Tennis archive

Tennis star Venus Williams has touched down on New Zealand soil.

The US ace landed at Auckland airport this morning ahead of her competing at the ASB Classic next week.

Ms Williams, dressed casually in black leggings and a white tank top, said she was looking forward to playing on the tennis arena in Parnell.

She said she felt fit and healthy and had recently had a dream about winning a match in Auckland.

Asked what she hoped to achieve at the tournament, she said: "Well the other day I dreamed I had a win, and then I woke up and I realised I hadn't even played a round.

"So it was like, 'oh man'," she added, laughing.

"I hope to go round by round and at least get to the finals, that'd be awesome."

She said she was "ready" to hit the courts.

"I'm going to play early next week, and I'm excited and I'm ready," she said.

Ms Williams said she had missed out on celebrating Christmas because she was flying.

"I missed a whole day, we missed the 26th, so I don't know where the 26th went, we can't find it," she said.

It is the seven-time Grand slam singles winner's first time playing in New Zealand and she said she was excited to be here and play her first match in almost four months.

The former world number one had taken some time off at the end of 2013 to rest. She has dropped to 47th in the world after battling health issues in recent years.

She told reporters outside Auckland International Airport that her aim for the 2014 season was to be like her sister, the current number one women's tennis player, Serena Williams.

"I feel like I'm coming into the season as fit and healthy as I have in many years, so for me that's exciting," she said.

"I've a positive outlook, and my goal is to be like Serena Williams."


Tennis star Venus Williams arrives in Auckland - National - NZ Herald News

World number two tennis champ Novak Djokovic made it a hat trick by picking up his third Mubadala tennis title in as many years.

The Serbian titan toppled Frenchman David Ferrer, his rival ranked world number three, in a convincing 7-5, 6-2 victory at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sport City on Saturday (December 28).

The 26-year-old took home the Mubadala World Tennis Championship's coveted Dhs900,000 prize money, while his newly appointed coach Boris Becker beamed from the courtside as he raised the trophy.

Earlier in the day world number one Rafael Nadal beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 6-3, in the third place play-off.

Spaniard Nadal – who won the Abu Dhabi title in 2010 and 2011 – had been knocked out of the competition a day earlier by Ferrer, while France’s Tsonga was also vanquished at the semi-finals by Djokovic.

Brit Andy Murray, winner of the inaugural competition in 2009, failed to make it past the preliminary round of the six-man, three-day tournament, the world number four losing out to Tsonga on Thursday (December 26).

Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, currently ranked eighth in the world, was also defeated at this stage by finalist Ferrer.



Novak Djokovic wins third straight Mubadala tennis title in Abu Dhabi - The Knowledge News - TimeOutDubai-com

2014 will not ring in until Wednesday — but the new tennis season has already kicked off this weekend with multiple ATP/WTA events and the ITF-sanctioned Hopman Cup taking place across Asia and Australia. And while you might think that the weeks preceding the kick-off of a new season may be slow, there was plenty happening to keep the fans' interest piqued. Here’s a look at some of the talking points as the first week of the 2014 season gets underway. Boys to Men: On the ATP Tour, Rafael Nadal ended the season as world No 1, winning two slams and inching closer to becoming a legitimate GOAT candidate. But it was Novak Djokovic, who ended the year with a 24 match winning streak and chasing Nadal’s top ranking. Britain’s Andy Murray is ‘back’ (pun intended) and it will be interesting to see how he holds up in the Melbourne heat and as defending champion at Wimbledon in June. And after a dismal 2013, a 32-year-old Roger Federer will hope to prove his detractors wrong by trying to win his 18th major title. If all that wasn’t enough, there’s also the celebrity coaches to pay attention to. Two years after Murray went out and hired Ivan Lendl to help him get over the grand slam bump, Djokovic has recruited Boris Becker as his coach while Federer has hired Stefan Edberg on his team (perhaps with an eye on a Wimbledon title... though news that he is going to be a father again around June may prove to be a costly distraction). Michael Chang has been hired by the Japanese player Kei Nishikori; Goran Ivanisevic is working with Marin Cilic and Sergi Bruguera will coach Richard Gasquet.

And the men-behind-the-scenes will certainly be hoping that the tour can look toward the next generation (Raonic, Dimitrov, Tomic, Tursunov and Nishikori) rather than the previous generation to keep the fans engaged in the long run. Serena chases history: When Federer and Serena Williams won the Australian Open in 2010, it was Federer’s 16th slam title and Serena’s 12th major. No one would have quite predicted back then that four years later, Federer and Serena would be tied with 17 slams with the American having a much better chance to win an 18th. Williams is also 32-years-old but supremely motivated and fit. She is now only one slam away from equalling Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova who have 18 slams each. Ahead of that, there’s only Steffi Graf with 22 and Margaret Court with 24 slams. The closer Serena gets to 24, the hungrier she is going to become. And that’s a scary thought for the rest of WTA’s strong and beautiful cast. World No 2 Victoria Azarenka will be hoping to push Serena as she has over the past couple of seasons. Azarenka has become a mentally stronger player in recent years and certainly has the game to stay with Williams on the hardcourts (not so much on clay or grass). Maria Sharapova is back after another shoulder injury – this one did not require surgery but has limited her to only one match since Wimbledon. With a new coach on her team, Sharapova should be refreshed but it will take her a while to find her feet and confidence on the court. China’s Li Na and Czech Petra Kvitova could be threats at the majors only if they are able to keep their bodies and minds in check. The other big story to look out for in the women’s game will be the emergence of the young brigade. Sloane Stephens, Simona Halep, Laura Robson, Eugenie Bouchard, Madison Keys and Donna Vekic are just a few of the young guns ready to make an impression in the new year.

India’s biggest tennis show: At one point, India was home to two ATP and two WTA events. Now, the Aircel Chennai Open is the only ATP or WTA event held in the country. In its 19th year, the tournament has attracted a decent field for an ATP-250 series event – 8th ranked Stanislas Wawrinka, 15th ranked Mikhail Youzhny, 16th ranked Fabio Fognini and 26th ranked Benoit Paire. The Indian challenge will be headed by Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri. Also watch out for the reunion of the Indo-Pak Express Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Huq Qureshi. Leander Paes will partner Fognini in the doubles while Mahesh Bhupathi has decided to skip the event altogether. Year starts with a bang: Besides Chennai, there are two other ATP events, three WTA events and the Hopman Cup in the first week itself. With a travelling family, Federer chose to come to Australia earlier than usual and compete in Brisbane over the cash-rich Doha event. He is joined by Kei Nishikori, Gilles Simon and Kevin Anderson in the draw while Nadal and Murray will battle it out with the likes of Richard Gasquet, Tomas Berdych, and Ernests Gulbis for the Doha crown. Serena, Azarenka and Sharapova will all begin their campaigns in Brisbane, which is soon replacing Sydney as the premier Aussie Open warm-up for the women. Li Na and Sara Errani will play in the new Shenzhen event while Roberta Vinci, Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams headline the field in Auckland. As usual, the Hopman Cup, the only mixed team tennis event on the calendar, has drawn a stellar cast which includes Sam Stosur, Agnieszka Radwanska, Kvitova, and Stephens among the women; and Jo-Wilfried Tonsga , John Isner, Tomic and Raonic among the men. What’s in store for Indian tennis: Will 2014 be the year that singles becomes the focus for Indian tennis once again? After an injury plagued 2012 season, Somdev Devvarman bounced his way back to the top 100. If he remains healthy, he could be headed to the top 50 in the world for the first time in his career. And while Yuki Bhambri has been slowed down by growing pains, the 21-year-old youngster is now back inside the top 200 and ready to climb higher. On the women’s side, 20-year-old Ankita Raina is now ranked inside the top-300 and there are a host of other young names behind her in the 300 to 600s ranking range. But doubles will likely be where we continue to win the silverware. Look for Bopanna chasing his first grand slam title, now having reunited with former partner Qureshi. Paes will cont

World number one Serena Williams opened her 2014 season with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the second round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.

World number one Serena Williams opened her 2014 season with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the second round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.

Williams, who was given a bye in the first round, was pushed hard by the unseeded Petkovic in front of a packed crowd at Pat Rafter Arena.

The American mixed the good with the bad, making 36 unforced errors but hitting 35 winners in the 98-minute encounter.

The defending champion now goes on to face Dominika Cibulkova in the quarter-finals after the ninth seeded Slovakian beat 43-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

Williams began well against Petkovic, breaking the German's second service game.

But any thoughts of an easy victory were quickly erased when Petkovic broke straight back.

In a close first set, both players had their chances until at 4-4, Williams seized on a loose service game to break Petkovic, then held her own serve to take the opener in 50 minutes.

The second set was as closely fought as the first, but with games at 2-2 Petkovic let a 40-0 lead slip to surrender the only break of the set.

She had a point to break back in the next game, but Williams held on and was never troubled on serve after that, claiming the second set and the match when a Petkovic forehand return hit the base of the net.

"It was an intense match, which was really good," Williams said.

"She's a good player. She's been in the top 10 before and she was on her way to being even better (before injury).

"It was a good match for me."

Williams said as soon as she saw the draw she knew it was going to be a tough match.

The two had only played once before, when Petkovic pushed Williams to three sets in Rome in 2010.

"I usually have a lot of nerves, but when I realised who I was playing I felt like, okay, she's going to be a really good match for me and a really good opportunity for me to have a tough match early on," Williams said.

"I think that kind of made me more calm than anything.

"My fitness is definitely where it should be," she added. "I felt great out there -- never actually felt winded."

Fourth seed Jelena Jankovic eased through to the quarter-finals almost unnoticed when she beat Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine 6-1, 6-3, the Serbian's second match on an outside court in succession.

Two seeds progressed in the men's draw.

Spaniard Feliciano Lopez (6) beat Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-4 and France's Jeremy Chardy (8) edged fellow countryman Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.



Tennis: Serena tested in season opener - Channel NewsAsia

Andy Murray has been offered a wildcard entry to next week's Heineken Open after the world No 4 crashed out of the second round of the Qatar Open in his first tournament after four months off with a back injury.

Murray was beaten by Germany's Florian Mayer 3-6 6-4 6-2 overnight and Heineken Open tournament director Karl Budge immediately responded by offering Murray a place in next week's Heineken Open. Budge is hoping Murray will want more match practice ahead of this month's Australian Open.

Murray played in the 2006 Heineken Open, before he advanced into the world's top 10 and won both Wimbledon (2013) and the US Open (2012).

Heineken Open top seed and defending champion David Ferrer was another to bow out early in Qatar, along with fourth seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber.



Tennis: Murray offered Heineken Open wildcard - Sport - NZ Herald News

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are set to renew their long and not-so-friendly rivalry in the semifinals at the Brisbane International, a key warm-up tournament for the Australian Open.

The pair played back-to-back quarterfinals on center court Thursday, with the third-seeded Sharapova beating 2012 Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. She dropped three service games in the first set and another to open the second before finding her range and staging her comeback against the No. 30-ranked Kanepi.

The top-ranked Williams, the defending champion, was next on court and didn't lose a point on serve in the first set en route to a 6-3, 6-3 win over ninth-seeded Diminika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

Williams has a 14-2 record and 13-match winning streak against Sharapova dating back to the 2005 Australian Open semifinals, beating the Russian most recently in last year's French Open final.

Any friendship the pair had at that stage soured when they traded personal barbs relating to their romantic relationships ahead of Wimbledon, where Sharapova made an early exit. Sharapova only played one match after that in 2013 and spent the latter months of the season recovering from a right shoulder problem.

Williams, meanwhile, had a spectacular year, winning 78 of her 82 matches and capturing 11 titles, including two majors.

As far as any grudges go, Williams said Thursday: ''It's very difficult I think for anyone to be best buddies when you're so competitive.''

Sharapova didn't back away from the comments she made about Williams at Wimbledon in a New York Times profile last month, giving the impression that the relationship between the pair was still cold. On Thursday, she said she'd used the newspaper interview to ''clear the air.''

Asked how she'd describe their rivalry now, Sharapova replied: ''Well, I think I got to win a few times in order to call it rivalry.''

''I haven't had a lot of success against her,'' she added. ''It's the first tournament of the year. I came here wanting to play as many matches as I could and obviously wanting to play the best.''

Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka had difficulty closing out her quarterfinal match before beating Stefanie Voegele 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-1.

The second-seeded Azarenka failed to convert eight match points in the second set - three serving at 5-4 and another five in the tiebreaker - before Voegele rallied to force a third. Azarenka raced to a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, dropped serve and then finally finished it off on her 10th match point.

''Yeah, I made it ... about 20 times harder than it should have been,'' Azarenka said. ''I definitely should have closed it out a little earlier.''

Azarenka will next face fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, who beat fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-1.

In men's second-round matches, Romanian qualifier Marius Copil beat third-seeded Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-3 and will next meet former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, who ousted No. 6-seeded Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-3.

No. 8-seeded Jeremy Chardy beat Nicolas Mahut 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3 and fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson withdrew due to a stomach ailment before his scheduled second-round match against Australian wildcard entry Sam Groth.

In other Australasian tournaments, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard combined to give Canada a 3-0 win over Italy at the Hopman Cup in Perth, and Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic progressed to the semifinals at the WTA Tour's ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

Canada (2-1) maintained a chance of qualifying for Saturday's Hopman Cup final from Group A when Raonic beat Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-4 and Bouchard clinched it when Flavia Pennetta retired with a right wrist injury while trailing 4-0 in the first set.

In Auckland, Venus Williams beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-3, 6-3 and the second-seeded Ivanovic beat Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-2, 6-3.

Ivanovic will play her doubles partner, third-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, in Friday's semifinals while Williams will play Jamie Hampton.

Flipkens beat Japanese qualifier Sachie Ishizu 6-4, 7-5 and the fifth-seeded Hampton beat Lauren Davis 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Read More: Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova meeting in Brisbane International semis - Tennis - SI-com

It took some time to get going but Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams eventually delivered a final worthy of two former world No 1s with Ivanovic prevailing 6-2 5-7 6-4 in an energy-sapping two hours and 19 minutes.

It had been one of the most eagerly anticipated finals in the history of the ASB Classic as former French Open champion and current world No 16 Ivanovic took on seven-time grand slam singles winner Williams.

For the first hour, it was entirely comfortable for Ivanovic but she was then pushed hard by Williams who tried desperately to find her range. The American showed plenty of grit to send the match into a third set but Ivanovic always held the initiative in the best final seen at the ASB Classic for some time.

The tennis wasn't always of the highest quality, particularly from Williams, but there was plenty of drama.

Ivanovic had a match-point when serving at 5-4 in the second set, before Williams awoke and played her best tennis of the match. She broke Ivanovic twice to take the second set but was broken in the first game of the third set, when she double faulted twice and couldn't quite get back into the match.

Williams had two break points when Ivanovic was serving for the match but the Serb held her nerve.

"It was very tough,'' Ivanovic said. "Venus showed once again what a great sport she has been over the past years and I hope for many more years to come.

"At the end of the second set I made a few errors that I didn't make up to that point. I really tried to still play, enjoy it, move forward and be aggressive. It's been a great atmosphere all week and I really enjoyed today's final, too."

It was Ivanovic's second win in 10 matches between the two and first since the quarter-finals of the 2008 Australian Open. It was also her 12 WTA title and first since Bali in 2011.

Her serve was a lot more consistent - she hit 67 per cent of her first serves to Williams' 51 - she moved well and hit a number of quality forehand winners. She also fought hard, holding two crucial service games in the final set when facing break points.

The Serbian dropped to the ground in celebration after Williams sent a forehand long on match point.

She vowed to return next year, minutes after collecting US$43,000 for winning the tournament.

"Definitely," she said. "It's already in the calendar."

Williams also expressed her desire to return and admitted she had already told sister and world No 1 Serena they should play in Auckland in the future but she also acknowledged she was beaten by the better player today.

"She played so well," she said. "We have had a lot of great matches and this is yet another one. I just kept fighting, despite the odds. She was playing so well and I'm glad we were able to put on such a great final."


Tennis: Ivanovic wins dramatic ASB Classic final - Sport - NZ Herald News

Lleyton Hewitt won a title for the first time since 2010 with an upset 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win at the Brisbane International over Roger Federer, his oldest rival on the tour.

The 32-year-old former No. 1s have met 27 times dating back to 1999, and after Sunday's unexpected victory Hewitt has improved his record to nine wins against the 17-time Grand Slam champion.

Top-seeded Federer was broken three times and committed 22 unforced errors in the first set, making some uncharacteristically basic mistakes including an air swing and two shanked forehands. He fought back in the second set and had breakpoint chances in No. 61-ranked Hewitt's first three service games in the deciding set, but couldn't get the vital breakthrough.



Tennis: Hewitt beats Federer to win Brisbane title - Sport - NZ Herald News

Stosur overcomes rain delays to beat tough American

* Kuznetsova, Schiavone, Jankovic lose in Sydney (Updates with later matches, quotes)

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Australia's Samantha Stosur failed to allay fears she could be heading for another early exit at her home grand slam with a scrappy performance in Hobart while a trio of big names tumbled out of the Sydney International on Monday.

Double grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and French Open winner Francesca Schiavone crashed out of the first round in Sydney, while former world number one Jelena Jankovic also booked an early flight to Melbourne for next week's Australian Open.

Stosur appeared on course become the third grand slam winner to lose on Monday when she struggled at the Hobart International before the top seed overcame two lengthy rain delays, chilly conditions and stubborn American Madison Brengle.

The 23-year-old Brengle won the first set in a tiebreak before Stosur managed to run away with the second and then claimed the third set tiebreak on her fifth match point to clinch the 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory.

Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, has struggled on home soil in the past five years, having not advanced beyond the fourth round, with six first round exits in 14 tournaments in Sydney, Brisbane and the Australian Open.

She lost all three of her matches in the Hopman Cup in Perth before entering Hobart, which had attracted a strong field before a wrist injury forced Italy's Flavia Pennetta to join Venus Williams on the sidelines.

SYDNEY LOSSES

Russia's Kuznetsova, who had a good second half of 2013 to enter the Sydney tournament inside the top 20 after battling back from knee injuries in 2012, was surprisingly beaten 6-3 3-6 7-5 by American lucky loser Varvara Lepchenko.

Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, lost 6-4 6-4 to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. The 33-year-old Italian was also knocked out of the first round of the Brisbane tournament last week by Jankovic.

Serbia's Jankovic, the fourth seed in Sydney, was unable to repeat her semi-final run in Brisbane and was swept aside 6-4 6-2 by Russian left hander Ekaterina Makarova, who used her big ground strokes to move the world number eight around the court.

"I tried to be aggressive and not let her attack, because she's really good playing down the line from the backhand," Makarova told the tournament website.

"So I tried to move her to the backhand, not to stand and hit it.

"I was just thinking that it would be a really long match, every point is really long because she never miss those easy balls.

"But I showed my best tennis, and it works really well. I'm happy that I came through."

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, playing for the first time since announcing her engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy over the New Year, overcame a tough challenge from Germany's Julia Goerges before she clinched a 3-6 6-2 6-4 victory to set up a second round showdown against Safarova.

American Jack Sock vindicated Auckland Open organisers' decision to give him a wild card with a 6-3 6-4 victory over France's Adrian Mannarino to set up a second round clash against second seed Tommy Haas of Germany.


UPDATE 1-Tennis-Stosur survives as top players toil in warmups | Reuters

Last year was a very successful year for tennis in the Aiken area and we have been recognized for it.

I recently attended the U.S. Tennis Association-South Carolina Annual Meeting at Wild Dunes where I was overwhelmed by the positive comments from state leaders directed our way. The gracious hospitality and flawless execution of tennis events has earned our community – one of the smallest markets in the state – a stellar reputation for hosting tennis. One of the highlights at the meeting was the award for State Adult Tournament of the Year presented to Mark Calvert, tennis director at Odell Weeks, and Glenn Parker, the Aiken Parks, Recreation and tourism director in front of hundreds of tennis leaders from all over the South. The award winning 18 and over adult tournament in May 2013 utilized 64 local courts, brought 111 teams with more tahn 1,200 players to Aiken. It was fabulously successful for both the players and the city. Thank you again to the business community for its support, to the local facility professionals for site management and to the volunteers for the enthusiasm and hard work that made it so noteworthy. During the business portion of the annual meeting, the state’s tennis association once again selected Aiken to host a large adult tournament over two weekends in May 2014.

Aiken was not only successful at hosting tennis in 2013, but at playing the game of tennis. Despite being the second smallest adult league in S.C., Aiken was home to four adult championship teams and five state finalist teams. The highlight was the 65 and over 3.0 ladies who won the Southern Section – nine southern states – championship in December. Two local teams won South Carolina High School State Championships. The South Aiken Boys won Division AAAA and Mead Hall won the South Carolina Independent School Association championship. Although high school tennis, as a program, is only loosely affiliated with United States Tennis Association – or USTA – tennis, many of the boys on these teams were the same players who brought fame to Aiken by winning several USTA Junior Team Tennis championships before they became high school stars.

A strong foundation of junior tennis is important for Aiken. Introducing tennis at a young age gives a child a game for life, whether they play for fun in the neighborhood or move on to play competitively like the high school champions. Making tennis accessible to children has become the mission of the newly formed Aiken Area Community Tennis Association – or AACTA. President Ric Schofield and his team have been gathering volunteers, applying for grants and designing programs to reach out to all of the youth in our community. The first programs of the association have been in partnership with the Aiken Y, but there are more programs and activities planned in the New Year. You can read about their activities on their Facebook page, “Aiken Area Community Tennis Association” or submit an interest form on Aiken Area Tennis League.

As the association brings together a new roster of community volunteers for Aiken, there are other tennis leadership changes. After several years of diligent service, Eddie Estochen is stepping down and Shawn Risher is taking over as the Local League Coordinator for the Aiken Area Tennis League (AATL) which organizes the adult leagues program in Aiken. Shawn can be reached via an email link on Aiken Area Tennis League. Information about North Augusta programs can be found on the Riverview Tennis page on Facebook.

Roy Lindburg will take my spot as the West Area Director on the USTA-SC Board of Directors. He will prepare the quarterly reports about Aiken tennis and serve as the communication channel between the local volunteers and the state office.

I have been elected as the USTA-SC Secretary and look forward to new challenges on the executive committee. Al Marshall has finished his term as USTA-SC President and will also remain on the Board of Directors. Aiken will also have representation on key committees at the state level. Find more information at www-sctennis-com.

Tennis is a game for partners. Local, state, kids, adults, leaders and volunteers: Aiken has been good for tennis and tennis has been good for Aiken. Here’s to another year of a beautiful partnership, with success on the courts and in the community in 2014.

Gayl Hoel is the former West Area Director and current treasurer of the U.S. Tennis Association-South Carolina Board of Directors.




Column: Tennis will continue to serve community well | Aiken Standard

Two of the bigger names have already been ousted from the Heineken Open today as the tournament finally clicks into gear.

The first two days of the men's tournament at Stanley St lacked some quality and interest because the top four players received a first-round bye but all of the big names are in action today and there have been a couple of casualties.

Second seed and world No 12 Tommy Haas was beaten by promising American Jack Sock, who received a wildcard for the tournament, 6-4 6-4. Haas struggled to find his range in his first competitive outing of the year but he wasn't really allowed to by Sock, who controlled the match.

The 21-year-old American set the tone with his first serve, firing down eight aces and winning 80 per cent of his first serves.

"Some of the important points I didn't play well, that's for sure," Haas said. "You can't get much of a rhythm when he's serving pretty well or you don't allow yourself to get the return back in play.

The quickness, the little steps are definitely not there yet. It was a little bit of a struggle, no question about it. He played well when it counted."

Frenchman Benoit Paire became the second seed to fall on day three of the tournament this afternoon, slumping to a 6-3 6-4 loss to Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain - a player ranked nearly 50 places below him.

Former world number 8 Marcos Baghdatis will also be on an early flight to Australia after being ousted by unheralded American Steve Johnson 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4. Johnson was only included in the main draw as a "lucky loser" from qualifying after Frenchman Gael Monfils withdrew on the eve of the tournament.

With the match carried over from yesterday after rain forced the abandonment of last night's late session, Johnson will be back in action this evening with a second round match up against fourth seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

German Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced through to the third round with a straight forward 6-4 6-2 win over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.

After a tricky first-round assignment against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, Kohlschreiber was pleased with his clinical display today.

"Today was a new day. I played a great match and didn't make many mistakes. I served well, very clever with the wind. It's tricky in the wind. Overall I played a very clever and great game," said Kohlschreiber.

Kohlschreiber will meet John Isner in the third round after the big-serving American edged past Slovakia's Lukas Lacko this afternoon. Isner smashed a total of 21 aces - clocking 231km mid-way through the third set - as he overcame a slow start to defeat Lacko 7-6(1) 3-6 6-2.


Tennis: Two big names ousted early - Sport - NZ Herald News

If the rules of tennis made room for draws, today's quarter-final between John Isner and Philipp Kohlschreiber would have met every criterion.

But with a spot in the Heineken Open semifinals up for grabs, there had to be a winner and Isner emerged on top after a marathon match at Stanley St.

In almost two-and-a-half hours of high-quality tennis, neither man managed to break the other's serve, with all three sets requiring tie-breaks to find a victor.

Isner came back from a set down to win both the second and third breakers, setting up a semifinal tomorrow against Roberto Bautista Agut. It could have been an all-American clash in the final four, but Bautista Agut dispatched of an out-of-sorts Jack Sock 6-1 6-3 earlier in the day.

Isner, the third seed, will start as a firm favourite against the world No 73, though the American's conditioning will receive a severe test following today's exertions.

Fortunately for the 2.08m Isner, his type of game is hardly built on covering every inch of the court. The world No 14 showed his reliance on his not-so-secret weapon against Kohlschreiber, firing down 18 aces and winning a remarkable 83 per cent of points off his first serve.

"I served exceptionally well and that's the only reason I won," Isner said. "I was able to stay even with him throughout the whole match, primarily because of my serve.

"Some days you're just in a good rhythm, and I was certainly in a good rhythm today. I need to make adjustments outside of my serve and that's what I have to get better on." Any deficiencies in Isner's ground game weren't exploited, with Kohlschreiber bringing up only three break points across 18 games. Isner had just seven of his own, but managed the crucial mini-break to take out the final tie-break.

With each set lasting the distance, Isner was always going to hold the advantage, given he possesses the best tie-break record on the ATP. The American also had previous experience of playing in matches without service breaks, unsurprisingly so given his serving prowess.

"You certainly don't see it too often but there's a lot of things when I play that you don't see too often," Isner said. "It's not out of the realm of possibility with me."

For Kohlschreiber, who reached the quarter-finals for the ninth time in 10 trips to Auckland, there was little to rue after a match devoid of opportunities. He had won his previous two matches against Isner but failed to manufacture many openings in his return game.

"It was one of those matches where I really didn't do anything wrong," he said. "It was very interesting and high-quality, but it was tough to be a loser. I didn't have too many mistakes so it was a bit strange to lose.

"There were maybe two or three little chances in the whole two hours and he played very well in those important moments."

Isner will be hoping to do likewise when he encounters Bautista Agut tomorrow. The Spaniard was clinical against Sock but didn't really need to do much other than keep the ball in the court, wrapping up the match in just 63 minutes.

"He made a lot of mistakes because I forced him, returning everything," said the world No 73. "When he has no time, he is a little bit worse."

The third man into semifinals was Yen-Hsun Lu, who ended the fairytale run of lucky loser Steve Johnson in a straight sets victory. He will play the winner of the final quarter-final between defending champion David Ferrer and Guillermo Garcia-Loez.



Tennis: Isner wins marathon match - Sport - NZ Herald News

Top seed and world number three David Ferrer has been denied his bid for a fifth Heineken Open crown by veteran Yen-Hsun Lu - a player contesting his first ATP world tour semifinal in his 13-year pro career.

Lu, ranked 62 in the world, ousted the Spanish great 6-4 7-6 (4) in tonight's semifinals to book a final showdown against another former champion, American John Isner, tomorrow.

Ferrer, who came through a tough three-set quarterfinal match against compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez last night, looked out-of-sorts as he struggled to find his rhythm against the crafty Lu.

Lu, of Chinese Taipei, has been super consistent all week, and once against used the fast Stanley St surface to good effect tonight, as Ferrer struggled with his opponent's blistering returns.

After the match an extremely disappointed Ferrer could not quite put his finger on what went wrong against Lu, but refused to blame fatigue from the previous night's match as a factor.

"I didn't play so good - it is maybe one of the worst defeats of my career," said Ferrer.
"Today I made a lot of mistakes like a junior."

Isner won his way through to the final after overcoming a horrible start in his semifinal showdown against Roberto Bautista Agut.

The 2010 champion looked slow and laboured around the court early on before taking the initiative mid-way through the second set to claim a 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4 win.

Dictating the pace of the game at the outset, Bautista Agut forced the 2.08m tall Isner into a running game, which he struggled with. After easily claiming the opening set Bautista Agut looked headed for his second ATP Tour final with a 5-3 lead in the second.

But Isner came up with a timely break of serve, eventually forcing a second set tie break.

With the best record in tie breaks on the tour, Isner predictably won before powering away in the third set, setting up match point with a 231km ace.

Tomorrow's doubles final has an element of symmetry to it, with two Brazilian-Austrian pairings going head-to-head.

Top seeds Alexander Peya (AUT) and Bruno Soares (BRA) won their way through to the final with a dominant performance over Italy's Daniele Bracciali and Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic. They will take on the second seeds Julian Knowle (AUT) and Marcelo Melo (BRA) in the final.


Tennis: Ferrer falls out of Open - Sport - NZ Herald News

The world's top four -****** ******Serena Williams, Victoria ******Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Li Na - are big earners with their tournament winnings, sponsorships and ******endorsements.

Financial bible Forbes has just ranked Sharapova, Williams and Li in the list of the world's top 100 earning sports stars of 2013, with Azarenka close to the 100.

They were the only women in the list. But more signifcantly, only three male tennis players were also included, show-ing the huge ground women have gained in the sport.

Sharapova's total income for 2013 was more than Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal netted, while Williams and Li were not far behind those two men.

Roger Federer was the dominant difference in tennis terms, soaring to No.2 with $71.5 million earned, behind golf ace Tiger Woods.

On the Forbes list Sharapova came in at 22, Williams 68, and Li 85.

The four best women are now in Melbourne, showing their glamorous side off court at sponsors' functions and a fierce determination between the lines as they practise for the Open, which starts tomorrow.

Their focus on business on and off the court makes them strong and powerful role models for the fans, according to Williams, who is building her own fashion empire when not competing on the tour. Sitting in a studio in Collingwood shooting a campaign for Berlei, Williams told the Sunday Herald Sun she was happy to provide inspiration to young women who want to make a go at life.

"I think it's important for young women to accept who they are and have goals and be brave and be amazing and have a go,'' she said. Russian superstar Sharapova agrees.

"That's one of the goals,'' she said of being a role model.

"When I wake up in the morning I train to be better at what I do, I want to be a role model.

"I believe that everyone can be better in their certain fields, whether it's tennis or something else."

The 26-year-old, who has launched her own confectionary company Sugarpova, acknowledges that the interest in and strength of women's tennis around the world is bringing more opportunities for everyone.

Certainly, Li Na has the potential to earn Federer-style riches if she continues her success on court.

The first Chinese player to win a grand slam tournament, the French Open in 2011, Li is a superstar back home and her earnings can only go in one direction. But she believes it's not just the top four women that make the tour strong.

"I think it's not only about the four of us,'' she said.

"All of the women's tour is very strong.

"I think we are all doing a good job.''

What about the future star power of the game?

There are some bright prospects, including 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard who is ranked No. 31, and American Sloane Stephens, 20, now ranked No. 13.


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Criticized in the past for not being tough enough, tennis’s antidoping program faced criticism in 2013 that it was too harsh as two prominent players, Viktor Troicki and Marin Cilic, received suspensions that were reduced on appeal.

As the 2014 season begins in earnest Monday at the Australian Open, resentment and concern linger. And the International Tennis Federation, which administers the program, is making changes.

“You are always exposed to criticism from several directions,” said Dr. Stuart Miller, who heads the program. “We can’t behave solely based on that criticism, because you’d effectively end up being paralyzed. You have got to do what you think is the right thing, and you treat everybody the same.

“The fact that two fairly high-ranked players in 2013 were sanctioned, to me, should be at least some indication that there is no discrimination whether you are ranked No. 1 or No. 1,000 in the program.”

Miller said 69 players had been penalized since 1995.

Troicki’s case was among the most polarizing. Once ranked as high as No. 12, Troicki was ultimately barred for a year after failing to submit to a blood test April 15 at the Monte Carlo tournament. Troicki cited illness at the time and his fear of needles and asked to be allowed to postpone the test. The debate focused on whether Troicki had been misled about the consequences of missing the test by the doping control officer Dr. Elena Gorodilova.

In November, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Troicki’s 18-month suspension, its ruling stated that Gorodilova could have done more to dispel possible misunderstanding.

The handling of Troicki’s case prompted an attack on the program’s credibility from Novak Djokovic, Troicki’s friend and fellow Serb and one of the game’s biggest stars.

“I don’t have trust in them anymore,” Djokovic said of the antidoping authorities in November, calling Troicki’s penalty “total injustice.”

Troicki contended that he was, in part, a victim of bad timing. His case arose when the I.T.F. needed to appear particularly tough on doping, he said.

“I think they’re trying to make an example out of me,” he said in a recent interview.

Miller denied any bias against Troicki. “He has been part of the tennis antidoping program for a number of years, and he’s provided samples before,” Miller said. “He’s absolutely clear of what his responsibilities are, and on this occasion he didn’t comply with his responsibilities.”

Other leading players, including Andy Murray and Roger Federer, have defended the suspensions. Murray said Troicki and Cilic were responsible for knowing the rules. Federer, while reiterating his call for increased testing, said that there was no excuse for missing a test.

In the wake of the Troicki case, Miller confirmed that the working group that oversees the I.T.F. antidoping program had enacted a new rule for 2014. Miller said it stipulated that if a player appears to be declining to provide a sample, the doping control officer in attendance must, when it is reasonable, ask the referee or supervisor on site to remind the player of the consequences of refusal.

Miller said the protocol change was meant to remove ambiguity.

“You have to understand there might be a time where you can’t find a supervisor,” he said. “But under normal circumstances, you are expected to make the effort to make contact with that person.”

Ben Nichols, a spokesman for the World Anti-Doping Agency, said, “The I.T.F’s change is permissible, but if such an official was not available, this would not justify a refusal.”

Such refusals are rare.
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It is unclear how much the I.T.F. will increase its testing in 2014. The most recent statistics are from 2012, when the I.T.F. reported that it conducted 2,185 tests, including 271 out-of-competition tests and 187 blood tests, 63 of those out of competition. In 2008, for the purposes of perspective, it reported 2,018 total tests, including 91 out-of-competition tests, none for blood.

Tennis players are also tested by organizations other than the I.T.F., but Miller said that in general the I.T.F. totals made up about two-thirds of the annual count. He declined to give target numbers for 2014 or a budget projection. (The program reportedly cost about $2 million in 2012.) But Miller did confirm that the intent was to increase out-of-competition testing and blood testing with the goal of blood tests being more than 10 percent of the total.

“It’s not just about testing numbers,” Miller said. “It’s about testing the right people at the right time, and there’s more of an emphasis on intelligent testing than there is just on testing numbers.”

One new tool is the biological passport, approved last year and similar to what is used by cycling and by track and field. It generates a baseline profile for each athlete that can be updated, charted and used to detect potential cheating even if an athlete did not test positive for a banned substance.

“I hold the opinion that the I.T.F. stepped up its antidoping program in 2013,” said Richard Ings, a former chief executive of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and former head of the ATP Tour’s antidoping program. “This is an overdue improvement as testing gaps were clearly apparent which resulted in complaints from top players for the I.T.F. to do more.”

Ings said the I.T.F. had overreached by pushing for the maximum penalty in the cases of Troicki, which would have been two years, and Cilic, which would have been one year. Cilic was initially suspended for nine months after testing positive for nikethamide in May at a tournament in Munich. He convinced the panel that he had inadvertently ingested the substance because of linguistic confusion. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Cilic’s suspension to four months.

“Not all cases have facts and faults that justify the maximum penalty,” Ings said. “It is important to be firm in antidoping, but more i

One of the worst things a tennis player can do to overcome the scorching temperatures at the Australian Open is to drink too much.

And for fans concerned about the health of the world's best players slogging it out in the extreme heat expected in Melbourne this week, the message is simple: It isn't that bad.

"We can play in these conditions and not be too concerned ... the risk to health is relatively low," said tournament doctor Tim Wood.

"We have never had anybody die from dehydration on a tennis court.

"We have had players almost die from drinking too much. So the danger is over-drinking, not under-drinking and becoming dehydrated.

"We have never had to put a drip in someone who has been so dehydrated that their vital signs, blood pressure and heart rate, have been compromised."

Typical Australian Open, 40C-plus weather is forecast for Melbourne this week and has reignited the perennial discussion on the championship's heat policy.

As they have done for many years, championship organisers operate an extreme-heat policy that can result in play being suspended due to high temperature, or for the roof to be closed on the two main stadium courts.

But Dr Wood played down concerns players might be disadvantaged, or even harmed, by playing too often in the heat.

"Tennis is relatively low risk for major heat problems compared to, in Melbourne, AFL football, compared to continuous running events," Dr Wood said.

He said the total time the ball is in play in a tennis match is small compared to the total time of a match.

"Tennis, by and large, is a low-risk sport and that's why ... we can play in these conditions and not be too concerned," he said.

"A lot of people get hot and look distressed and hot and bothered, as we all do. The actual risk to the health is relatively small compared to other sports." While Open organisers have various thresholds for calling off matches that differ between men's, women's, junior and wheelchair matches, there is no definitive point at which play is stopped.

That decision is made by tournament referee Wayne McKewen who assesses information from a variety of sources before calling a halt.


Heat no problem for top tennis players

It appears that the organizers decided to do something different this year at the Australian Open -- they combined the seniors event with the main draw. A quarter century ago, Johan Kriek was the oldest player in the men's draw at age 30. This year? Nearly a quarter of the main draw is north of the 18-29 demographic.

The reasons for the aging of the field have been much discussed. As the pro game becomes increasingly physical, it demands a player's full maturity. As the pro game becomes increasingly global, the notion of a teenager shuttling from Chennai to Dubai to Shanghai strains credulity. Personal theory: The welter of players suffering injuries get the equivalent of a sabbatical and -- like Tommy Haas and Andrea Petkovic -- can extend their careers on the back end.

But another factor that seldom gets discussed: There is something ennobling about struggle, something strengthening about battle, something intoxicating about competition. And players think long and hard before deciding to give that up. This applies to all of sports, but tennis in particular. On what is literally a level playing field, two players match skill and will. One emerges a winner while the other doesn't. You can't really replicate that in Cubicle Nation. Maybe the opportunity for competition is why so many players continue to work in the pro tennis sectors well into their 30s -- and, in some cases, their 40s.

Which brings us to Venus Williams. She is 33 now. As a teenager, she regularly predicted that tennis was a passing fancy, a career she'd soon abandon. And yet, nearly a decade removed from her last Grand Slam title, she is still out there. She's been injured. She's been ill. Her ranking is so modest that she isn't seeded. Doesn't matter.

On Monday, she christened the new Margaret Court Arena, playing No. 22 Ekatarina Makarova of Russia in her first match. In Venus' prime, this is precisely the kind of opponent she'd roll 6-2, 6-2. Here, it was a battle. Venus won the first set but dropped the second set, spraying balls like a fire hose. In the third set, she grabbed a 3-0 lead. Makarova closed to 3-3. In the most tense moments, Venus missed her mark, especially on her returns. Makarova was steadier and took the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

With this shot, Venus proves she's still got her touch

Venus lost. But she competed. She smiled, grimaced; shrieked with disgust and shrieked with delight; pumped her fist and slapped her thigh.

Afterward, she got the predictable questions -- delicately phrased, but the subtext was obvious: You're so far from your old form. When are you going to retire?

"I love tennis," she said flatly.

You have a feeling what she really meant was, "I love competing."

Will she be here in 2015?

"I'd love to come back."

Read More: Venus Williams still relishes competition at age 33 - Tennis - Jon Wertheim - SI-com

A player hallucinated he saw Snoopy on court before he fainted mid-match, a ball kid collapsed and water bottles melted on court as the Australian Open sizzled in extreme heat.

Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic collapsed during the second set of his first round match against Frenchman Benoit Paire and said he saw the comic character out on court as he suffered in the conditions.

He was unconscious for almost a minute but managed to return to the court before losing in straight sets.

"I was dizzy from the middle of the first set and then I saw Snoopy and I thought, 'Wow Snoopy, that's weird," Dancevic said.

"I couldn't keep my balance anymore and I leaned over the fence and when I woke up people were all around me."

Open officials said the temperature hit a high of 42.8 degrees at Melbourne Park as players and fans sweltered, with the heat expected to continue until the end of the week.

"It's inhumane and I don't think it's fair to anybody when you see players pulling out of matches and passing out," Dancevic said.

"It's hazardous to be out there, it's dangerous.

"Until somebody dies, they're going to keep playing matches in this heat ... and personally I don't think it's fair."

Dancevic said he questioned organisers about the heat policy before his match but was told it wasn't an issue.

"It's not only the heat you're battling with the air temperature, you're battling the heat coming from the court and also the sun so you've got heat coming from all sides.

Defending women's champion Victoria Azarenka described the conditions as like "dancing in a frying pan" .

Former women's world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki said when she put her water bottle down on court, the bottom started melting.

"It feels like I was sweating in a sauna or something," Wozniacki said.

China's Peng Shuai received a code violation after she vomited and cramped badly on court, blaming the heat for her three-set loss.

"I couldn't run, I couldn't serve so it was impossible for me to play," she said.

Daniel Gimeno-Traver helped a ball kid to his chair after he collapsed during the Spaniard's four-set loss to Milos Raonic while the St John Ambulance were kept busy treating fans for heat stress. Dancevic collapsed during his match at Melbourne Park. Source: Getty

In 2009, the hottest edition on record with an average daily temperature of 34.7 degrees, reigning champion Novak Djokovic pulled out of his quarter-final with Andy Roddick, citing heat exhaustion.

Officials played down any health risks, pointing out that no player has ever died from dehydration on a tennis court.

Australian Open tournament referee Wayne McKewen said conditions were hot and uncomfortable but there was no need to invoke the extreme heat policy.

"The relatively low level of humidity ensured that conditions never deteriorated to a point where we needed to invoke the extreme heat policy," he said.

Dr Tim Wood, the Open's chief medical officer, said that the "playing group coped well".

"There were a few players who experienced heat related illness or discomfort but none required significant medical intervention after they had completed their match," he said.


Player hallucinating in tennis heat - Yahoo!7 Sport

Williams IS SexY !!

The heat wave at the Australian Open Tennis tournament has been giving the bookies a rough ride as the odds change with the weather. The heat is causing the players to back out and collapse much to the chagrin of books all over the world. While the temperature at the venue is expected to dip down in the near future that too may play havoc with the condition of the tennis pros.
The Tournament is still well underway with events scheduled until January 26th 2014 at the Melbourne Park facility. The website is specific when it comes to gambling with the statement that Tennis Australia has a zero tolerance policy on illegal gambling, match-fixing and the communication of sensitive information that may affect the outcome of a match, and will investigate all reported instances.
Authorities have arrested an individual for alleged 'court side gambling' after a British man was held at the Australian Open tournament according to the Daily Mail.
The 22-year-old is alleged to have been watching games courtside and using a special electronic device sewn into his clothes to send messages to an associate who places bets before a TV delay. The individual has not been named and police have not released any details as to whether he is resident or is visiting Australia.
Victoria Police also confirmed it has been observing several other persons of interest and are continuing to monitor their activities.
Graham Ashton, Deputy Commissioner commented on the arrest, ‘It's certainly the first time it's (legislation) been used in tennis in Victoria and I'm not aware of an (tennis) example anywhere in the world where court siding has been able to be dealt with in a criminal setting.’
Deputy Commissioner Ashton explained, ‘That bet is able to be placed before the legitimate bookmaker is able to close off their betting on that particular incident, so trying to beat the (TV) signal back to the relevant bookmaker. ‘The delay can be seven to ten seconds, which doesn't sound like much but in terms of putting large bets on and a volume of bets, that's a long time.’



Online Gambling Suspect Arrested At Australian Open