Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta ATP. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta ATP. Mostrar todas las entradas
Nueva cita de Nadal y Cuevas en Río de Janeiro
Paris Masters: New dad Novak Djokovic returns to action
Novak Djokovic says he is not concerned about his number one ranking as he returns to action after becoming a father for the first time.
BBC Sport -- The Serb, 27, plays his first match at the Paris Masters on Tuesday since wife Jelena Ristic gave birth to son Stefan.
Philipp Kohlschreiber is Djokovic's first opponent since he lost to world number two Roger Federer in Shanghai earlier this month.
"I feel like I'm already number one becoming a father last week," he said.
It is the first indoor tournament of the defending champion's season as the players prepare for the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November.
Federer is just 490 points behind Djokovic in the ATP world rankings, with the winner in Paris receiving 1,000 points.
"I never thought that he's not a competition for number one of the world," said Djokovic. "I always thought that he's one of the best players in the world, and he keeps on proving everybody that he deserves to be there.
| World Rankings | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1st - 9,010 points | Novak Djokovic | Ser |
| 2nd - 8,520 points | Roger Federer | Swi |
| 3rd - 6,835 points | Rafael Nadal | Spa |
| 4th - 4,805 points | Stanislas Wawrinka | Swi |
| 5th - 4,295 points | Andy Murray | GB |
| 6th - 4,265 points | Kei Nishikori | Jpn |
"I have lots of respect for what he does. I don't think that age is an issue for him. As a matter of fact, I think he's playing some of his best tennis this year.
"For me, it's important to participate in my child's life as much as I can, in his development, in his growing up, in his childhood.
"You know, I hope that it's going to affect positively on my career. In terms of my approach to the tennis, nothing is really changing. I'm still out here, still fighting, competing, and then trying to be number one of the world, trying to win tournaments."
Britain's Andy Murray, now ranked eighth in the world, will open his Paris campaign with a match against the winner of Julien Benneteau and Yen-Hsun Lu on Wednesday, as he bids to secure a place in London.
ATP Valencia Open: Andy Murray takes title after marathon final against Tommy Robredo
Andy Murray virtually assured himself of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals by battling to a 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (10-8) win over Tommy Robredo in the Valencia Open final.
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| Andy Murray Saved five match points before edging out Tommy Robredo |
Sky Sports -- Just like in the Shenzhen Open final between the two a month ago, the British No 1 saved five match points in a dramatic contest which lasted 3 hours 19 minutes.
The victory gives Murray 500 ranking points and moves him into the top non-qualified spot in the Race to London standings.
Although it is possible that Murray could drop out of the qualifying places after next week’s Paris Masters, such a scenario would need the tournament in the French capital to play out in a very elaborate and improbable way.
The win sealed the 31st ATP title of Murray’s career and was his third success in the space of a month. Before the current rich vein of form he had not won a tournament since last year’s Wimbledon.
Robredo showed he was up for a battle in the first set as he saved six break points while converting the only two chances he earned.
Murray responded by recording his first break of serve in the opening game of the second set, but the Spaniard stayed in it and eventually managed to level matters in the eighth game.
A tie-break was eventually needed to settle the set, with Murray coming back from the brink to save two match points before forcing a deciding set.
Both players looked to be in physical difficulty during the third set as the intense exertions seemed to be taking their toll.
But they still managed to produce a marathon deciding tie-break full of drama, Murray saving three more match points before finally wrapping up the win.
Cilic serves his way to first Grand Slam title
By Clair Maciel - USOpen.org -- Marin Cilic played nearly flawless tennis to secure his first US Open title, defeating fellow upstart Kei Nishikori, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, on Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
WHAT HAPPENED: Not since the 2005 Australian Open had there been a major final contested without one of the ATP’s Big Four. But the 2014 US Open final broke that trend, as giant-slayers Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic blitzed their way past top seeds and fan favorites to set up an unlikely final that not many could have predicted.
But when the smoke had cleared and the greats had long been gone, it was No. 14 seed Cilic who proved he was the best player at this event, cruising through a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win in just under two hours to capture his first Grand Slam title. Cilic is now the first Croat to win a major title since compatriot and coach Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001.
Cilic had earned his spot in the US Open final in convincing form, dismissing both No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych and No. 2 Roger Federer in straight sets prior to the final. He continued his dominance against 10th-seeded Nishikori, playing in the zone with a relaxed, loose and consistent game that Nishikori struggled to keep up with.
Cilic opened the match serving well, using his serve as a weapon to put the pressure on Nishikori and set the tone early. Unfortunately for Nishikori, the fearless play he employed in taking down No. 5 Milos Raonic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 1 Novak Djokovic to reach the championship stage simply was not present against Cilic.
Though the Japanese star pushed Cilic in long baseline rallies, he was not as consistent with his shots, which allowed the Croat to take the first break of the match for a 4-2 lead. A strong hold at love three games later gave him the set.
As the match wore on, Cilic had the better movement and more aggressive play, covering the court with ease, while Nishikori was left scrambling, his unforced errors piling up. After four breaks of serve in the second set, three of which came on Nishikori’s serve, Cilic secured a solid grip on the match with a two-set lead just an hour and 10 minutes in.
Down a break midway through the third set, Nishikori nearly had a chance to get back in the match when he held two break points in the 4-2 game. But after Cilic erased both chances with two solid serves, he was able to hold on and come within one game of the championship.
In his final service game, Cilic fired two unreturnable serves and a backhand cross-court winner to claim the trophy.
WHAT IT MEANS: Cilic is the first No. 14 seed to win a major title in the Open era, and the first US Open champion outside the Top 10 since No. 17 Pete Sampras won in 2002. His previous best Grand Slam finish came at the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open, as well as the quarterfinals of this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
One year ago, he was forced to sit out for the year-end Grand Slam while serving a four-month doping ban from the ITF after mistakenly taking a prohibited supplement. But during that time off, he focused his efforts on improving his game so that he could return to the tour a stronger player.
“It was a difficult period,” Cilic said, “but was also good period for me. I matured a bit more, and I was working day after day. I wasn't, you know, relaxing and doing nothing. So I think that helped me to improve physically. Also, it helped me to have, you know, enough time to put some new parts in my game, which are helping me to play this well now.”
His hard work certainly paid off, as Cilic holds the second best record in match wins this season at 47-16.
Cilic upsets Federer in second U.S. Open shocker
Reuters --
NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Marin Cilic completed a set of sensationally shocking semi-finals by upsetting 17-times grand slam winner Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to reach the final of the U.S. Open.
Croatian 14th seed Cilic's opponent in Monday's final will be 10th seed Kei Nishikori of Japan, who sent world number one Novak Djokovic out of Flushing Meadows with a stunning 6-4 1-6 7-6(4) 6-3 victory.
The powerful 6-foot-6 (1.98 m) Cilic had lost all five previous meetings with the Swiss master but was in charge from the outset, with his booming service game and heavy groundstrokes and Federer failed to find an answer.
The twin surprises created the first grand slam final in nine years that does not include at least one of the recent Big Three of tennis - Federer, Djokovic and Rafa Nadal - dating back to the 2005 Australian Open which pitted Marat Safin against Lleyton Hewitt. (Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Gene Cherry)
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
