stan wawrinka

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams Register Hallmark Victories In Madrid – Mondays With Bob Greene

May 13, 2013 by Admin

Mondays With Bob Greene

STARS

Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-4 to win the Mutua Madrid Open women’s singles inMadrid,Spain

Rafael Nadal beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 to win the men’s singles at the Mutua Madrid Open inMadrid,Spain

Alex Bogomolov Jr. beat Rik de Voest 6-3 4-6 7-6 (2) to win the Kunming Challenger inKunming,China

Caroline Garcia beat Maryna Zanevska 6-0 4-6 6-3 to win the Open de Cagnes-Sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes inCagnes-Sur-Mer,France

SAYING

“Maybe this win is even more special given where I have come back from.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning inMadrid, his fifth title since returning from a seven-month layoff with a knee injury.

“Nadal showed again that he is the best on clay. Since he has come back he has shown that it is really tough to beat him.” – Stanislas Wawrinka, following his loss to Rafael Nadal in theMadridfinal.

“It feels good. I don’t know how many more I can win. Like I say everyday, ‘Who knows if I’ll ever win another title?’ I just want to live in the moment and the dream every chance I get. I feel like every moment I play – I don’t know if it’s because of what I went through – I feel like I’m so fortunate to be out there and healthy and to have an opportunity to play a sport and be really good at it.” – Serena Williams, following her victory over Maria Sharapova in the women’s final inMadrid.

“I started the match really slow today, and against an opponent like her you just can’t give her that because she plays extremely well when she’s confident. I wasn’t reacting well, I wasn’t moving well – obviously not only the double-faults that I made, but I also didn’t have a lot of great first serves in. There were a lot of things I could have changed out there on the court.” – Maria Sharapova.

“It’s always great to win a match like that, Of course he’s the number one, of course it’s a great feeling. But it’s just the beginning of the tournament. It was just second round if you think about it, so you just got to get ready for the next matches and make sure that you can do that again.” – Grigor Dimitrov, after upsetting top-seeded Novak Djokovic inMadrid.

“Actually, you know, to beat him, that was one of my goals for my tennis career. And it happens on clay, it’s amazing. You know it’s not really my favorite surface.” – Kei Nishikori, after ousting Roger Federer in a third-round match inMadrid.

“We only have one tournament here inSpainso for us it’s a really important week.” – Carla Suárez Navarro ofSpain, after stopping ninth-seeded Samantha Stosur inMadrid.

“It’s a pity because I was two points away from winning, but you have to be conscious that she’s the best in the world for a reason. I am at an age where I don’t look at results and rankings all the time. Although my results haven’t been the best this year, many of the matches I’ve lost have been with high-quality players and always only because of small margins.” – Anabel Medina Garrigues, who became only the seventh player to win a 6-0 set against Serena Williams.

“I usually just stay in my room really and be the most boring person you can ever imagine. That’s kind of the way I get focused.” – Serena Williams, explaining how she is focusing on her tennis these days.

“I’m very happy. I think I played a really good match. I think I played the best match of the whole week today in the final. Being able to play here inMadridand being able to win in front of all my people, is something really special.” – Rafael Nadal.

“That’s a tough one. Obviously I love being number one – in my heart I feel I’m number one. But I also love to win tournaments. So I think if I just win as many tournaments as I can, I’ll be number one. Hopefully.” – Serena Williams, when asked what was more important to her, being ranked number one in the world or winning tournaments.

SPANISH REIGN

If anyone had any doubts, Rafael Nadal sent a strong message that he is ready for Roland Garros by capturing his fifth title since returning from a seven-month layoff because of a knee injury. The 26-year-old Spaniard added the Mutua Madrid Open to his growing list of titles this year, also winning in Sao Paulo, Acapulco, Indian Wells and Barcelona. “Playing in Madridis always very exciting for me and the tournament couldn’t have worked out better,” Nadal said after dismantling Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 to capture the Madridcrown for the third time. “I think I played the best match of the whole week today in the final. Being able to play here in Madridand being able to win in front of all my people is something really special.” Besides winning five tournaments this year, he was a finalist in the other two: Vina del Marand Monte Carlo. Against Wawrinka, Nadal was supreme. “If you’re not completely there then he’s killing you, like he did at the beginning of the match,” Wawrinka said of his Spanish conqueror. “It was tough for me. I didn’t find the way how to play my game, how to be aggressive on the court. He was also dictating the points. Against him, it’s impossible.” Nadal won his 40^th clay-court title, pulling him even with Thomas Muster on the list of career winners on the surface and six behind Guillermo Vilas. Nadal has the best record on clay in the professional era and has won 40 of his 46 finals. He also has the most Masters titles with 23, two ahead of Roger Federer.

SERENA SUPREME

The world’s number one ranking was on the line as well as the women’s singles title at the Mutua Madrid Open when Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova took to the court. It was no contest as Serena blazed her way to her 50^th WTA title and retained the top spot in the rankings. “I’ve played her several times; I just tried to focus on what I was doing,” Williams said. “I don’t know if her start was shaky, but I felt I played well in the first few games – playing such a great athlete and great tennis player like Maria, you have to come out and play well. I really had no other choice.” Sharapova took a 3-1 lead in the second set before Williams tightened up her game once again. “I had that break in the second set, but I wasn’t able to go with it and hold it,” Sharapova said. “But starting the match like that isn’t going to get me anywhere, so that’s something I wish I could have changed today.” Williams improved her career record against Sharapova to 13-2, with her only two losses coming in 2004. It was Serena’s seventh clay court title, tying her with Sharapova and Flavia Pennetta for third place among active players for most WTA clay court titles. Serena’s sister Venus is second with nine and Anabel Medina Garrigues, whom Serena beat in the quarterfinals, leads with 10. Serena is the 10^th player to win 50 or more WTA titles, behind Martina Navratilova with 167, Chris Evert (154), Steffi Graf (107),Margaret Court (92), Evonne Goolagong (68), Billie Jean King (67), Lindsay Davenport (55), Virginia Wade (55) and Monica Seles (53).

Serena Williams delighted the crowd when, after receiving the winner’s trophy, she thanked the fans in Spanish.

SHOCKER I

The talk is that one day Grigor Dimitrov could be the next big player in men’s tennis. It just wasn’t expected to come so soon and against such a top foe. Battling through cramps, the 21-year-old Bulgarian stunned top-seeded Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Open. “Today was one of those days that I felt good on court. I felt I had enough hours of practice in the weeks before. I felt that I could actually hang with Novak the whole match,” Dimitrov said. And he did. The youngest of the six players aged 23 or under in the top 50 in the world, Dimitrov won the baseline battle of big bangers, ousting the world’s top-ranked player in a three-hour slugfest. He first drew attention when he won the junior boys titles atWimbledonand the US Open in 2008. In January, he lost theBrisbane,Australia, final to third-ranked Andy Murray. Last month, he took a set off of Rafael Nadal before losing in his first Masters quarterfinal inMonte Carlo. “First of all, I think that talent doesn’t really win matches. It helps you win matches, but doesn’t win the match itself. Of course this has been what I’ve been working for, to play matches like that, and why not win them,” Dimitrov asked.

SHOCKER II

Another one of the young guns on the ATP World Tour,Japan’s Kei Nishikori, made sure Roger Federer wasn’t going to win his second straight and fourth career Madrid Open title. The 23-year-old Nishikori shocked the Swiss maestro 6-4 1-6 6-2 in a third-round match on the clay courts. “Credit to Kei he got it done and was more solid in the wind,” said the 31-year-old Federer, playing his first tournament since taking a seven-week break from the men’s tour. “He played better than I did, so the better guy won today.” It was Nishikori’s fourth win over a top-five opponent. He started strong, then held on as Federer roared back to take the second set. In the third set, Nishikori reasserted his ground game, broke Federer to take a 3-1 lead, and then held on for the surprising win. “Beating Roger is, yeah … I need a couple of days to celebrate.”

SURPRISE FOR STOSUR

It didn’t take long for Carla Suárez Navarro to regain that winning feeling. One day after losing in the final of the Portugal Open, the Spanish right-hander pulled off a huge upset by ousting ninth-seeded Samantha Stosur in the first round of the Madrid Open. “We only had a small window to prepare for today’s match, but I was really focused,” said the 24-year-old who has yet to win a WTA Tour title. It was her seventh career victory over a top-10 player and it came before a home crowd. “Once I got here toMadridI didn’t think of what happened in Oeiras (Portugal) for a single moment. I just wanted to play the best I could here today.” That, she did.

STREAK OVER

Victoria Azarenka didn’t go quietly. The former world number one lost more than her match at theMadridOpen. She lost one of racquets when she broke it, lost her cool when she argued with chair umpire Mariana Alves and lost her season-opening win streak. With the 1-6 6-2 6-2 victory, Ekaterina Makarova snapped Azarenka’s match winning streak at 18. A large part of Azarenka’s problem was self-inflicted. The umpire had given Azarenka a warning at the end of the first set for an audible obscenity. Then, when she took out her frustration on her racquet, she was given a point penalty. “After all you’ve done, how are you still in the game?” Azarenka shouted at Alves while on court. Later, she explained: “I just felt it was a weird call for me because I had no idea I had a code violation. But, I mean, it happened. It didn’t help, for sure, but it’s OK. It’s my own fault.” The Belarusian committed five double-faults and made just a little over half of her first serve. It was her first event since her withdrawal from aCaliforniatournament in March due to an ankle injury. Alves was in the chair when she made some poor calls during Jennifer Capriati’s win over Serena Williams at the US Open in 2004. That match is considered to be the impetus for the use of the Hawk-Eye line-calling system the following year.

SWITCH TO BUSINESS SIDE

Two former number one players – Venus Williams and Andy Roddick – will become part owners of World TeamTennis (WTT), the month-long league for male and female players. Making the announcement was Billie Jean King, who has run theWTTsince the 1970s. King said it is “important to have the younger generation involved in our strategic planning.” Both Williams and Roddick will help identify new markets and reach out to potential owners, sponsors, fans and players. Roddick hopes to start a team in his home ofAustin,Texas,USA. Although becoming part owners, the two will continue to play for theirWTTteams: Williams for the two-time defending champion Washington Kastles and Roddick with the Lasers of Springfield, Missouri, USA. The league hopes to expand from eight to 16 teams by 2018.

SUSPENDED

The father of Bernard Tomic has been suspended from all ATP World Tour events after he was involved in an altercation on aMadridstreet. John Tomic told aMadridcourt that he had acted in self-defense when he head-butted his son’s practice coach, Thomas Drouet, in the face, breaking his nose. “I don’t feel guilty, I didn’t do anything wrong,” the elder Tomic said. His Spanish lawyer, Carmen Dieguez, said Tomic did not dispute that he had caused Drouet’s injuries but said he had had no other choice to butt him as Drouet had grabbed him by the arms. “Following last week’s incident in Madrid concerning John Tomic, and the ensuing investigation, Mr. Tomic’s credential privileges have been suspended at all ATP tournaments until further notice,” the men’s tour said in a statement. “The ATP’s investigation into this incident remains ongoing.”

Bernard Tomic,Australia’s young star, has pulled out of this week’s Rome Masters, the final major clay court event before Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.

SAYONARA

Having struggled with injury and illness the last few years, Anastasija Sevastova has decided to retire. In 2010 she became the only player from Latviain the last 20 years to win a WTA title, capturing the crown at Estoril Portugal. The last female from Latviato win a WTA title was Larisa Savchenko, who won Schenectadyin 1993. Sevastova had wins over two Top-10 players, Jelena Jankovic and Samantha Stosur, and was ranked 36^th in the world in 2011, the year she reached the second week of the Australian Open. She missed nine tournaments in 2011 because of illness, and another one in 2013. An elbow injury sidelined her for four months in 2012. “ Because of almost three years of continuing illnesses, injuries and the related problems, I don’t see myself carrying on in this complex sport at the highest possible level,” Sevastova said in a statement. “I am and will always be grateful for everything tennis has given to me.”

STILL WINNING

Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan continue rewriting the doubles record book. The American twins won their fifth Mutua Madrid Open by beating Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. It was their record 87^th career trophy and fifth title of this year. The second-most titles won by a doubles team is 61 by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde. By improving their career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals record to 23-17, the only ATP World Tour Masters 1000 the Bryans have not won is the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The final was their 30^th match win of the year. “It feels great to get another title here inMadrid,” Bob Bryan said. “It’s been a nice clay-court season so far and we’re looking forward to two more big events on the dirt.”
SINGAPORE SITE SET

The women’s tennis tour finale will be held inSingaporefor five years. The Southeast Asian city-state beat outTianjin,China, andMonterrey,Mexico, for the right to stage the WTA Championships beginning in 2014 with a record purse of USD $6.5 million. “Your sensational city, the amazing city ofSingapore, has won the right to host the WTA Championships for the next five years from 2014,” WTA chairman and chief executive Stacey Allaster said. The top eight singles and doubles pairs over the season qualify for the event, which was won last year by Serena Williams. The season-ender is the most prestigious women’s tennis event outside the four Grand Slam tournaments – the Australian Open, Roland Garros,Wimbledonand the US Open. The WTA Championships will end its three-year stint inIstanbul,Turkey, in October.

SO GOOD, SO CLOSE

Anabel Medina Garrigues joined a select group during the Mutua Madrid Open. The Spanish right-hander became just the seventh player to win a set 6-0 against Serena Williams. “It’s the first time I achieved that and it’s something I never thought I could do, and even though I lost I’m very happy about that and how I played,” she said after the world’s top-ranked player won their quarterfinal match 6-3 0-6 7-5. “It was a pity. It was a match that I enjoyed a lot,” the Spaniard said. “I managed to take a set off the number one player in the world and not lose a game.” She also came within two points of winning the match. Others besides Medina Garrigues to take a 6-0 set off Serena Williams have been Alexia Dechaume-Balleret, Mary Joe Fernandez, Jelena Jankovic, Justine Henin, Patty Schnyder and Venus Williams.

SQUEAKER

Andy Murray is the newest member of the 400-wins club. And it wasn’t easy. Great Britain’s top player reached the milestone in his first match at the Mutua Madrid Open by outlasting Florian Mayer 7-6 (11) 7-6 (3).Murraysaved five set points before taking the opening set, and then had to rally from a break down in the second set. “It’s always difficult playing your first match at altitude,”Murraysaid. “I felt like I hit the ball very well today, very few miss-hits. I just didn’t return so well. That was the only thing I would have liked to have done better.”

SALUTING HINGIS

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is credited Martina Hingis for helping her improve not only her singles game, but also her doubles. It paid off at the Mutua Madrid Open as Pavlyuchenkova teamed with Lucie Safarova to win the women’s doubles, beating Cara Black and Marina Erakovic. “She’s great, and Lucie and I improved in doubles as well, thanks to her,” Pavlyuchenkova said of Hingis. “She gave us some amazing advice here.” Hingis was ranked number one in the world in both singles and doubles during her career. Pavlyuchenkova and Safarova now have two WTA doubles titles together, their first one coming atCharleston,South Carolina,USA, last year. Individually, Pavlyuchenkova now has four WTA doubles titles, Safarova three.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Cagnes-Sur-Mer: Vania King and Arantxa Rus beat Catalina Castano and Teliana Pereira 4-6 7-5 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Kunming: Samuel Groth and John-Patrick Smith beat Go Saeda and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-4 6-1

Madrid (men): Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Alexander Reya and Bruno Soares 6-2 6-3

Madrid (women): Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova beat Cara Black and Marina Erakovic 6-2 6-4

SURFING

Madrid: www.madrid-open.com/

Cagnes-Sur-Mer: www.opendecagnes.com

Rome: www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/

Prague: www.spartapragueopen.cz

Bordeaux: www.atp-primrosebordeaux.com/

Düsseldorf: http://power-horse-cup.com/

Nice: www.opennicecotedazur.com/

Brussels: www.wta-brusselsopen.com

Strasbourg: www.internationaux-strasbourg.fr/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$3,470,878 InternazionaliBNLd’Italia,Rome,Italy, clay

$111,351BNPParibas PrimroseBordeaux,Bordeaux,France

WOMEN

$2,369,000 InternazionaliBNLd’Italia,Rome,Italy, clay

$100,000 Sparta Prague Open,Prague,Czech Republic, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$532,623 Power Horse Cup,Düsseldorf,Germany, clay

$532,623 Open de Nice Côte d’Azur,Nice,France, clay

WOMEN

$690,000 Brussels Open,Brussels,Belgium, clay

$235,000 Internationaux deStrasbourg,Strasbourg,France, clay

Roland Garros Prize Money Increase Begins in 2013: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

April 17, 2013 by Justin Cohen

By Justin Cohen @JustinCohen44

Novak Djokovic_Roland Garros — Novak Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier

Roland Garros prize money increases announced

The FFT announced increase to Roland Garros prize money, with the payout for the 2013 men’s events to rise to $10.1 million (EU) – a 19 per cent increase on 2012 prize money levels. It also announced plans to increase compensation for the men’s event to $15 million (EU) by 2016. ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett welcomed the news. “The Roland Garros prize money increases are another positive step forward for our players and we welcome the long-term commitment the FFT has made through 2016,” he said. “Following on from the Australian Open and US Open increases, Roland Garros is the latest Grand Slam to step up and recognize the input the players have in the success of its tournament. The progress that has been made through our discussions with the Slams over the past 15 months has been truly significant for our sport as a whole.” The biggest per cent increases will take place in the second, third and fourth rounds, which will increase by 25 per cent from 2012.

Nishikori signs endorsement deal with Japanese Credit Card Company JACCS

According to Olivier Van Lindonk, Vice President of IMG Tennis, World No. 16 Kei Nishikori has signed an endorsement deal with Japanese credit card company JACCS. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wawrinka hires Mangus Norman on trial basis

Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland has agreed to a trial coaching agreement with former World No. 2 Magnus Norman of Sweden. The duo will work together mainly before and during major championships. Wawrinka has been without a coach for more than 12 months. He said, “I have been eager to work with Magnus for many years now and I’m very excited to finally have that opportunity. “We will explore our relationship through this test period and I have no doubt it will bear fruit with hard work and dedication. I am excited to learn from his experiences. He is a fantastic coach and was a great player, so I only see an upside to this relationship. He most certainly will add a different dimension to my game.” Norman previously coached Robin Soderling.

Djokovic, Tipsarevic receive ATP ACES For Charity Grants in Monte-Carlo

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and fellow Serbian Janko Tipsarevic were each recently presented with their $10,000 (EU) ATP ACES For Charity grants from ATP Europe CEO Laurent Delanney during this week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco. The grants will respectively support The Novak Djokovic Foundation, an advocate for childhood development and inclusive preschool education, and Čika Boca, a support group for families affected by childhood cancer. Djokovic and Tipsarevic are among 14 recipients of the 2013 ATP ACES For Charity grants. Entering its third year, the ATP ACES For Charity program is a global initiative aimed at giving back to communities where ATP World Tour events are played, as well as recognizing and supporting tournament and player charitable initiatives.

Querrey, Sock to play in Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport

Americans Sam Querrey and Jack Sock have signed up to compete in the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I., which will take place this summer from July 8-14 on the historic grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Querrey and Sock will join John Isner and Ryan Harrison as early American commitments. “Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, John Isner, and Ryan Harrison are all fan favorites in Newport- and rightfully so. They always deliver exciting tennis, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Newport for a great tournament, ” said Tournament Director Mark Stenning. “Having four of the top American players in our field is a great way to kick off the American summer swing of the ATP World Tour.” Tickets for the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships and Class of 2013 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony are on sale now. Hall of Fame Members receive $5 off all tickets for Monday-Thursday, $5 off weekend tickets at certain membership levels, and an array of other great membership benefits during the tournament. Tickets and Hall of Fame memberships may be purchased by calling 401-849-6053 or online at HallofFameTennisChampionships.com.

Philadelphia Freedoms hosting Battle of the Sexes at Merion Cricket Club on April 19

The Philadelphia Freedoms of Mylan World TeamTennis will be hosting a Battle of the Sexes match on April 19 at the Merion Cricket Club featuring 11-time Grand Slam women’s and mixed doubles champion Lisa Raymond and Tatiana Panova. Raymond, a former University of Florida standout will lead the women’s team as they take on the men’s squad led by current Freedoms head coach Josh Cohen and Merion Cricket Club Head Tennis Professional Pascal Collard. The match will be played under Mylan World TeamTennis rules. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. EST and tickets cost only $25, which includes a cash bar and light snacks. To order your tickets, call (215) 667-8132.

Rheborg named new GAMMA Regional Sales Manager

GAMMA representatives announced that Bjorn Rheborg, who is based out of Atlanta, has joined the GAMMA Sports Sales Team as the Regional Sales Manager for Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Southern Virginia.

Chicago’s Leah Friedman named Professional Tennis Registry Member of the Year

The Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will name Chicago’s Leah Friedman as the PTR Member of the Year at this week’s 2013 PTR International Tennis Symposium. This award is presented to a PTR member in the United States who has shown dedication and diligence in promoting and supporting tennis and PTR. She has also been selected to receive the PTR/USTA Community Service Award. Friedman selected to receive this award by the USTA (United States Tennis Association). This is a national recognition for the PTR member who has demonstrated exceptional skill and loyalty in his/her efforts to support and implement programs of PTR and USTA. Friedman is the 10 and Under Tennis/USTA Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator for the Chicago District of the USTA Midwest Section. She is truly dedicated to expanding opportunities for all children by working with community centers, schools, religious centers, and tennis clubs to develop and enhance their 10 and Under Programs. She is a PTR 10 & Under Tennis Clinician, a USTA National Trainer, and serves on the Wilson 10 and Under Advisory Team. She has presented at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, PTR International Symposium and various Midwest conferences.

The Longest Tennis Matches of All Time, Courtesy of Bud Collins

February 3, 2013 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol’s historic Davis Cup doubles victory in 7 hours, 2 minutes over Stan Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli set a new standard as the longest doubles match and longest Davis Cup match of all time.

Of course the Czech’s 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 24-22 win over the Swiss team in Geneva was still four hours and three minutes shy of equaling the 11 hours, 5 minute epic performed by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in their 70-68 in the fifth set first-round epic at Wimbledon in 2010. It now stands, however, as the second longest match ever played.

In his authoritative volume THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS (available here for $35.95: http://www.amazon.com/The-Collins-History-Tennis-Authoritative/dp/0942257707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359897048&sr=8-1&keywords=bud+collins+history+of+tennis) Hall of Fame tennis historian and personality Bud Collins summarizes all of the longest tennis matches of all time, listed below.

Longest Matches— Time

Men’s Singles

11:05 John Isner d. Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68, 2010 Wimbledon first round

6:33 Fabrice Santoro d. Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14, 2004 French Open first round

6:22 John McEnroe d. Mats Wilander 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6, 5^th rubber, Davis Cup Quarterfinal, St. Louis, Mo, 1982

6:20 Boris Becker d. John McEnroe 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2, Davis Cup, Qualifying Round, Hartford, 1987

Women’s Singles

6:31 Vicki Nelson Dunbar d. Jean Hepner, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11), 1984, Richmond, Va., first round (tie-breaker alone lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes, one point lasted 29 minutes, a rally of 643 strokes)

4:44 Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14, 2011 Australian Open fourth round (

4:19 Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova d Regina Kulikova 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 2010 Australian Open first round

Men’s Doubles

6:20 Lucas Arnold and David Nalbandian d. Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, 2003 Davis Cup semifinals 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 19-17, 2002 Davis Cup Semifinal, Moscow

Where Does The Novak Djokovic-Stan Wawrinka Epic Australian Open Match Rank All Time?

January 20, 2013 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

In the context of the greatest ever tennis matches, where does Novak Djokovic’s 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 12-10 win over Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round of the Australian Open rank?

Longtime tennis observer and historian, Steve Flink, author of the book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME, has his opinion.

“It will be remembered as one of the ten finest matches at the Australian Open in the Open Era,” said Flink. “I can’t put this up there with an epic battle like (Rafael) Nadal-Djokovic in the Australian Open final a year ago. The best matches of all in my view are clashes between two champions who have established their greatness.”

Djokovic, the world No. 1 kept alive his hopes of becoming the first player to win three straight Australian Open men’s singles titles in the Open Era with the 5 hour and 2 minute victory, only the fourth time in the tournament’s history a match has extended passed five hours.

In last year’s Australian Open final, Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in 5 hours, 53 minutes, the longest final in the history of major championships and the No. 7 rated match of all time according to Flink in his book.

Many expected Djokovic, who rolled through his first three matches without losing a set, to routinely beat Wawrinka, seeded No. 15 and best known as Roger Federer’s gold medal-winning Olympic doubles partner in 2008. Wawrinka dazzled the Australian crowd, and had Djokovic shaking his head in frustration, with brilliant shot-making from the baseline, especially his noted flailing one-handed backhand.

“Wawrinka played the match of his life and still lost,” said Flink. “His ground game has never been better and he stayed toe to toe with Djokovic for more than five hours. The standard was incredibly high from his side of the net.”

Wawrinka pounced on Djokovic early, streaking to a 6-1, 5-2 lead, breaking the world No. 1’s serve five straight times. Wawrinka was two points from taking a two-sets-to-love lead at 5-3, 30-0, but was unable to close out Djokovic, who won five games in a row to tie the match at one set apiece. At that point in the match, many observers waited for Wawrinka to fold, unable to come to grips mentally with his lost opportunity. However, the Swiss Davis Cupper continued to fight hard, even after losing the third set, did not let Djokovic run away with the match and gutted out the fourth-set tie-breaker, winning it on his third set point 7-5.

Wawrinka then opened the fifth set by breaking Djokovic’s serve, but was unable to consolidate the hold, being broken right back the next game. Wawrinka had four break points at 4-4 in the final set, but lost two on unforced errors and one on a forehand return of serve that apparently just landed out. Wawrinka looked to confirm the call by looking to chair umpire Enric Molina who nodded in agreement with the call and Wawrinka chose not to challenge the call on the Hawk-Eye replay system. However, the ESPN2 TV replay from Hawk-Eye revealed the ball did land on the line and Wawrinka would have received another break point chance had he challenged, but not given the point since Djokovic had a play on the ball. Djokovic then held serve two points later and then broke through to victory on his third match point in the climatic 24^th game.

“The 12-10 fifth set was stupendous,” said Flink. “Wawrinka’s shotmaking was extraordinary. Djokovic won this largely on willpower.”

Said Djokovic to Jim Courier in his on-court post-match interview, “It’s really hard to find the words to describe the feeling that we had tonight, especially in the fifth set. He deserved equally to be the winner of this match. I give him a lot of credit and respect.”

“He was the aggressive player on the court,” Djokovic contined. “I was just trying to hang in there and tried to fight and give the last drop of energy. He was playing well, mixing it up, using the right tactics and serving extremely well. I just believed all the time that I could come back into the match and I did. Then all the credit to him. He managed to win the fourth and he was a break up (in the fifth). It could have gone either way.”

With THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS book as a reference, the Djokovic-Wawrinka match was only eclipsed in time by three other matches in the history of the Australian Open, the 5:11 match between Boris Becker and Omar Camporese in 1991, the 5:14 match between Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in 2009 and the Djokovic-Nadal 5:53 final from 2012.

Flink likened the Djokovic-Wawrinka match to the Andy Roddick-Younes El Aynaoui Australian Open quarterfinal played ten years ago in 2003, Roddick winning 21-19 in the fifth set. Following that match with El Aynaoui, Roddick had little energy left, and had injured his right arm, and lost meekly in the semifinals to Rainer Schuettler and was forced to withdraw from Davis Cup duty the following week.

Next up for Djokovic is No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych, who will be the much fresher player having not lost a set in his four matches en route to the quarterfinals.

Flink’s THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME ($28.95, available here http://m1e.net/c?136411415-tfM0NfrCZCZ3k%408131538-VOplve.tM23zA) features profiles and rankings of the greatest matches of all time dating from the 1920s featuring Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen up through the modern era of tennis featuring contemporary stars Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Flink breaks down, analyzes and puts into historical context the sport’s most memorable matches, providing readers with a courtside seat at these most celebrated and significant duels. Flink’s fascinating “greatest strokes of all time” section ranks and describes the players who best executed all the important shots in the game through the years.

THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS by Bud Collins ($35.95, available here: http://m1e.net/c?136411415-7WdsA/AlmdeFI%408131537-1M.rsdmBplZ8c) is the ultimate compilation of historical tennis information written by the world’s most famous tennis journalist and tennis historian. The book includes year-by-year recaps of every tennis season, biographical sketches of every major tennis personality, as well as stats, records, and championship rolls for all the major events. The author’s personal relationships with major tennis stars offer insights into the world of professional tennis found nowhere else.

Murray, Sharapova Thrive, Radwanska Falters in Olympic Tennis under Wimbledon Roof

July 29, 2012 by Admin

By Randy Walker

For the first time in 100 years, Olympic tennis was played indoors.

The roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon – complete with its own @WimbledonRoof Twitter profile – was closed Sunday on the second day of Olympic tennis as torrential rains hammered the All England Club.

It marked the first time since 1912 when the Stockholm Games had a separate indoor tennis event that Olympic tennis was played indoors. The 1912 and 1908 Olympic Games, curiously, held both indoor and outdoor tennis competitions.

Julia Goerges of Germany and No. 2 seed Agnieska Radwanska of Poland had the distinction of playing the historic first indoor match of the day at the All England Club, with Goerges registering the biggest upset so far of the Games defeating the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.

Also under the Wimbledon roof, No. 4 seed Andy Murray, making his return to Centre Court three weeks after being the first Brit to reach the Wimbledon men’s final in 74 years, defeated Swiss flag-bearer Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 6-3. Murray and Warinka, in fact, played the first complete match under the roof in Wimbledon history back in 2009, Murray winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a round of 16 match that concluded at 10:39 pm.

Maria Sharapova made her long-awaited Olympic debut also under the roof, defeating Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-0. Sharapova said “I have been waiting for this moment since I was a little girl,” of her Olympic debut to Rennae Stubbs courtside following the match on Bravo TV. Sharapova did not compete in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, shortly after her breakthrough victory as a 17-year-old at Wimbledon, and was forced to withdraw from the 2008 Beijing Games due to her shoulder injury that hampered her career for the better part of two years.

With many first-round singles and doubles matches postponed due to the inclement weather, Olympic officials may become hard-pressed to finish the Olympic tennis event on time should rain further rain postpone a significant number of matches this week. For full Olympic tennis results and schedule information, go to www.ITFTennis.com.

When Olympic tennis was last played indoors back in 1912 in Stockholm, it was the most popular event of the Games with spectators lining up for three hours to get glimpses of the matches. The Swedish Royal family attended the matches daily. Andre Gobert of France was the surprise gold medalist in indoor men’s singles, defeating Britain’s Charles Dixon in the final. Dixon upset Wimbledon champion Tony Wilding of New Zealand in the semifinals – Wilding settling for a bronze medal. The women’s indoor tennis field only featured eight players, Edith Hannam of Britain emerging with the gold medal defeating Sophie Castenschiold of Denmark 6-4, 6-3 after trailing 0-3 in both sets.

As documented in the Kindle Ebook Olympic Tennis: An Historical Snapshot (available here for $2.99 http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Tennis-Historical-Snapshot-ebook/dp/B008EOXW40/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343581861&sr=1-1&keywords=Olympic+Tennis) at the 1908 London Games, the indoor event was held in May at the Queens Club, while the All England Club on Worple Road conducted an outdoor event after the Wimbledon Championships were held in July. At the indoor event, Great Britain and Sweden were the only competing nations as Britain’s Arthur Gore defeated teammate George Caridia to win the gold medal in men’s singles. Gore would follow up his Olympic success by winning the men’s singles title at Wimbledon two months later. In women’s singles, Gladys Eastlake-Smith beat countrywomen Alice Greene to win gold, then got married two days later!

Roger Federer: The Apologist

February 15, 2012 by Charles Bricker

Roger Federer spent much of Monday putting out statements of apology and asking the Swiss public to forgive his choice of words after he appeared to lay the blame for a 5-0 Davis Cup loss to the U.S. on his teammate, Stan
Wawrinka.

“If I have committed a fault, I am sorry for all the world,” was what Federer said in translation.

Federer had been scorched by a multitude of internet comments to web sites in Switzerland after saying during the lost weekend of tennis that Wawrinka had played “not so good.” As for himself, Federer refused to find fault with either his four-set loss to John Isner in singles or his loss with Wawrinka in doubles.

He told a press conference in Fribourg, where the tie was held, that he thought he played pretty well. Stan, however, had his difficulties, Federer said.

Web site users ripped into Federer for the remarks and it was obviously so widespread that Federer felt he had to do some damage control.

Why he would criticize Wawrinka is a mystery to me. The Swiss No. 2 was No. 28 in the world while Fish was No. 8. The two men had played twice before this tie with Fish winning both times. It’s true that those wins were on hardcourts, but neither of these players had carved out a reputation as great clay courters, so, despite the “away” venue, Fish was justifiably the favorite, though he had to go 9-7 in the fifth set to win.

Federer, who had earlier that day lost to Isner, said it was a pity that Wawrinka didn’t win because it would have “put pressure on the U.S.” to win the doubles on Day 2. Why wasn’t it a pity Federer didn’t win, in order to
relieve some of the pressure on Wawrinka?

Federer’s whining wasn’t the only bad vibes coming from the Swiss players, who were moaning even before the tie about the venue (about 2,000 feet above sea level) and the surface (indoor clay). But how could they complain
when they picked the venue and surface?

In his effort to patch things up with Wawrinka, Federer said he would love to play Davis Cup doubles with him again.

Charles Bricker can be reached at _nflwriterr@aol.com

Fish, Mike Bryan Propel USA Over Federer, Switzerland

February 11, 2012 by WTM

By Staff and Wire Reports

The U.S. Davis Cup team can take out their brooms in Switzerland.

The USA swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup as Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to give the U.S. an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best of five match series.

Teaming up for only the second time, Fish and Bryan comfortably handled the 2008 Olympics doubles champions in front of an occasionally hostile 7,000-strong Swiss crowd.

“This is probably going down as one of the most memorable (wins),” said Bryan, who played on the 2007 winning team.

The Americans were kept under control for a set and a half, then seized every opportunity they had to exploit errors on Wawrinka’s service.

Fish and Bryan picked up the momentum of a fantastic Friday for captain Jim Courier’s team in a first-round tie played on an indoor clay-court selected by Federer.

In the singles, Fish outlasted Wawrinka in five sets and John Isner stunned Federer in four sets.

“Our attitude remained strong all the while and we were ready for whatever. That is what you need for any road tie,” Courier said.

Fish partnered doubles specialist Bryan because his regular partner, twin brother Bob, was unavailable after his daughter was born last week.

Their only previous Davis Cup partmership also was a victory, in five sets against Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in a 2008 semifinal in Madrid which Spain won 4-1.

“It’s great that the guy I have to tee it up with is the best doubles player ever. I’m just trying to do my part,” said Fish, who had played four hours, 26 minutes to win on Friday

Mike Bryan extended his impressive record in Davis Cup doubles to 20-2, and is unbeaten in 11 away matches.

In a match of few break point chances, the Swiss took their opportunity off Fish’s serve in the opening game when Wawrinka struck a winner.

Federer served for the set, but the first chance was lost when Bryan’s forehand looped off the net cord as a winner over Wawrinka.

That stroke of luck brought boos from some fans — a sign of tension in the sold-out arena after Friday’s surprising home defeats.

Wawrinka’s angled volley winner created a second chance, which was taken when Fish’s backhand was long.

The United States broke through in the sixth game of the second set, as Wawrinka twice double-faulted and Fish hit a rare crosscourt winner from the baseline.

The Americans seized on more Wawrinka errors in the third set, as the Swiss hit back-to-back wayward volleys to drop serve.

Bryan angered the home fans in the next game when he made Federer yelp with pain with a forehand volley that struck his legs.

On Federer’s serve, the U.S. held two set points and Bryan’s volley down the middle split the helpless Swiss pair.

Bryan’s double-fist pump celebration drew more whistles from Swiss fans.

The American was becoming the villain of the story, and he struck Wawrinka in the midriff with a volley when both came to the net in the opening game of the fourth set. Bryan’s rapid apologies each time failed to quell Swiss fans’ frustration.

“I wasn’t trying to hit anybody. It happens in doubles,” Bryan said. “The fans were looking to get into the match and I’ve seen it a hundred times in Davis Cup.”

Bryan repeated his victory dance when breaking Wawrinka to lead 3-1 in the fourth, firing a forehand winner into the open court after Federer volleyed back another net cord that favored the Americans.

The match ended on another Wawrinka error, as his service return went long.

The U.S. will travel again for its quarterfinal match in April, against either France or Canada.

Isner Upset Over Federer, Fish Marathon Win Pace U.S. Davis Cup Team

February 10, 2012 by WTM

From Wire Reports

The United States took a surprising 2-0 lead against Switzerland in its 2012 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first round match on a temporary indoor red clay court at the Forum Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland. John Isner stunned Roger Federer in four sets to earn his first win in a live Davis Cup singles match after Mardy Fish opened the tie with a 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7 win over Stan Wawrinka.

John Isner win over Roger Federer Davis Cup — John Isner wins over Roger Federer

The 17th-ranked Isner, the tallest man ever to play Davis Cup for the United States at 6-foot-9, played big against world No. 3 Federer, who had won 15 straight Davis Cup singles matches dating back to the 2003 semifinals. The conditions suited Isner, who had a modest 15-21 (.417) record on clay. Federer was 163-50 (.814) on clay entering the contest and nine of his 70 titles were won on the surface, including the 2009 French Open. It was Federer’s first loss to an American on clay since a first round setback to Vince Spadea in Monte Carlo in 1999.

Fish improved to 3-0 against Wawrinka with his five-set victory. The match lasted 4 hours and 26 minutes and was the third longest in U.S. Davis Cup team history since the tiebreaker was introduced to Davis Cup in 1989. Fish has become a marathon man of sorts as five of his last singles Davis Cup singles matches were decided in the fifth set (the other was a four set match that lasted more than 4 hours).

Two things seem certain for Saturday’s doubles match: Mike Bryan will play for the U.S. and it will be just the second time he will play doubles in Davis Cup without his twin brother Bob, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s first child last week. Mike is nominated to play with Davis Cup rookie Ryan Harrison, but captains are allowed to change their doubles lineup up to one hour before the match is scheduled to begin.

The Bryans are the No. 1 doubles team in the world and have the most victories as a doubles team in U.S. Davis Cup history (18) and each posted a victory with another partner. Mike partnered Mardy Fish in the 2008 semifinals in Spain while Bob and John Isner teamed in the 2010 first round in Serbia.

The United States can clinch the tie and advance to April’s quarterfinals with a win in doubles. The U.S. Davis Cup team is 154-3 when leading 2-0; Switzerland has never comeback to win from an 0-2 deficit.