be a great success for Austrian tennis.” Spain will counter with fifth-ranked David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez as it seeks its fourth title in five years. Rafael Nadal, who is ranked second in the world, has said he will not play Davis Cup this year because of the Olympic Games.
With former top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt absent, Australia’s Davis Cup hopes rest on the shoulders of 19-year-old Bernard Tomic. The 31-year-old Hewitt won his singles and doubles matches in Australia’s 5-0 first-round win over China, but had surgery on his left foot last month and is expected to be sidelined until June. Joining Tomic on the team will be Matt Ebden, Marinko Matosevic and Chris Guccione.
STEPPING DOWN
Saying he can no longer give the job the attention it needs, Rafael Nadal has resigned as vice president of the ATP Player Council. “I don’t have enough energy,” he said, explaining his reason for stepping down. “I cannot still put in my 100 percent there.” While on the council, Nadal has pushed unsuccessfully for a two-year ranking system. Other players, including council president Roger Federer, opposed the move. Nadal and Federer were in agreement on other issues, arguing the major tournaments are too powerful and players need a stronger voice in decisions. Both were critical of last year’s US Open schedule. “I am not frustrated,” Nadal said, and then added, “I believe that we can do much more things than what we have done. … My feeling is (it’s) a great opportunity to improve the sport because today the players are much unified.”
SUCCESSFUL
Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek are on a tear. The two defeated the second-seeded pair of Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor to win the Sony Ericsson Open men’s doubles, their second team trophy of the season. Paes and Stepanek also captured the Australian Open in January. “We (were) the more aggressive, and, I would say, creative team in the (match) tiebreak, as well,” Stepanek said. “That’s why we won.” The winners trailed 4-1 in the match tiebreak before winning six straight points to surge ahead. Stepanek then closed out the victory with an unreturnable volley. It was the third time Paes has won the doubles in Miami, teaming with Lukas Dlouhy in 2010 and Mahesh Bhupathi last year. The 38-year-old Paes also became the 24th player in ATP World Tour history to win 50 doubles titles.
SELECT GROUP
When Marion Bartoli upset top-ranked Victoria Azarenka at the Sony Ericsson Open, the Frenchwoman joined an elite group. Only nine currently active players have posted at least three wins over players ranked number one in the world. Serena Williams is the only one to have a winning record against the reigning number one with a 12-11 mark. Bartoli, currently ranked seventh in the world, is the only one of the eight players who has never been ranked in the top three. Venus Williams has a 13-19 record against the top-ranked player. Others on the list include Kim Clijsters (6-12 record), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6-14), Maria Sharapova (5-6), Vera Zvonareva (4-6), Jelena Jankovic (3-12), Nadia Petrova (3-7) and Bartoli (3-6).
STUTTER STEP
Roger Federer said he was “flat” when he was knocked out of the Sony Ericsson Open by Andy Roddick. The third-round loss ended a 16-match winning streak for Federer, which included titles in Rotterdam, Dubai and Indian Wells. “I came out a bit flat today. I was a bit tired, I guess, but it was more mental than physical,” Federer said. “That’s maybe 30 matches for the season. I am just feeling like it’s taken its toll a bit, which is normal. But I’ve played more tired in the past, so this was not the most tired I have ever been. But you just start to feel it a bit. I didn’t just get the lucky break today that I got in Indian Wells.” It was Roddick’s first win over a top-three player since he beat Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati in 2010, and his first against Federer since 2008 in Miami. The 2003 US Open champion, who was once ranked number one in the world, is now ranked 34th.
SNAPPED
Victoria Azarenka’s winning streak has ended at 26. It was snapped by seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli of France 6-3 6-3 in the quarterfinals in Miami. It was the longest match winning streak on the WTA Tour since Martina Hingis went 37-0 in 1997. In her streak, Azarenka won her first Grand Slam tournament title at the Australian Open and also captured the crowns in Sydney, Doha and Indian Wells. “I really went on court with a lot of belief in myself, and I stayed very focused at the end,” said Bartoli. “I’m so happy.”
SIDELINED
Kim Clijsters will be sidelined for at least four weeks because of a torn hip muscle. A statement from her management company said the Belgian superstar had been troubled with hip pains during the Sony Ericsson Open, where she lost to Belgian compatriot Yanina Wickmayer. The statement said tests revealed “a small torn muscle” in her right hip. Clijsters hopes to be back for the Madrid Open, which starts May 5.
SÃO PAULO STOP
The WTA Tour is returning to Brazil after an 11-year absence. The Brazilian tennis federation announced a WTA event will be held in São Paulo in 2013. The federation said it reached a deal with the women’s tour without a tournament location and date, although negotiations are being advanced. Brazil is taking over a tournament that was played in Marbella, Spain. An ATP clay-court tournament is held in São Paulo each February.
SEES CHANGE?
The Hopman Cup could be heading toward an end – at least as far as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) running the show. Meeting in Vienna, Austria, the ITF board of directors voted to continue to manage the Hopman Cup tournament to the conclusion of its existing contract with Tourism Western Australia through the 2014 event. The Hopman Cup was initially transferred to the ITF in return for its sanction, which at that time was seen as a crucial step to secure the future of the tournament. As one of the ITF’s official championships, it has become an important part of the ITF’s approach to achieving its primary objective, to grow the game of tennis across the length and breadth of its member nations. “We believe it is the right decision for the Hopman Cup that the ITF continues to manage the tournament, especially in the lead-in to its new home at the Perth Arena in 2013,” said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Guadeloupe: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Albano Olivetti beat Paul Hanley and Jordan Kerr 7-5 1-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Miami (men): Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek beat Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 3-6 6-1 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Miami (women): Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova beat Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 7-6 (0) 4-6 10-4 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Charleston: www.familycirclecup.com
Casablanca: www.frmt.ma/frmt/index.php
Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/
Barcelona: www.barcelonaladiesopen.com/
Copenhagen: www.e-boksdanishopen.dk
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
WOMEN
$740,000 Family Circle Cup, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay
DAVIS CUP
WORLD GROUP
Quarterfinals
Spain vs. Austria at Castellon, Spain, clay
France vs. United States at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, clay
Czech Republic vs. Serbia at Prague, Czech Republic, clay
Argentina vs. Croatia at Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay
GROUP I
Second Round
Americas: Uruguay vs. Chile at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay; Brazil vs. Colombia at São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, clay
Asia/Oceania: Uzbekistan vs. India at Namangan, Uzbekistan, clay; Australia vs. Korea at Brisbane, Australia, hard
Europe/Africa: Israel vs. Portugal at Ramat HaSharon, Israel, hard; Great Britain vs. Belgium at Glasgow, Great Britain, hard; Netherlands vs. Romania at Amsterdam, Netherlands, hard; South Africa vs. Slovenia at Johannesburg, South Africa, hard
GROUP II
Second Round
Americas: Mexico vs. Barbados at Mexico City, Mexico, clay
Asia/Oceania: Philippines vs. Pakistan at Manila, Philippines, clay; Indonesia vs. Thailand at Jakarta, Indonesia, hard
Europe/Africa: Ukraine vs. Cyprus at Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, hard; Hungary vs. Latvia at Nyíregyháza, Hungary, carpet; Belarus vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Minsk, Belarus; Poland vs. Estonia at Inowroclaw, Poland, carpet
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$532,000 Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco, clay
$442,500 US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Houston, Texas, USA, clay
WOMEN
$220,000 Barcelona Ladies Open, Barcelona, Spain, clay
$220,000 e-Boks Open, Copenhagen, Denmark, hard
(Photo courtesy of Neal Trousdale. To see more of his Sony Ericsson Open photos, please go to his Flickr page.)