World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Roger Federer

Upsets Knock Top Women Out of US Open – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

US Open – First Week

Kaia Kanepi beat top-seeded Simona Halep 6-2 6-4

Lesia Tsurenko beat second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-2

Philipp Kohlschreiber beat fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-7 (1) 6-4 6-1 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova beat fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber 3-6 6-3 6-3

Dominic Thiem beat fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson 7-5 6-2 7-6 (2)

Aryna Sabalenka beat fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova 7-5 6-1

Carla Suarez Navaarro beat sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia 5-7 6-4 7-6 (4)

Stan Wawrinka beat eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-2 7-5

Ekaterina Makarova beat ninth-seeded Julia Goerges 7-6 (10) 6-3

Maria Sharapova beat 10th-seeded Jelena Osttapenko 6-3 6-2

 

SAYINGS

“The best part is we bring out the best in each other. I know when I play her, I have to play some of my best tennis. She does, too. It propels us to continue to play that for the tournament. It sets a tone for us. I feel like throughout our career we have pushed each other to be the best that we can be, and be Venus and Serena Williams.” – Serena Williams, before playing her sister Venus for the 30th time, and the sixth meeting at the US Open.

“I don’t think I did a lot wrong. But she just did everything right. Obviously that level is definitely where she’s going to want to stay during this whole tournament.” – Venus Williams, after losing to Serena 6-1 6-2.

“It feels good for the match to be over with. Win or lose, it just feels good that that’s done.” – Serena Williams, after beating her sister Venus in their 30th career meeting.

“The atmosphere was very, very intense. Everybody was on their feet – 2 in the morning, fifth set, 5-all. It doesn’t get better for the crowd,” – Marin Cilic, after his 4-6 3-66-3 6-4 7-5 victory over Alex de Minaur ended at 2:22 a.m. (0622 GMT).

“She played the game that I was supposed to be playing.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after losing 6-4 6-2 to Lesia Tsurenko.

“It’s tough to stay really focused and clean for three full sets. … If anybody can do it, he can. But he definitely blinked there for a moment.” – Tennys Sandgren, after losing to Novak Djokovic.

“I feel actually pretty happy to be here and to play here every year, doesn’t matter which shape I am. Doesn’t matter that I just didn’t play well the previous tournament here in the States. Somehow here the energy is different. I feel just a little bit more confident here coming to this tournament because of my results in the past.” – Karolina Pliskova.

“I played aggressive. I played much more confident, I thin, than the previous matches. The most important, I had fun. I’m very happy to be in New York. I haven’t been here in three years, so I’m very happy to be here.” – Victoria Azarenka, after winning her first-round match.

“It was just loud. There was a lot going on … between the airplanes and the subway behind the court, the concessions being in the lower bowl and people walking in the games at, like, 2-all, 3-all. There’s just a lot going on.” – Sloane Stephens, when asked about playing in the brand-new Louis Armstrong Stadium.

“If you’re not ready 100 percent, you’re out.” – Garbiñe Muguruza, when asked about top-ranked Simona Halep losing in the first round.

“I am 36 years old. It’s time to be home.” – David Ferrer, who lost his final US Open match to fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal

“When you do walk out onto Arthur Ashe, you feel like people are there to see the show, enjoy themselves. Sure, they come for the tennis, but it’s also sort of a bucket list, wanting to be there. So, yeah there’s pressure. But, no, never gets old. I love coming to play here.” – Roger Federer.

“’I was thinking about that: Why (did) they cheer so much for her? Because normally, they cheer for the underdog. It was a bit annoying for some time, but I got over it.” – Kaia Kanepi, after her first-round upset of top-ranked Simona Halep.

“We grew up together. I think I’ve known him since I was seven or eight … It’s been a pretty crazy ride with him. I remember playing him at nationals, under-10s, under-18s, junior tournaments. Now we are here playing at a Grand Slam.” – Denis Shapovalov, whose first-round opponent, fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, retired from their match when his heart rate wouldn’t slow down.

“We don’t sit around and reflect. That’s not how you get out here and win these matches, is reflecting and looking back. You work hard, look forward. As soon as you beat one person, there’s another one standing in front of you.” – Venus Williams, when asked if she thought about the impact she and sister Serena Williams have had on tennis.

“For the first three sets, it was a survival mode for both of us.” – Novak Djokovic, discussing the steamy conditions in his four-set victory over Marton Fucsovics.

“I think we should no longer play five sets. That’s my opinion. I think that’s the past. They won’t stop until someone dies. It’s incredible, matches become ugly. The only way (to solve this) is to shorten them.” – Leonardo Mayer, who retired from his first-round match because of the 96-degree heat and high humidity.

“I just imagine I’m laying on a beach with a margarita in hand.” – Caroline Wozniacki, when asked how she handles the heat during a match.

“Yeah of course, the weather was difficult, but it was difficult conditions for everyone. You just have to try to get yourself ready the best you can.” – Caroline Garcia.

“It was bloody hot.” – Johanna Konta

“It felt hot, definitely. Once I went in the air conditioned room and came out, I felt like it was five billion degrees.” – Andrea Petkovic, following a 10-minute heat break.

 

SIMONA STUNNED

Simona Halep came into the US Open as the reigning French Open champion and the number one seed. It was a very short visit, however, as Halep became the first top women’s seed to lose in the first round of America’s premiere tennis tournament. “Even when you are there in the top, you feel the same nerves,” the Romanian said. “You are human. For me, it’s more difficult in the first rounds because I’m more emotional. That’s why I need a good start.” Whatever, it was Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi who had the best start of the first match played in the brand new Louis Armstrong Stadium. And the best finish as Kanepi pulled off the straight-set upset. Prior to Halep’s ouster, the earliest a top-seeded woman lost at the US Open was in 2008 when Ana Ivanovic fell in the second round to qualifier Julie Coin. Halep said one reason for her loss was New York’s bustling environment. “Maybe the noise in the crowd,” she said. “The city is busy. So, everything together. I’m a quiet person, so maybe I like the smaller places.” Kanepi is just the opposite. “I have always loved being in New York,” Kanepi said. “I like the atmosphere. I like being here.”

 

STEAMY HOT

Alizé Cornet of France was slapped with a code violation by umpire Christian Rask during her first-round match against Johanna Larsson. The infraction? She took off her shirt when she realized she was wearing it backwards. Amid charges of sexism – male players took their shirts off to cool themselves in of the sweltering heat while sitting during changeovers – the WTA changed its rule immediately. The old rule said players are allowed to remove their shirts only when they are off-court. Cornet had left the court for a 10-minute “heat break.” When she returned to the court she realized she had put her shirt on backwards. So, she quickly took it off, turned it around and put it back on correctly. The next day the US Open expressed “regret” over the incident “All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair, This is not considered a Code Violation,” the tournament said in a statement. “We regret that a Code Violation was assessed to Ms. Cornet yesterday. We have clarified the policy to ensure this will not happen moving forward. Fortunately, she was only assessed a warning with no further penalty or fine. Female players, if they choose, may also change their shirts in a more private location close to the court, when available. They will not be assessed a bathroom break in this circumstance.” Cornet lost the match, 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Temperatures at the start of the tournament were in the high 90sF (35-36C), causing several players to retire from matches and fans to seek medical treatment. Six men retired from matches on the first Tuesday when the US Open instituted an “extreme heat” rule because of high temperatures and humidity. Under the rule, women can take the 10-minute heat break between the second and third sets, while men can take the 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets.

 

SHARING THE CROWN

The winner of this year’s US Open women’s singles will be the fourth Grand Slam tournament champion of 2018. This was guaranteed when the winners of the first three majors – Caroline Wozniacki (Australian Open), Simona Halep (Roland Garros) and Angelique Kerber (Wimbledon) – all lost in the first week on the hard courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. There is a possibility that there could be eight different winners over a two-year span, a feat that has only happened once before, in 1937-38, 80 year ago.

 

STADIA COMPLETED

The 50th anniversary of the US Open coincided with the completion of the USTA’s five-year, USD $600 million transformation of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A completely new USD $200 million (172 euros) Louis Armstrong Stadium, complete with a sliding roof, opened this year, joining the new Grandstand, a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, Court 17 and a rebuild of the South Campus and tournament courts. Originally built for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair and named The Singer Bowl, Louis Armstrong Stadium is now a naturally ventilated 14,000-seat structure that already has been the site of three major upsets, including top-ranked Simona Halep of Romania who lost in the first match played on the new court. Other former Grand Slam champions upset on the new court are Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki, two-time major winner Petra Kvitova and 2017 Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza.

 

SWELLS FED CUP COFFERS

The 16 Fed Cup teams competing in the World Group and World Group II will compete for a huge increase in money next year. The International Tennis Federation announced prize money increases for Fed Cuup by BNP Paribas in 2019, up from USD $3.7 million in 2018 to USD $7.5 million. Additional changes for 2019 include the introduction of five-player teams and third-set tiebreaks. The ITF also will assess several format and calendar changes, including the creation of a new, one-venue tournament for 16 teams with the possibility of one week of home-and-away qualifying.

 

SUFFERIN’ SUCCOTASH

With sweltering temperatures and extremely high humidity enveloping the first few days of this year’s US Open, a new heat policy was implemented. The women’s tour had a rule in place calling for a 10-minute “heat break” between the second and third sets when the temperature is above 86.2 degrees (28.111111 Celsius). On recommendation of its medical team, the US Open also implemented a 10-minute “heat break” for the men between the third and fourth sets. Still, there were several retirements because of the heat in the first few days of play.

 

SO LONG, FLORIAN

Florian Mayer’s final match was a long four-set battle. The 34-year-old German announced his retirement plans in April. “The young players in their early 20s are coming in, highly motivated, fit, playing very hard and athletic, making it harder and harder to stay in the Top 100 every year,” he explained. Mayer put up the good fight before falling to Borna Coric of Croatia 6-2 6-2 5-7 6-4. Mayer reached a career-high ranking of 18th in the world in 2011, and was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in both 2004 and 2012.

 

SHARED PAIN

When Felix Auger-Aliassime stopped playing because his heart rate wouldn’t slow down, his first-round opponent was just as anxious as the young Canadian. Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are friends – close friends. “It’s really tough to see him go down like this,” Shapovalov told the Toronto Star newspaper. “I told him, ‘Look, we’re going to be back here, we’re going to be playing in the finals. This is just one match. We’re going to have so many of these.” Auger-Aliassime said the heart problem was “something I’ve had before,” but indicated he did not know the source of the problem. Doctors examined Auger-Aliassime after the second game of the third set, having him lie on his back on the court with his feet in a chair. But they did not give him anything. He returned to the court and held serve before again lying down and putting his feet up before retiring. “I just had to stop,” he said. “We grew up together. I think I’ve known him since I was seven or eight,” Shapovalov said. “I remember playing him at nations, under-10s, under-18s, junior tournaments. Now we are here playing at a Grand Slam.” Shapovalov won 7-5 5-7 4-1 retired.

 

SURFING

New York: www.usopen.org/

Genova: www.challengergenova.com

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

Szczecin: www.pekaoszczscinopen.pl

Hiroshima: www.jta-tennis.or.jp

Quebec City: www.coupebanquenationale.ca

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)

$150,000 Oracle Challenger, Chicago, Illinois, USA, hard

$147,565 Aon Open Challenger, Genova, Italy, clay

 

WOMEN

US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard (second week)

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group Semifinals

France vs. Spain at Lille, France, hard

Croatia vs. United States at Zadar, Croatia, clay

 

World Group Playoffs

Argentina vs. Columbia at San Juan, Argentina, clay

Great Britain vs. Uzbekistan at Glasgow, Great Britain, carpet

Austria vs. Australia at Graz, Austria, clay

Switzerland vs. Sweden at Biel, Switzerland, hard

Serbia vs. India at Kraljevo, Serbia, clay

Canada vs. Netherlands at Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hard

Hungary vs. Czech Republic at Budapest, Hungary, clay

Japan vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Osaka, Japan, hard

 

Group I Relegation – Second Round

Americas: Barbados vs. Ecuador at St. Michael, Barbados, hard

Asia/Oceania: Korea vs. New Zealand at Gimcheon, Korea, hard

 

Group I – Relegation – First Round

Europe/Africa: Ukraine vs. Portugal at Bucha, Ukraine, hard; Russia vs. Belarus, at Moscow, Russia, hard

 

Group II – Third Round

Americas: Uruguay vs. Mexico at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay

Asia/Oceania: Thailand vs. Lebanon at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard

Europe/Africa: Romania vs. Poland at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, clay; Egypt vs. Finland at Cairo, Egypt, clay

 

MEN

$147,896 Pekao Szczecin Open, Szczecin, Poland, clay

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Hana-cupid Japan Women’s Open, Hiroshima, Japan, hard

$250,000 Coupe Banque Nationale présentée par IGA, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, hard

 

Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova

Novak Djokovic Wins Record-Breaking Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 to win the Western & Southern Open men’s singles in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Kiki Bertens beat Simona Halep 2-6 7-6 (6) 6-2 to win the Western & Southern Open women’s singles in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Daniel Evans beat Jason Kubler 4-6 7-5 7-6 (3) to win the Odlum Brown Van Open men’s singles in Vancouver, British Columbia

Misaki Doi beat Heather Watson 6-7 (4) 6-1 6-4 to win the Odlum Brown Van Open women’s singles in Vancouver, British Columbia

SAYINGS

“Definitely one of the most special moments in my career. Achievements, making history in the sport that I truly love is a great privilege and honor and something that I’ll be very proud of for the rest of my life.” – Novak Djokovic, after winning in Cincinnati and becoming the first player to win all nine ATP World Tour 1000 tournaments.

“It was just awful. But it’s OK. He served well. But missing every second serve on the forehand side, I don’t know what that was about. I don’t even want to look for reasons why it happened. I just think it did.” – Roger Federer, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati title match.

“I cannot find words for this moment. I’m so happy.” – Kiki Bertens, after winning the Western & Southern Open women’s singles.

“Maybe once I will win one because I love to play here.” – Simona Halep, after losing to Kiki Bertens in the Cincinnati final.

“There are no good guys and bad guys. We all have to come together. We all want what’s best for tennis and the Davis Cup.” – ITF President David Haggerty.

“Sad day for men’s tennis #ITF have voted for new format of #DavisCup (it’s no longer Davis Cup). Fooling themselves if they think top players will play a 18-team comp over one week at the end of the year????” – Pat Cash of Australia, former Wimbledon champion.

“Crying over two tragic deaths today. Aretha Franklin and @DavisCup …. RIP.” – French player Alize Cornet.

“Today is a black day for the Davis Cup. Something with an immense tradition has been lost and it will never be the same again.” – Czech Davis Cup team in a statement on Facebook.

“This is terrible, I’m not in favor of this. I’m sorry… Maybe Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray will quit in three or four years and none of them will play. And we may say it’s because of them the system has changed. It’s strange.” – Jan Kodes of the Czech Republic, 1973 Wimbledon champion.

“Sadly, the discussion in the last few days was mainly about money and not about the sport.” – Ulrich Klaus, German Tennis Federation.

“ITF Tennis. You guys are a shame for tennis.” – French player Lucas Pouille.

“I always played tennis because it is my passion. Yes, many players can make a good living from it. So do I. However. it is not the reason why I started. It has always been an honor to represent my country, but now a beautiful event only became about money.” – Dutch player Robin Haase.

SUCCESS – FINALLY

A dominant Novak Djokovic won her first Western & Southern Open title and became the first player in history to win all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles. And I did it with a convincing straight-set win over Roger Federer. “Obviously it’s a very special moment to stand here for the first time with the winning trophy here in Cincinnati,” Djokovic said at the on-court trophy presentation. “The hard times I went through, it’s been a rollercoaster ride in my career with injury, taking time off and having a surgery earlier this year. This seems a bit unreal to be back at this level.” And what a level it was. Djokovic was aggressive off the ground and efficient on serve throughout the match. Federer, on the other hand, struggled, hitting 39 unforced errors, including 20 on his forehand. It was Djokovic’s third straight victory over Federer, but his first in the Cincinnati final after losing to the Swiss star in 2009, 2012 and 2015. “Roger wasn’t obviously at his best,” Djokovic said. “He missed a lot of returns. He had a difficult time moving. He was not really playing as well as he did in previous matches this week, but at the same time I thought I was solid. I didn’t allow him to come to the net and be aggressive too much and I tried to kind of hold ground and protect the line.” Djokovic now has 70 tour-level titles, and the victory gives him multiple titles in 13 consecutive seasons. It was his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title since 2016 in Toronto. Federer suffered his first defeat in a Cincinnati final, falling to 7-1. He also was denied his 99th tour-level crown.

SAME RESULT, DIFFERENT SURFACE

Fighting through fatigue, Kiki Bertens staved off one match point before posting the biggest victory of her career, defeating top-ranked Simona Halep and capturing the Western & Southern Open women’s singles. “I think I didn’t have really a good time to get nervous because I was just so tired,” Bertens said. “I think it was such a tough match, and after winning that second set I knew, like, anything is possible.” Halep dominated the opening set and reached match point at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker. But Bertens won the next three points to level the match. Halep followed by playing her worst set of the tournament, committing 13 unforced errors as Bertens closed out the victory. “I am a little bit tired,” said Halep, whose lost snapped a streak of nine straight wins. Bertens closed out the win with a 109-mph ace. In the third set Bertens’ coach, Raemon Sluiter, came onto the court for a conference. “I was, like, ‘I’m dead,’” Bertens admitted. “Then I said to myself, ‘No, I can do this. Let’s go for it.” It was her eighth straight victory over players ranked in the Top 10, but her first over a player ranked number one in the world.

SNARE WILD CARDS

Two former US Open champions, Stan Wawrinka and Svetlana Kuznetsova, has been awarded wild cards into the main draws at this year’s final Grand Slam tournament. Others given entry into the men’s singles draw were Americans Tim Smyczek, Michael Mmoh, Bradley Klahn, Jenson Brooksby and Noah Rubin; Corentin Moutet of France and Australian Jason Kubler. Klahn earned his wild card by capturing the USTA US Open Wild Card Challenge; Brooksby won the USTA Boys’ 18s National Champions, while Moutet and Kubler are part of reciprocal agreements with the French Tennis Federation and Tennis Australia, respectively.

Joining Kuznetsova into the women’s singles draw will be two-time Grand Slam women’s champion Victoria Azarenka, Americans Amanda Anisimova, Danielle Lao and Claire Liu, USTA US Open Wild Card Challenger winner Asia Muhammad; USTA Girls’ 18s National Champion Whitney Osuigwe, and Harmony Tan of France. Tennis Australia is holding a playoff in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, this week and will announce its wild-card nominee later.

Osuigwe will be making her main-draw debut. The 16-year-old won the French Open girls’ title in 2017 and was the world’s top-ranked junior.

Awarded wild-cards into the men’s qualifying tournament were Americans Brandon Nakashima, Tom Fawcett, Donald Young, Chris Eubanks, Ulises Blanch, Martin Redlicki, JC Aragone, Sebastian Korda and Dennis Novikov. The women’s US Open qualifying tournament wild cards were awarded to Americans Kayla Day, Coco Gauff, Caty McNally, Ashley Kratzer, Ann Li, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Jessica Pegula, Sophie Chang and Gail Brodsky.

SECOND OF THE MONTH

Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil captured the Western & Southern men’s doubles, their second doubles title of August. After dropping the opening set, they bested Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 10-6 in a match tiebreak. Murray and Soares also won the Citi Open in Washington, DC, two weeks ago. The pair have won nine titles since they teamed up in 2016, including the Australian Open and US Open.

SEVEN YEAR REUNION

It had been seven years since Lucie Hradecka and Ekaterina Makarova had played as a team. Now they are champions after capturing the Western & Southern Open women’s doubles in a straight-sets win over Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs. Between them, Hradecka and Makarova have won 34 doubles titles, yet this was the first the pair shared. They had partnered each other just once before, in 2011 in Luxembourg where they lost the title match to Iveta Benesova and Barbora Strycova. “It was a very tough match today, and our opponents played a great game,” Makarova said. “I want to thank my team, my coach, my physio – we’ve had a great week and look forward to the future.”

STAYING HOME

Spain’s Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez have pulled out of this week’s Winston-Salem Open. The 34-year-old Verdasco has played the event three times, reaching the quarterfinals in both 2013 and 2016. He will be replaced in the draw by compatriot 21-year-old Jaume Munar, who will be making his first start since losing in the semifinals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel, Australia. Lopez will be replaced by Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. It will be the sixth time Baghdatis has played in Winston-Salem, where he reached the quarterfinals in 2011.

Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan also has withdrawn from the Winston-Salem Open. He will be replaced by Laslo Djere of Serbia.

SAYS HE TANKED SET

Upset over a line call, Nick Kyrgios admitted he “tanked” the second set of his three-set win over Borna Coric. Trailing 2-0 in the second set, Kyrgios watched his opponent hit a passing shot that was called in. Upset over the call, the Australian asked the crowd, “You wanna be a referee? You’re all eligible.” Then, when changing ends, Kyrgios looked at his team and said, “You never see a bigger tank than the next three game.” On set point, Kyrgios started walking to his chair before Coric had hit the final shot to win it. The 23-year-old received a code violation for hitting a ball into center court, and then a point violation for his on-court singing, which included some expletives. Kyrgios won the match 7-6 (1) 0-6 6-3. “I knew I was always going to compete in the third set,” he said. “I competed too hard in the first set to sort of just let the match slip and not give myself a chance to win … The second set, when I was 4-0 down … I knew if I lost the set 6-0, I was going to be serving first in the third set. I think I carried a lot of momentum from the first game and it ended up being a smart move.”

SHAKES UP DAVIS CUP

The International Tennis Federation has approved a controversial revamping of the Davis Cup in a bid to have more of the top players perform in the international team competition. Founded in 1900, the Davis Cup has suffered in recent years because so many top players have opted out of playing the three-day ties during the regular season. They competition was usually held in the week following a Grand Slam tournament. Under the new format, which will begin next year, 24 teams will take part in home-and-away matches, with the 12 winners moving into the final where they will join the four semifinalist of the previous year and two wild-cards that will be announced before the draw for the qualifying round. The finals will be held at one site with the countries, divided into six groups, playing a round robin consisting of three matches – two singles and one doubles – all best-of-three sets. The first staging of the new event, which has the backing of an investment group Kosmos led by Spanish footballer Gerard Pique, will be held in either Madrid, Spain, or Lille, France, from November 18-24, 2019. The host city will be announced in a few weeks. “This new event will create a true festival of tennis and entertainment which will be more attractive to players, to fans, to sponsors and to broadcasters,” ITF President David Haggerty said.

The vote to change the format was far from unanimous, however, with Great Britain, Germany and Australia among those voting against it. “This proposal takes away too much of what makes the Davis Cup special and unique,” Tennis Australia said in a statement.

SHOCKING LOSS EXPLAINED

Serena Williams learned the killer of her sister Yetunde Price had been paroled shortly before she took to the court in San Jose, California, USA. She promptly suffered the worst defeat of her career, falling to Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-1 6-0, the first time in 928 professional matches that Williams failed to win more than one game. At the time she spoke of having “so many things on my mind.” In an interview with Time Magazine, Williams said she had learned 10 minutes before she took the court that Robert Edward Maxfield, the man convicted of killing Price in a drive-by shooting in 2003, had been released from prison after serving 12 years of a 15-year sentence. “I couldn’t shake it out of my mind,” Williams said. “No matter what, my sister is not coming back for good behavior. It’s unfair that she’ll never have an opportunity to hug me.”

STREAK ENDING

Twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan have competed as a doubles pair at the US Open every year since 1995, winning five titles in 23 appearances in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. The run is over. Bob will miss the remainder of this season due to hip surgery that will require six months of recovery. Bob Bryan has not played since May when he was forced to retire in the doubles final of the Madrid Masters. In Bob’s absence, Mike has teamed with five partners in six tournaments, winning Wimbledon with fellow American Jack Sock. The Washington Post reported that Mike Bryan and Sock will team up for the remainder of this year. By winning Wimbledon, Mike became the oldest player to be ranked number on in ATP World Tour history at age 40, nearly 15 years after he first topped the rankings.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Cincinnati (men): Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 4-6 6-3 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Cincinnati (women): Lucie Hradecka and Ekaterina Makarova beat Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs 6-2 7-5

Vancouver (men): Luke Bambridge and Neal Skupski beat Marc Polmans and Max Purcell 4-6 6-3 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Vancouver (women): Desirae Krawczyk and Giuliana Olmos beat Kateryna Kozlova and Arantxa Rus 6-2 7-5

SURFING

Winston-Salem: www.winstonsalemopen.com/
New Haven: www.ctopen.org/
New York: www.usopen.org/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$748,960 Winston-Salem Open, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, hard

WOMEN

$731,000 New Haven Open Tennis, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

US Open Tennis Championships, New York, New York, USA, hard

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

The Three Most Memorable Wimbledon Finals

by

Started in 1877, Wimbledon remains the oldest and the most prestigious tennis tournament. It is one of the four Grand Slams and is organised annually in the All England Club, Wimbledon, in London.

Over the years Wimbledon has witnessed some of the most interesting tennis duels and has amassed a dedicated fan following all over the world. Moreover, due to the profitable gambling and the rise of websites that allow fans to grab free betting tips, the event invites even greater viewership each year. Although each and every Wimbledon final has been hugely entertaining for the fans, we have compiled a list of the Top 3 that are remembered even today.

Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer, 2008

This match between the two legends was one of the fiercest encounters in the history of the tournament. It is vividly remembered by the tennis fans everywhere. On 6th July 2008, Nadal and Federer played against each other in the final match of Wimbledon.

It was a big moment for Federer as he was the defending champion and had won 5 Wimbledon trophies in a row. The two were already pretty famous for their rivalry in the game. The excitement escalated all the more after Nadal’s defeat at the hands of the Swiss champ in 2007 Wimbledon final.

The 2008 final lasted for about 4 hours and 48 minutes, and a new record was set for the longest running final. In a closely fought match which was had to be put on hold twice because of rains, Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (6-8), 9-7.
Bjorn Borg v. John McEnroe, 1980

Recognised as one of the classic matches in the Wimbledon history, the final game went on for 22 minutes and scored well in terms of entertainment. The two players had different playing styles and personas which garnered much interest from fans.

Borg registered a hard-fought victory over McEnroe with the score line of 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6. During the fourth set, McEnroe was able to sustain a lead of double match point, but had to fight 5 additional match points when he reached the tie-breaker. On the contrary, in the tiebreaker round, Borg was able to manage 6 set points

At last, the tiebreaker round came to an end after Borg got a volley in the seventh set point. The tiebreaker almost went on for almost the length of a set making it a first-of-its-kind experience for everyone watching the finals.

Goran Ivanisevic v. Patrick Rafter, 2001

On one hand was the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic who was an unseeded player with a wild-card entry into the tournament and had witnessed a strong support from the crowd in his previous matches, the other was the Aussie legend Patrick Rafter who had large number of Australian fans cheering for him. The match continuously swayed from one player’s advantage to others’ and finally Ivanisevic defeated Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.

The match could not be organised on the scheduled date because of the rains and had to be postponed till Monday. About 10,000 tickets were sold and the enthusiastic fans made a three-mile long queue outside the stadium, with their sleeping bags. The atmosphere in the stadium was extraordinarily energetic and the crowd participation was such that it led BBC to comment, “the most raucous crowd a Wimbledon final has ever seen.”

Goran Ivanisevic and Patrick Rafter
Goran Ivanisevic and Patrick Rafter

How Roger Federer Differs From Other Age-Defying Elite Athletes

by

Jeff Bercovici had just undergone emergency surgery when he pondered the question.

At a time when it has never been physically harder to be a professional sportsperson, why is it that many of the best ones are also the oldest?

Bercovici had injured his back after pushing himself too hard when playing soccer “a few times a week” at a local league in Brooklyn.

The likes of Roger Federer – who is 8/11 in the tennis betting to win his ninth Wimbledon title – LeBron James and Tom Brady, meanwhile, have continued to succeed “well past what would’ve been considered the peak age for their sports a generation ago”.

Bercovici, a journalist, realised after doing “a little bit of research” that his personal curiosity could become a professional endeavour, and in 2018 he published his first book, Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age.

“It’s a look inside this phenomenon we’re seeing in the world of sports,” he says, “and how sports science is the driver of that phenomenon.”

Bercovici, who spoke to ex-players, coaches and experts in “training, nutrition, psychology, surgery, other therapies, sports tech and genetics”, says the “single most powerful force” in extending athletes’ careers has been the shift to maximising their freshness, rather than fitness.

“The amount of time players devote to different recovery techniques now versus what they did 15 years ago is not even remotely comparable,” he says.

Take LeBron James, who has just enjoyed the finest season of his 15-year NBA career at the age of 33, playing the most minutes of any player in the league.

“After every single game of the NBA Finals, he’d give this press conference and the word that came out of his mouth most was ‘treatment’,” says Bercovici. “So, he’s talking about a variety of different things, from ice baths and cryotherapy, to cupping, electrical stimulation and laser stimulation.”

While those technologies – which are typically pioneered by the military or private tech companies, but rely on stars such as James to “evangelise” them – do accelerate physical recovery, they also perform another important role.

“Athletes are much smarter now about not over-training, yet they still have this really strong commission bias,” says Bercovici. “They want to do, do, do as much as they can to improve their performance.”

He cites the training regime of an in-his-prime Tiger Woods, which famously included long-distance running, heavy weight sessions, several hours at the driving range and 18 holes of golf every single day.

“Now, everyone knows that’s a really good way to wear down your body,” says Bercovici, “so instead, they lift in the gym for 90 minutes, then they go to the hot tub, the cold tub and all that kind of stuff.

“It’s not necessarily helping them recover faster, but being focused on recovery rather than on doing more training is absolutely extending their careers.”

No career has been extended as beautifully as Roger Federer’s, who recently returned to No. 1 in the men’s world rankings, just weeks before his 37th birthday.

Bercovici believes that, despite being “totally consistent with all trends I tracked throughout this book”, Federer is “probably the most incredible example of longevity and durability in all of sports”.

That’s because his endurance is a consequence of how he plays the game.

“If you were designing a tennis player from scratch, you would create Roger Federer,” says Bercovici. “If you talk to a kinesiologist, what they will tell you helps explain a large portion of his longevity. He intuitively plays in this style that is both beautiful and conducive to him maintaining an unprecedented level of health.I think he’s the great tennis genius of all time.”

Bercovici recalls a decade-old quote about Federer which describes his footsteps during matches as being “like a ghost”.

“Well before people were talking about how this guy avoids injuries or how amazing his longevity is, he was practising this form of movement that’s so different from everyone else’s and so much more sustainable,” he says.

Bercovici, who is fit again after using some of the methods explored in Play On to rehabilitate his back, learned over the course of writing the book that every enduring athlete has one thing in common: a love of their sport.

“It’s sounds like a cliché,” he says, “but there’s a reason it’s not.

“To be an elite athlete, the first gate to pass through is that you have to be able to take a game and treat it like it’s a job. You have to take all the fun and spontaneity out of it.

“So, if someone has passed through that gate and then 20 years on they still have that sense of fun, that’s really, really, incredibly rare. And that’s what unites these people who are still working incredibly hard approaching 40.”

 

Roger Federer Infographic
Roger Federer Infographic

 

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Borna Coric Shocks Roger Federer in Gerry Weber Open Final – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Borna Coric beat Roger Federer 7-6 (6) 3-6 6-2 to win the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany

Marin Cilic beat Novak Djokovic 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-3 to win the Fever-Tree Championships in London, Great Britain

Petra Kvitova beat Magdalena Rybarikova 4-6 6-1 6-2 to win the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham, Great Britain

Tatjana Maria beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-4 7-5 to win the Mallorca Open in Mallorca, Spain

Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Oscar Otte 6-4 6-4 to win the Fuzion 100 Ilkley Trophy men’s singles in Ilkley, Great Britain

Tereza Smitkova beat Dayana Yastremska 7-6 (2) 3-6 7-6 (4) to win the Ilkley Trophy women’s singles in Ilkley, Great Britain

 

SAYING

“(I am) just really surprised. … I had not even dreamed of this.” – Borna Coric, after beating Roger Federer to win the Gerry Webber Open.

“I actually thought I played maybe my best match of the week today. It just didn’t go my way.” – Roger Federer, after losing the Gerry Weber Open final to Borna Coric.

“It was an extremely tough match. No breaks for me until that last (return) game. I definitely feel relieved that I won it and what a great week.” – Marin Cilic, following his win over Novak Djokovic in the Fever-Tree Championships final.

“It’s a tough loss for me today, obviously. But I have to see it from a positive side. I haven’t played a final at any event in almost a year, so this felt great.” – Novak Djokovic, after losing to Marin Cilic in London.

“Can I win Wimbledon? Well, why not?” – Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, after winning a Wimbledon warm-up event in Birmingham, Great Britain.

“I was impressed with him. He was always a tick better in the end and he took his chances.” – Roger Federer, complimenting Borna Coric.

“I think Roger’s motivational level is just slightly better and higher on Grand Slams, and you can see that throughout so many years that he’s been showing the best tennis at Grand Slam levels.” – Marin Cilic, about Roger Federer.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a contender, you know, for a (Wimbledon) trophy or anything like that. I have to keep my expectations very low considering my results in the last 12 months.” – Novak Djokovic.

“No, it’s not fair. That’s what we like about it.” – Venus Williams, when asked if it was fair to the other players for her and her sister, Serena, to play doubles together.

 

SHOCKER IN HALLE

Borna Coric’s surprising triumph in Halle, Germany, snapped Roger Federer’s 20-match winning streak on grass, ended the Swiss star’s reign as number one in the world and denied Federer a 10th Gerry Webber Open title. “In the tiebreak I think I was just a little bit lucky, to be honest,” Coric said. “I saved two set points, and one of them I was actually just really, really lucky. I needed some luck today – but that’s tennis.” It was the first loss for the 36-year-old Federer since he returned to tour after skipping the clay-court season and winning last week at Stuttgart, Germany. The defeat also meant Rafael Nadal will return to the top of the world rankings. Coric was playing in his first grass-court final and won just his second career ATP World Tour title. “I think I was serving the best I have in my whole life,” Coric said. “I was feeling very confident and hitting the spots I wanted to hit, which isn’t very usual for me. Hopefully I can continue to serve like that now.” After the two traded sets, the 21-year-old broke Federer in the sixth game of the decider when the Swiss sliced a backhand long. It was all Coric, who also beat second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the opening round, needed. He finished with 11 aces. It was the Croatian’s first win over Federer in three career meetings.

 

STOPS NOVAK

Top-seeded Marin Cilic staved off a match point before downing Novak Djokovic in three sets and winning at Queen’s Club for the second time. Djokovic took the opening set and had a match point in the second-set tiebreak before the 29-year-old Croatian won in two hours, 56 minutes, the longest final in the tournament’s history. “It was a special win for me because last year I had match point and didn’t convert it,” Cilic said. “It was a tough match. No breaks for me until the final set.” Djokovic won the hour-long first set, then losing just one point on his first serve in the second set, appeared ready to wrap up the title in the ninth game. But Cilic hit a huge serve out wide to save match point, then rallied from 1-4 down in the tiebreak, winning the last six points, to level the match. Two years younger than Djokovic, Cilic grabbed the only break in the final set to win his first title of the year. “Overall, I had a great time here this week,” Cilic said. “I have waited six years to get my hands on this trophy.” The last time Djokovic was in the final at Queen’s Club, he lost to Rafael Nadal.

When Novak Djokovic beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club, it was the Serb’s 800th match win. It also was his first ATP World Tour 500 series event since 2010. Djokovic is only the 10th man in the Open Era, since 1968, to reach 800 match wins. Jimmy Connors leads with 1,256 match victories. “I will play as long as I feel like playing,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I can have many more years because I truly enjoy playing this sport.”

 

STELLAR SEASON CONTINUES

It’s easy to figure out why Petra Kvitova is so happy these days. “I couldn’t imagine to have five titles this time of the year, so I’m pretty happy already,” the Czech left-hander said. She got her fifth when she successfully defending her title at the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham. “I didn’t really expect to win here,” she said. “I just played match by match, being very happy to be on the grass and the tennis court.” Grass fits her big game perfectly, but Magdalena Rybarikova made Kvitova work for the big trophy. The Czech finished with 34 winners to just 18 for Rybarikova. Kvitova also won 70 percent of the points on Rybarikova’s second serve. “I think today was a great final to kind of fight,” said Kvitova, who raced out to a 5-1 lead in the final set. “We played over two hours, so it was a great final to watch, I think, I hope.”

 

STUNNER

Tatjana Maria made her first trip to a WTA singles final pay off. The German rallied from 0-4 down in the second set to sweep past third-seeded Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets and became a champion for the first time. “It was amazing, the support from the first day,” Maria said in the presentation ceremony. “All the German fans, also everybody, it was really amazing, and I felt it a lot, also today for me.” The title victory was only her second win over a player ranked in the Top 20. She broke Sevastova four times and won 61 percent of the points off of the Latvian’s second serve. “It’s a great event, it’s a really nice place,” Maria said. “You really enjoy every day, so I’m really happy I could win it here.”

 

SEEDING AT US OPEN

The US Open is changing the way it seeds the players, taking into consideration mothers who returning after giving birth. It doesn’t hurt that Serena Williams will be playing the US Open for the first time since becoming a mother. “It’s the right thing to do for these mothers that are coming back,” said Katrina Adams, president and chairwoman of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) does not protect player’s rankings when they take time off because of pregnancy as they do when the player is injured. Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, has seen her ranking slide from number one in the world to 183rd since she took off to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia. The four Grand Slam tournaments are able to change seedings, although they usually stick to the rankings.

 

SHE’S THE CAPTAIN

Amélie Mauresmo is the new captain of France’s Davis Cup team, replacing Yannick Noah. Mauresmo becomes the first woman to take the role in France and just the sixth woman to coach a Davis Cup team. The French tennis federation also announced that Julien Benneteau will captain the French Fed Cup team after his retirement later this year. He also replaces Noah. A former world number one and winner of Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2006, Mauresmo coached the Fed Cup team for three years, winning six of nine ties and leading the team to the final in 2016. She became the first woman to coach a leading male when she was hired by Andy Murray in 2014. She has also coached Michael Llodra, Victoria Azarenka and Marion Bartoli. As a player, Mauresmo won the Fed Cup in 2003 and a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She retired as a player in 2009.

 

SUGGESTIVE GESTURES

Nick Kyrgios was fined almost USD $17,500 after BBC cameras caught the Australian making suggestive gestures with his water bottle during his semifinal loss to Marin Cilic at Queen’s Club. Tournament supervisor Lars Graff said the fine was for “inappropriate behavior.”

 

SICK CALL

Tomas Berdych, who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2010, will miss this year’s tournament because of a back injury. “I am disappointed to inform you that I was forced to pull out of the Wimbledon championship,” Berdych wrote on Twitter. “I have been struggling with back pain for a couple of months now and I have tried every possible treatment and medical solution in order to be able to keep on competing. Unfortunately, things have not got better and my attempts to be ready and healthy for the grass season were not successful.” Berdych lost in 2010 to Rafael Nadal.

 

SKIPPING EASTBOURNE

Spain’s Feliciano Lopez has withdrawn from this week’s Nature Valley International in Eastbourne, Great Britain. He won consecutive titles at Eastbourne in 2013 and 2014. The 36-year-old Lopez reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart and the quarterfinals at Queen’s Club before deciding to rest this week to prepare for Wimbledon.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Birmingham: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic beat Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs 4-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Halle: Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev 7-6 (1) 6-4

Ilkley (men): Austin Krajicek and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan beat Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3 6-3

Ilkley (women): Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez beat Natela Dzalamidze and Galina Voskoboeva 4-6 6-3 10-1 (match tiebreak)

London: Henri Kontinen and John Peers beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-4 6-3

Mallorca: Andreja Klepac and Maria José Martinez Sanchez beat Lucie Safarova and Barbora Sfefkova 6-1 3-6 10-3 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

Eastbourne: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/nature-valley-international/

Antalya: www.antalyaopen.com/

Southsea: www.lta.org.uk

Wimbledon: www.wimbledon.com/index.html

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$721,000 Valley International, Eastbourne, Great Britain, grass

$497,255 Turkish Airlines Open, Antalya, Turkey, grass

 

WOMEN

$731,000 Nature Valley International, Eastbourne, Great Britain, grass

$100,000 Fuzion 100 Southsea Trophy, Southsea, Great Britain, grass

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

Wimbledon, London, Great Britain, grass (first week)

 

Borna Coric and Roger Federer
Borna Coric and Roger Federer

Can Anyone Stop Federer at Wimbledon?

by

In hindsight, it seems ludicrous to have considered that Roger Federer was past his prime and on the verge of retirement. This was the case just a couple of years ago, and all of the signs seemed to be suggested that the Swiss star was going to fade away gracefully from the ATP tour. Yet Federer’s resilience and outright class can never be forgotten, with the player enjoying a remarkable renaissance that has propelled him to the top of the rankings. Federer will inevitably call it a day in the next few years, but such is his supremacy at Wimbledon that he could be fifty years old and still arrive as favourite.

While Federer hasn’t delivered a stranglehold as tight as rival Rafael Nadal’s over the French Open, there are no standout competitors when it comes to this year’s Wimbledon. Nadal has a sensational and, quite frankly, ridiculous, record at Roland Garros, with eleven titles there marking his ownership over the Grand Slam. However, there were faint hopes that Dominic Thiem could have usurped Nadal at this year’s tournament. Nadal ultimately defeated Thiem with ease in the final, but Thiem has been marked out as the heir to the king of clay and perhaps the only player capable of beating Nadal on that surface.

Federer faces no such clear-cut rival on the grass of Wimbledon. Andy Murray would be the obvious choice, but injuries have blighted his past year on court. A recent outing at Queen’s offered promising signs, but it is surely too soon for Murray to operate at peak level in best-of-five across a fortnight of intense pressure. Murray fell to Nick Kyrgios 6-2 6-7 5-7 in what The Guardian deemed an extraordinary match, with the enigmatic Kyrgios a predicted contender for Grand Slam titles. Kyrgios has the game to beat anyone, but his mentality on the biggest stages is likely to let him down in the same way that Murray’s fitness may be a decisive issue in this year’s tournament.

Novak Djokovic has also suffered injury problems, but the Serb looks further along the path to recovery than Murray. Odds of 6/1 with William Hill for Djokovic to lift the trophy in Wimbledon reflect the promising signs displayed in recent matches. Djokovic gave glimpses of his indomitable best in Rome and at the French Open, while he has shown no lack of aptitude on grass courts by winning three Wimbledon titles. Yet fitness concerns will inevitably be difficult to shake; Djokovic’s burgeoning form at the French Open was cut short in quarter-final defeat to outsider Marco Cecchinato, a player comfortable on clay but with no pedigree at the highest level. This hints at an expected inability for Djokovic to maintain peak physical fitness across a prolonged period.

Perhaps then the player to cause Federer the most problems will be the fittest opponent. Marin Cilic’s game adapts well to grass, although Federer has notably swatted aside his challenges in the past. Alexander Zverev put to bed some of the question marks hanging over his Grand Slam credentials with a swashbuckling run at the French Open, but his inability to see out matches efficiently would be exploited by Federer. Beyond that, big servers like Juan Martin Del Potro and John Isner may fancy their chances to run deep at Wimbledon but there are few bigger servers than Federer. He may be 36 and few could have anticipated that he would be favourite at Wimbledon in 2018, but it will take a stunning shock to prevent Federer from claiming an incredible ninth title.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Roger Federer Wins Mercedes Cup, Takes Over Top Ranking – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6 (3) to win the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany

Richard Gasquet beat Jeremy Chardy 6-3 7-6 (5) to win the Libéma Open men’s singles in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Aleksandra Krunic beat Kristen Flipkens 6-7 (0) 7-5 6-1 to win the Libéma Open women’s singles in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Ashleigh Barty beat Johanna Konta 6-3 3-6 6-4 to win the Nature Valley Open women’s singles in Nottingham, Great Britain

Jaume Munar beat Matteo Donati 6-2 7-6 (2) to win the Citta Di Caltanissetta in Caltanissetta, Italy

Alex de Minaur beat Daniel Evans 7-6 (4) 7-5 to win the Nature Valley Open men’s singles in Nottingham, Great Britain

Ons Jabeur beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2 6-1 to win The Manchester Trophy in Manchester, Great Britain

 

SAYING

“I’m just very happy how I played this week. I never felt bad on the court, to be honest.” – Roger Federer, after winning his 98th career title and becoming number one in the world again.

“I think we’re both champions.” – Aleksandra Krunic, after beating Kristen Flipkens in the Libérma Open final.

“It is never easy playing a friend, but we are used to playing a lot of French players throughout the year. Of course, it is not my first time, but it is never easy.” – Richard Gasquet, following his win over Jeremy Chardy in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“I am really happy with my match today. I think I played a good match from the beginning to the end but Richard was just a little bit better than me. He deserved to win.” – Jeremy Chardy.

“I’ve been playing well all week. It’s been building and building and getting better and better each match.” – Ashleigh Barty, after winning in Nottingham.

“The end is closer than ever before. But I also do not know when it’s over.” – Roger Federer, when asked about his retirement.

“I have now asserted diplomatic immunity … in order to bring this farce to an end, so that I can start to rebuild my life.” – Boris Becker, saying bankrupt charges against him in London should be dropped because he has been appointed to a diplomatic post by the Central African Republic.

 

SUPREME IN VICTORY

Not a bad week. Roger Federer won his 98th career title and regained the number one ranking after skipping the clay court season. Returning to grass, Federer was supreme, beating Milos Raonic for the 11th time in 14 meetings in the final while winning his first Stuttgart title. “I’m so happy to win this tournament in my third attempt,” Federer said. “We’ll see if being number one again will probably give me a boost.” The Swiss star is seeking to defend his title in Halle, Germany, this week. He will need to win again if he is to stretch his record-extending streak to 311 weeks atop the rankings. Federer claimed his third title of the season, following the Australian Open and Rotterdam, and now has won 18 grass-court tournaments, including eight Wimbledons. “I think I played very well not having played for a while,” Federer said. “Maybe I was a bit better on the big points.” He broke Raonic in the third game of the match – the only time in the tournament that the Canadian lost his serve. A double-fault by Raonic at 3-4 in the second-set tiebreak paved the was for Federer to close out the victory.

SORRY, JEREMY

Richard Gasquet continued his mastery over friend Jeremy Chardy and won his first grass-court title since 2006. It was Gasquet’s fifth win over Chardy in their six career meets. Gasquet appeared to be in full control when he broke Chardy twice in winning the opening set of the Libéma Open. But Chardy’s game stiffened and he took the second set to a tiebreak, which Gasquet won 7-5. Taking control, Chardy led 5-2 and appeared to be on the verge of sending the match into a third set. But Gasquet saved two set points, leveled the set and forced a tiebreak. There were seven mini-breaks in the first nine points of the tiebreak before Gasquet served an ace to reach double-match point. Chardy saved the first but couldn’t handle a sharp-angled forehand from Gasquet on the second championship point. “It great to win a title again,” Gasquet6 said. “It (has been) two years that I didn’t win. … It’s very tough to win on the ATP World Tour.”

 

SECOND TITLE

With Johanna Konta fuming over a line call, top-seeded Ashleigh Barty closed out her second career title, beating the home favorite in the Nottingham women’s final. Barty had lost her last three singles finals but appeared to be on her way to victory over Konta when she took a 4-1 lead in the third set. The Brit won the next three games to draw even at 4-4. Barty’s shot to hold for a 5-4 lead appeared to be long, and when neither line judge nor umpire Paula Vieira Souza called it out, Konta got angry. “It’s an absolute joke,” Konta told Souza. “You’re making decisions that affect our lives. Do you fully understand that?” Konta won only one more point as Barty closed out the win with a backhand pass. “I knew that Jo was going to be the toughest test this week, so I’m just really glad that I came through that and it was a really high-quality match,” Barty said. “And it was a really good grass court match, too, in the sense that it was a bit serve-dominant at times.” Konta was trying to become the first British woman to win a singles title at home on grass since Virginia Wade captured Wimbledon in 1977. When she walked off the court, she passed the umpire without shaking her hand.

 

STRETCHED, BUT VICTORIOUS

Aleksandra Krunic refused to lose. For the second straight match Krunic survived a match point and won her first WTA title, the Libéma Open, outlasting Kirsten Flipkens in three sets that lasted 2 hours, 9 minutes. Krunic survived a match point in her semifinal against two-time champion CoCo Vandeweghe. Then, in the final, she rallied from a set and a break down, breaking Flipkens when the Belgian served for the match at 7-6 (0) 5-4. Krunic won nine of the last 10 games to become the first Serbian to win a WTA singles title since Jelena Jankovic in 2015. Six games into the doubles final the night before, the 32-year-old Flipkens had to retire because of muscle cramping in her leg. “I don’t know how you pulled this off, mate, but the fact that you didn’t show how much pain you were in today makes me respect you more,” Krunic told Flipkens after the singles final.

 

SLIPS PAST EVANS

Australian Alex de Minaur went one step further this week. The teenager narrowly beat Britain’s Dan Evans to win the Nottingham Challenge Final a week after he reached the title match at Surbiton. Some of de Minaur’s play was outstanding, and when the 19-year-old clinched the opening set with a delicate lob, Evans called out, “Too good.” And that it was. When de Minaur served for the match at 5-4, he was broken. He broke right back, then held to close out the close battle. The victory was de Minaur’s first ATP Challenger title. Evans lost for just the fifth time in 21 competitive matches since returning to the ATP World Tour following his one-year ban after testing positive for cocaine.

 

SAME PAIRING

One year after suffering a serious knee injury, Bethanie Mattek-Sands will be returning to Wimbledon with her regular doubles partner, Lucie Safarova. Mattek-Sands dislocated her patella and ruptured her patellar tendon during a singles match against Sorana Cirstea at Wimbledon last year. The American underwent surgery and a long period of rehabilitation. With Mattek-Sands sidelined, Safarova paired up with fellow Czech Barbora Strycova and, more recently, Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova. “They haven’t played together for a year due to a series of unfortunate events … but FINALLY some good news: Team Bucie will be back at Wimbledon,” a post on Safarova’s website announced. Mattek-Sands and Safarova won the Australian Open and French Open in 2015 and last year, as well as the US Open in 2016.

 

SUPER TEAM

Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka will team up to play doubles at the Fever-Tree Championships in London. The wild-card pairing allows the two to get match play just before Wimbledon. Djokovic also took a wild card in singles. Wawrinka, who’s singles ranking has dropped before 250th in the world, teamed with Roger Federer to win the men’s doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 

STAYING AWAY

Rafael Nadal wants a little more time to recover after winning a record 11th French Open title. The Spaniard has withdrawn from this week’s Wimbledon warm-up event, the Fever-Tree Championships, at Queen’s Club. “Queen’s is a great event, I Have happy memories of winning the title in 2008 and I wanted to come back this year,” Nadal said. “But it has been a very long clay court season for me with great results.” It is the third consecutive year Nadal as withdrawn from the Queen’s tournament.

 

SICK CALL

Two of the biggest names – Maria Sharapova and Madison Keys – won’t be playing in this week’s Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham, Great Britain. The 31-year-old Sharapova said she needed rest after reaching the quarterfinals at the French Open. Keys, eight years younger, is skipping the tournament because of an abdominal injury.

 

SHE’S BACK

China’s Li Na is coming back. The 36-year-old will play invitational doubles with Japan’s Ai Sugiyama at Wimbledon. Li won two Grand Slam tournaments and reached a career-high ranking of number two in the world. The most successful Chinese player in history, Li is often referred to as the pioneer of Chinese tennis. She retired from the WTA Tour in 2014 and now has two children. Others in the invitation doubles field are expected to include Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Kim Clijsters and Lindsay Davenport.

 

SENTENCED

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agrees that Sara Errani’s mother mistakenly put a banned drug into the family dinner. That’s no excuse, the CAS said, adding eight months to the Italian player’s ban. After she failed an out-of-competition test, Errani, a Roland Garros finalist in 2012, was suspended for two months in August 2017 by an independent tribunal of the Italian Tennis Federation. She said she consumed letrozole when her mother’s cancer medication somehow found its way into a family meal. CAS ruled that Errani had to be held responsible for her mother’s mistake and increased her ban to 10 months. The two months Errani served last year are deducted from that total.

 

STOPS COMEBACK BID

Marion Bartoli won’t be making a comeback on the WTA Tour after all. The 33-year-old Frenchwoman, citing pain in her right shoulder during workouts, said her bid to end a five-year retirement is over. She retired after winning Wimbledon in 2013, suffering from a litany of injuries. At the time, she was ranked seventh in the world.

 

SKIPPING CLAY

Obeying doctor’s orders, Stan Wawrinka won’t be playing tournaments in Båstad, Sweden, and Gstaad, Switzerland, this year. Sidelined for the most part since midway through 2017 and undergoing two knee surgeries last August, the Swiss player had had a rough comeback, winning just four matches in seven tournaments. He has dropped out of the Top 250 in the ATP World Tour rankings for the first time since August 2003. So, when his medical team advised him to avoid frequent surfaces changes, he followed their advice. He is missing the two clay-court tournaments to concentrate on the hard courts in North America leading up to the US Open. “Gstaad means a lot to me and I hope that I can come back to this beautiful tournament in the future,” Wawrinka said. “It’s never nice to withdraw from events, but I need to listen to my medical team and follow their advice. I’ve been working very hard since almost a year to be where I am now and I don’t want to take the risk of any step backwards.”

 

SAYS HE DIPLOMAT

Three-time Wimbledon champion is claiming diplomatic immunity from bankruptcy proceedings, noting he represents the Central Africa Republic as a sports envoy. The 50-year-old German was declared bankrupt by a British court last year in connection to a debt to private bankers Arbuthnot Latham & CO. Becker has recently been pursued for “further assets.” In his latest move, Becker lodged a claim at the High Court in London to halt the case because of his appointment as attaché to the European Union on sporting, cultural and humanitarian affairs. He said the post entitles him to immunity under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “I am immensely proud of my appointment as the Sports and Culture attaché for the Central African Republic,” Becker said. The former French colony is one of the world’s poorest countries and has suffered a string of bloody pollical crises since former President Francois Bozize seized power in a 2003 military coup. In 2013, mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted Bozize, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militias.

 

SEES HARD COURT SUCCESS

The Czech Republic has selected a hardcourt for its Fed Cup final against the United States. “When it comes to the venue, the choice was clear,” Czech captain Petr Pala said, noting his team has won all three finals it has played at Prague’s O2 Arena, site of the November 10-11 battle. “I have consulted the players over the surface and we have picked the time-tested hard Novacrylic Ultracushion.” The final pits the two most successful nations in Fed Cup history. The USA has won 18 trophies and t4he Czech Republic 10, including five as the former Czechoslovakia. The Czechs have won five of the last seven Fed Cup finals.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Caltanissetta: Federico Gaio and Andrea Pellegrino beat Blaz Rola and Jiri Vesely 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5)

Manchester: Luksika Kumkhum and Prarhana G. Thombare beat Naomi Broady and Asia Muhammad 7-6 (5) 6-3

Nottingham (men): Frederik Nielsen and Joe Salisbury beat Austin Krajicek and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 7-6 (5) 6-1

Nottingham (women): Alicja Rosolska and Abigail Spears beat Mihaela Buzarnescu and Heather Watson 6-3 7-6 (5)

‘s-Hertogenbosch (men): Dominic Inglot and Franko Skugor beat Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 7-6 (3) 7-5

‘s-Hertogenbosch (women): Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs beat Kiki Bertens and Kristen Flipkens 3-3 retired 

Stuttgart: Philipp Petzschner and Tim Puetz beat Robert Lindstedt and Marcin Matkowski 7-6 (5) 6-3

 

SURFING 

Ilkley: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/fuzion-100-Ilkley-trophy/

Halle: www.gerryweber-open.de/tickets/gerry-weber-open-2018/

London: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/fever-tree-championships/

Mallorca: www.mallorcaopen.org/?lang=en

Birmingham: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/nature-valley-classic/

Eastbourne: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/nature-valley-international/

Antalya: www.antalyaopen.com/

Southsea: www.lta.org.uk

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$2,490,830 Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, grass

$2,490,830 Fever-Tree Championships, London, Great Britain, grass

$148,034 Fuzion 100 Ilkley Trophy, Ilkley, Great Britain, grass

 

WOMEN

$731,000 Nature Valley Classic, Birmingham, Great Britain, grass

$250,000 Mallorca Open, Mallorca, Spain, grass

$100,000 Ilkley Trophy, Ilkley, Great Britain, grass

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

$721,000 Valley International, Eastbourne, Great Britain, grass

$497,255 Turkish Airlines Open, Antalya, Turkey, grass

 

WOMEN

$731,000 Nature Valley International, Eastbourne, Great Britain, grass

$100,000 Fuzion 100 Southsea Trophy, Southsea, Great Britain, grass

 

 

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

How To Hit Forehands Like Roger Federer

by

Tennis is definitely one of the most popular sports in the world, ranking just behind football and basketball. It is also one of the most popular sports to bet on due to the great variety of markets. Thousands of people love online betting with Novibet  due to their large selection of bets for different sports including upcoming tennis championships such as the French Open. Bet responsibly and use their bonuses in order to raise your chances of winning a nice sum of money.

When it comes to tennis, it’s safe to say that Roger Federer is one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Even at the age of 36 and after winning a huge number of titles during his career, The Swiss maestro shows no signs of stopping. Federer has one of the most memorable forehands in the history of the sport and we just love watching him at work.

Hitting a perfect backhand is not so easy as it seems. You need to hold your racket in an unusual way before you do the footwork and the swing and Federer is best at this. When the maestro pulls to the edge of the court to hit a forehand winner, he’s going to score 99.99% of the time.

Here are 3 tips which will help you hit a forehand like Federer:

Grip

As we already said, Federer uses the Eastern Forehand grip on his racket which allows him to hold it tight. This type of grip involves putting the index knuckle and heel pad on the 3rd bevel of the racket when hitting the ball.

Footwork

If you know Roger Federer, you know he’s a master of footwork. His footwork is really second to none, with other tennis legends praising it on numerous occasions and even Federer himself saying that the perfect shot starts with it. It’s such a poetry in motion – if you haven’t seen it thus far, just write Federer footwork on Youtube and enjoy!

In order to hit a forehand like the Swiss maestro, you need to copy his footwork first. Federer puts his feet in the “triangle” position and stands on his toes while moving with the foot closest to the ball all the time. You also need to watch and focus on the ball before the swinging motion.

Swing

The third and final part of hitting a forehand like Roger Federer is the swing. Once you’ve gripped the racket appropriately and you’ve done the footwork, all it remains is for the ball to be hit. You need to hit the ball while gripping your racket tight and swing it to the other side of your body while you transfer your weight on the other leg. Let the swinging motion complete before relaxing.

All three steps are easier said than done. They require a lot of practice on a tennis court, but if you can’t find one you can practice with a wall. You’ll cover the basics soon and with a lot of practice maybe even surpass Federer’s legendary forehand.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Upsets Mangle Miami Open Field as Federer, Halep Lose – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Miami Open First Week

Thanasi Kokkinakis beat top-seeded Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6 (4)

Agnieszka Radwanska beat top-seeded Simona Halep 3-6 6-2 6-3

Monica Puig beat second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 0-6 6-4 6-4

Jeremy Chardy beat third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-4

Alison Riske beat seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-1

 

SAYING

“Who knows what happened? It just felt like I could be paying the price for opportunities missed.” – Roger Federer, after losing 3-6 6-3 7-6 (4) to Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“I just needed to play my game and aggressive tennis.” – Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“I’ve always liked his game. I’m happy for him that on the big stage he was able to show it. It’s a big result for him in his career, and I hope it’s going to launch him.” – Roger Federer, on the man who beat him, Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“I’m trying, but it’s not working. That’s all. That’s all it is.” – Novak Djokovic, after losing his first match to Benoit Paire 6-3 6-4.

“She’s the main reason I started playing tennis. I just wanted her after the match to know who I am.” –Naomi Osaka, following her first-round victory over her idol, Serena Williams.

“For a second round, normally you don’t get those kind of matches. It was actually quite exciting. I like to go into the tournaments with little bit of stress. Then you’re straight into the matches. I’m very happy the way handled this match today.” – Elina Svitolina, after beating Naomi Osaka.

“I’m most happy with the win, but secondly is to see Bethanie back on court.”  – Alize Cornet, after beating Bethanie Mattek-Sands in her first match back since suffering massive knee injury at Wimbledon last summer.

 

STUNNING WIN

After losing his second straight match and the world number one ranking, Roger Federer had no answers. “The ball, I wasn’t feeling,” the Swiss great said. “With my movement, things weren’t absolutely working. … I feel like every time I had chances, something bad happened for me, wrong decision-making by me, good decision-making by him.” “Him” was young Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, who outlasted the top seed in a second-round match at the Miami Open 3-6 6-3 7-6 (4). “I’ve trained with him a lot of times,” Kokkinakis said. “I took what I learned from him and sort of kind of knew how he played a little bit and just played my game and executed.” ‘t Federer, who lost in the Indian Wells final to Juan Martin del Potro six days earlier, appeared to be sailing to victory until he was broken at love in the fourth game of the second set. Kokkinakis took advantage and the whole tone of the match changed. The third set was balanced until the seventh point of the tiebreak when the Australian took the lead. Federer won just one more point as Kokkinakis closed out his first win over the veteran. “It’s disappointing,” Federer said of the loss. “Sometimes you have these matches. Sometimes you find way through. I just couldn’t get it done today.” Kokkinakis needed a wild card to gain entry into the Miami Open qualifying. “When I feel like I am playing on my terms, I don’t think there’s too many people who can go with me,” the 21-year-old said.

 

SLIPPING BACK

At the age of 36, Roger Federer was the oldest man ever to hold the world number one ranking. Besides losing a second-round Miami Open match to Thanasi Kokkinakis, Federer also lost the top spot in the rankings to Rafael Nadal, who missed both Indian Wells and Miami because of a hip injury. “I deserve it after this match,” Federer said. “That’s how I feel.” A qualifier ranked 175th in the world, Kokkinakis became the lowest-ranked man to beat a top-ranked player since Francisco Clavet, who was ranked 178th at the time, beat Lleyton Hewitt in 2003. That match also was at Key Biscayne, Florida, USA.

 

SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS

After losing his opening match at the Miami Open, Novak Djokovic was dejected. “I’m not feeling great when I’m playing this way,” said Djokovic. The 6-3 6-4 loss to Benoit Paire of France was Djokovic’s third straight since being sidelined for the final six months last year with an elbow injury. The former world number one had won in Miami six times and had his 16-match winning streak in the tournament snapped. “Of course, I want to be able to play as well as I want to play,” he said “Just it’s impossible at the moment That’s all. I lost to a better player.” The Miami Open was Djokovic’s third tournament since last year’s Wimbledon. “I know that you can’t be the person that you were yesterday, and the player (you once were),” Djokovic sad. “The circumstances that I was in the last two years were very challenging. But I’m not the only one that goes through that. I mean there are tougher injuries that players go through. I don’t want to sit ere and whine about my last couple of years.”

 

SURPRISING SERENA

They say Naomi Osaka’s game is reminiscent of the young Serena Williams. At the Miami Open, it was better. When Williams attacked an easy shot and blasted the ball six feet past the baseline, it was Osaka who came away with the 6-3 6-2 victory. With a smile, Williams went to the net and shook Osaka’s hand. “She said ‘good job’ and stuff,” Osaka said. “I kind of blanked out, but I’m pretty good she said ‘good job.’” By the luck of the draw, Williams had to face Osaka in her first match. Osaka was coming off her first WTA tournament title, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA. It was only the fourth match for Williams since she took a year off to give birth to a daughter and get married. The former world number one started the match as if she had never left the sport. She needed only eight shots to win the first five points of the match. It was a run that ended quickly. It was the first time since the 2012 French Open that Williams had lost a first-round match, and only the fifth time in her career. And it came at a tournament she has won a record eight times. But Osaka is ranked a career-best 22nd in the world, while Williams’ ranking is 491st following her layoff. But against the big-hitting Osaka, Williams was a step slow, often late with her swing and put barely half of her first serves in play. Early in the second set, Williams screamed, “Come on,” which delighted her opponent. “Sometimes she plays matches where she doesn’t say ‘Come on!’ at all,” Osaka said. “That’s a little bit sad, because it’s like, “Do you think she’s trying?’ So, I just wanted her to say ‘Come on’ once. I knew then maybe she would be trying a little bit.” Osaka was never broken. “Sometimes when I’m in a really hard position when I’m serving, I’m like, ‘What would Serena do?’” said Osaka, who closed out the victory with consecutive aces. Just like Serena used to do. Just playing Serena Williams was Osaka’s key memory. “Of course, winning the (Indian Wells) final was really cool, (but) I’ve always dreamed of playing Serena, so I think that’s my number one,” Osaka said.

 

STREAK ENDS

All good things have to come to an end. Naomi Osaka found that out the match after she beat 23-time Grand Slam tournament champion Serena Williams. In her second round, Osaka was beaten to Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-2. Svitolina saved five of six break points she faced and broke Osaka four times. After a close first set, Svitolina raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second. “I think I’ve played more matches than I ever have back-to-back,” Osaka said. “I didn’t really feel that tired, so that’s a good thing. And I’ve played so many good players, and I’ve experienced a lot of new things, so I’m really happy about that.”

 

SIMONA SHOCKED

Agnieszka Radwanska looked like the Radwanska of old when she defeated world number one Simona Halep in the third round of the Miami Open. Radwanska, who won Miami in 2012, has struggled this year, having not won back to back victories since January. The Pole downed Halep 3-6 6-2 6-3. Wozniacki, who won the Australian Open in January, needed only 25 minutes to capture the opening set. But Puig, who won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics, rallied, taking a 4-2 lead in the second set and the first two games to begin the third.

 

SAY BYE-BYE

Simona Halep wasn’t the only high-ranked player to be knocked out of the Miami Open. Monica Puig of Puerto Rico shocked world number two Carolina Wozniacki 0-6 6-4 6-4. Puig is ranked 82nd in the world.

 

SHE’S BACK

Although she lost, it was a huge victory that Bethanie Mattek-Sands was even on the court. The American lost her first-round Miami Open match to Alize Cornet of France 6-2 7-5, then walked off the court as the audience applauded. It was Mattek-Sands’ first match since she suffered a horrific knee injury at Wimbledon last summer while playing Sorana Cirstea of Romania. In that match, Mattek-Sands appeared to slip as she approached the net early in the third set. She screamed out in pain, grabbed her right leg and repeatedly shouted, “Help me.” After being treated on court for more than 20 minutes, she was taken to a hospital. In Miami, Cornet needed one hour and 38 minutes to win before congratulating her opponent. “She’s already back and she’s playing damn good,” Cornet said of Mattek-Sands.

 

SKIPPING CLAY

For the second straight year Roger Federer will skip the European clay court season, including the French Open. “I decided not to play,” Federer said. Last year, the Swiss star took off two months following the Miami Open before returning to win Wimbledon.

 

SOME CHANGES

This year’s French Open will feature several changes, including no service lets in the junior events. The French Tennis Federation announced that after arriving at a court’s sideline, players will have one minute to go to the umpire’s chair for the coin toss, followed by a five-minute warmup and then one minute before starting the match. Clocks will court down the time for spectators to see. There also will be clocks showing 25 seconds between points in qualifying rounds instead of the previous 20. Play begins May 27.

 

STUTTER START

Bernard Tomic is trying to kick-start his career after slipping to 181st in the world rankings. But the 25-year-old Australian lost in the first round of a second-tier tournament in France to Antonio Hoang 6-2 2-6 6-4. It was Tomic’s first match she he lost in the third round of qualifying at the Australian Open in January. Once touted as Australia’s top up-and-coming player, Tomic resumed training and decided to play Challenger events before rejoining the main ATP Tour in April. “I’m ready to challenge myself and hopefully in the next year I can be well inside the top 30,” Tomic said in February. “But I’m going to have to work hard.”

 

SUIT FILED

Six years ago, Lois Goodman was accused of murdering her husband with a coffee mug. Now the former tennis umpire has accused a medical examiner of falsifying an autopsy report that she said led to her arrest, tarnished her reputation and left her in financial difficulty. Goodman was on her way to officiate a US Open tennis match in New York in 2012 when police handcuffed her. She now is asking for at least USD $100,000 for legal expenses and the ordeal she suffered for months before prosecutors dropped the charges. A federal court in Los Angeles is hearing the suit. While a criminal case never went to trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, the civil trial is expected to shed light on what made police and prosecutors suspect Goodman of killing her husband. The charges were dropped in December 2012 after two experts retained by prosecutors reviewed the autopsy report and concluded the death was an accident.

 

SUCRE EUROS

The singles champions at this year’s French Open will earn around USD $2.7 million each, with the total prize money of UD $48 million. Roland Garros tournament director Guy Forget said this year’s total is an increase of about 3 million euros from last year.

 

SUBJECTED TO ABUSE

Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki says she and her family have been subjected to verbal abuse and death threats from spectators at the Miami Open. The Danish star also charged that security at the tournament “did nothing” to stop the abuse. “During the match last night (when she lost to Monica Puig), people in the crowd threatened my family, wished death upon my mom and dad, called me names that I can’t repeat here and told my fiancé’s niece and nephew (who are 10 years old) to sit down and shut the f— up,” Wozniacki wrote. “I hope the Miami Open chooses to take this seriously because it’s a horrible example to set for the next generation of tennis players and fans,” she said.

 

SHE’S ANGRY

Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova said she feels let down by the BBC after she learned that John McEnroe gets paid at least 10 times more than she does for their broadcasting roles at Wimbledon. Winner of nine Wimbledon singles title, Navratilova told “Panorama: Britain’s Equal Pay Scandal,” a program aired on the BBC: “It’s extremely unfair and it makes me angry for the other women that I think go through this.” Responding to her comments, the BBC said that she is an “occasional contributor” and appears on fewer broadcasts and is on a different type of contract than McEnroe. “They are simply not comparable,” the BBC said in a statement.

 

SURFING

Miami: www.miamiopen.com/

Gosier: www.open-guadeloupe.com/

Charleston: www.atpworldtour.com/

Monterrey: http://abiertognpseguros.com/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$7,913,465 Miami Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

$106,000 Open Region Guadeloupe, Le Gosier, Guadeloupe, hard

 

WOMEN

$7,037,535 Miami Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

WOMEN

$800,000 Volvo Car Open, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, hard

$250,000 Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

 

DAVIS CUP

World Group Quarterfinals

Italy vs France at Genoa, Italy, clay

Spain vs. Germany at Valencia, Spain, clay

Croatia vs. Kazakhstan at Varazdin, Croatia, clay

United States vs. Belgium at Nashville, Tennessee, USA

 

GROUP I

Second Round

Americas Zone: Argentina vs. Chile at San Juan, Argentina, clay; Colombia vs. Brazil at Barranquilla, Brazil, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. India at Tianjin, China, hard; Pakistan vs. Uzbekistan at Islamabad, Pakistan, grass

Europe/Africa Zone: Czech Republic vs. Israel at Ostrava, Czech Republic, clay; Sweden vs. Portugal at Stockholm, Sweden, hard; Slovakia vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Bratislava, Slovakia, clay; Russia vs. Austria at Moscow, Russia, hard

 

GROUP II

Second Round

Americas Zone: Uruguay vs. Venezuela at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay; Mexico vs. Peru at Metepec, Mexico, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines vs. Thailand at Manila, Philippines, clay; Lebanon vs. Hong Kong at Zouk Mosbah, Lebanon, hard

 

Group II Relegation

First Round

Asia/Oceania Zone: Sri Lanka vs. Indonesia at Colombo, Sri Lank, clay; Chinese Taipei vs. Iran at Taipei, Taiwan, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Luxembourg vs. Georgia at Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, hard; Slovenia vs. Turkey at Portoroz, Slovenia, clay; Norway vs. Ireland at Oslo, Norway, hard; Estonia vs. Tunisia at Tallinn, Estonia, hard

 

Roger Federer and Thanasi Kokkinakis
Roger Federer and Thanasi Kokkinakis

Roger Federer Makes More Tennis History With Rotterdam Title

by

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

Roger Federer continues to make tennis history – and there is more within sight.

Just two days after he clinched another spot in tennis history as the older ever player to rank No. 1 in the ATP World Tour singles rankings at age 26, Federer won his 97th ATP singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Grigor Dimitrov on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam.

Federer was a late entry into the Rotterdam field, realizing after his triumph at the Australian Open last month that he could surpass Rafael Nadal into the world No. 1 ranking by reaching at least the semifinals at an ATP World Tour 500-level tournament before Indian Wells (also with Nadal not able to play until late February due to injury). Federer chose to play in Rotterdam rather than in Dubai and the decision served him well as he won in the Dutch city for a  record third time, after previously winning in 2005, defeating his current coach Ivan Ljubicic, and in 2012 with victory over Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer returns to the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2012 – three years old than the previous oldest ATP world No. 1 Andre Agassi at age 33 – and Federer will also continue to extend his record for most weeks as the world No. 1. Federer will start his 303rd career week in the No. 1 ranking on February 19.

“It’s definitely one of those weeks I will never forget in my life,” said Federer. “It’s unbelievable to get my 97th title and get back to World No. 1. It’s very special.”
Federer’s 97th career ATP singles title places him in second place all-time and he is now 12 singles titles shy of equaling the Jimmy Connors record of 109 titles. Federer has won a men’s record 20 major singles titles – four more than second place Nadal and 12 more than the number that Connors won in his career.

Federer will next play in Indian Wells in California and the Miami Open – titles he swept last year. Having to defend the ranking points in these two Masters Series events from last year factored into his decision to enter Rotterdam. Earning more ranking points in Rotterdam before his points from Indian Wells and Miami dropped off allowed Federer to sneak past Nadal into the No. 1 ranking and earn yet another historic achievement.

 

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Wimbledon 2018 Predictions For The Tennis Punters

by

You couldn’t see one dry eye in the stadium when Roger Federer bagged his eighth Wimbledon title last year, or when he won his 20th grand Slam title at the Australian open recently. Everyone could see his emotions clearly.

A good number of tennis punters are hoping that Roger would repeat his Australian open performance at Wimbledon, and are already planning to make use of various Wimbledon free bets to make the most of this possibility. The Swiss ace also became the second ever player in the open era to lift a Grand Slam title without dropping a set at the Wimbledon 2017. That’s really not a bad achievement for a player who would turn 37 this year, and is rapidly approaching the final stages of his career. Roger has two major titles to defend this year after having won the Australian open.

He had lost the throne to Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on many occasions in the past one decade, however is back to his peak level now. But the big question is – can Roger Federer win a historic ninth Wimbledon title in 2018?

Who all are in the fray?

As everyone knows there are four big tennis players that stand way above the rest of the players in the fray – Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Federer. Hence, these 4 names automatically come to mind whenever any discussion related to potential Major win comes up anywhere.

Federer’s credentials clearly prove that he is very much a solid contender to win the Wimbledon title again this year, despite the growing number of wrinkles on his face and the fact that he had to withdraw from the French Open in 2017, so as to focus entirely on Wimbledon. It also clearly shows where his preferences lie. He is more keen on extending his amazing record at the Wimbledon yet further.

Federer’s biggest challenge at Wimbledon would be the talented Scotsman Andy Murray who although isn’t blessed with the amazing gifts of several of his contemporaries, has an amazing all-round game play, and loves giving his best in front of his home crowd. Andy needs to get fit in time and get back in form. But if there is anyone who can stop Federer’s run at Wimbledon in 2018, it has to be the Scotsman.

Rafael Nadal’s return to form has been rather staggered. The Spaniard appeared all but beaten in the year 2016 when injuries had threatened a premature end to his phenomenal career. But Rafa roared back in the year 2017 and won two Major titles. But everyone is aware that Nadal doesn’t have a very good record at the Wimbledon. He hasn’t made past the fourth round at Wimbledon since 2011 and after his recent quarter-final retirement at the Australian open 2018, it doesn’t look like his Wimbledon record is going to change.

2018 will be a big year for Novak Djokovic as well. He has been nursing an elbow injury and also split with Marian Vadja, his long-term friend and coach. He would start his 2018 campaign with all the more energy.

Other than these four, Alexander Zverev is an outsider who holds great promise at Wimbledon 2018. An agile mover and a big server, he could also be the one stopping Federer.

 

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Roger Federer. Caroline Wozniacki Australian Open Champions – Mondays with Bob Greene

by

Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS                       

Australian Open

Men’s Singles: Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 3-6 6-1

Women’s Singles: Caroline Wozniacki beat Simona Halep 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-4

Men’s Doubles: Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4 6-4

Women’s Doubles: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-3

Mixed Doubles: Gabriela Dabrowski and Mate Pavic beat Timea Babos and Rohan Bopanna 2-6 6-4 11-9 (match tiebreak)

Boys’ Singles: Sebastian Korda beat Tseng Chun Hsin 7-6 (6) 6-4

Girls’ Single: Liang En Shuo beat Clara Burel 6-3 6-4

Boys’ Doubles: Hugo Gaston and Clement Tabur beat Rudolf Molleker and Henri Squire 6-2 6-2

Girls’ Doubles: Liang En Shuo and Wang Xinyu beat Violet Apisah and Lulu Sun 7-6 (4) 4-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Men’s Wheelchair Singles: Shingo Kunieda beat Stephane Houdet 4-6 6-1 7-6 (3)

Women’s Wheelchair Singles: Diede De Groot beat Yui Kamiji 7-6 (6) 6-4

Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer beat Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid 6-4 6-2

Women’s Wheelchair Doubles: Marjolein Buis and Yui Kamiji beat Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot 6-0 6-4

Quad Wheelchair Singles: Dylan Alcott beat David Wagner 7-6 (1) 6-1

 

OTHER:

Newport Beach (men): Taylor Fritz beat Bradley Klahn 3-6 7-5 6-0

Newport Beach (women): Danielle Collins beat Sofya Zhuk 2-6 6-4 6-3

 

SAYING

“Winning is an absolute dream come true. The fairytale continues for us, for me, it’s incredible.” – Roger Federer, after winning his sixth Australian Open and 20th Grand Slam tournament title.

“It’s a dream come true, and my voice is shaking. It’s a very emotional moment.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after winning her first Grand Slam tournament title.

“I was close again, but the gas was over in the end.” – Simona Halep, after losing the final to Caroline Wozniacki.

“I got too nervous to watch but woke up to @CaroWozniacki new number one and aussie open champ. So awesome. So happy. Are those tears? Yup they are. From a year ago to today I’m so proud my friend so proud. Literally can’t even sleep now.” – Serena Williams, in a Tweet congratulating Caroline Wozniacki’s victory.

“I want to congratulate Simona. I know today is a tough day and I’m sorry I had to win.” – Caroline Wozniacki, who won her first Grand Slam tournament title after losing her first two finals, to Simone Halep, who now has lost three Grand Slam tournament finals.

“I’m still losing and I’m still waiting. Maybe the fourth one will be with luck.” – Simona Halep, after her third Grand Slam tournament final disappointment.

“To be honest with you, regardless, I think I’ve had an incredible career. The end of the day, I think a lot of people would like to be in my position. Obviously adding a Grand Slam to my CV is what caps it off.” – Caroline Wozniacki.

“(I feel) like I’m still in a dream. I cannot believe it. It’s like a dream (that’s) real.” – Liang En Shuo

“After I was fortunate enough to achieve my dreams on the court, I have done my best to, in turn, help young people achieve theirs.” – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, after being made a Companion in the Order of Australia, the country’s highest honor.

“Honestly, I think that’s one of the most positive things about all of this. I’m never going to get that question again.” – Caroline Wozniacki, noting she will no longer be asked when she will win a Grand Slam tournament title.

 

SWISS MASTER

After winning a record-tying sixth Australian Open and his 20th Grand Slam tournament title, Roger Federer showed his human side. The Swiss master broke down in tears. “During the match I constantly thought about the fact that I could reach 20,” Federer told the Swiss TV station SRF. “I was nervous the whole day, I thought about what would happen if I lose, if I win. That’s why I broke down during the (post-match) speech.” And despite Federer’s strong start, winning the opening four games in just 13 minutes, the 36-year-old found himself in a battle with big-serving Marin Cilic. The Croat over-powered Federer in the fourth set, winning five consecutive games, and appeared to be dominating the match as the two began the fifth. “I got off to a flyer, but I froze in the tiebreak and lost that second set and lost control of the match,” Federer said. “I got a bit lucky tonight, I think.” He also found his serve again in the final set and won five of the last six games to once again walk away with the big trophy. “It was an amazing journey for me. It could have been the best two weeks of my life,” Cilic said. “I had the chance at the beginning of the fifth, but he played a great match.”

 

SWEET CAROLINE

Caroline Wozniacki turned her third Grand Slam tournament final into her first major title. “I’m sorry I’m just taking a second to hug Daphne,” Wozniacki said of the women’s singles champion trophy. “I dreamt of this moment so many years, to be here now it’s a dream come true.” Along with the biggest title of her career, Wozniacki also regains the number one ranking for the first time in six years, a record between stints at the top in the Open era. It was the first time in the Open era that players ranked one and two in the world faced each other in a major final without either having won a Grand Slam title. “I know that today is a tough day,” Wozniacki said to the runner-up, Simona Halep, who has now lost in three Grand Slam finals. “I’m sorry I had to win today, but I’m sure we’ll have many matches in the future. Incredible match, incredible fight. And again, I’m sorry.” Halep became dizzy and called a medical timeout in the second set to have her blood pressure taken. She then began grabbing at her left thigh between points, but won the set to level the match. Then it was the Dane’s turn. After losing her serve for a second straight time to fall behind 3-4, Wozniacki had her left leg taped by the trainer. She then won the next three games to capture her first Grand Slam title. Wozniacki is the third first-time major winner of the women’s singles in the last four Grand Slam tournaments.

Following the match, Halep was hospitalized and treated for dehydration.

 

SLAM TWICE

The Australian Open proved to be a financial windfall for Mate Pavic. The Croatian pocketed USD $325,000 in the fortnight after he teamed with Oliver Marach of Austria to win the men’s doubles, then with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski to capture the mixed doubles title. “I have to say I did not imagine that I’m able to do that,” Pavic said of his double doubles success.  The Australian Open was the first tournament Pavic and Dabrowski had played as a team. And they didn’t drop a set until the final, where they rallied to win the title in a match tiebreak when Dabrowski hit a return winner on match point.

 

SIDELINED?

Pain in his shoulder has slowed Grigor Dimitrov’s preparation to defend his title at next week’s Sofia Open. “I underwent a medical examination,” the Bulgarian said. “I didn’t feel well, I felt pain in my shoulder.” Dimitrov was upset in the Australian Open quarterfinals by Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund. Dimitrov blamed the loss on his fatigue. “I played some tough matches in Australia and I got tired,” the 26-year-old said.

 

STRONG SHOWING

Although blisters along with Roger Federer ended his run in the Australian Open semifinals, Hyeon Chung is heading home to South Korea as a hero. “I think he’s going to achieve next level excellence, Top 10 for sure,” Federer said of Chung. The 21-year-old Korean backed up his Next Gen ATP Finals title last November by eliminating Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev en route to the penultimate round of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. “I think (I took) a lot of confidence,” Chung said. “I played a lot of good players in the last two weeks. I can play more comfortable on the court with the great players like Roger. I think I can play better next time.” Chung became the first player from Korea – male or female – to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.

 

STAR FROM TAIWAN

South Korea’s Hyeon Chung wasn’t the only young Asian to blossom at the Australian Open. Liang En Shuo became the first player from Chinese Taipei to become a Grand Slam girls’ singles champion when she stopped Clara Burel of France in straight sets. And she wasn’t finished. Liang teamed with China’s Wang Xinyu to win the junior girls doubles, downing Violet Apisah of Papua New Guinea and Lulu Sun of Switzerland. Liang joins Wang Shi-ting, the current Chinese Taipei Fed Cup captain, and Latisha Chan, currently the top-ranked doubles player, as players from their country to win a junior girls’ Grand Slam title. Wang partnered Nicole Pratt to win the French Open girls’ doubles in 1989, while Chan and China’s Sun Sheng-nan won the Australian Open girls’ title in 2004.

 

SENDS REGARDS

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer may be one and two in the rankings and big competitors on a tennis court. But that doesn’t affect their friendship when they aren’t facing each other, usually with a tournament title on the line. Because a right leg injury, Nadal was forced to retire in his fifth-set Australian Open quarterfinal against Marin Cilic. “I wrote to Rafa late last night before I went to bed,” Federer said in an on-court interview. “It was the last thing I did, to make sure he was OK. It was not nice to see a rival and friend go out.” Nadal said the injury was “not so serious. In the next few days I will be in sports rest and perform anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. The doctors tell me that in two weeks I will be able to get back on court, progressively resuming my workouts. … I will play in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami.”

 

SPLITSVILLE AGAIN

Twenty years to the day after Petr Korda won the Australian Open men’s singles title, his son, Sebastian, won the Australian Open junior singles boys crown. In keeping with family tradition, Sebastian celebrated with the same scissor-kick routine his dad performed in 1998 after beating Marcelo Rios of Chile. Sebastian Korda beat Taiwan’s Tseng Chun-hsin to win his title. “It feels pretty good,” young Korda said. “It’s definitely special, including being here in Australia. My sister won her first title here, as well. My dad won his only Grand Slam title here, so it’s very special.” Korda’s sister, Jessica, is a golfer and won her first professional title, the Women’s Australian Open, in Melbourne in 2012. “I would love to be there, especially 20 years later, it’s very special for me,” Petr Korda said. “But I decided to stay home to let him enjoy the Australian Open the way he needs to enjoy it. If I would be there, I believe I would be a distraction because that trip would not be about him, it would all be about dad’s 20th (anniversary).”

 

SPOTLIGHT

Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won the Australian Open women’s singles four time, has been made a Companion in the Order of Australia, the country’s highest honor. Now 66, Goolagong Cawley won the Australian Open women’s singles in four consecutive years, 1974 thr4ough 1977, along with five Australian Open doubles titles. She also won Wimbledon twice and the French Open once, as well as the Wimbledon doubles in 1974. Her latest honor is in recognition to her services to tennis and her work as a role model and advocate for young Indigenous Australians.

 

STAYING AWAY

Citing problems between Israel and the Palestinians, Thulas Nxesi, South Africa’s Sports and Recreation minister, says he will boycott the Davis Cup tie between Israel and South Africa this weekend. “International solidarity and the boycott against Apartheid South Africa played a big role in our liberation,” Nxesi wrote in a letter. “Indeed, one of the most well-known slogans came out of that contest – ‘no normal sport with an abnormal regime!’” While Nxesi says he’s staying away, Tennis South Africa (TSA) said that while the event has “evoke a variety of views from different groups within our society,” the competition will go on as planned.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Newport Beach (men): James Cerretani and Leander Paes beat Treat Huey and Denis Kudla 6-4 7-5

Newport Beach (women): Misaki Doi and Jil Teichmann beat Jamie Loeb and Rebecca Peterson 7-6 (4) 1-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

 

lavackov

SURFING

Dallas: www.tennischampionshipsofdallas.com/

Midland: www.dowtennisclassic.com

St. Petersburg: http://wta.formulatx.com/en/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

Sofia: https://sofiaopen.bg/en

Quito: www.ecuadoropen.com.ec/

Montpellier: www.opensuddefrance.com/

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$125,000 The RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA, hard

 

WOMEN

$799,000 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard

$250,000 Taiwan Open, Taipei, Taiwan, hard

$100,000 Dow Tennis Classic, Midland, Michigan, USA, hard

 

DAVIS CUP

(First Round)

 

WORLD GROUP

France vs. Netherlands at Albertville, France, hard

Japan vs. Italy at Morioka, Japan, carpet

Spain vs. Great Britain at Marbella, Spain, clay

Australia vs. Germany at Brisbane, Australia, hard

Kazakhstan vs. Switzerland at Astana, Kazakhstan, carpet

Croatia vs. Canada at Ostjek, Croatia, clay

Serbia vs. United States at Nis, Serbia, clay

Belgium vs. Hungary at Liege, Belgium, hard

 

GROUP I

Americans Zone: Chile vs. Ecuador at Santiago, Chile, clay; Barbados vs. Colombia at St. Michael, Barbados, hard; Dominican Republic vs. Brazil at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. New Zealand at Tianjin, China, hard; Pakistan vs. Korea at Islamabad, Pakistan, grass

Europe/Africa Zone: South Africa vs. Israel at Centurion, South Africa, hard; Ukraine vs. Sweden at Dnipro, Ukraine, hard; Austria vs. Belarus at St. Polten, Austria, clay

 

GROUP II

Americas Zone: Guatemala vs. Venezuela at Guatemala, Guatemala, hard; El Salvador vs. Uruguay at San Salvador, El Salvador, hard; Mexico vs. Puerto Rico at Tijuana, Mexico, hard; Bolivia vs. Peru at La Paz, Bolivia

Asia/Oceania Zone: Sri Lanka vs. Thailand at Colombo, Sri Lanka, clay; Indonesia vs. Philippines at Jakarta, Indonesia, hard; Hong Kong vs. Iran at Hong Kong, hard; Lebanon vs. Chinese Taipei at Beirut, Lebanon, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: Romania vs. Luxembourg at Piatra Neamt, Romania, hard; Morocco vs. Georgia at Marrakech, Morocco, clay; Slovenia vs. Poland at Maribor, Slovenia, hard; Zimbabwe vs. Turkey at Harare, Zimbabwe, hard; Egypt vs. Norway at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, hard; Denmark vs. Ireland at Birkerod, Denmark, hard; Tunisia vs. Finland at Tunis, Tunisia, hard; Lithuania vs. Estonia at Siauliai, Lithuania, hard

 

GROUP IV

Asia/Oceania Zone at Muscat Oman, hard: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Guam, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Oman, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$697,930 Diema Xtra Sofia Open, Sofia, Bulgaria, hard

$697,930 Open Sud de France, Montpellier, France, hard

$561,345 Ecuador Open, Quito, Ecuador, clay

$100,000 Kunel Patel San Francisco Open, San Francisco, California, USA, hard

 

FED CUP

First Round

World Group

Belarus vs. Germany at Minsk, Belarus, hard

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

France vs. Belgium at La Roche-sur-Yon, France, hard

United States vs. Netherlands at Asheville, Tennessee, USA, hard

 

WORLD GROUP II

Slovakia vs. Russia at Bratislava, Slovakia, hard; Australia vs. Ukraine at Canberra, Australia, grass; Romania vs. Canada at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, hard; Italy vs. Spain at Chieti, Italy, clay

 

GROUP I

Americas Zone at Asuncion, Paraguay, clay: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela

Asia/Oceania Zone at New Delhi, India, hard: China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Thailand

Europe/Africa Zone at Tallinn, Estonia, hard: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey

 

GROUP II

Asia/Oceania Group at Isa Town, Bahrain, hard: Bahrain, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Pacific Oceania, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan

 

Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki