dudi sela

John Isner Successfully Defends His Atlanta Open Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

July 28, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Pablo Cuevas beat Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-4 to win the Vegeta Croatia Open in Umag, Croatia

John Isner beat Dudi Sela 6-3 6-4 to win the BB&T Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Elina Svitolina beat Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 7-6 (2) to win the Baku Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan

Pablo Andujar beat Juan Monaco 6-3 7-5 to win the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland

Peng Shuai beat Liu Fangzhou 6-2 3-6 6-3 to win the Zhonghong Jiangxi International Women’s Open in Nanchang, China

Ricardas Berankis beat Marsel Ilhan 7-5 5-7 6-3 to win the President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan

Vitalia Diatchenko beat Cagla Buyukakcay 6-4 3-6 6-2 to win the President’s Cup women’s singles at Astana, Kazakhstan

SAYING

“Tennis taught me to be a warrior and to fight until the last point, and that is how I’m battling daily.” – Catalina Castano of Colombia, revealing she has breast cancer.

“This is my favorite time of year.” – John Isner, after winning his second straight BB&T Atlanta Open.

“I finished with an ace, the only ace I hit the whole match.” – Pablo Andujar, after besting Juan Monaco to win in Gstaad, Switzerland.

“You deserve to win this trophy in this nice city. This is the most beautiful place to play tennis.” – Juan Monaco.

“Had a great day today. Good practice this morning and then I went to Prague to meet the Czech president :)” – Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, in a blog.

“I hope I will have more weeks like this. I had a great week here. It was my first time in Umag and hopefully not the last one.” – Lukas Rosol, who teamed with Frantisek Cermak to win the Vegeta Croatia Open doubles.

“It’s always important to get along on and off the court and I think we have a great mix there. With my aggressive serve-and-volley style and his baseline style, it matches up well. We played well at the French Open already and I was hoping to get a title with him.” – Andre Begemann, who with Robin Haase captured the doubles title in Gstaad, Switzerland.

“It’s our third tournament together, we played well and hopefully we can get another one next week.” – Robin Haase.

“The mental aspect of tennis is a huge part of the game. When you win so many matches it builds confidence. I never believed I was going to lose.” – Jared Donaldson, a 17-year-old American after posting a 15-0 record in June and winning three consecutive Futures tournaments.

“I love clay. I could, like, roll in the clay.” – Katerina Stewart, after winning the USTA Girls 18s Clay Court Championships.

“Everyone thinks my brother’s a fool – he’s actually a good guy. It really frustrates me a lot.” – Sara Tomic, sister of Australian pro Bernard Tomic.
SUCCESS, FINALLY

It’s been more than two years since Pablo Andujar has wound up with the biggest trophy at a tournament. He did just that at the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open, capturing the crown by defeating Juan Monaco in the title match. By doing so, Andujar became the 13^th Spaniard since 1990 to win the Gstaad, Switzerland, tournament. “It was a very tough match. I knew it was going to be a fight. I played aggressively in the important and final points,” said Andujar, the final point coming on his only ace of the day. It was the first tournament title for the 28-year-old since he captured the Grand Prix Hassan II in April 2012. “I have worked a lot and it is amazing to win a trophy,” he said. Monaco was attempting to become the fifth Argentine to capture the Suisse Open, following in the footsteps of Guillermo Vilas, Jose-Luis Clerc, Martin Jaite and Gaston Gaudio.

STRONG PERFORMANCE

The 6-foot-10 (2.08m) John Isner turns into a giant on the tennis courts in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Playing in his fourth Atlanta final in five years, Isner won the BB&T Atlanta Open for the second straight year by stopping Israel’s Dudi Sela in the title match. Ranked 12^th in the world, Isner blasted 15 aces to end the run of his 5-foot-9 (1.75m) opponent, who was playing in his first ATP World Tour final in six years. “Right from the very beginning I felt great,” the victorious American said. “These (hot) conditions favor me quite a bit. I couldn’t ask for better conditions.” Isner was runner-up in Atlanta to Mardy Fish in both 2010 and 2011, then beat South African Kevin Anderson in the final a year ago. He is now 16-3 in his career at the Atlanta Open. Sela said he was playing for more than just himself. “I wanted the win today for my people in Israel,” he said. “It’s not easy the situation over there and hopefully it will be better. I tried to play for (that) theme, but John was too tough for me today.” The Atlanta tournament is the first in the US Open Series which offers a USD $1 million bonus for the player who wins both the series and the US Open. Isner took a big step in that direction. “I’m off to a very good start again,” he said. “I look forward to playing Washington DC again (this week). I’ve played well there my whole career.”

SUPERB SUNDAY

Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas may have had to qualify to get into the main draw of the Croatia Open, but he was the one who put on a masterful tennis show on the tournament’s final day. Forced by rain to play two matches on the last Sunday, Cuevas first eliminated top-seeded Fabio Fognini in a semifinal, then clobbered defending champion and second seed Tommy Robredo to capture the title. It was Cuevas’ second ATP World Tour title – both coming this month. He captured the Swedish Open two weeks ago. Cuevas also became the second qualifier to win an ATP World Tour tournament this year. Slovakia’s Martin Klizan won as a qualifier at Munich, Germany, in May. “I was happy to win the first title, now two in a row make me even happier,” Cuevas said. “And this one was tougher to win, because I had to play in qualifying as well. I was very focused during the week, now I am really tired.” This was Cuevas’ third time playing Umag. In his first two trips to the Croatian city he failed to get past the second round. This time it was different. “Pablo played a great match, he made no mistake,” Robredo said. “There were some balls that might have changed the match, but it did not go my way.”

SVITOLINA AGAIN

No wonder Elina Svitolina loves the hard courts in Baku, Azerbaijan. For the second straight year the Ukrainian teenager has captured the Baku Cup, this time stopping Bojana Jovanovski in the final. Not only was it Svitolina’s second Baku championship, it was her second WTA title. It took only 22 minutes for the 19-year-old to clinch the opening set. The second was much tougher as neither player dropped serve. But Svitolina won the first four points of the tiebreak and never was in trouble after that. Svitolina lost serve only once all week, in her semifinal win over 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. Jovanovski, on the other hand, went three sets in three of her four matches en route to the final, including rallying from 6-4 4-2 down in her quarterfinal match and from 4-1 down in the final set of her semifinal. Svitolina is the first teenager to win multiple WTA titles since Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won her second in 2010 and her third in 2011.

SHUAI TOPS YOUNGSTER

Liu Fangzhou may be the future of Chinese tennis, but she had to bow to her elder at the inaugural Zhonghong Jiangxi International Women’s Open. Top-seeded Peng Shuai needed all three sets before prevailing over her 18-year-old opponent. Ranked 422^nd in the world, Liu was the final player to gain direct entry into the new WTA 125K Series event. And she knocked off a string of higher-ranked opponents to reach the final, dropping just one set along the way. Then, after winning the second set to draw even with Peng, Liu pulled off a brilliant down-the-line backhand to take a 15-40 lead in the opening game of the final set. Peng, however, slammed two consecutive aces to pull to deuce, then survived a third break point before finally holding serve. The eventual champion won the last three games of the match to complete the victory.

SHANGHAI SIGNATURE

With two Grand Slam tournament titles in her trophy case, Li Na has received an even bigger honor. She now has a building in Shanghai named after her. Nike unveiled its new China headquarters by continuing its tradition of naming its buildings after some of the best athletes in history. Buildings on the campus of Nike’s global headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, are named for Michael Jordan, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. The new Nike Greater China campus, located in Yangpu District in Shanghai, includes the nine-story office building bearing Li’s name, a full-size soccer field and an indoor basketball court. “Nike has been with me through all of my tennis career and seeing my name on the building is one of the biggest honors I’ve received in my life,” Li said. “Nike has always respected and honored its athletes, so it’s not just my name that’s up there on the building, it stands for all outstanding Chinese athletes that Nike represents.”

STILL THE CHAMPION

With Martina Hingis leading the way, the Washington Kastles won their four straight World TeamTennis title and fifth in six years, tying the record for consecutive titles set by Sacramento in 2000. The 33-year-old Hingis won three events, including beating Olga Govortsova 5-2 in women’s singles, and was selected the most valuable player of the finals, which were held in Springfield, Missouri, USA. “’It was a great day here in Springfield for me, obviously with getting the finals MVP,”’ Hingis said. ‘”I don’t know if I have been as nervous before in my career with playing in the finals for my team, because you have no time to miss anything. Everything is quick. You have to keep it sweet.” Hingis also teamed with Anastasia Rodionova to beat Govortsova and Liga Dekmeijere-Thomas 5-1 in women’s doubles and with Leander Paes to win the mixed doubles 5-4 over Govortsova and Ross Hutchins. Bobby Reynolds beat Michael Russell 5-4 in men’s singles, then teamed with Paes to beat Russell and Hutchins 5-2 in men’s doubles.

SPECIAL CALL

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has a big ally on her side. Having won her second Wimbledon singles title earlier this month, Kvitova planned to keep a low profile on returning to the Czech Republic. That’s because some in her country, including Social Democrat (CSSD) deputy Stanislav Huml, have recently proposed that Kvitova should lose her Czech citizenship because she has moved to Monaco because of lower taxes. But she received a telephone call she couldn’t refuse. So Kvitova met with Czech President Milos Zeman at Prague Castle. “I know that as one of the successful people you are envied,” Zeman said. “One of the reasons for our meeting is that I would like to voice my support for you against the envious people. I beg you to ignore them because they cannot do anything but envy.” Zeman also received Czech tennis players Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Klara Koukalova. He told Kvitova that he would welcome her both after victories and defeats. “I do not wish them to you, but defeats are also a part of life,” the president said. “That is why I have invited all the Olympic participants irrespective of whether they won or lost.” During their meeting, Kvitova presented Zeman with an honorary ticket for the Fed Cup final which will be held in Prague in November.

SOLO DOUBLES

Taylor Townsend had to feel out-numbered during her World TeamTennis doubles match. Actually, she was. The young American was forced to play a doubles match all alone when her partner, Liezel Huber, went out with an injury. The unusual match – one against two – occurred at a World TeamTennis event where every point counts. The scoring is cumulative of the five sets played, so Townsend had to try to win a few points or even a set. She actually did win a few points, playing alone against Martina Hingis and Anastasia Rodionova, but her effort was also hampered by the rules. She was not allowed to return a serve on her partner’s side of the court. Huber was injured when she was hit in the back of the head by a Townsend forehand.

STAYING AWAY

A nagging right knee injury will keep Gael Monfils from playing in the Citi Open in Washington, DC, USA. The Frenchman had abruptly pulled out of the ATP World Tour event in Atlanta, where he was the number three seed. Monfils hasn’t played since losing a five-set, second-round match at Wimbledon to Jiri Vesely.

Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who reached the final at Wimbledon, has withdrawn from the women’s portion of the Citi Open. Bouchard hasn’t played since losing the Wimbledon title match to Petra Kvitova, but officials didn’t provide a reason for her decision to withdraw from the Washington, DC, tournament. Ranked seventh in the world, Bouchard had been scheduled to be the tournament’s top seed, a spot now taken by Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova.

Wimbledon semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov also has pulled out of the Citi Open after doctors diagnosed him with the flu and a sinus infection. Dimitrov had been seeded third in the tournament behind Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic. “We will miss having Grigor as a part of this year’s tournament, but his health is priority number one,” tournament director Jeff Newman said. “We hope he gets better quickly and wish him great success for the rest of the year.” Dimitrov has won three of his four career ATP World Tour titles this year and is currently ranked ninth in the world.

STOPPED BY CANCER

Catalina Castano’s latest battle is not on a tennis court. The 35-year-old Colombian is battling breast cancer. “It was really hard to hear the news. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I cried for several days, hiding from my parents and sisters,” Castano said. “I decided to do what the doctors recommended, which was chemotherapy as quickly as possible.” Castano is the most decorated player in Colombia’s Fed Cup history, holding the record for most ties played, years played and match wins. She helped Colombia to third place in the Americas Group I in February, but has since been undergoing chemotherapy in what she describes as “the toughest match” of her life. Castano reached a career-high ranking of 35^th in the world in 2006 and has played in 50 ties since making her Fed Cup debut at the age of 16. She said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received since making public her latest battle. “It has been impressive,” she said, “I’ve received many kind and sweet messages and it makes me very happy to see people who I shared many moments with caring about me. I live day by day because with cancer you never know when everything suddenly ends.”

STRAIGHT IN

Nicole Gibbs will be playing in her third consecutive US Open this year. The first two times was because of her results as a college player. This time she earned a wild card berth with her results on the USTA Pro Circuit. Gibbs clinched the wild card when Madison Brengle defeated Melanie Oudin in the semifinals of the USTA Pro Circuit event in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Oudin was the only player who could have caught Gibbs in the US Open Wild Card Challenge race. A 21-year-old native of Santa Monica, California, USA, Gibbs competed in the US Open main draw as a wild card in 2012 and 2013 as the NCAA champion.

SINGLES FOR TWO

Tommy Paul of Coconut Creek, Florida, and Katerina Stewart of Miami, Florida, each won USTA 18s National Clay Courts singles titles to earn wild card entries into this year’s US Open Junior Championships. Paul, last year’s USTA Boys’ 16s Clay Court and Hard Court winner, beat Reilly Opelka of Palm Coast, Florida, in this year’s Boys 18s final in Delray Beach, Florida. Stewart, who won last year’s Girls’ 16s hard court title, captured the Girls’ 18s by beating Kennedy Shaffer of Rossford, Ohio. Steward has won her last 34 matches, including singles titles at three USTA Pro Circuit USD $10,000 clay-court events. Besides the US Open junior wild card entries, Paul and Steward each receive a wild card into a future USTA Pro Circuit event.

SATISFIED

Andy Murray apparently is happy with Amelie Mauresmo as his coach. Consequently an announcement that the two will continue working together is expected soon. Murray has made it clear he would like to continue working with the former women’s world number one player who won Wimbledon and the Australian Open during her playing career. The two began working together earlier this summer, but since then he failed to defend titles at both Queen’s Club and Wimbledon and has fallen to 10^th in the world rankings. Working with his previous coach, Ivan Lendl, Murray won the gold medal at the London Olympics, the 2012 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon.

SUSPENDED

Neil Harman has been suspended as chief tennis correspondent of The Times of London after he confessed to plagiarizing copy written by others when compiling his Wimbledon yearbooks. There is no suggestion that Harman has been guilty of plagiarism in his articles for The Times. The chief tennis correspondent at The Times since 2002, Harman earlier resigned from the International Tennis Writers’ Association and was fired by Wimbledon authorities after they were informed about plagiarism in three annuals written under Harman’s name.

SPONSOR

The Chia Co, identified as world innovators in health foods, has signed a three-year agreement to be an official sponsor of the US Open. The Chia Co will offer Chia Pods, a ready-to-eat product with chia seeds, coconut milk and fruit, from a branded promotional space at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the years’ fourth Grand Slam tournament. The sponsorship marks The Chia Co’s first entry into tennis and expands its existing sports sponsorships. To supports its involvement with the tournament, The Chia Co will run a promotion in which one lucky winner will receive a trip for two to New York and courtside seats to the 2014 US Open men’s semifinals.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Atlanta: Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock beat Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 6-3 5-7 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Astana (men): Sergei Bubka and Marco Chiudinelli beat Chen Ti and Huang Liang-Chi 6-3 6-4

Astana (women): Vitalia Diatchenko and Margarita Gasparyan beat Michaela Boev and Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4 6-1

Baku: Alexandra Panova and Heather Watson beat Raluca Olaru and Shahar Peer 6-2 7-6 (3)

Gstaad: Andre Begemann and Robin Haase beat Rameez Junaid and Michal Mertinak 6-3 6-4

Nanchang: Chuang Chia-Jung and Junri Namigata beat Chan Chine-Wei and Xu Yi-Fan 7-6 (4) 6-3

Umag: Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Rosol beat Dusan Lajovic and Franko Skugor 6-4 7-6 (5)

SURFING

Washington: www.citiopentennis.com/

Kitzbühel: www.bet-at-home-cup.com/de/

Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/

Vancouver: www.vanopen.com

Toronto: www.rogerscup.com/men/english/home.php

Montreal: www.rogerscup.com/women/english/home.php

Aptos: http://seascapesportsclub.com/challenger

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,654,295 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$685,893 bet-at-home Cup, Kitzbühel, Austria, clay

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

WOMEN

$710,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, USA, hard

$250,000 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,146,920 Rogers Cup, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hard

$100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger, Aptos, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$2,139,320 Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, hard

Federer Topples Murray in Dubai — Mondays With Bob Greene

March 5, 2012 by Bob Greene

STARS

Roger Federer beat Andy Murray 7-5 6-4 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

David Ferrer beat Fernando Verdasco 6-1 6-2 to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel men’s singles in Acapulco, Mexico

Kevin Anderson beat Marinko Matosevic 6-4 7-6 (2) to win the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Sara Errani beat Flavia Pennetta 5-7 7-6 (2) 6-0 to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel women’s singles in Acapulco, Mexico

Hsieh Su-Wei won the BMW Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when Petra Martic retired while trailing 2-6 7-5 4-1

Carlos Moya beat Ivan Lendl 6-4 6-4 to win the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships senior event in Delray Beach, Florida, USA

federer murray dubai — Roger Federer beats Andy Murray in Dubai final

SAYING

“It’s great. There is no substitute to confidence. I’ve played great. It’s not just that I’ve taken my chances, I really thought I played a good tournament here. I played a great tournament in Rotterdam. The end of last year was exceptional, so it’s nice to also win a tournament outdoors now. That gives me hope that I can carry it over to Indian Wells and Miami.” – Roger Federer, after winning the Dubai title.

“I’m very happy but I’m very tired. I was just fighting off cramps. … In the humidity I just sweat a lot and cramp. I cramped after my match on Wednesday, too.” – Marinko Matosevic, after beating Dudi Sela to advance to the final at the Delray Beach International.

“He was leading in the first, second and the third, but I thought I played much better except for the important points. It was a matter of who was more lucky in this kind of match, and he was more lucky.” – Dudi Sela, after losing to Marinko Matosevic in the semifinals at Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

“It’s best that I don’t push myself. I’m playing for my country at the London Olympics and I want to stay fit for that. I don’t want to get injured.” – Hsieh Su-Wei, saying she will play only doubles in Indian Wells, California, USA, after winning the Malaysian Open singles.

“I’ve been training really hard. People have been telling me hard work pays off, and I guess in some small way a little bit paid off this week. Before the week if you told me that I’d make the final, I’d be the happiest guy in the world. Then when you get there and you play the match, I feel like I was just a few points from winning the match or turning the match, but I just couldn’t do it. It can only help me I guess.” – Marinko Matosevic, after losing the Delray Beach final.

“It was like an emotional rollercoaster really. We managed to come up with big points when we needed them today.” – Colin Fleming, after teaming with Ross Hutchins to win the Delray Beach doubles title.

“Colin always amazingly makes these shots and he keeps saying he’s lucky, but it’s not, and he did that again today.” – Ross Hutchins.

“I am very proud to have won in Acapulco for a third consecutive time. I don’t think too far ahead and take my schedule week by week. Now I have two important tournaments coming up in Indian Wells and Miami, with a few points to defend in Miami. It will be great if I manage to do well, but if not, it is not a big deal. I will keep on working hard.” – David Ferrer, after winning his third straight title at Acapulco.

“I want to apologize for having played so bad. I am extremely disappointed I wasn’t able to have the fight I was expecting to have. I just couldn’t keep the ball in the court today. It’s always tough to lose a final, but losing it that way hurts a lot more.” – Fernando Verdasco, following his loss to David Ferrer.

“It’s my first ATP (World Tour) 500 title. This is great, and obviously it’s great to play with Mahesh. All that 17 years of experience on court I think really helps in those close matches and these big moments. It’s a good opportunity for me to play with him, alongside him. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than winning this title.” – Rohan Bopanna, after teaming with Mahesh Bhupathi to win the doubles in Dubai.

“Ivan played really well. I hope to be as fit as he is at 52. He can really still play. He was away from tennis for like 16 years, so this is an amazing effort from him. And his forehand is still so good, particularly down the line. It’s still there. It was a little bit strange being across the net from him. Guys like him and McEnroe were my idols growing up, so it is a bit strange to see him across the net playing with me. It’s good, I love it, and it’s what I really enjoy about this Tour.” – Carlos Moya, who beat Ivan Lendl to win the seniors event in Delray Beach, Florida.

STRONG SHOWING

It’s way too early to write off Roger Federer. The super Swiss won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the fifth time, defeating Andy Murray in the title match. That came one day after Murray eliminated top-ranked Novak Djokovic, handing the Serb his first loss of the season. The 30-year-old Federer won his 72nd ATP Tour-level title and his second in three weeks. Since losing in the US Open semifinals last September, Federer has won 33 of his 35 matches. His only losses have come to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals and to John Isner in a first-round Davis Cup tie. Federer, who didn’t lose a set in the tournament, beat Murray in a close match that lasted one hour, 36 minutes. “The match was close, I think, in both sets,” Federer said. “I just gave myself more opportunities than Andy did overall.”

SINO SUCCESS

Playing in her first WTA tour final, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei became the first Asian to win the Malaysian Open when her exhausted opponent retired. Because of rain delays that plagued the tournament, Petra Martic had to play both her semifinal and final on the same day. In the semifinals, Martic upset second-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (5) 7-5 7-6 (5) in a match that lasted more than three hours. The Croatian had only a few hours to rest before taking on Hsieh for the title. Like Hsieh, the 21-year-old Martic was playing a WTA final for the first time. Hsieh is the second qualifier to win a WTA in 2012, and is the second player from Taiwan to win a WTA title. The other was Wang Shi-Ting. “I never expected to win this,” Hsieh said of her victory. “It wasn’t easy for me as I couldn’t sleep upon arriving and had to play the very next day. In a way I was lucky, but I will remember this for as long as I can remember. I tried so hard to win and it was good that I won. It has been a good week for Chinese Taipei here.” The Taiwanese pair of Chan Kai-Chen and Chuang Chia Jung won the doubles title.

SUPER EFFORT

Russian Alisa Kleybanova will be returning to WTA play at Key Biscayne, Florida, USA where she has received a wild card entry. The 22-year-old, once ranked 20th in the world, was diagnosed with cancer last year and had to withdraw from the circuit to undergo treatment. “I finished my treatments in December and a couple of weeks ago I did my last tests in Italy,” Kleybanova wrote on her WTA blog. “The treatments were successful, my doctors are happy with my health and I’m feeling great. I have started to train and right now I’m in Florida playing tennis again. It was physically really hard in the beginning, but it was so emotional that I didn’t want to get off the court. For me the best part of tennis is the competition and I’m really looking forward to my comeback.”

SLIP-UP

Andy Murray made sure Novak Djokovic won’t have the same torrid start in 2012 that he did last year when he won his first 41 matches. Murray knocked off the Serbian world number one in the semifinals of the Dubai Championships, reversing the outcome of their five-set, nearly five-hour marathon in the Australian Open semifinals. “It’s obviously great any time you beat the world number one,” Murray said after posting the 6-2 7-5 victory. “I just tried to do some of the same things I did in Australia. I was very close there against one of the greatest players ever, and today I did what I needed to – even though it nearly got away from me at the end.” Djokovic said he had simply lost to the better player on the day. “But generally I feel good, physically, mentally, you know. It’s just the start of the season.” Murray then lost to Roger Federer in the final.

STEADY SPANIARD

It’s becoming monotonous: David Ferrer wins in Acapulco. The top-seeded Spaniard won the Mexican tournament for the third straight time, defeating compatriot Fernando Verdasco in two easy sets. “As Fernando hits so hard, I knew I had to be solid and counter him, and I think I did it very well, especially at the beginning,” said Ferrer, who is ranked sixth in the world. “I also know Fernando didn’t play his best tennis today, but that’s tennis. You have good days and sometimes bad days.” It was Ferrer’s second clay-court title in two weeks and his third championship of the year. Ferrer has an 18-1 record this season, his only loss coming to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

SHORT LIST

Ten players have been named to a short list to receive the first four Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heat Awards of 2012. Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, American Christina McHale, Samantha Stosur of Australia and Roberta Vinci of Italy have been short-listed for the World Group/World Group II award. Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson and Elena Baltacha of Great Britain have been short-listed for Europe/Africa; Catalina Castano of Colombia and Florencia Molinero of Argentina for Americas; and Li Na of China and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan for Asia/Oceania. The awards will be presented based on performances in the Fed Cup World Group and World Group II first-round ties, and the three Zone Group I events that were played at the beginning of February. The public will determine the winners by voting at FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es. Balloting runs until March 22. All four winners will receive a silver Baccarat bracelet and a check to be donated to their chosen charity.

SO TIRED

Marinko Matosevic had problems reaching the first ATP Tour final of his career. Playing in the semifinals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, the 173rd-ranked Australian needed five match points to finally edge Dudi Sela of Israel in a battle that lasted six minutes short of three hours. “I’m very happy but I’m very tired,” Matosevic said. “”I was just fighting off cramps.” The eventual winner had two match points on his serve at 5-3 in the third set, but made four consecutive errors to lose the game. He had three more match points in the third-set tiebreaker, moving into the title match when Sela netted a backhand. It was the first time in four meetings that Matosevic had beaten Sela. And the Israeli was so upset he left the court immediately after the match without shaking the winner’s hand. Matosevic, who lost to Kevin Anderson in the final, said he and Sela are good friends and he wasn’t bothered that the Israeli fled the court without shaking hands.

SHARING THE SPOILS

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna won their first ATP World Tour doubles crown s a team when they captured the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The Indian pair – who are preparing for the Summer Olympics in London – beat Poland’s Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski. Bhupathi and Bopanna began playing as a team fulltime at the beginning of this year. Earlier this season they reached the semifinals at Chennai, India, and Marseille, France. It was the 50th tour-level doubles title for the 37year-old Bhupathi. Bopanna won his sixth ATP World Tour doubles crown.

SWISS FED CUP HEAD

Heinz Günthardt is the new captain of Switzerland’s Fed Cup team. The former coach of Steffi Graf replaces Christiane Jolissaint, who stepped down after a 4-1 loss to Australia in February. Swiss Tennis said Günthardt will take over when the Swiss take on Belarus in a World Group second-tier playoff on April 21-22. A former doubles specialist, Günthardt also has coached Ana Ivanovic and Andrea Petkovic.

SHANGHAI HONORED

Players on the ATP World Tour have selected the Shanghai Rolex Masters, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the SkiStar Swedish Open as their favorite tournaments. The Shanghai Rolex Masters has been voted by the players as the top ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in each of its first three years. The Dubai tournament won the ATP World Tour 500 award for the eighth time in nine years. The SkiStar Swedish Open, held in Båstad, was the player’s favorite 250 category tournament for the 10th consecutive year.

SENIOR SHUFFLE

Carlos Moya is continuing to show he’s the best in senior tennis. The 35-year-old Moya defeated former world number one Ivan Lendl 6-4 6-4 to capture the ATP Champions Tour event in Delray Beach, Florida, USDA. It was the first time the two – who have a 17-year age difference – had faced each other. Lendl surprised his Spanish foe by charging the net at every opportunity. But Moya was able to break Lendl’s serve once in each set to walk away with his fifth trophy since joining the ATP Champions Tour a year ago. “It’s the competition and the adrenaline of matches like this with a massive crowd that I miss about the Tour,” Moya said. “It’s great that I still have a chance to feel that on nights like this, and it’s great that the Champions Tour can give me this feeling.”

SINGLES, DOUBLE COMBO

Italy’s Sara Errani has joined a select group. Errani became the first player in almost two years to capture both the singles and doubles titles at a WTA tournament. She pulled off the feat at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, beating compatriot Flavia Pennetta in the singles final, then teaming with Roberta Vinci to down Spaniards Lourdes Domínguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 6-1 in just 51 minutes. Errani is the first player to sweep singles and doubles titles at the same WTA tournament since Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic did it at Fèz, Morocco, in April 2010. “It has been a great week for me,” Errani said. “To finish the week with the singles and doubles trophy is better than I could have hoped for.”

SOCCER CHARITY

Rafael Nadal will play a charity match to help celebrate the 110th anniversary of his favorite soccer club. Ranked second in the world, Nadal will play July 14 against an opponent yet to be decided. The match will be held in Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. All earnings from the event will go to fund charity efforts by the Real Madrid Foundation and the Rafa Nadal Foundation.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Acapulco (men): David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3 6-4

Acapulco (women): Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Lourdes Domínguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 6-1

Delray Beach: Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins beat Michal Mertinak and Andre Sa 2-6 7-6 (5) 15-13 (match tiebreak)

Dubai: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4 3-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Kuala Lumpur: Chang Kai-Chen and Chuang Chia-Jung beat Chan Hao-Ching and Rika Fujiwara 7-5 6-4

SURFING

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/
Nassau: www.thebahamasopen.com
ITF: www.itftennis.com
ATP World Tour: www.atpworldtour.com
WTA: www.wtatennis.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,694,969 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (first week)

WOMEN

$5,536,664 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (first week)

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,694,969 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$100,000 Guadalajara Challenger, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$5,536,664 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$100,000 The Bahamas Open, Nassau, Bahamas, hard

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: NALBANDIAN & WOZNIACKI TAKE HOME THE CROWNS

August 9, 2010 by WTM

STARS

David Nalbandian beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-2 7-6 (4) to win the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, USA

Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-7 (7) 6-3 to win the Mercury Insurance Open in San Diego, California, USA

Caroline Wozniacki beat Klara Zakopalova 6-2 7-6 (5) to win the e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open in Copenhagen, Denmark

Robin Haase beat Flippo Volandri 6-2 7-6 (8) to win the San Marino CEPU Open in San Marino

Daniel Gimeno-Traver beat Adrian Mannarino 6-4 7-6 (2) to win the Open Castilla y Leon in Segovia, Spain

Dudi Sela beat Ricardas Berankis 7-5 6-2 to win the Odlum Brown Vanopen in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

SAYINGS

“I felt I played good all week. I’d been practicing well, but I didn’t expect to win my first tournament back.” – David Nalbandian, who, playing in his first tournament since April, won the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a victory over Marcos Baghdatis.

“I think I did choke for the very first time in my life. I never had this choke before. I don’t know why it happened. Here I couldn’t make a ball. My knees were shaking.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, who botched four match points, including two double-faults, before finally winning the Mercury Insurance Open.

“It’s always disappointing when it’s a long, very tough match. I think it’s much easier to lose 6-1 6-1 and have no chance. But if it’s a match like this, it hurts.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in San Diego, California, USA

“I was feeling like I was still sleeping. Maybe I’m not going to come next year. If you like the tournament, if you like the place, then you always want to come back. But if you get an experience like that, we will see.” – Tomas Berdych, after losing to Xavier Malisse. Berdych complained about having to play the first afternoon match after playing a late match the night before.

“Oh, boy, I’m looking forward to it. We had some great matches together, but it’s been a long time and he hasn’t played for more than 15 years so I think we need to discuss a few things, both on and off the court.” – John McEnroe, after being told Ivan Lendl will make his senior circuit debut in Paris in October.

“It’s a big thing to say, ‘Look, there’s no American in the top 10.’ That’s certainly not something I take lightly. But it’s not that surprising when you look at the way the game has changed and the global nature of the game.” – Patrick McEnroe, general manager of player development for the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

SUPER TEAM

In a rare pairing, the world’s top two men players will take to the court as a doubles team. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and number two Novak Djokovic are teaming up at Toronto. The ATP said it believes this is the first time the men holding the top two spots in the ranking have partnered for doubles at a tournament since 1976 when number one Jimmy Connors paired with number two Arthur Ashe. The Connors-Ashe duo lost in the final at Washington, DC, in July 1976 and in the quarterfinals at North Conway, New Hampshire, USA, in August 1976. Nadal has won six career ATP doubles titles, including at Indian Wells, California, USA, in March, when he played with Marc Lopez. Djokovic has won one doubles crown, at Queen’s Club in London this past June, when he teamed with Jonathan Erlich.

SPECIAL MEETING

While twins Mike and Bob Bryan along with Sam Querrey were at the White House to play QuickStart tennis, they had an unexpected visitor – President Barack Obama. “These guys are the best doubles players in the world,” the president said of the Bryan brothers. “I read a great article about you in Sports Illustrated.” The president also talked briefly to Querrey. “I didn’t expect to meet the president today. We stayed a little longer and he showed up out of the blue,” Mike Bryan said. Querrey agreed. “It was very exciting to meet him. He thanked us for coming out and hitting with the kids. It was an honor to meet him and pretty exciting that he just popped in like that,” Querrey said. The stars hit with 100 local children as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign and the United States Tennis Association’s QuickStart program.

SCINTILLATING PERFORMANCE

Talk about pressure. Caroline Wozniacki is Denmark’s top player, and the inaugural e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wozniacki proved to be up to the task, capturing her second title of the year and eighth of her career by downing Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-2 7-6 (5) in the final. The Dane needed five match points to win, but she closed out the victory in 78 minutes.

STRONG RETURN

After missing most of the past year, David Nalbandian needed a wild card to get into the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. He wound up the week with a title and the role of being a strong contender for the US Open crown. Ranked 117^th in the world, Nalbandian became the first player ranked outside the top 100 to win an ATP title this year when he stopped Marcos Baghdatis 6-2 7-6 (4) to capture the Washington, DC, event. It was Nalbandian’s 11^th career title, but his first in the United States. The Legg Mason was Nalbandian’s first tournament since April; He had been sidelined with a bad left hamstring. That injury came when he returned to the tour after undergoing hip surgery and missing nearly 10 months. The Argentine was ranked as high as number three in the world and was a Wimbledon finalist in 2002.

SIDELINED AGAIN

Knee pain is keeping Venus Williams from playing in the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. In a statement, Williams said she returned to her normal practice schedule and began to feel pain in her left knee. She said her medical advisers recommended she not play until she is pain free.

Samantha Stosur has also pulled out of the Cincinnati tournament, citing an arm injury that has bothered her since her first match at the Stanford Classic. After losing in the quarterfinals to Italy’s Flavia Pennetta at the San Diego Open, Stosur went to the hospital where she was advised to rest her arm. “It’s like a really strong, heavy ache when it starts and I can’t get rid of it until I get off the court,” Stosur said. “I can’t work out what’s going on.”

STRONG FIELD

The Hopman Cup is getting some heavy hitters. Tournament director Paul McNamee said reigning Australian Open champion Serena Williams and former number one Justine Henin will play in next January’s competition in Perth, Australia. Also signed for the 22-year-old tournament are Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic, Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt and Frenchman Gael Monfils. It will be Henin’s first appearance in Perth, while Williams will be playing in the Hopman Cup for the third time, having won the event on both of her previous visits.

STREAK OVER

Never before has there been no American man ranked in the top ten in the world since the rankings began in 1973. That is until now as Andy Roddick has fallen from number nine in the world to number 12. The last four Americans playing in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, USA – Roddick, John Isner, Mardy Fish and Ryan Sweeting – all lost in the third round. Only four other Americans were in the draw, Sam Querrey being ousted in the second round and Rajeev Ram, Kevin Kim and James Blake all losing their opening matches. American men are in their longest Grand Slam title drought since the Open Era began in 1968. No American has won a men’s singles crown since Roddick captured the US Open in 2003. “I don’t think the US has anything to panic about. There are so many good players,” said Xavier Malisse of Belgium. “There are so many young kids knocking on the door, too, so it’s just a matter of time, I think, and good guidance.”

SUPER SENIOR

After spending 16 years away from tennis, former world number one Ivan Lendl will compete on the ATP Champions Tour. And he picked a special city for his senior circuit debut: the Jean Luc Lagardere Trophy in Paris on October 1-3. Now 50 years old, Lendl won his first Grand Slam tournament title at Roland Garros when he came from two sets down to defeat John McEnroe in 1984. He added two more French Open crowns before retiring in 1994. Besides Lendl and McEnroe, others who will compete in the senior event include two other former French Open champions, France’s Yannick Noah and Sweden’s Mats Wilander.

STRAIGHT IN

Proving that the US Open is really open to all players, Alexandra Mueller has earned a berth in the qualifying for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. Mueller beat Alina Jidkova 6-0 6-3 to best 372 other women and capture the inaugural US Open National Playoffs, good enough for a spot in the qualifying tournament. The 22-year-old Mueller, from Abington, Pennsylvania, received a wild card into the 2004 US Open qualifying and has won three United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit titles this year. This will be her first trip to Flushing Meadows since receiving a doubles wild card entry in 2007.

SPONSORSHIP REWARDED

The Joseph F. Cullman 3^rd Award for ongoing contribution to tennis will be given to Mercedes-Benz at the 30^th annual “Legends Ball” on September 10 in New York City. The Cullman Award honors an exceptional company that shares Joe Cullman’s enthusiasm for tennis and has made a significant contribution to society at large. Over the past 16 years Mercedes-Benz supported professional tennis with hundreds of tournaments around the world. “The wise investment that Mercedes-Benz has made in tennis has been integral to the growth of the sport around the world,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum (ITHF&M). “They have been and continue to be avid supporters of tennis. For that we are proud to honor them alongside the other great champions and legends of the game.” Others being honored at the “Legends Ball” will be Martina Navratilova and the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 – Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde, Gigi Fernandez, Natasha Zvereva, Owen Davidson, Brad Parks and Derek Hardwick. The “Legends Ball” has been held annually since 1980, bringing the tennis world together to celebrate the history of the game and honor some of the sport’s great contributors. The evening also raises money for the ITHF&M.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Copenhagen: Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld beat Vitalia Diatchenko and Tatiana Poutchek 6-4 6-4

San Diego: Maria Kirilenko and Zheng Jie beat Liza Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 6-4 6-4

San Marino: Daniele Bracciali and Lovro Zovko beat Yves Allegro and James Cerretani 2-6 6-2 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Segovia: Thiago Alves and Franco Ferreiro beat Brian Battistone and Harsh Mankad 6-2 5-7 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Vancouver: Trent Conrad Huey and Dominic Inglot beat Ryan Harrison and Jesse Levine 6-4 7-5

Washington: Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles beat Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek 4-6 7-6 (7) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

SITES TO SURF

Segovia: www.teniselespinar.com/

Toronto: www.rogerscup.com/men/english/home.php

Cincinnati: www.cincytennis.com/

Montreal: www.rogerscup.com/

Algarve: www.grandchampions.org

Knokke: www.optimaopen.be

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$2,430,000 Rogers Cup, Toronto, Canada, hard

$100,000 American Express TED Open, Istanbul, Turkey, hard

WTA

$2,000,000 Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open, Cincinnati, Ohio, hard

SENIORS

Vale Do Lobo Grand Champions CGD, Algarve, Portugal, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$2,430,000 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, Cincinnati, Ohio, hard

WTA

$2,000,000 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, hard

SENIORS

The Optima Open, Knokke, Belgium, hard

John Isner Successfully Defends His Atlanta Open Title – Mondays with Bob Greene