Tennis: Who Will Be #2?

mauiguy90 · March 5, 2008

Rafa Struggles in Dubai

Rafael Nadal had to dig himself out of trouble here today to avoid going the way of Roger Federer, who was sensationally beaten in the first round of the Dubai Open.

Nadal was twice within a point of going a break of serve down in the second set, having lost the first, before clawing his way back to a three set win over the improving Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The world number two from Spain was often not at his best during his 3-6 6-1 6-4 success, but, unlike Federer against Andy Murray on Monday, he found a way to win.

Kohlschreiber, the world No.27 from Germany, did most things well, and having edged his way up the rankings is an underestimated player.

But Nadal did not make that mistake.

"I was playing a big player. He's a top 30 player and one of the toughest pros on the tour, for sure," he said.

"It was a difficult match. I didn't play my best but it's not easy playing here, and I didn't come here with a great deal of confidence," added Nadal, referring to his surprise loss to Andrea Seppi of Italy in Rotterdam the week before last.

"This tournament gives you the toughest draw on the tour. But the good thing was I was one hundred per cent mentally.

"Maybe I didn't play my best but I was focussed all the time and I was very happy with that."

Nadal's difficulties increased, despite having made an early break, as he lost five games in a row and was unable to pull the deficit back.

The first set's final game included two dramatic Hawk-Eye challenges in succession, with Kohlschreiber reaching set point after the umpire overruled a line judge's out decision, and Hawk-Eye showed the umpire wrong.

Nadal had an important escape early in the second set when he saved a break point with an ace. After which, Nadal began to make steady progress using his familiar assets – his heavy looped forehand and his mobility – to apply pressure.

He broke for 3-0 and 4-1 and broke again to extend his advantage to a 6-1 scoreline, which was misleading, as he rarely hit the heights.

Despite this, Nadal continued working hard as the match went into a deciding set, overcoming the disappointment of getting a break for 3-2 and then losing it, and making the decisive break of serve in the seventh game when Kohlschreiber's level dropped.

Nadal consolidated the break this time, and then closed the match out to love, earning a second round with Mikhail Ledovskikh, a Russian qualifier.

The other frontrunners for the title, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick, came through with less hassle.

Djokovic, the Australian Open champion from Serbia, overcame Marin Cilic, the world No.45 from Croatia, 6-4 6-3 and reckoned he had been more "stable and patient" on the points that mattered than his opponent.

He now plays Fabrice Santoro, the 35-year-old former champion from France, who upset Mikhail Youzhny, the world No.12 from Russia, on Monday in what is almost certainly his last tournament here.

Djokovic also proffered the surprising opinion that, based on what he had seen this year, he had expected Murray to beat Federer.

Then Andy Roddick, the sixth-seeded former US Open champion who is making his first appearance in this Gulf state, started with a 6-2 6-4 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world No.1 from Spain.

Roddick next plays Paul-Henri Mathieu, one of three Frenchmen in the last 16.

mauiguy90 · March 6, 2008

Murray and Nadal in Dubai Quarters

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships today.

Murray defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-3 3-6 7-6(5), while the second-ranked Nadal easily beat Mikhail Ledovskikh of Russia 6-4 6-0.

Murray, who beat top-ranked Roger Federer on Monday in the first round, led 6-2 in the third-set tiebreaker but needed four match points to win. Verdasco finally hit the ball long after a lengthy rally.

Murray finished looking relieved and emotionally drained, as well as appearing to suffer discomfort in his right knee.

His mobility was reduced from early in the second set, and thereafter he relinquished most of his ambition to attack, relying upon containment and a

liberal sprinkling of errors from Verdasco.

But Verdasco was too often inconsistent, expressing his frustration at this near the end by launching a ball fiercely out of the stadium, a misdemeanour for which he was given a code violation warning.

Fourth-seeded David Ferrer also advanced, beating Olivier Rochus of Belgium 3-6 7-5 6-1 while fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-1 6-4 and Feliciano Lopez of Spain upset eighth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-2 7-5.

Later today, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick are scheduled to play.

mauiguy90 · March 6, 2008

Roddick Nadal in Dubai Face off

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Andy Roddick will face Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Roddick had 13 aces in his 6-3, 6-4 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu, and the second-ranked Nadal easily beat Mikhail Ledovskikh 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a tough one,” Roddick said.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray also reached the quarterfinals.

Djokovic advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Fabrice Santoro, who won their last match at the Paris Masters.

“I started losing my hair in the second set,” Djokovic said. “But it was OK, you know, to play such a magician with a racket. He’s a very special player and for me it was an honor to play again against him.”

Djokovic will face Igor Andreev, who defeated Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4.

Murray, who beat top-ranked Roger Federer on Monday in the first round, defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Murray led 6-2 in the third-set tiebreaker but needed four match points to win. Verdasco hit the ball long after a lengthy rally.

“It was a pretty ugly point, actually,” Murray said. “I was just making sure I kept the ball in play, because I think he’s the sort of guy if you can make a lot of balls against him, keep him in the back of the court, he can get a bit impatient, and luckily he missed one at the end.”

Murray said he had a sore knee in the second set.

“I’m just really happy with the way I’ve fought, after beating Federer,” Murray said. “It was really windy and I didn’t hit the ball clear at all.”

Fourth-seeded David Ferrer also advanced, beating Olivier Rochus 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Jan Hernych 6-1, 6-4, and Feliciano Lopez upset eighth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-2, 7-5.

mauiguy90 · March 7, 2008

Roddick Defeats Nadal; Davydenko Beats Murray

Andy Roddick used his strong serve to upset Rafael Nadal 7-6(5) 6-2 today in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The sixth-seeded Roddick closed the match out with one of his 17 aces, and had multiple service winners against the second-seeded Spaniard.

Roddick had several love games in the match, using his powerful forehand to keep Nadal at bay. Also today, Nikolay Davydenko beat Andy Murray of Britain 7-5 6-4 to reach the semifinals.

Murray, who had upset top-ranked Roger Federer in the first round, was forced out of his defensive game by the fifth-ranked Russian's hard serves and quick moves on the baseline.

Fourth seed David Ferrer was upset, losing 6-4 6-3 to Feliciano Lopez in an all-Spanish match.

Ferrer, a finalist at the Masters Cup last season, broke to lead 2-1 before Lopez broke twice to take the first set.

Ferrer also broke to lead 1-0 in the second but again allowed his opponent back, dropping his serve for 1-1 and again to give Lopez a 3-1 lead.

Third-ranked Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion from Serbia, overwhelmed Igor Andreev from Russia 6-2 6-1 and has now - following the demise of both Nadal and Roger Federer - become the favourite for the title.

mauiguy90 · March 7, 2008

Connors Resigns as Roddick Coach

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Andy Roddick and Jimmy Connors are done working together.

Connors resigned as coach of the sixth-ranked player "about a week ago," Roddick said Thursday after upsetting Rafael Nadal 7-6 (5), 6-2 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Roddick and Connors paired up in July 2006, and within months Roddick reached the U.S. Open final. But they weren't able to replicate that success at a Grand Slam tournament.

"He's helped my backhand a ton. I mean, it's a different shot than when we got together," Roddick said. "It's a lot more solid. And just that fighting spirit.

"When we got together, I was as close to down and out as I've been. I spent the week after Wimbledon almost as close to depressed as I've been as far as my career goes. And I really credit him for that spark and getting me back into the top five and in a Slam final pretty close there afterwards."

Roddick said he's "not too worried" about playing without a coach, given his recent success against the No. 2 Nadal.

"Tonight's an example. I know how to play," Roddick said. "I just have to set my mind to it."

Roddick won the U.S. Open and reached No. 1 in the rankings 2003 and was runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2004 and '05, when he finished the season ranked No. 3.

Roddick was coached by Brad Gilbert in 2003, but they parted ways in 2004. Roddick worked with Dean Goldfine, and then with his brother, John Roddick, before hiring Connors.

Connors won eight Grand Slam singles titles as a player in the 1970s and 1980s.

"I guess I'm just happy," Roddick said, "to have been able to spend a little bit of time with such a legend."

Edited March 7, 2008 by mauiguy90

mauiguy90 · March 7, 2008

The Dubai Open is on channel 64 at 10 pm tonight with Roddick playing Djokovic. Enjoy!

BigSnake · March 7, 2008

what ever happen to the Thai super star(Khun Paradorn(??)) hear he got married, hmmmmm!! yep that will slow you down.

mauiguy90 · March 8, 2008

what ever happen to the Thai super star(Khun Paradorn(??)) hear he got married, hmmmmm!! yep that will slow you down.

Paradorn On the Mend

Almost a year after his last match - a 2-5 retirement against Luis Horna at Miami - former top Thai Paradorn Srichaphan is starting to work his way back onto the court.

A national idol in his Asian homeland, he is hoping to make his return from a wrist injury during the summer grass-court season.

Married late last year to a former Miss Universe from Canada by way of Russia, the 28 year old has recovered from the wrist surgery he underwent in December.

Srichapahan stood a promising ninth in the world five years ago and now is hoping to resume his career with a ranking that now stands just inside the top 1000. He will benefit from an injury-protected ranking of 75, which will allow him to enter nine ATP events. "To be back in the top 50 will not be easy as I'm a senior player now, and there are many new guys who are only 18 to 19," he said.

"The result is pretty satisfying. I didn't feel any pain throughout the practice," Paradorn told Thai media. "Doctors suggested I take it slow. I just want to get my momentum and test my footwork."

He is likely to test his form with a warm-up at the lower level Surbiton event in London in June before having a go at Wimbledon. "I'll skip the entire clay season to get back in shape and come back during the grass season, followed by the American hard courts," he said.

traveller5000 · March 8, 2008

some images of tennis players in case people don't know, Ana Ivanovic and Maria sharapova

Edited March 8, 2008 by traveller5000

mauiguy90 · March 9, 2008

Slumping Federer to Take on Sampras

Pete Sampras was hardly at the height of his powers when he handed Roger Federer the keys to Centre Court at Wimbledon, losing their only head-to-head encounter that counted.

Sampras would go on to win only one more match at the All England Club after that 2001 defeat, never coming close to adding to his seven championships at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Federer, a decade younger, would go on to supplant Sampras at No. 1 in the rankings, assume Pistol Pete's status as a perennial power at Wimbledon with five consecutive titles there, and begin to chip, chip, chip away at his record for major trophies.

So perhaps fair's fair, considering that Federer has been, well, rather un-Federer-esque heading into his latest exhibition match against Sampras, which is Monday night at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Yes, Federer actually is on a rare losing streak. The Swiss star was upset in the Australian Open semifinals in January—preventing him from adding to his 12 Grand Slams, two shy of Sampras' total—and then in the first round of a tournament in Dubai this month. That's right. Gasp! Two consecutive losses.

"I think it's a cause of concern for Federer, to be honest," U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe said. "To me, it's really big that these guys go out there and don't seem to be intimidated by Federer and have sort of figured out that if you play consistently and can run a lot of balls down and make Federer hit a lot of shots, that you can beat him. Certainly, I wouldn't say it's a crisis for Federer. But I'd say that his days of utter domination may be coming to an end."

An explanation emerged Friday, though: It turns out Federer was diagnosed in February with mononucleosis, an infection caused by a virus with symptoms that include fever, sore throat, headaches and feeling tired.

"This gave him a reason for why he wasn't able to move and why he wasn't able to recover," said Federer's agent, Tony Godsick. "It was annoying for him to not have reasons for why his body wasn't responding."

Sampras, who beat Andre Agassi in the 2002 U.S. Open final in his last professional match, paid quite a compliment recently by comparing tennis' current top player, Federer, to its former standard-bearer, himself.

"He's got a good perspective. Doesn't get too high or low on losses or wins. You know, just sort of has that attitude that I had: single-minded focus," Sampras said. "He just goes out there and wins."

And make no mistake: While there's no Grand Slam championship or winner-take-all cash prize on the line Monday, that drive could very well be on display.

"He's not going to want to lose; I'm not going to want to lose," Sampras said. "That's what people are coming to really see. It's not us doing cartwheels. It's about me serving 130 (mph) on the line."

After all, for the two of them, just as for the more than 19,000 people who will be in the arena and however many might be watching live coverage on the Tennis Channel, it represents a rare instance of a "Who would win?" argument coming to life.

Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus.

Mike Tyson vs. Muhammad Ali.

It just does not happen often.

"There's going to be a never-ending debate about who is the best or who would have done what against people from the previous era. We can talk about this for days and not come to a conclusion. That's part of why this match is attracting a lot of attention and a sellout crowd," said Ivan Lendl, who won eight Slam titles and is helping promote Monday's event.

"They didn't get to the top of the field in their time—and most likely top two or three or four all-time—by not being competitive," Lendl said in a telephone interview. "So, yes, there may be a little lightheartedness, but at the end of the day, I think both will want to win rather urgently."

So who will win, Ivan?

"If it goes the way I think it will go, in terms of atmosphere and a good match, the winner, in my mind, will be tennis," he said. "How's that for avoiding the question?"

The current edition of Madison Square Garden opened in 1968, and has hosted Sinatra, Ali-Frazier, and Knicks and Rangers championship teams. But it's been a dozen years since a men's tennis match was played there.

That could be why MSG told the Federer-Sampras promoter, Jerry Solomon, it would be pleased if 2,500 tickets were bought during the first three days of sales in January. Instead, more than 8,000 were gone within 72 hours, Solomon said, and the whole thing effectively was sold out in three weeks.

"There's just a tremendous interest in these two guys. Pete retired after winning the U.S. Open and then sort of wasn't around anymore. Roger has not been, until recently, all that high-profile in America," said Solomon, who worked to promote a tennis event at the Garden at the start of his career in the 1970s.

"So I think there's just a real fascination with these two guys, who are not only great champions but great people and great ambassadors for the sport. They don't get in trouble. They're not throwing rackets. They're really world-class guys, in addition to being world-class tennis players."

He hopes it's enough of a success that it sets the stage for an annual tennis evening at the site.

McEnroe, slated to be on hand Monday for a prematch tribute to his Davis Cup-winning team, agrees the sport benefits from this kind of showcase event.

"The buzz in New York is pretty big. It's a great idea. They're giving the people what they want," he said. "Quite honestly, tennis needs more of this kind of thing. We're a little behind the ball when it comes to things like this, unique kinds of things. With all the personalities that tennis has, whether it's current players or former players, it proves that there's a market for that."

Federer, 26, and Sampras, 36, faced each other three times in Asia in November, and by all accounts wound up as friends and mutual admirers. Federer took the first match 6-4, 6-3 in Seoul, and the second 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) in Kuala Lumpur, while Sampras claimed the third 7-6 (8), 6-4 in Macau.

Federer came away impressed, saying Sampras' volleys would match up with the best on tour these days and acknowledging that Sampras' serve still stings.

"You can wake him up at 2 in the morning," Federer said, "and he'll hit a monster serve."

Edited March 9, 2008 by mauiguy90

jeztennis · March 9, 2008

i believe there is a very real chance of federer not being no.1 at the end of the year, nadal as we know is great on clay and is improving on hard and grass, djokovic is great on hard and got to the semis of wimbledon if he can put a decent clay court season together i think he is the most likely candidate to pinch the no.1 from federer. the chasing group are now a lot closer to federer with the likes of tsonga and murray and gasquet so there are few easy matches and federer tends to play his way into a tournament not playing well in the first few rounds, he needs to change his attitude towards this now i think

i believe that federer has one aim this year, to win the french open, to win all 4 grand slam titles will surpass what sampras achieved and leave him close to beating sampras on the number of grand slams with wimbledon round the corner

mauiguy90 · March 10, 2008

Roddick Survives Scare from Lopez to Claim Dubai Title

American Andy Roddick beat unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-7 6-4 6-2 in a pulsating match to win the Dubai Championships today.

Sixth-seeded Roddick secured his 25th career title and second of the year after his success in San Jose last month.

The first American to reach the final, he was in the event for the first time and beat world number two Rafael Nadal in the last eight and number three Novak Djokovic in the semis.

"I'm excited," said Roddick.

"I stated a couple of weeks ago that a big part of my decision to come here was to try to get a shot at the top players and I was able to do that, and success here has made it look like it was a good idea.

"I'm just happy to be playing really good tennis right now," added the American who did not drop his serve in the tournament.

Roddick did not face a break point in the final and his 22 aces in the match brought his total for the week to 84.

He had the chance to earn two break points in the opening game but put an easy volley wide. He then fought off break point at 1-0 and two more at 4-3 as the set moved towards a tiebreak.

Roddick's ninth ace earned him a set point at 7-6 in the tiebreak but it was Lopez who took the set when the American sent a return long on the Spaniard's third set point.

Lopez, who matched Roddick in aces and with his readiness to attack the net giving him the edge, held the opening game of the second set by firing down three consecutive aces.

But just when he appeared capable of going on to claim the match, the Spaniard self-destructed when he netted a backhand volley and double-faulted to hand Roddick a break for 5-4.

The grateful American served out the set to love then broke for 1-0 in the third when Lopez netted another backhand volley.

From then on, Roddick looked the likely winner and a further break for 5-2 when he forced an error from Lopez at the net left him serving for the title after just under two hours.

Roddick was unconcerned despite a tight second set.

"The whole time I felt like I was playing well," he told reporters. "It's not like I'm down a set and it's 4-4 and I'm really struggling to hit the ball.

"I don't think I missed a ball in the tiebreak but I lost it, obviously not making a return [on the final set point].

"He was playing too good but I find if you put enough pressure on someone sometimes they crack, and he did in the second set. Then in the third set I played very well."

Lopez was attempting to become the fourth Spanish player to win the tournament in its 16-year history after Alex Corretja in 1998, Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2001 and Rafael Nadal in 2006.

"I'm very disappointed," he said. "I played almost perfect the first two sets. Two mistakes at 4-4 cost me the second set, then in the third I was feeling a little bit tired.

"He was returning my serve much better and playing better from the baseline, so it was tough for me to win the points.

"But I beat three top 10 players, which is unusual in one week, and I'm so happy with my game this week. Hopefully, this is going to help me out for the rest of the season."

Edited March 10, 2008 by mauiguy90

mauiguy90 · March 11, 2008

NEW YORK (AP)—Past and present stood across the net from each other during a third-set tiebreaker at Madison Square Garden.

On one end, a

mauiguy90 · March 11, 2008

Battle of the Aged: Federer Edges Sampras

NEW YORK (AP)—Past and present stood across the net from each other during a third-set tiebreaker at Madison Square Garden.

On one end, a winded Pete Sampras tried to summon enough energy to give the New York fans another memorable win to talk about it on the subway ride home. On the other side, Roger Federer wore a sly grin like he knew age was about to catch up to the former world No. 1—the man who owns the record of 14 Grand Slams he wants.

Youth is served, indeed.

Current No. 1 Federer emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) victory Monday night in an exhibition that featured a little bit of everything—some laughter, some stellar shots, uneven play and compelling tennis.

There was even a Tiger Woods sighting.

"It was a great night for tennis," Sampras said. There were moments when, if you squinted a bit, you would have sworn that was the Sampras of old, rather than an old Sampras. There were moments when, if you listened to the whip of the racket through the air, you would have been absolutely sure Federer was giving it his all.

And then there were moments when, as you watched Sampras throw his racket to the ground in mock disgust or saw Federer raise an index finger to celebrate four aces in a single game, it didn't really matter whether this match counted or not.

"I don't think winning or losing was really the issue tonight," Federer said. "I think we both tried to do our best and have a fun night, and that's what it turned out to be."

For nearly 2 1/2 hours, before an occasionally raucous gathering of 19,690, these two living, breathing greats of their game shared a court, Federer in his ultra-modern all-black getup and Sampras in his old-school all-white outfit.

It was Pistol Pete vs. The Federer Express.

"Good vs. Evil," as Sampras said with a snicker earlier in the day.

The encounter certainly doesn't settle the "Who is better?" debate, given that one participant is 26 and the other is 36, nothing more than bragging rights was on the line, and, frankly, who can truly know how hard each was really trying? It did, however, raise tennis' profile, make both men some money — $1 million for Federer, less for Sampras—and, well, allow people to say they saw Sampras, the best of his generation, face Federer, the best of his.

"It turned out to be this thriller match," Federer said.

No one can say they saw Ali face Tyson in a boxing ring. Or Hogan face Woods on a golf course.

Woods, who happens to be pals with Federer, decided he had to see it in person. He sat in the front row, part of a delighted crowd that included Donald Trump, Regis Philbin and Anna Wintour. They sat around a hard court set up where the NBA's Knicks and NHL's Rangers play.

"This is maybe why so many people came out: You don't often get the No. 1 in his prime playing against maybe the greatest player of all time," said Federer, who recently recovered from a bout of mononucleosis that he thinks contributed to losses in his past two tour matches.

It was the fourth Federer-Sampras exhibition; Federer won two of their three matches in Asia late last year. They left open the possibility of another, with Sampras deferring to whatever Federer wanted to do.

The two only played one real match, back at Wimbledon in 2001, when an up-and-coming Federer edged an on-the-way-out Sampras in a five-setter on Centre Court.

That ended Sampras' 31-match winning streak at the All England Club; he would never add to his seven titles there. Federer would go on to win five in a row at Wimbledon, a streak that he will try to extend this summer.

Sampras never played a professional match after winning his last Grand Slam trophy at the 2002 U.S. Open. Federer's Slam count is already up to 12, and Sampras acknowledges he fully expects the record to change hands—and that the kid could wind up with 18 or 19 Slams.

"Roger's got more important things to worry about," Sampras said, "than playing me."

On this night, Sampras showed off the serve-and-volley style that carried him to a record six straight years ranked No. 1. And Federer showed off the all-court game that has helped him enjoy a record streak of more than 200 consecutive weeks ranked No. 1.

Both players took things seriously at times. They also took things frivolously at times, such as when Sampras spiked his racket to the court or pleaded with a linesman to change a call.

After one volley winner, Sampras pumped a fist and threw two Woods-like uppercuts, playing to the rollicking golfer and the crowd in a way he rarely did during a professional career marked by equal doses of excellence and stoicism.

The crowd ate all of it up, cheering for Federer and adoring Sampras. "You still got it, Pete!" rang a cry from the stands.

In the end, he didn't have enough.

"I was happy I took the second set so we could give the crowd more tennis," Sampras said. "I was a little disappointed I didn't come up with the win."

Edited March 11, 2008 by mauiguy90

mauiguy90 · March 12, 2008

Federer Defends Slow Start

World number one Roger Federer dismissed suggestions his career was in decline and said he would use recent defeats as motivation after recovering from a virus.

The Swiss player lost in the first round in Dubai last week to Briton Andy Murray, his first match since defeat by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals in January.

"In Switzerland there is a little too much speculation my career is over," the 26-year-old Federer told a news conference before tonight's 6-3 6-7 7-6 victory over former world number one Pete Sampras in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden.

"People just need to know I'm healthy and happy and not miserable and down and out."

Federer pulled out victory in the good-natured contest by 8-6 in the final set tie-breaker before a crowd of around 19,000 at the Garden, including world number one golfer Tiger Woods, the Swiss champion's friend.

Federer, the 12-times Grand Slam singles champion, competes at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, California later this week. He was told he was suffering from glandular fever after the Australian Open.

"Honestly, losses like this motivate me more than anything," said Federer. "Trying to come back, trying to prove I'm still the one to beat.

"I just want to show I can do it over and over again."

The back-to-back defeats dented Federer's aura of invincibility and fed the confidence of those younger rivals who have seen him reign as number one for a record 215 consecutive weeks.

Within two Grand Slam titles of Sampras's record haul of 14, Federer said his affection for tennis was greater than ever.

"I love competing on centre courts all over the world. So many people are happy when I get there. It touches me. I love to practice more and more now," he said.

"What I enjoy most are the matches, the pressure, the fans, centre court. I hope that's going to stay with me as long as possible."

Federer said he was looking forward to competing at the Beijing Olympics in August and future Games.

"The [London] Olympic Games in 2012 is something I'm looking forward to, and go from there. See how I feel with my fitness, my motivation."

Federer may have made his worst start to a season in eight years but Sampras was confident the Swiss would soon be winning again.

"In a lot of ways Roger has created this sort of monster of being unbeatable," said the 36-year-old American.

"If you lose a match here, lose a match there, people have the assumption he has lost his edge, lost his dominance. I don't look at it like that at all.

"He'll play Indian Wells and he'll play Miami [in two weeks] and do fine at those events. When it comes down to it at the big, big events, I think he'll be the guy standing with the trophy."

mauiguy90 · March 14, 2008

Indian Wells' Preview

By the looks of things, everyone is trying for a good start in the Masters Series this year. If everyone in the draw actually turns up, this is likely to be the strongest Masters event this year, including even Miami.

Every player from No.1 to No.45 is here; the only top 50 players missing are No.46 Steve Darcis, No.47 Fabrice Santoro, and No.50 Agustin Calleri. Don't ask us what it means that we have the top 45 players, then lack three of the next five.

Frankly it's a pretty boring seed list, taken right off the top 32 in the ranking: Federer No.1, Nadal No.2, Djokovic No.3, Davydenko No.4, Ferrer No.5, Roddick No.6, Nalbandian No.7, Gasquet No.8, Blake No.9, Berdych No.10, Murray No.11, Gonzalez No.12, Youzhny No.13, Mathieu No.14, Robredo No.15, Canas No.16, Tsonga No.17, Baghdatis No.18, Moya No.19, Karlovic No.20, Monaco No.21, Ferrero No.22, Ljubicic No.23, Hewitt No.24, Almagro No.25, Nieminen No.26, Kohlschreiber No.27, Chela No.28, Stepanek No.29, Verdasco No.30, Andreev No.31 and Lopez No.32.

There are a few questions about some of these guys (for example, Andy Murray is muttering about his knee again), but no one had withdrawn at the time of writing.

Of course, we have the equivalent of a Grand Slam's worth of points coming on and off in the next four weeks, so everyone is trying to make points as fast as possible – and, in a draw this strong, some have a much easier time than others.

Top seed Roger Federer has to like what he sees – no Guillermo Canas this time! He really should breeze through his opener, and the first seed he would face is clay-loving No.25 Nicolas Almagro (unless Nicolas Mahut can upset the Spaniard). Then would come either No.23 Ivan Ljubicic or No.15 Tommy Robredo – neither of them in good form; we might see a surprise (perhaps Marin Cilic) come out of that section.

The next section of the draw, the eighth headed by Andy Roddick, is much, much tougher. For starters, the next-highest seed in the area is No.11 Andy Murray. Murray will open against either Jurgen Melzer or Marat Safin – both very good players who are both in miserable form right now.

Murray's first test is likely to be No.20 Ivo Karlovic, then Roddick. As for Roddick himself, the rankings say that he should face Tommy Haas in the second round, though Haas is such a mess that Roddick's opponent might instead be Julien Benneteau. The winner will probably face No.30 Fernando Verdasco.

One thing that surely favours Federer is the fact that he's in the same half as No.4 Nikolay Davydenko rather than No.3 Novak Djokovic. Davydenko showed better form at Dubai than in most of his matches lately – but still, his draw is full of big-serving Americans. He could face John Isner in the second round, then Mardy Fish in the third, but only if Fish can make it past Florian Mayer and Igor Andreev. After that he might face No.13 Mikhail Youzhny (who, however, could face Gilles Simon in the second round) or No.24 Lleyton Hewitt (who might get stuck facing Sam Querrey, though, in an interesting match of recent Las Vegas champions).

The next section, headed by No.7 David Nalbandian and No.12 Fernando Gonzalez, is definitely biased toward Nalbandian. Sure, he could face Ernests Gulbis in the second round, then No.29 Radek Stepanek or Jose Acasuso in the third – but consider that Gonzalez will have to open against either Mario Ancic or Gael Monfils, with either Thomas Johansson or No.22 Juan Carlos Ferrero awaiting the winner.

Turning to the bottom half, the first thing we notice is speed. Speed, as in No.5 David Ferrer, No.26 Jarkko Nieminen, Arnaud Clement, and Olivier Rochus all in the same part of the draw. There isn't much question about which of them is playing best these days, though. Whoever wins that section will face No.10 Tomas Berdych or No.18 Marcos Baghdatis or maybe Stanislas Wawrinka.

You could argue that this event, last year, was the one that really marked the breakthrough for Novak Djokovic. He does look to be in pretty good shape to return to the quarterfinal at least; the first seed he would face is Philipp Kohlschrieber, then Juan Monaco or Guillermo Canas, and there are no obvious threats among the unseeded players unless Xavier Malisse can get his game back together quickly.

It's too bad they can't borrow some players from the next section to strengthen Djokovic's quarter. The part of the draw headed by No.8 Richard Gasquet features Robin Soderling (who can't seem to win a final, but who otherwise has been almost unbeatable lately), Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastien Grosjean. Soderling and Grosjean will face off to take on Gasquet; the winner of that will probably face either No.28 seed Chela or Tursunov.

James Blake reached one of his two Masters finals here two years ago, but his draw doesn't look all that promising this year. He'll open against Potito Starace or Marc Gicquel, then probably Carlos Moya or Robby Ginepri (who also remembers this place fondly), then Gasquet, then Rafael Nadal.

Nadal himself has an easy opener, but suddenly hot No.32 seed Feliciano Lopez awaits in the third round, and then comes No.14 Paul-Henri Mathieu. Or Nicolas Kiefer. Or No.19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – and isn't that an interesting draw?

The rankings

This is the week when Roger Federer finally gets to start putting distance between himself and the competition again. He has nothing to defend. Rafael Nadal has champion's points. Novak Djokovic has finalist points. That means that Federer has a lead of some 850 points in safe points over Nadal. In other words, he's sure to be No.1 after this is over. The only question is, By how much. If he makes it to the quarterfinal, he will clinch the No.1 ranking not just for this week but after Miami also. Do more, and he will likely clinch for some time to come.

Rafael Nadal is safe at No.2, but he's at a sort of tipping point. In safe points, he's 700 points ahead of No.3 Novak Djokovic – closer, in other words, to Djokovic than to Federer. So the question becomes, which will he be closer to next week? The answer could prove pretty significant.

Novak Djokovic will remain No.3, and (since he has Miami to defend after this) has no immediate prospect of moving up. But the better he does here, the better his chances of going somewhere this summer.

The first ranking to be in play, therefore, is the No.4 spot, currently held by Nikolay Davydenko. He's barely ahead of David Ferrer, but Ferrer has more to defend, so the Spaniard needs at least a quarterfinal to move up, and he probably needs to last two rounds longer than Davydenko. One way or the other, we know that one will be No.4, the other No.5.

Andy Roddick and David Nalbandian can't make it to the Top Five, but they can perhaps determine who is next in line – both, after all, are playing pretty well these days. With Roddick having semifinalist points to defend, Nalbandian has an outside shot at passing him (though he'll need a semifinal himself). In theory, Richard Gasquet has a shot, too, but we can probably ignore that in practice.

Currently, James Blake and Tomas Berdych have the last two top 10 spots, and neither has much to defend, but there are a lot of other guys within striking distance. Number 11 Andy Murray has semifinalist points to defend, which will make it fairly hard for him to reach the top 10, but Mikhail Youzhny, Tommy Robredo, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Marcos Baghdatis, Murray, Fernando Gonzalez, and Guillermo Canas are all within 100 points of each other, and all are within 250 points of Blake and Berdych. So we could have a real tussle for those last two top 10 spots.

Ivan Ljubicic, who has quarterfinalist points to defend, could fall out of the top 25. Juan Ignacio Chela, also a quarterfinalist last year, risks falling out of the top 30. And Tommy Haas, who is in poor form and who also has quarterfinalist points to defend, might end up below No.40.

Julien Benneteau and Michael Russell were fourth round surprises last year. That's an especially tough situation for Russell, who is down to No.133; it's almost a quarter of his points.

mauiguy90 · March 16, 2008

Graff Beats Martina

TOKYO (AP)—Once again, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova needed a tiebreaker to settle the score.

Playing "Dream Match 2008" before a sellout crowd at Tokyo's Ariake Stadium on Saturday, Graf defeated Navratilova 8-7 after winning a tiebreaker 10-5.

"It was great that it went to a tiebreaker," Graf said. "It was a lot of fun playing Martina again. It brought back so many memories."

In their first match in 14 years, Graf took a 6-3 lead before Navratilova tied the match at 6-6 and forced a tiebreaker.

"It was almost a surreal experience," Navratilova said. "I felt like we went back in time. People always asked me who the toughest player to play against was and if it wasn't Steffi, I don't know who it was."

Before retiring, Graf and Navratilova met 18 times and each won nine times. The last time the two greats met was at the 1994 Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo, which Graf won 6-2, 6-4.

After defeating Navratilova on Saturday, Graf lost to Kimiko Date of Japan 6-2, 6-3. In an earlier match, Date beat Navratilova 8-6.

Date and Graf played a memorable Fed Cup match at the same venue in 1996, when Graf led 5-1 in the first set but Date rallied to win the set and match 7-6 (7), 3-6, 12-10.

"It's so much fun to be back in this stadium," Graf said. "I have so many good memories of playing here and I hope the fans enjoyed today's matches."

mauiguy90 · March 16, 2008

Blake and Young Make Third Round

Americans James Blake and Donald Young were made to work for their third round spots at the Pacific Life Open after failing out to serve out their matches in the second set, Saturday in Indian Wells.

World No. 9 and 2006 runner-up Blake double-faulted on match point at 5-4, leaving the door open for Frenchman Marc Gicquel to come back and send the match to a decisive third set. After losing the tie-break, Blake allowed Gicquel just one more game the remainder of the way, regrouping for a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 win.

“He played smart. He played great defense in those times and made me win it,” said Blake. “Then the third set I was proud I didn't let that get to me. I didn't let him start gaining confidence like I figured he probably would after winning the second set and being alive after being down match point. I felt really good about the way I played in played in the third set, and that's what I'm going to try and build on for the next round.”

Blake’s next opponent will be former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who outbattled American wild card Robby Ginepri 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Ginepri had reached the semifinals in all three of his ATP main draw appearances this season coming into Indian Wells.

In Young’s match, the 18-year-old broke Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, to go up 5-4 in the second set, but failed to close the deal against last week’s Dubai finalist.

“It was obviously very windy, but definitely nerves played a big part, “said Young, who reached his first career ATP quarterfinal two weeks ago in Memphis. “I know I was really nervous. Just got the ball back in play, went for a little too much, got nervous and missed some shots.”

He regained his focus, breaking open the third set by winning five games in a row to go up 5-1, and then closed out the match on serve, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1. With his victory, he earned a third round clash with fellow lefty Rafael Nadal, the World No. 2 and defending champion.

mauiguy90 · March 16, 2008

Nadal and Djokovic Advance at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP)—Defending champion Rafael Nadal, Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic and women’s top seed Ana Ivanovic all advanced to the third round of the Pacific Life Open with straight set wins Saturday.

Nadal, the No. 2 seed, beat qualifier Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, 6-3, 6-3.

The third-seeded Djokovic bested Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-3, 7-6 (3) on another day plagued by cold, gusty winds.

“You always want to pick up the best things in the match and keep the high level of performance,” said Djokovic, who made his debut in the ATP Tour’s top 10 after losing to Nadal in last year’s Pacific Life final.

“But it was a very ugly match to watch, a lot of unforced errors,” he said. “It was so windy, you couldn’t get any rhythm.”

American James Blake, the No. 9 seed, was a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 winner over Marc Gicquel of France.

On the women’s side, No. 3 seed Jelena Jankovic, No. 6 Marion Bartoli and two-time event winner Lindsay Davenport joined Ivanovic in the third round. Ivanovic of Serbia defeated Romania’s Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-1, 5-7, 6-0. Jankovic, also of Serbia, beat Ahsha Rolle 6-0, 6-2; France’s Bartoli beat Elena Vesnina of Russia, 6-0, 6-4; and Davenport had taken the first set from Gisela Dulko, 6-2, when the Argentine retired due to a strained right quadriceps.

Davenport was happy to end the match because of the conditions on the court.

“I feel fine with one set,” she said.

Jankovic, however, said the weather helped her.

“In the windy conditions, you have to be really focused and really try to move your feet,” Jankovic said. “That’s what I did today, so I’m really glad with my performance despite the conditions. I’m happy to get through.”

Ivanovic, the Australian Open runner-up, played well at the start and finish of her match with Olaru, but lost her composure in the middle set.

“I just struggled to find my game a little bit,” she said. “I wasn’t moving enough, and when it’s a windy day we really have to focus on footwork and moving the feet and going around the ball, and I didn’t do that well.”

There was one minor upset on the men’s side, with Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beating No. 10 seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

mauiguy90 · March 17, 2008

FYI, The Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells is being telecast every night this week, times ranging from 1 am/2am until 9/11 am on channel 66 True Visions. Today, in an upset, Andy Roddick lost to Tommy Haas.

Edited March 17, 2008 by mauiguy90

mauiguy90 · March 17, 2008

Roddick Out; Federer and Sharapova Cruise into 3rd Round

Andy Roddick crashed out of the Pacific Life Open today while women's second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced after a battling three set win over unheralded Dominika Cibulkova.

Roddick, the sixth seed, lost 6-4 6-4 to Tommy Haas in a second-round match after Kuznetsova came back from an error-prone second set to seal a 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory against Cibulkova in one hour 48 minutes.

Much smoother progress was made by Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, who eased into the fourth round by sweeping past Eleni Daniilidou 7-5 6-3.

World number one Roger Federer, in search of his first title of 2008, moved smoothly into the third round.

The top-seeded Swiss, who enjoyed a first-round bye, defeated Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-2 in his first ATP outing since a first-round exit in Dubai last week.

Federer, who has put his quiet start in 2008 down to a bout of mononucleosis, is hoping a return to the California desert, where he won the title three years in a row from 2004-2006, will be the tonic he needs.

"I haven't played much, this is the difficulty," he said. "I felt pretty good out there."

World number three Kuznetsova, who lost to Daniela Hantuchova in last year's final, was relieved after booking her place in the fourth round of the women's draw at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

"I just stopped a little bit and lost my concentration," the Russian told reporters of her slump midway through the match.

"I have to figure out how to start playing better earlier after being 5-0 down in the second set. I didn't want to go to the third set 6-0 down so I changed that to give me the key to play better in the third."

Kuznetsova, initially dominating the baseline exchanges, cruised through the opening set after breaking her opponent in the second and sixth games.

However, the Russian inexplicably began to over-hit her groundstrokes and was broken in the second and fourth games of the second set to trail 0-5.

She mounted a fightback to close to 4-5 but Cibulkova again broke in the 10th game to level the match.

Kuznetsova, a runner-up this year in Sydney and Dubai, upped her game in the third set to book a place in the next round against Caroline Wozniacki.

The 17-year-old Dane, who won the 2006 Wimbledon junior title, brushed aside Aiko Nakamura 6-0 6-2 in 53 minutes.

In the men's draw, 2003 US Open champion Roddick was swept aside in 85 minutes on the Stadium Court.

Haas, a former world number two whose career has featured a series of injuries and surgeries, broke in the ninth game to take the opening set.

He delivered successive backhand passes down the line to break Roddick again in the seventh game of the second set before serving out in the 10th to wrap up victory.

The 29-year-old Haas will next meet 30th seed Fernando Verdasco or Victor Hanescu.

Earlier, Andy Murray came from a set down to beat Juergen Melzer 3-6 6-3 6-3 in a second-round encounter.

The 20-year-old Scot, who clinched ATP titles earlier this year in Doha and Marseille, was outplayed in the opening set as the left-handed Austrian advanced to the net at every opportunity.

However, Murray steadily took control before wrapping up the match in one hour 51 minutes.

Later today, Lleyton Hewitt takes on Sam Querrey.

mauiguy90 · March 18, 2008

Djokovic to Play Canas; Nadal vs. Tsonga Rematch in 4th Round

Serb Novak Djokovic and Argentine Guillermo Canas will go head-to-head for a spot in the Pacific Life Open quarterfinals after the two players took different paths to victory in their third round matches, Monday evening in Indian Wells.

The third-seeded Djokovic needed just 69 minutes to defeat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, while No. 16 seed Canas battled to the 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-2 win against compatriot Juan Monaco in two hours and 39 minutes.

Both players made headlines last year in Indian Wells – Djokovic with his run to the final and Canas with his second round upset of three-time defending champion Roger Federer – and carried the momentum to Miami, where they faced off in the title match. Djokovic won that match in three sets to clinch his first ATP Masters Series shield.

Djokovic said he would once again need to play his top game against Canas: “He's the kind of player that not going to give you a lot of free points, unforced errors. He's going to make you work for it. I expect that, I know.”

The Djokovic-Canas match joins a blockbuster line-up of fourth round matches on tap at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, includes defending champion Rafael Nadal versus Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and World No. 8 Richard Gasquet versus No. 9 James Blake. (More)

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka and Korean Hyung-Taik Lee ensured there would be an unseeded quarterfinalist with each recording their second straight upset of a seeded player.

Wawrinka, who ousted No. 10 Tomas Berdych in the second round, followed with a 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-0 win over 18th-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. The Swiss No. 2 is making his second appearance in Indian Wells, and reached the second round in his debut in 2006.

Lee was forced to go the distance in his match against World No. 5 David Ferrer after the Spaniard clawed his way back from down a set and two breaks. The 32-year-old Lee maintained his composure to seal the 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-6(3) win in two hours and 50 minutes. It marked just his fifth career win in 30 matches against Top 10 players.

Prior to this week, Lee had lost in the first round of his four previous Indian Wells appearances. He opened his 2008 campaign with a win over Frenchman Michael Llodra and staged a successful comeback against No. 23 seed Jarkko Nieminen in the second round.

mauiguy90 · March 19, 2008

Fed in Ominous Form; Hantuchova Beats Mirza

World number one Roger Federer, seeking his first title of 2008, swept aside France's Nicolas Mahut today to reach the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open.

Federer, whose uncharacteristic slow start to the season has led to suggestions his position atop the world rankings could be in jeopardy, needed just 53 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Mahut, ranked 44th in the world.

Manut won just four points against Federer's serve, and his only point against the Swiss' serve in the first set was a Federer double fault.

"I feel good. Winning 6-1, 6-1, there's not much wrong with me," said Federer, who was hampered early this season as he recovered from the mononucleosis virus.

Women's fourth-round action got underway Tuesday in the 5.7 million-dollar tournament, which includes both an ATP Masters Series and a WTA tier one event.

Defending women's champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia booked a quarterfinal berth 6-1, 7-6(4) victory over India's Sania Mirza.

After the two traded breaks in the second and third games of the second set, Hantuchova finally earned her first break of the set in the 11th game, taking a 6-5 lead.

She couldn't serve it out, however, immediately dropping her serve to bring on the tiebreaker, which she dominated. Hantuchova, the fifth seed, raced to a 4-0 lead, then finished it off confidently with a service winner and a forehand winner.

Hantuchova, who also won this title in 2002 for her first WTA Tour title, next faces either fourth-seeded Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova of Russia or Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko.