atp world tour finals

Novak Djokovic Now Also All-Time Victory Leader For ATP World Tour Finals

November 19, 2023 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Novak Djokovic became the all-time men’s major singles championship in 2023 and now he’s the all-time winner of the ATP World Tour Final.s

Djokovic won the year-end championships on the ATP Tour for a record seventh time with a 6-3, 6-3 final-round win over Jannik Sinner in Turin, Italy. Djokovic, who also won the title in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2022), moved past Roger Federer, who won the year-end event six times in his career.

Earlier this year, Djokovic won three major titles at the Australian, French and U.S. Open titles giving him 24 major singles title, two ahead of the second-place man, Rafael Nadal with 22 major singles titles. The 24 major singles titles equals the number that the all-time women’s leader Margaret Court won in her career.

The win is also the 98th ATP singles title of Djokovic’s career, leaving him 11 shy of the all-time men’s record of 109 set by Jimmy Connors and five shy of all-time No. 2 Roger Federer, who won 103 career singles titles.

“That’s definitely in range,” said Hall of Famer Jim Courier on Tennis Channel of Djokovic breaking the Connors record.

Djokovic also finished the 2023 season as the world No. 1 for a record-breaking eighth time. He also holds the record for the most weeks ranked No. 1 in the world at 400 weeks as of Monday, November 20, 2023.

The only trophy and title that Djokovic has not won in his unprecedented career is the gold medal in the Olympics, but he will have his chance in the summer of 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games.

Race For ATP World Tour Finals Is Heating Up

August 16, 2017 by Admin

The race to compete in the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of the year is closer than many could have foreseen, with the battle to take one of the eight spots almost defined by those who will not be competing. With Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka out of the rest of the year with injuries, there will definitely be a range of new faces heading to the O2 Arena in November.

Andy Murray won the 2016 iteration of the ATP tour’s curtain call, but it is debatable whether the Scotsman will defend his title. Murray has struggled with injuries of late, and in turn that has hampered his ability to pick up ranking points. Currently, he sits at sixth in the race, if Djokovic and Wawrinka are discounted. Murray has a considerable sum of ranking points to defend for the rest of the year, so he will be keen to run deep in the remaining tournaments. If Murray is fit, he should inevitably accumulate sufficient points to make it to London.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the two players to have won Grand Slams this year, have already qualified. Nadal won the French Open while Federer dominated the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and it looks likely that these two will finish the year as the ATP’s top two. Alexander Zverev has all but qualified, with the young German enjoying an exceptional year including two Masters 1000 titles to his name. Fellow youngster Dominic Thiem will consolidate on his place in the finals last year by making the trip to London once again, and Marin Cilic also looks well-placed to make consecutive appearances in London. Otherwise, the other finalists could well depend on who goes deepest at the US Open in September, with not many points separating a raft of challengers.

Milos Raonic has endured a difficult year so he will be hoping to compensate with a strong showing at the US Open. The latest tennis betting odds at bet365 reflects his credentials for a run deep into the tournament, with Raonic sixth favourite to take the title at odds of +1600. Raonic is another to have struggled with injury concerns, but if he can shake off any niggles then he will fancy his chances of impressing at the US Open. Grigor Dimitrov’s form has suffered of late, but the one-time heir to Roger Federer enjoyed a first ATP title for three years at Brisbane. That title was followed by the trophy at Sofia, and Dimitrov certainly has the game to make an impact at the remaining tournaments this year. The question marks over Dimitrov have never been over his technical ability but rather his mental fortitude.

Sam Querrey is an unlikely contender to make it to London. The American has never surpassed number 17 in the world rankings, but as other players’ points drop off he should have reached new heights by the end of the year. An impressive season could culminate in a spot in London, although Querrey has been at his most imperious in Mexico where he took titles in Acapulco and Los Cabos. Yet Querrey has form for shocking some of the world’s best, shocking Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2016 and taking down Murray the following year on his way to his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Therefore it could be Querrey who benefits from others’ injury problems to seal his place alongside the elite at the ATP World Tour Finals. The likes of Tomas Berdych, David Goffin and Kei Nishikori are not far behind the American in the race, and these players all have a history at the Tour Finals. Yet in a year that has been dominated by a resurgent Federer, anything is possible.

Andy Murray Beats Novak Djokovic, Clinches Year-End Number One Ranking – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 21, 2016 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, Great Britain

Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Caroline Garcia 6-4 6-0 to win the Engie Open de Limoges in Limoges, France

Evgeniya Rodina beat Chang Kai-Chen 6-4 6-3 to win the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger in Taipei, Taiwan

Peng Shuai beat Patricia Maria Tig 3-6 7-5 6-4 to win the Shenzhen Women’s Tournament in Shenzhen, China

SAYING

“It’s a very special day. It’s been a tough rivalry. I’ve lost many of them, but obviously I’m happy I’ve got the win today. To finish the year number one is very special. It’s something I never expected.” – Andy Murray, after beating Novak Djokovic to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and clinch the year-end number one ranking.

“It wasn’t my day. On the other hand, credit to Andy for being mentally tough and playing the right shots and making me play extra shots in every rally. He definitely deserved to win.” – Novak Djokovic, after losing to Andy Murray in the final match of the ATP World Tour season.

“I’ve known from the start that we could beat any team in the world. To do it on a consistent basis has been obviously a big plus. But to be contesting for these titles, I don’t think either one of us is surprised about that.” – Henri Kontinen, who teamed with John Peers to capture the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals doubles title.

“I think after the US Open things were tough. There’s many things I can improve. But if I look in general, the season was amazing for me. I won a Grand Slam, plus finished in the Top 5. I won in my home in Geneva, which was really important for me.” – Stan Wawrinka, who has been hampered by a knee injury since winning the US Open.

SMASHING PERFORMANCE

Andy Murray left no doubt as to who is the top player in the world. The Scot produced a brilliant performance to knock off Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and finish the year with the number one ranking. The victory also extended Murray’s personal-record winning streak to 24 matches as he claimed his fifth straight title and denied Djokovic a fifth consecutive win in the second-ending tournament. Murray became the 17^th player and first Brit to finish the year atop the ATP Rankings. While it was Djokovic who held serve easier at the beginning of the match, it was Murray who took control, at one point ripping off four straight games to take the opening set and go up a break to start the second. When Murray was able to break Djokovic once more, the end was clearly in sight, even when the Serb got one of the breaks back. It took Murray three match points before he was able to convert when Djokovic sailed a forehand return wide. “It’s taken a huge effort the last five, six months to get there,” Murray said of his number one ranking. “I would obviously like to stay there. I’m aware that’s going to be extremely difficult because I had a great year this year. I only managed to do it by one match. To repeat that again next year is going to be extremely difficult.”

SIBLINGS STAR

It wasn’t just Andy Murray winding up 2016 with the number one ranking. His older brother Jamie and his partner Bruno Soares finished the season as the top doubles team. They clinched the position when Frenchmen Nicholas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert lost all three of their round-robin matches in the ATP World Tour Finals. Jamie Murray reached the individual doubles number one ranking during the season, but Mahut ended the year in the top spot. “We used to play against each other all of the time pretty much until we were like 12 to 14,” Andy Murray said. “But we did play golf together. We played squash together, table tennis. We were always competing against each other from a young age. Now we obviously don’t.”

Since the rankings began, no brothers have been ranked number one in both singles and doubles at the same time. Not so with the women. In mid-2010, Serena Williams led the WTA rankings in singles and teamed with her sister Venus to be the top-ranked team.

SINO STOPPERS

The OEC Taipei WTA Challenge wasn’t a happy event for the home crowd. Russian players swept their Taiwanese opponents in the finals of both singles and doubles. Evgeniya Rodina won the biggest title of her career when she stopped Chang Kai-Chen. Then Natela Dzalamidze and Veronika Kudermetova rallied to defeat Chang and Chuang Chia-Jung. “Chang played really well today, but I was lucky I came out on top in the important moments,” said Rodina, who was cheered on by her husband and young daughter. After battling past her opponent in the opening set, Rodina raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second, then held on. “It was great to have my daughter and husband here this week. It really helped,” Rodina said.

SURPRISE

Ekaterina Alexandrova surprised top-seeded Caroline Garcia to keep the French woman from successfully defending her Engie Open de Limoges title. Ranked 133^rd in the world, the unseeded Russian recovered from a slow start and completely dominated the final. Alexandrova lost her serve to begin the match, but rallied to pull even at 3-3. She then won nine of the next 10 games to complete her domination of the French Fed Cup team. Besides Garcia, Alexandrova also beat Pauline Parmentier and Alizé Cornet during the week. It was Alexandrova’s first title away from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit.

The doubles final also resulted in an upset. Elise Mertens and Mandy Minella knocked off the second-seeded team of Anna Smith and Renata Voracova.

SEES THE END

Venus Williams knows when she will finally call an end to her tennis career. “I’m kind of targeting the next Olympics,” the 36-year-old Williams said when asked if she has thought about retirement, “and that’s in what, 3-and-half years … and I’m not counting.” Williams, who turned pro in 1994, has won 22 Grand Slam tournament titles – seven singles, 13 women’s doubles, all with her sister Serena, and two mixed doubles.

SUPER TEAM

Henri Kontinen and John Peers aren’t surprised that they won the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals doubles title in their first trip to the season finale. “When I start to think what we’ve achieved probably in the last month, it’s been a great thing for both of us,” Peers said. “It just feels really good to know that all the hard work we kept putting in time and time again, even if we felt good or bad, that it’s all starting to pay off and we can contest for the big tournaments all the time.” The won the title by beating another team making its World Tour Finals debut, Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram. Kontinen, of Finland, and Peers, of Australia, finish the season on a 10-match win streak, which included their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The also won titles in Brisbane, Munich and Hamburg. “To be honest, it probably actually hasn’t sunk in,” Peers said. “It will hopefully sink in tomorrow once I get a flight back home.”

SECOND CHILD

After leading France to its first Fed Cup final since 2005, Amélie Mauresmo said she is stepping down because she is expecting her second child. When France was last in the Fed Cup final, Mauresmo was playing for the team. In her four years as captain, the two-time Grand Slam tournament champion led France from Fed Cup zonal relegation to the final, where they narrowly lost to the Czech Republic in the decisive doubles rubber.

SPLITSVILLE

After teaming up for the two best years of her career, sixth-ranked Karolina Pliskova is splitting up with her coach Jiri Vanek. The announcement came after Pliskova helped lead the Czech Republic to its fifth Fed Cup title in the last six years. With Vanek on her team, Pliskova broke into the Top 10 in 2015, then in 2016 won the biggest title of her career, the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, and reached her first Grand Slam tournament final, where she lost the US Open in three sets to top-ranked Angelique Kerber.

Elina Svitolina says she and longtime coach Iain Hughes will no longer be a team. The 22-year-old Ukrainian had her best season this year, making the final of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai and finishing with a career-high ranking of 14^th in the world. In 2016 she was the only woman to beat both reigning number one players, defeating Serena Williams at the Rio Olympics and Angelique Kerber at the China Open.

SEASON EXTENDER

The ATP World Tour will last one week longer next year. The men’s tour announced that a new tournament featuring the world’s top 21-and-under singles players will be held in Milan, Italy, Nov. 7-11, 2017. The five-day tournament, named the Next Gen ATP Finals, will remain in Milan for five years, through 2021. The top seven players in the season-long “Emirates ATP Race to Milan” will qualify automatically, with the eighth spot reserved for a wild card. The tournament will feature a number of rule changes and innovations, which will be announced later. “This event will also act as a launch pad for tennis innovation as we bid to make our sport more attractive to the changing consumer habits of the next generation of fans,” said Chris Kermode, ATP executive chairman and president.

SUCCESS FINALLY

Marcus Willis had a fairytale Wimbledon where as a wildcard entry he advanced through qualifying and the first round of the men’s singles before losing to Roger Federer 6-0 6-3 6-4. “I had a plan and believed, rightly or wrongly, I could win,” Willis said at the time. The Englishman finally has won, an International Tennis Federation (ITF) USD $10,000 Kuwait Futures event. And Willis won both singles and doubles in only his second tournament since Wimbledon. He beat Daniel Altmaier of Germany 6-3 7-6 (8) in the singles final, then teamed with Altmaier to down Dutchman Roy Sarut De Valk and Frenchman Ronan Joncour 6-1 6-1 to win the doubles. For his victorious week in Meshref, Kuwait, Willis pocketed USD $1,310. He took home $68,900 for reaching the second round at Wimbledon.

SAD NEWS

Gardnar Mulloy was proof that tennis is a lifetime sport. The oldest member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Mulloy was 102 when he died at his home in Miami, Florida, USA. Mulloy won four men’s doubles titles at the United States Nationals – now the US Open – and was 38 years old when he reached the singles final at the Nationals and became ranked number one in the United States. In 1957, Mulloy, at the age of 43, teamed with 33-year-old Budge Patty to win the Wimbledon doubles, stunning the top-seeded Australian team of Lew Hoad, 22, and Neale Fraser, 23. “We talk of tennis as a lifetime sport. He’s living proof,” Hall of Famer Tony Trabert once said of Mulloy. A strong advocate for expanding senior tennis from age 45 and up to age brackets extending to 90 and above, the Gardnar Mulloy Cup is awarded annually to the winner of a men’s 80-and-over international event. Mulloy received a football scholarship to the University of Miami but rarely played. When he asked the school’s president why the university did not have a tennis team, he was told he could start one, which he did. One of Mulloy’s recruits was Pancho Segura, who won three consecutive NCAA singles championships from 1943 to 1945 and also is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Limonges: Elise Mertens and Mandy Minella beat Anna Smith and Renata Voracova 6-4 6-4

London: Henri Kontinen and John Peers beat Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram 2-6 6-1 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Shenzhen: Nina Stojanovic and You Xiaodi beat Han Xinyun and Zhu Lin 6-4 7-6 (6)

Taipei: Natela Dzalamidze and Veronika Kudermetova beat Chang Kai-Chen and Chuang Chia-Jung 4-6 6-3 10-5 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/en/

Honolulu: https://hawaiitennisopen.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

WOMEN

$115,000 Hawaii Open, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, hard

DAVIS CUP

Final

Croatia vs. Argentina at Zagreb, Croatia, hard

Can Andy Murray Win The ATP Tour Finals?

November 1, 2016 by Admin

The season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals begin on November 13^th at the O2 Arena in London and while two spots remain unfilled, it might not matter on the night. It’s hard to see past Novak Djokovic for this one, even despite his recent struggles on the court.

Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will fight a separate battle on the way to London, with the world number1 spot up for grabs in this week’s BNP Paribas Masters in Bercy, France. Murray has existed in the Serb’s considerable shadow for 76 weeks but a 15-match winning streak has the Scot in a favourable position to top the leaderboard.

There are a few complications. Murray has to win overall without Djokovic reaching the final. Alternatively, Murray can lose in the final if Djokovic gets no further than the quarters. In either case, Andy Murray has to go one better than the incumbent number one. It’s been four years since anybody other than Djokovic won the Paris Masters, however.

The field for the ATP Finals consists of the two players plus Gael Monfils, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka. The seventh spot would have gone to Rafael Nadal but the Spaniard has retired for the season due to a wrist injury, along with notable absentee Roger Federer, who hasn’t played since Wimbledon.

The final two slots will probably go to one-time French Open semi-finalist Dominic Thiem, Tomas Berdych, or 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic, depending on the outcome of the Paris tournament. There’s also hope for David Goffin, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roberto Bautista Agut and Lucas Pouille.

Wimbledon

Murray is having the season of his life. He’s 69-9 (win-loss) for the current campaign, with an impressive set win rate of 28 from 30 in his last fifteen games. He’s finally ended the nightmare of his second serve, winning 54% of points from it in 2016 and has improved his forehand shot, which, historically, has been a weakness.

Murray has done an outstanding job to close the gap on Djokovic, running him down from an 8,000-point lead in June to just 415 on Sunday, but it’s hard to separate Murray’s career-defining season from Novak Djokovic’s truly awful one. The Serb has struggled with injuries and personal problems off the court in 2016.

It’s a great disservice to the Scot but it’s not a new observation. In the build-up to Murray’s first Grand Slam success, there was an intimation that he had struggled to win at Wimbledon because he was playing in a ‘golden age’ of competition, with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic running the show.

With the deepest respect to the player, Andy Murray is not a player of the same calibre as Djokovic. Granted, he’s a consistent finalist but the Serb is consistently a winner – there’s a reason Djokovic has twelve Grand Slam titles and Murray only has three, despite making their debuts in the same year (2005).

Momentum

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals isn’t a trophy that changes hands very often. There have been just four winners in 13 years, with Djokovic and Federer taking home nine trophies combined. The Scot has struggled time and again in the competition, with his recent showings very different to those at Wimbledon or the US Open, for example.

Not only does Murray have to reach the final in London, a feat he’s never achieved, he will also have to undo the five-year monopoly on titles held by Djokovic. The Scot is favourite in the latest tennis betting (5/4) but that’s on the back on his stellar season to date and not due to any particular prowess at the O2.

As a bookend to the year’s tennis, the ATP World Tour Finals aren’t particularly important and Murray will focus on attaining the number one spot before it begins. He’s odds-on for the Paris Masters in Bercy and goes into the event with a lot of momentum behind him.

ATP World Tour Finals Secure New Sponsors – This Week In Tennis Business With Liz Kobak

October 9, 2013 by Admin

By Liz Kobak

@LizTennis

Segafredo Zanetti Extends ATP World Tour Finals Partnership

Global Italian coffee brand Segafredo Zanetti and sister company Brodies, which specializes in tea, have extended their partnership as an Official Partner of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, held from 4-11 November.

Segafredo Zanetti henceforth receives global brand exposure via on-court refrigerators. Segafredo Zanetti and Brodies will also provide tournament VIP guests with their specialty beverages.

“We’re pleased to extend our partnership with Segafredo Zanetti. Segafredo Zanetti have brought their rich history and expertise to our event to enhance our guests’ and fans’ experience on-site,” said ATP Commercial Director Laurent Delanney. “We look forward to building on the success of our first year in partnership together.”

The swan song ATP World Tour event features the world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams duking it out for the season’s final championship crown. More than 1 Million fans and counting have frequented this prestigious London event in four years.

ATP Welcomes Gilette as Official World Tour Finals Partner

The ATP and Gillette have signed an agreement making Gillette an official 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals partner.

“We’re delighted to announce this partnership with the 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Gillette brand is all about precision, performance and being at the top of your game and this is a fantastic partnership to build on our already rich heritage of sports marketing,” said Assistant Brand Manager for Gillette UK & Ireland Patrick Megarry. “The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals brings the very best in the world of tennis together and everyone at Gillette is proud to be a part of it and excited about the potential of what we can do with the ATP.”

The world’s leading shaving brand is providing the season-ending London tournament’s official grooming product. Additionally, Gillette receives worldwide Barclays ATP World Tour Finals marketing rights and gains on-site Fan Zone presence throughout the tournament. Who is ready for a shave?

Prince Partners with Bright Pink, Serves Cancer Awareness

Leading performance racquet sports equipment distributor Prince Global announced on September 18 their new partnership with non-profit organization Bright Pink. The union promotes early cancer detection in young women and tennis play.

Bright Pink supports prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women while providing support for high risk women. The organization emphasizes the importance of taking early action to detect these potentially deadly diseases.

“As an organization focused on empowering young women to be proactive with their breast and ovarian health, we deeply value partnerships with active brands like Prince that live and personify our mission by reinforcing healthy lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, a proven breast cancer risk-reducing activity,” said Bright Pink Founder and CEO Lindsay Avner. “We are so grateful to receive Prince’s support this fall and are thrilled to celebrate the beginning of what we know will be an incredibly impactful partnership.”

Further to what Avner said regarding impactful awareness, Prince Tennis is introducing Special Edition Breast Cancer Awareness T22 Tennis Shoe in pink and white, where 10 percent of each October sale benefits Bright Pink. Each sneakers pair costs $89.

For more information on this initiative, visit www.princetennis.com or http://www.brightpink.org/.

Attractive Tennis Coaches Wanted

Tennis Channel’s second annual “America’s Hottest Coach” is now open for entries.

The hottest American male and female coaches are more than eye candy. He and she are physically fit, promote a healthy lifestyle and inspire their students to improve at tennis. Head shots, explanation behind your nomination and physical stats are just some mandatory entry information. Winners are flown to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA, and will make a special network appearance. For more competition details, visit http://www.tennischannel.com/hottest/.

Feel that your coach fits this bill? E-mail hottestcoach@tennischannel.com.

New International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum Board Trustees Appointed

The International Hall of Fame & Museum Board announced on Wednesday that nine corporate and tennis industry leaders were appointed to the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, while longtime board leaders Rosalind Walter, Peggy Woolard and John Reese were each named Life Trustee.

Global corporation executives, a Tennis Hall of Famer and retired Tour players turned tennis industry leaders are among the nine people elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum’s Board of Directors. Newly elected board members include USTA First Vice President Katrina M. Adams, who won 21 WTA doubles titles, former world top-20 player and lead ESPN Star Sports anchor Vijay Amritraj, Chairman Emeritus of the Interpublic Group David Bell and Hall of Famer Charlie Pasarell, former owner of the BNP Paribas at Open at Indian Wells, among others.

Liz Kobak won the 2013 USTA National Women’s Open Singles Grass Court Championship. She is a 2010 Columbia University graduate and Northwestern University journalism master’s recipient. She is a former WTA ranked pro and #1 ranked United States junior tennis player who rates her 6-4, 6-1 win on Italian clay over Sara Errani as her best victory.

Novak Djokovic Tops Roger Federer For ATP World Tour Finals Title and 2012 Bragging Rights

November 12, 2012 by Admin

By Randy Walker

Novak Djokovic silenced the critics who said he was not worthy of being the year-end No. 1 player or being considered 2012’s “Player of the Year” by defeating Roger Federer 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 Monday in the final of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Djokovic overcame early breaks in both sets to beat Federer in two hours, 14 minutes to earn a $1.76 million first prize and sizeably increase his lead over the No. 2-ranked Federer as the top-ranked man on the ATP World Tour.

Djokovic’s 2012 season featured one major singles title at the Australian Open, two runner-up finishes in majors at the US and French Opens, six singles titles and a 75-12 won-loss record. His six singles titles included the year-end championships and the Masters 1000 events in Miami, Toronto and Shanghai. By comparison, Federer earned a 71-12 match record for the year, six singles titles, including one major at Wimbledon and three Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati, Madrid and Indian Wells. In addition, Federer earned the silver medal at the London Olympic Games. Andy Murray, the world No. 3 player who lost to Federer in Sunday’s semifinals, earned a 56-12 won loss record, three singles titles including his first major title at the US Open and his celebrated gold medal win at the London Olympics. The other major winner in men’s tennis in 2012, Rafael Nadal, won the French Open, reached the final of the Australian Open, won four titles and posted a 42-6 record but did play after Wimbledon due to injury.

“It’s pretty clear that Novak Djokovic is the player of the year,” argued Patrick McEnroe on ESPN2 following his win over Federer Monday.

Djokovic returned to the No. 1 ranking last Monday, also clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking for a second-straight year. Djokovic had held the top ranking from the start of 2012 until the end of Wimbledon in July, when Roger Federer returned to the top spot, holding it until last week.

Federer, the six time winner of the tournament and the two-time defending champion, rushed out to an early 3-0 lead, winning 12 of the first 14 points of the match. However, Djokovic came back to win five of the next six games. Djokovic held a set point serving for the opening set at 5-4, but Federer was able to break serve for 5-5. In the tie-breaker, Djokovic edged Federer 8-6, Federer saving another set point at 5-6, hitting a stab volley off the frame, followed by an incredible forehand cross-court forehand with his back turned to the net.

In the second set, Federer broke Djokovic in the opening game and served to square the match at 5-4, but, incredibly, while leading 40-15, double-match point, he lost four straight points as Djokovic broke serve to even the set at 5-5. After holding serve the next game, Djokovic silenced the raucously pro-Federer London crowd with a backhand down-the-line passing shot on his first match point to break serve and close out the victory.

With a win, Federer would have earned his 77^th career pro singles title, that would have tied him with John McEnroe for third-place all-time.

Djokovic, Federer battle for ATP World Tour Finals Title — Mondays with Bob Greene

November 12, 2012 by Bob Greene

By Bob Greene

STARS

Elina Svitolina beat Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-2 6-3 to win the Royal Indian Open in Pune, India

Lukas Rosol beat Bjorn Phau 6-7 (3) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) to win the Slovak Open 2012 in Bratislava, Slovakia

SAYING

“I knew how Kimiko plays and knew I just had to play every ball, every point and every game as the last one. I had to stay really focused. And it all went pretty well.” – Elina Svitolina, following her win over Kimiko Date-Krumm in the final in Pune, India.

“She has a lot of power but she doesn’t just hit the ball hard. She’s also smart. Now a lot of players just hit the ball, but she was mixing it up, using wide serves and more. I haven’t been winning so much this year, so finally to do so well at the end of the year makes me very happy. IO will try to keep doing well as I have two more ITF tournaments to play in the next few weeks.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, after losing the Royal Indian Open final to Elina Svitolina.

“I had a little, let’s say, crisis … from 4-all first set to 2-all in the second, where I didn’t feel so good on the court, struggling to find my momentum and my rhythm. So you try to be positive and push myself to fight for every point and believe I can come back. That was the case.” – Novak Djokovic, who lost the first set before beating Juan Martin del Potro in the ATP World Tour Finals semifinals.

“He’s so good. Of course, he’s the number one. In these kinds of matches they make the difference between them and the rest of the players.” – Juan Martin del Potro, following his semifinal loss in London to Novak Djokovic.

“To me, age is just a number. I enjoy the time I spend on the court, I enjoy winning and I enjoy fighting in tough matches like today.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, at 42 the oldest singles player on both the women’s and men’s tennis tours.

“I needed to be fresh and ready for a press conference, as you guys always can be very challenging.” – Novak Djokovic, joking on why he was more than two hours late for his post-match news conference following his semifinal win.

“I knew that if I lose today it’s the end of the season, so I gave everything I had and couldn’t be more happy.” – Roger Federer, after beating Andy Murray to advance to the title match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

SHOW STOPPER

In the end, it came down to the world’s top two ranked players – Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer – meeting to decide who would win the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Djokovic reached Monday’s title match by knocking off Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 4-6 6-3 6-2. Federer advanced with a semifinal 7-6 (5) 6-2 win over Britain’s Andy Murray. It was the eighth time in 11 years that Federer has reached the final of the elite eight-player finale, having won six times, including the last two years. Djokovic, who has secured the year-end number one ranking for the second straight season, won the Finals in 2008. “I love playing Novak,” Federer said. “I think for both of us it’s pretty straightforward. I think we’ve got to press out the last juice that’s left in our body and make it a successful year end.”

SVITOLINA A YOUNG WINNER

The day Elina Svitolina was born in the Ukraine, Kimiko Date-Krumm was ranked seventh in the world on the WTA Tour. Eighteen years later the two met in the final of the Royal Indian Open in Pune, India, where Svitolina beat her much-older Japanese rival 6-2 6-3. At age 42, Date-Krumm is more than twice as old as the 18-year-old Svitolina. In fact, the winner of the hard-court tournament had the least experience of any of the four semifinalists. Besides Date-Krumm, who once was ranked as high as fourth in the world, the others in the penultimate round were Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, at one time ranked ninth in the world, and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn, whose best ranking was 19th. With the win, Svitolina will surpass her career-high ranking of 133rd in the world.

SUFFERIN’ SUCCOTASH

So much for the luck of the draw. Tournament organizers at the IPP Open in Helsinki, Finland, not surprisingly gave two of their four wild cards to Finland’s top to players: Jarkko Nieminen and Harri Heliovaara. Unrepentantly, the two were drawn to face each other in a first-round match, meaning half of the Finnish contingent will be gone before the second round of the ATP Challenger event even begins. And it didn’t stop there. Two of the three wild cards in the doubles went to Finnish teams Juho Paukku and Herkko Pollanen as well as Nieminen and Hellovaara. Again, the luck of the draw – or “unluck” of the draw – pitted the two Finnish pairs against each other in an opening round match.

STARS ON WHEELS

Shingo Kunieda of Japan and Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands captured their first NEC Masters men’s singles and women’s singles titles, respectively, at the 2012 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in Mechelen, Belgium. Eight men, eight women and four quad players competed in the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) year-end wheelchair tennis singles championships. Kunieda beat Dutchman Maikel Scheffers 6-2 4-6 6-2 and Griffioen stopped Aniek van Koot 6-4 6-4 in an all-Dutch final.

STARRING TWICE

Novak Djokovic has been selected the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year for his contributions through the Novak Djokovic Foundation, his role as a UNICEF ambassador and other charitable ventures. The Serbian also received the ATP World Tour number one award for the second straight year, finished 2012 on top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Roger Federer also was honored twice at the 2012 ATP World Tour Awards in London. The Swiss master received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the eighth time and was selected the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite presented by Ricoh for a record 10th straight year. American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan were repeat recipients of two doubles awards: ATP World Tour number one Doubles Team and ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite. The 34-year-old twins, who have won the most doubles team titles in the Open Era, 82, have now won each award a record eight times.

In other awards, Marinko Matosevic of Australia was selected by ATP players as the Most Improved Player of the Year, Martin Klizan of the Slovak Republic was voted Newcomer of the Year, and Tommy Haas of Germany was named Comeback Player of the Year.

STARS FOR CHARITY

With the world’s top men tennis players on had at the official Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Gala at The Royal Courts of Justice in London, more than USD $676,000 was raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Moët & Chandon made a donation for each participating player directly to the charity, while the players themselves helped raise an additional USD $35,783 by offering three guests the chance to join the players on stage for a group photo.

SANDY RELIEF

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has donated more than USD $400,000 in goods and money to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Clothing, bottled water and other beverages, as well as needed supplies such as shampoos and soap were collected from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and the USTA’s White Plains corporate headquarters and loaded on 16 pallets for delivery to the hardest-hit areas in the New York City borough of Queens, the site of the US Open. In addition to USD $300,000 in critical supplies, the USTA is providing a USD $100,000 cash donation to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York. One hundred percent of donations to The Mayor’s Fund are being dispersed to relief efforts and organizations. “New York is the US Open’s home, and we want to aid in the rapid recovery of the city, as well as help as many people as we can directly in our home Borough of Queens,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA chairman of the board and president.

SAO PAOLO BOUND

The singles field for the second season-ending ATP Challenger Tour Finals has been announced. Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil received a wild-card into the eight-player singles field for the event being held November 27 to December 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Qualifying for the tournament were Victor Hanescu of Romania, Paolo Lorenzi of Italy, Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, Evgeny Donskoy of Russia, Guido Pella of Argentina, Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria and Ruben Ramirez-Hildalgo of Spain.

SERVICE RELATED

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is launching a Davis Cup Commitment Award as the team competition stages its 100th Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final in Prague, Czech Republic, November 16-18. Conceived as part of the ITF’s 2013 centenary celebrations, the new award will be presented to Davis Cup players who have shown long-standing dedication to represent their country in the prestigious competition. Each award recipient will have to compete in a minimum of 20 home-and-away ties or 50 ties at any level of the competition, including zone group vents, over their career. The first eight awards to be present in an on-court ceremony at Prague on Saturday, November 17. The first recipients will be Tomas Berdych, who will compete for the Czech Republic in the final, and his compatriots Jan Kodes and Tomas Smid, members of Czechoslovakia’s 1980 Davis Cup winning team. Also receiving trophies Saturday will be Manolo Santana, who played a record 46 ties for Spain, and his compatriots Juan Gisbert and Feliciano Lopez, as well as Italy’s Nicola Pietrangeli, who holds the overall record of 66 home-and-away ties, and Domenico Vicini of San Marino, who is the record holder for number of ties at all levels with 87. A total of 299 players have qualified to receive the award, of whom 252 are still alive. The ITF through its national associations will make presentations to award winners at Davis Cup home ties throughout 2013 as part of the ITF centenary celebrations.

More than 5,000 players have participated in Davis Cup, which began in 1900 as a competition between the United States and Great Britain. The event has grown to become the largest annual international team competition in sport with 122 nations taking part in 2012.

STEPPING UP

Alison Lee has been promoted to executive vice president, International Group, of the ATP. In making the announcement, the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit said Lee will be based in Sydney, Australia, in the ATP’s International Group headquarters. Before she joined the ATP almost 15 years ago, Lee worked as a journalist in Hong Kong and Sydney. Beginning in 2001, she focused on event management for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup tournaments in Sydney and Shanghai, China. She becomes a member of the ATP management committee and will also continue her roles as a part of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and ATP Commercial teams.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bratislava: Lukas Dlouhy and Mikhail Elgin beat Philipp Marx and Florin Mergea 6-7 (5) 6-2 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Pune: Nina Bratchikova and Oksana Kalashnikova beat Julia Glushko and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-0 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

London: www.atpworldtour.com/Finals/2012.aspx

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/

Toyota: http://www.dunlop-tennis.jp

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$136,700 IPP Open Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, hard

DAVIS CUP
World Group Final

Czech Republic vs. Spain at Prague, Czech Republic, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

WOMEN

$75,000 Dunlop World Challenge Tennis Tournament, Toyota, Japan, carpet

More Than $800,000 Raised For Charity During Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Gala: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

November 7, 2012 by Justin Cohen

By Justin Cohen

ATP Top Players Help Raise Over £400K for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity

The world’s top men’s singles players and doubles teams, including Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Bob and Mike Bryan, gathered on Saturday evening at the official Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Gala, at The Royal Courts of Justice in London. The event, supported by Moët & Chandon, raised more than £400,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The Gala officially launched the 2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – the year-end climax to the men’s professional tennis season, to be played November 5-12 at The O2 – and raised vital funds for the new respiratory ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The glamorous event was hosted by Kirsty Gallacher and Dan Lobb, with guests enjoying an exclusive performance from Brit and MOBO award winner Lemar and a DJ set from Emma B. The world’s best players personally supported the night by joining Moët & Chandon’s philanthropic ‘Toast for a Cause’ initiative, raising a mini Moët as they walked the red carpet. Moët & Chandon in turn made a donation for each participating player directly to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Players helped raise an additional £22,500 on the night by offering three lucky guests the chance to join them on stage for a once-in-a-lifetime group photo. An exclusive auction was held on the night, with lots including a rare gold-leaf Methuselah of Moët & Chandon signed by the world’s top tennis players. Other highly prized auction items included: VIP tickets to the 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2, a unique Hamilton & Inches pendant inspired by Disney•Pixar’s Brave and a NISSAN VIP experience at the Dubai 24 Hour Race.

2012 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon take place in London

On Tuesday during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Novak Djokovic received the ATP World Tour year-end No. 1 trophy and Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award on court at the O2 in London during the annual ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon. Roger Federer was awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the eighth time in his career and second in a row. German Tommy Haas won the Comeback Player of the Year, while 23-year-old Martin Klizan earned the Newcomer of the Year. Australian Marinko Matosevic won the Most Improved Player of the Year.

“The Face Off” tennis exhibition in Toronto to be shown on ESPN3 on November 16

“The Face Off” doubleheader tennis exhibition featuring a rematch of the 2012 Wimbledon Ladies Final between Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska followed by a big serving match-up between Andy Roddick and Milos Raonic will be shown live on ESPN3 on Friday, November 16 at 8 p.m. The match will be played at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. This past Sunday, ESPN3 presented live coverage of Serena’s match against sister Venus in Johannesburg, South Africa.

ATP promotes Alison Lee to Head of International Group Region

The ATP, governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, announces today the promotion of Alison Lee to Executive Vice President, International Group. Lee, 40, will be based in Sydney, Australia, in the ATP’s International Group headquarters which oversees the ATP’s business affairs in Australia, Asia, Middle East, Russia and Africa. Lee, brings almost 15 years of experience with the ATP to her new role. Prior to joining the ATP, she worked as a journalist in Hong Kong (NBC Asia) and Sydney (Channel 7). Lee began working with the ATP in the International Group’s Communications Department in 1998, before focusing on event management for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup tournaments in Sydney (2001) and Shanghai (2002, 2005-2008). She becomes a member of the ATP management committee and will also continue her roles as a part of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and ATP Commercial teams. “I am delighted to accept this position and new challenge. Even though the International Group is diverse, all our tournaments have a common desire to continue their growth and be among the best in the world,” said Lee. “That attitude combined with the increasing number of players coming from the region, make for exciting prospects. I look forward to using my experience to help drive that growth for the ATP and its members.”

Boston Lobsters relocate to Manchester Athletic Club for 2013 World TeamTennis season

The Boston Lobsters of the World TeamTennis Pro League announced they will be playing their home matches at the Manchester Athletic Club (MAC) starting with the 2013 season. The Joan Norton Tennis will be the name of the hosting facility. The show court will be incorporated into the MAC’s existing SkyJax Park outdoor facility, which currently includes several ten-and-under QuickStart courts, a basketball court, and athletic fields. The new home for Boston’s professional tennis team is located at 8 Atwater Avenue in Manchester, Mass. Team officials say the convenient location, less than one mile from Route 128, will provide the team with a venue that is very desirable for the team, its guests and sponsors. Most recently, the Lobsters played their home matches at the Ferncroft Country Club. “Manchester Athletic Club is very excited to partner with the Boston Lobsters,” said Manchester Athletic Club owner John Donovan. “The Lobsters organization is uniquely positioned to provide an exceptional professional tennis showcase for this community. We’re looking forward to a long relationship.”

Wozniacki splits with Coach Thomas Johansson

Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki has confirmed that she has split with part-time coach Thomas Johansson. Her father, Piotr, will remain her coach, and she will also seek advice from coaches in the adidas Player Development program. “I’m working with dad as I always did and I’m going to continue,” she said after her win over Roberta Vinci in Sofia. “I worked with Thomas for a while, but I haven’t seen him since U.S. Open since he very busy with the tournament in Stockholm (where he is the tournament director), and he’s been doing so many other things and he really hasn’t had time the time in the last few months. I’ve worked with my dad and it’s worked well and because he has quite a few commitments next year as well and with his family, that’s why I decided for both of us just to work with my dad.” Piotr Wozniacki told Ekstra Bladet that they are in search of a new full-time fitness trainer as well as a physiotherapist.

University of Georgia to Host 2014 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that the University of Georgia will host the 2014 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. The Dan Magill Tennis Complex has hosted the men’s tournament 24 times and the women’s event three times, in addition to three combined tournaments for a total of 30, most recently in both 2010 and 2012. The event has been combined since 2006. The Georgia men’s tennis team has won six NCAA titles — five of which came while playing in Athens. The women claimed the national title in 1994 and 2000. “We are extremely excited to have been selected again,” said Georgia men’s tennis coach Manuel Diaz. “It’s a credit to the many wonderful people in our athletic department who make the event so special, as well as all the volunteers in our community and the fans from around the country who make it the best collegiate event in our sport. Our athletic director (Greg McGarity) and everyone here at UGA are committed to continuing to host championships.” “This is fantastic news for the University of Georgia and the community of Athens. We’re very excited and honored to host the incredible NCAA Tennis Championships again,” said Jeff Wallace, Georgia women’s tennis coach. “It all started with Coach Dan Magill in the 1970s and his vision to make Georgia the ‘mecca of college tennis,’ which it became under his leadership. Some of the greatest moments in our program’s history have taken place at the complex that most deservedly bears his name. We’re looking forward to having the nation’s best players and teams come to Athens, and our staff and community always do a tremendous job of supporting the event.”

Player Fields set for 2012 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in New York

The USTA and Intercollegiate Tennis Association today announced the fields for the 2012 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 8-11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center’s Indoor Building in Flushing, N.Y. The men’s field will feature two-time and reigning ITA All-American singles champion Alex Domijan and Jarmere Jenkins, the ITA’s No. 2-ranked singles player, both of Virginia, while Florida’s Lauren Embree, the 2012 ITA/Riviera Women’s All-American champion who competed in the first round of the 2009 French Open, and Georgia’s Lauren Herring, who played in the 2010 US Open doubles main draw, headline the women’s field. The USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships features a 32-player singles field and 20-team doubles field for men and women, including: men’s and women’s champions from each of the 12 Division I USTA/ITA Regional Championships, the men’s and women’s USTA/ITA National Small College Super Bowl champion, the eight quarterfinalists of the ITA Men’s All-American Championships, the four semifinalists from the ITA/Riviera Women’s All-American Championships and the consolation winners from both, as well as at-large and wild card selections made by the ITA and USTA. Additionally, Columbia University, which is serving as the host school for the third consecutive year, received a wild card entry into each draw. In total, 124 players from 45 schools will compete in New York in singles or doubles. Other players in the men’s field include: UCLA teammates Marcos Giron, the 2011 Easter Bowl 18s champion, and Dennis Mkrtchian, the 2009 USTA International Spring Championship 16s winner, 2009 US Open Junior quarterfinalist Ray Sarmiento of Southern California, as well as Virginia teammates Mac Styslinger, a 2011 USTA 18s National semifinalist, and Harrison Richmond, a former U.S. Junior Davis Cup team member. In addition to Embree and Herring, other participants in the women’s field include: Florida’s Danielle Collins, the 2012 USTA 18s National Clay Court champion, Stanford’s Krista Hardebeck, a 2012 Australian Open Junior semifinalist, and Southern California’s Sabrina Santamaria, the reigning USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships doubles champion. Fans are encouraged to follow the matches online and participate in daily live chat at www.USTA.com/Multimedia-Interactive/live_chat/.

Cliff Drysdale Tennis expands programs with In-Shape Health

Cliff Drysdale Tennis announced that it has expanded its tennis management relationship with In-Shape Health Clubs to include 5 additional facilities in the In-Shape Health Clubs Family. Beginning November 1, Cliff Drysdale will offer its tennis management services at Millennium by In-Shape: Vallejo, Millennium by In-Shape: Rancho Solano (Fairfield), Millennium by In-Shape: Browns Valley (Vacaville), Millennium by In-Shape: El Dorado, and Millennium by In-Shape: Merced. “We are very excited to continue to grow with the In-Shape Health Clubs Family,” said Scott McCulloch, the National Director of Tennis for Cliff Drysdale Tennis. “Our relationship with In-Shape has afforded us the opportunity to bring our brand of tennis and services statewide in California, and we look forward to continuing our mission of introducing tennis to more people of all ages and establishing more players in this great game of a lifetime!” In November 2009, In-Shape partnered with Cliff Drysdale Tennis, and will now offer their signature tennis programs at 11 of its premier health club facilities – the 5 listed above plus In-Shape Sport: Dover (Fairfield), In-Shape Sport: Laurel Glen (Bakersfield), In-Shape Sport: Visalia, In-Shape Sport: Marina (Stockton), In-Shape Sport: West Lane (Stockton), and In-Shape Sport: Tracy.

Federer Captures Paris Masters – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 14, 2011 by Bob Greene

STARS

Roger Federer beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 7-6 (3) to win theBNPParibas Paris Masters in Paris,France

Rajeev Ram beat Jan Hernych 7-5 3-6 7-6 (6) to win the Sparkasse ATP Challenger Val Gardena Südtirol in Ortisei,Italy

Malek Jaziri beat Mischa Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-3 to win the Geneva ATP Challenger in Geneva,Switzerland

Sessil Karatantcheva beat Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-1 7-5 to win the Goldwater Women’s Tennis Classic in Phoenix,Arizona,USA

Carlos Berlocq beat Gastao Elias 6-1 7-6 (3) to win the Copa Topper in Buenos Aires,Argentina

Carlos Moya beat Mariano Zabaleta 6-3 6-4 to win the Royal Guard Champions in Santiago,Chile

Federer-Paris-Masters — Roger Federer wins Paris

WHEELCHAIR

NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters

Mechelen, Belgium

Men:

Stephane Houdet beat Maikel Scheffers 6-4 7-6 (2)

Women:

Esther Vergeer beat Aniek van Koot 6-1 6-2

Quad:

Noam Gershony beat Andrew Lapthorne 0-6 6-3 7-5

SAYING

“I have had some really tough losses this year, but I kept believing the year wasn’t over. I’m not playing to prove anything to anybody. I play for myself, I play forSwitzerland(and) just to enjoy myself.” – Roger Federer, after winning the Paris Masters.

“I knew I needed to play a great match if wanted to win today and I was not able to. I just wish I could have competed more.” – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Roger Federer in the Paris Masters final.

“I knew going in today that this could be something special, something I could remember. So it’s just another win, but it’s a special one nevertheless, because 800 is definitely a big number.” – Roger Federer, who, by beating Juan Monaco 6-3 7-5 in a quarterfinal match, became the seventh man to win 800 matches in his career.

“Am I concerned with getting it back to where I can play? Not really. But to play at the level that I want to play at? I’m concerned with that, for sure.” – Mardy Fish, who retired from his Paris Masters match with a pulled hamstring injury.

“I already have three kids, so I have a big family and soon it will be very big. It’s very exciting and once they’re here it will be a lot of fun. I always wanted a big family.” – Marcelo Rios, announcing his wife is expecting triplets.

“After winning 14 NEC Masters titles I really feel like this is my tournament as I’ve won it so many times in the Netherlands, so I’ve very happy to win the first one here in Belgium.” – Esther Vergeer, after winning her 434^th consecutive match and her 15^th straight NEC Masters women’s singles.

“It’s so much fun being single. At some point I’ll be mature, but it just hasn’t happened yet. I’m shocked at myself by my inability to settle down and to commit to anything besides tennis and work.” – Venus Williams, saying she’s had no time for anything outside tennis and her business interest.

SET FOR LONDON

The field for the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals was completed when Tomas Berdych of theCzechRepublic, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and American Mardy Fish qualified. The elite eight-man singles field also includes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and David Ferrer. Fish is making his debut in the Finals, having enjoyed his strongest season. Berdych made his Finals debut last year, going 1-2 in round-robin play. Tsonga will be making his second career appearance in the season-ending event, having also qualified in 2008.

Eight doubles teams will also battle at the Finals, led by American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who have clinched the year-ending number one ranking. Other teams qualifying were: Nenad Zimonjic and Michael Llodra, Daniel Nestor and Max Mirnyi, Philipp Petzschner and Jurgen Melzer, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau, Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, and Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.

SWISS MASTER

Roger Federer continued to carve his name into the record books as he won the BNPParibas Paris Masters for the first time. The tournament title was the 69^th of his career and he became just the second player – Andre Agassi is the other – to win both the French Open at Roland Garros and the Paris Masters at Paris-Bercy. He had never before even reach the final of the indoor event. “I’m amazed by how well I played,” Federer said. “I’m really ecstatic to have played so well this week from the first ball to the end. I had many attempts to win Paris-Bercy and for some reasons I had not been able to win it earlier, so it’s a special victory.” Federer did it with a dominating 6-1 7-6 (3) performance over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Swiss master gave Tsonga limited opportunities after saving two break points in his opening service game. His 18^th Masters title puts him one ahead of Agassi and one behind all-time leader Rafael Nadal.

Federer’s quarterfinal victory over Juan Monaco was the 800^th of his career. Only six other players in the Open Era have won 800 or more matches, topped by Jimmy Connors with 1,242. By winning the title, Federer raised his career total to 802, just four behind Stefan Edberg. The others include Ivan Lendl (1,071), Guillermo Vilas (923), John McEnroe (875) and Agassi (870).

SICK CALL

Continuing the annual trend, there were be several players hurting going into the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic pulled out of theBNPParibas Paris Masters with a nagging shoulder injury. “Sadly I have to inform you that I have withdrawn from the tournament. I have pushed myself to the limit by playing, and after the match yesterday my shoulder got worse,” Djokovic wrote on his website. “For this reason I have to put my health first and withdraw even though my urges as a professional player are making me want to play until the last drop of energy.” Djokovic recently returned to the tour after a six-week injury layoff. His shoulder began to bother him again when he lost in the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors, only his four defeat of the year. Second-ranked Rafael Nadal had been scheduled to play the Paris Masters, but pulled out before the tournament because of injuries. And Mardy Fish retired with an injury during his third-round match inParis. “I’ll certainly play inLondon. There’s no doubt about that. Even if it’s torn, I’m still going to try to play,” the American said.

SEEING THE END

After helping theCzech Republicwin the Fed Cup, Kveta Peschke said she would no longer play in the international team event. In making the announcement, the 36-year-old Peschke said she will retire from all tennis at the end of 2012. Currently ranked number two in the world in doubles, Peschke teamed with Lucie Hradecka to win the decisive tie as theCzechRepublicedgedRussia3-2 in Fed Cup play. She also won theWimbledonwomen’s doubles in July with Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik.

SUPER MOM

Just because Alicia Molik has retired and is waiting her first child doesn’t mean the Australian is not active on the tennis court. Once ranked eighth in the world, the 30-year-old Molik played in the new Australian National Tennis League competition. Showing a seven-month baby bump, Molik played with caution, limiting her court coverage and exertion. She lost to 17-year-old Caitlin Cridland in two shortened sets, 4-1 4-2. Molik left the WTA tour after a second-round loss in the Australian Open in January. But she still loves to play. “I’ve been hitting pretty much every week since I’ve been pregnant, a couple of times a week and I coach most afternoons,” Molik said. “It feels normal actually, a bit slower and you can’t move around as easily. I guess I’m not as agile on court and I’m cautious not to be.” Molik, who married Tim Sullivan in February, said she probably will not return to the WTA tour as a mother. “I asked them to protect my ranking in case I ever had that desire, just because I could, not because I necessarily wanted to return at the time,” she said. “The door’s always open, but I’ve played for 12 years and it’s quite a rigorous life on tour for nine months a year and I don’t think it would rally serve as stable environment for a newborn traveling around week-to-week and being in a different city week-to-week.”

STRAIGHT TO THE BANK

By showing up inParisand playing, Novak Djokovic pocketed USD $1.6 million. The world’s top-ranked player beat Croatian Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3, but by showing up he earned the bonus. An ATP rule designed to entice top players to take part in the main events states that, as the number one-ranked player, Djokovic is entitled to a USD $2 million bonus if he plays in all eight Masters tournaments. The bonus drops to USD $1.6 million if he misses one – and to nothing if he misses two. Djokovic skipped the Shanghai Masters because of injury. The Serb dismissed talk that he played inParisonly because of the money. “It was really somehow funny for me to see how people are coming up with that story,” he said. “I even heard that I would get on the court and play a game just to get this money. This is ridiculous.” Djokovic said his shoulder was bothering him when withdrew from his quarterfinal match, giving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a walkover into the semifinals.

SEEKING WILD CARD

Robby Ginepri and Melanie Oudin are among the seven players – four women and three men – who have been invited to participate in the Kia Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs next month. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Tennis Australia have a reciprocal agreement in which men’s and women’s singles main draw wild cards into the 2011 US Open and the 2012 Australian Open are exchanged. Besides Oudin, other competing for the women’s wild card will be Jamie Hampton, Alison Riske and Coco Vandeweghe. Joining Ginepri in the battle for the men’s wild card will be Denis Kudla and Jack Sock. The complete field for the eight-man and eight-woman playoff will be announced as players are confirmed.

SWOLLEN BELLY

The Marcelo Rios household is getting ready to be much bigger. Returning to the ATP Champions Tour after undergoing back surgery, Rios announced he and his wife are expecting triplets. The former world number one already has three daughters. “That (having triplets) is one of the reasons that it has been more difficult to concentrate on tennis,” Rios said inSantiago,Chile, where he is playing in the Royal Guard Champions. “My wife is already 26 weeks pregnant and you have triplets at about 32 weeks, so she’s pretty big right now.” Returning to the senior tour after more than two years away, Rios lost his first match in his hometown to Greg Rusedski. “For sure it’s nice to feel the support from the crowd again,” said Rios. “It’s been a long time that I didn’t play at all and it’s always fun to play inChile. Flying and being away is tough with my family, so being here playing so close to my home is really nice.”

SHAMIL HONORED

Shamil Tarpischev, president of the Russian Tennis Federation, has been presented the 2012 Golden Achievement Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum (ITHF&M). Tarpischev, who has served as president of the Russian Tennis Federation since 1991, has also bee coach and captain of the national team. He is also a member of the International Olympic Committee. The Golden Achievement Award is given jointly by the Hall of Fame and International Tennis Federation (ITF). It is presented annually to an individual who has made important contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion or education, and who has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport. “As a result of Shamil’s leadership, the sport of tennis has grown immensely inRussia, and some of the world’s greatest champions have come from this nation,” ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said in presenting the award. “From engaging young people in tennis to developing elite champions, to playing an active role in international competitions, including the Fed Cup, Davis Cup and the Olympic Games, to his contributions as a member of the IOC, Shamil’s dedication to the game and ability to enable positive developments in tennis has been immensely beneficial to the sport worldwide. He truly embodies the spirit of the Golden Achievement Award, and we are pleased to recognize his great contributions to the game with this honor.”

SPLITSVILLE

Brazil’s top player, Thomaz Bellucci, has ended his relationship with coach Larri Passos. Since hiring Passos about a year ago, Bellucci has won 25 matches and lost 25 without winning a title. Ranked 36^th in the world, Bellucci said in a statement that he was grateful for all that he learned from Passos but felt it was better to end the partnership. Passos was Gustavo Kuerten’s coach when Kuerten won three French Opens.

Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov has split with his coach, Peter McNamara. The 19-year-old Dimitrov and McNamara were together for 18 months, a period that saw the Bulgarian rise to 52^nd in the world rankings. However the relationship between the two apparently soured in recent months as Dimitrov’s father, Dimitar, played a more visible advisory role in his son’s career. McNamara, who had previously coached fellow Australian Mark Philippoussis, said: “It was a great adventure going from Futures to Grand Slams with Grigor and it was an honor to coach him.” In 2008, Dimitrov won the junior boys title at bothWimbledon and the US Open.

SIDELINED

Embroiled in a disagreement with Novak Djokovic’s family, Slobodan Zivojinovic has resigned as president of the Serbian tennis federation. The decision will be formally announced at a federation meeting later this month. According to a report on Serbian state television, Zivojinovic will be replaced bySerbia’s Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. AfterSerbiawon the Davis Cup last year, Djokovic’s father said Zivojinovic had done little to help the careers of his son or other Serbian players. Zivojinovic reportedly said he was resigning because of his obligations with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and its Davis Cup committee.

SHARED PERFORMANCE

Buenos Aires:

Carlos Berlocq and Eduardo Schwank beat Marcel Felder and Jaroslav Pospisil 6-7 (1) 6-4 10-7 (match tiebreak}

Geneva:

Igor Andreev and Evgeny Donskoy beat James Cerretani and Adil Shamasdin 7-6 (1) 7-6 (2)

Ortisei:

Dustin Brown and Lovro Zovko beat Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Waske 6-4 7-6 (4)

Paris:

Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut 6-2 6-4

Phoenix:

Jamie Hamilton and Ajla Tomjanovic beat Maria Sanchez and Yasmin Schnack 3-6 6-3 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$220,000 ATP Challengers Tour Finals,Sao Paulo,Brazil, hard

$117,300 Slovak Open,Bratislava,Slovakia, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,040,500 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals,London,Great Britain, hard

$145,000 IPP Open,Helsinki,Finland, hard

WOMEN

$75,000 2011 Dunlop World Challenge Tennis Tournament,Toyota,Japan, carpet