court game Archives - World Tennis Magazine

STARS

Aravane Rezai beat Venus Williams 6-2 7-5 to win the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open women’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4 7-6 (5) to win the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open men’s singles in Madrid, Spain

Richard Gasquet beat Michael Llodra 4-6 6-1 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux, France

Davis Cup Europe Zone III at Athens, Greece: Greece and Luxembourg promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 20011

SAYINGS

“I just cannot believe this.” – Aravane Rezai, after beating Venus Williams to win the Mutual Madrilena Madrid Open women’s singles.

“Sometimes you run into a player who’s red hot, they hit every shot, they don’t miss – and credit to them.” – Venus Williams, after losing to Aravane Rezai in the Madrid Open final.

“The most important thing is winning at home; winning in Madrid is a dream. After that, I think about the ranking.” – Rafael Nadal, after defeating Roger Federer to win the Mutual Madrilena Madrid Open men’s singles and regain the world number two ranking.

“I wasn’t able to defend my title here today but I thought Rafa played an incredible clay-court season. I’m looking forward to Paris now. I’m happy with my clay-court game.” – Roger Federer.

“I’ve got my intensity back. My mind’s where it needs to be on the court and there’s no reason why I can’t do well there.” – Andy Murray, on his chances at Roland Garros.

“The way I was playing at the start was the way I had to play. I’ll have to keep working and maybe sooner or later I can manage to beat Rafa.” – Nicolas Almagro, who won the first set before losing to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals at Madrid.

“We just try to be the best and have fun, whether number one comes with that or not. Our goal right now is to do well at the French – we didn’t do well there last year.” – Serena Williams, after she teamed with her sister Venus to win the doubles title in Madrid.

“It was such an emotional game and that’s just the way I am.” – Andrea Petkovic, explaining why she broke down in tears after losing to Aravane Rezai.

“I like doing my job, my career, my life, my dog. I’m healthy and I’ve learned a lot.” – Venus Williams, explaining her run to the number two ranking behind her sister, Serena.

SWEET SPANISH SOIL

Reversing last year’s result, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer for the Madrid Open crown and a record 18^th Masters title. It was the first meeting of the pair since the 2009 Madrid Open. With the victory, Nadal moves back into the number two ranking, just behind Federer. The Spaniard is 15-0 on clay this year, having also won in Monte Carlo and Rome, and has dropped just two sets during the run. “I’m very happy with everything so far this year. I think I’ve returned to my top form and that’s the most important thing for me,” Nadal said. “Am I favorite to win at Roland Garros? I was last year and I lost.” On match point, Nadal returned Federer’s serve, then watched as the world’s top-ranked player whiffed a forehand, missing the ball completely and sending Nadal face down onto the court in triumph. This was Nadal’s second Madrid win, and it moved him one ahead of Andre Agassi in number of Masters won. He has won two more than Federer. “It’s nice that we have had a chance to play each other again and live up to the expectations with a good match, and it was a nice performance from both of us,” Federer said. “He comes up with incredible stuff. He’s Rafa Nadal after all.”

SUNNINGLY SPECTACULAR

Aravane Rezai’s spectacular week ended the only way it should. She won the final four games to pull off yet another upset in winning the Madrid Open women’s singles title, besting Venus Williams 6-2 7-5. It was the third major upset of the week for the Frenchwoman, who earlier knocked off Justine Henin in the first round and Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals. Against Williams, Rezai was masterful, pounding her way past her 29-year-old opponent. Williams led 4-1 and 5-3 in the second set before Rezai pounded her way to victory. She saved a set point in the eighth game and five more a game later before leveling the second set at 5-all. She then broke the frustrated American for a 6-5 lead before serving out the biggest victory of her career. “She played very well and I’ve always respected her as a player and a champion,” Rezai said. “I just tried my best today and it worked well for me.” Rezai’s previous two WTA titles were in Strasbourg, France, and Bali, Indonesia.

SISTERS ON THE TOP

Serena and Venus Williams have taken over the top two spots in the WTA rankings for the first time in seven years. Despite losing in the final of the Madrid Open, Venus Williams moved up to number two, just behind younger sister Serena. It is the 46^th week overall that the siblings have held the two top spots in the rankings, but the first time since May 2003. The rankings mean the sisters will be seeded one and two at the French Open and could meet only in the final. The sisters were one and two in the rankings for the first time in June 2002, when Venus was number one and Serena number two.

The Williams sisters teamed up to win the Madrid Open doubles, besting Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in the final, 6-2, 7-5. With the victory, they moved a step closer to the number one ranking in doubles, which is co-held by American Liezel Huber and Cara Black of Zimbabwe. Venus and Serena share the number two ranking. The Williams sisters have won 18 doubles titles as a team: 11 Grand Slam tournament crowns, two Olympic gold medals and five Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles. Because they play doubles so rarely, this is the first time they have been ranked number two in the world.

SUSPENDED

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has suspended Kristian Antoniychuk for 14 months for doping. The ITF said the 19-year-old Ukrainian tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide at the Mexican Open on Feb. 22. Antoniychuk said the drug got into her system through a prescription. The ITF accepted her explanation, but ruled she lacked a therapeutic exemption and that players are responsible to ensure “no prohibited substance enters his or her body.” The ban will end on April 21, 2011. Her results since the date of the positive test will be disqualified.

SPENDING TIME

Serena Williams won – just barely — the longest match of her career. The world’s number one player saved a match point before outlasting Vera Dushevina 6-7 (2) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (5) in a third-round match at the Madrid Open. “I definitely feel really proud because I definitely wasn’t playing my best tennis and I was far off playing well,” Williams said after the squeaker. “Also, at that point I wasn’t going to lose. After three hours I’d better win.” Serena faced a match point on her serve when trailing 6-5 in the second set. She broke serve to go up 5-2 in the third set before her Russian opponent rallied. Serena trailed 4-0 in the final tiebreaker before winning the match in 3 hours, 26 minutes, according to the WTA Tour the longest match Serena has ever played.

SIMPLY ROYAL

Queen Elizabeth reportedly will attend Wimbledon this summer for the first time in more than 30 years. Her last appearance at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was in 1977 when she presented Virginia Wade with the women’s singles trophy – the last time a British player has won a Wimbledon singles championships. Royal aides say the Queen is interested in tennis and will attend this year on June 24. The Queen is a patron of the club, while the Duke of Kent is the president. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a regular at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

SIDELINED

US Open champions Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro are just two of the big names who will miss this year’s French Open. Clijsters withdrew from Roland Garros with a left foot injury. She tore a muscle in her foot last month while playing Fed Cup. Other withdrawals include Nikola Davydenko, James Blake, Tommy Haas, Igor Andreev, Urzula Radwanska, Sania Mirza, Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Sabine Lisicki. The year’s second Grand Slam tournament begins its two-week run on May 23.

SICK

Illness kicked Andy Roddick out of the Madrid Masters. The fifth-seeded America withdrew from the clay court tournament just before his opening match. He had a first-round bye and had been scheduled to play Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Roddick said he had been vomiting for two days and felt too weak to play after warming up for the match. Oscar Hernandez replaced Roddick in the draw as the lucky loser and immediately lost to his fellow Spaniard 6-1 6-2.

SHARING SIBLING

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan tied Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde by winning their Open Era record 61^st doubles title. The Bryans equaled the mark by besting Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-4 to capture the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. The victory also moved the twins back into the number one spot on the ATP Doubles Ranking. It was the second time the two top teams have clashed this season, with the Bryans also winning in the Australian Open. All 13 of their meetings have been in finals. Prior to the Australian Open, Nestor and Zimonjic had won five straight.

SLIDE, BABY, SLIDE

In a bid to develop American players’ chances to win on clay, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has installed four clay courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, site of the US Open. “Every player who comes through the USTA system will have a very strong grounding in clay-court tennis,” said Gordon Smith, USTA executive director. Of the 103 men who have reached the top 10 since the ATP rankings were created, 91 grew up on clay. The US Open was played on clay from 1975 to 1977 at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York. In 1978, the Open moved to its current site and a hard court surface. The last American to win the French Open – the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay – was Serena Williams in 2002. The last American man to win at Roland Garros was Andre Agassi in 1999.

SWITCH

Spectators at one match at the Madrid Open must have been wondering if they were at the wrong court. Instead of the scheduled match between Tomas Berdych and David Nalbandian, the players on court were two American lucky losers, Mardy Fish and Michael Russell. Just hours before they were to meet, Berdych and Nalbandian withdrew almost simultaneously from the tournament because of injuries. Berdych suffered a hip problem, while Nalbandian apparently aggravated his hamstring. Fish beat Russell 6-2 7-6 (1), then fell to unseeded Jurgen Melzer in the next round. Ironically, Russell had retired with an injury from the final round of qualifying, only to later gain a spot in the main draw because of another player’s injury.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

The United States will have to win on clay if it is to return to the Davis Cup World Group next year. The Americans were drawn to travel to Colombia in the World Group playoffs in September, with the loser dropping into the American Zonal group. In other playoff matches – with the winners advancing to the World Group in 2011 – Switzerland will travel to Kazakhstan, Israel will meet Austria, Germany will take on South Africa, Sweden will face Italy, India will battle Brazil, Australia takes on Belgium and Romania will play Ecuador.

SERENA ROLE MODEL

When rap star Common prepared to play an athlete in his latest movie role, he turned to his girlfriend, Serena Williams. In the movie Just Wright, Common plays a top basketball player. “One thing I got to say is that athletes, they play through the pain,” Common said. “I’ve seen the pain that not only Serena or Venus would go through, but other athletes that I know. I gained a lot of respect for athletes doing this role because it’s a superhuman ability to go out there and be in that pain and because of the level of skill that they possess.” Another thing Common has learned. He still can’t beat Serena at tennis. “I hit with her a couple times, but it’s kind of tough,” he said, “me, having an athletic mind-state and not being able to defeat your companion.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bordeaux: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Karol Beck and Leos Friedl 5-7 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Madrid (men): Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-4

Madrid (women): Venus Williams and Serena Williams beat Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta 6-2 7-5

SITES TO SURF

Dusseldorf: www.arag-world-team-cup.com/

Nice: www.opennicecotedazur.com/

Warsaw: www.pwo.polsat.pl/

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com/index.html

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