2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Canada knock out top seeds Spain

Top seeds Spain crashed out of the first round of the Davis Cup for the first time since 2006 when Milos Raonic beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to give Canada an unassailable 3-1 lead in their world group tie on Sunday.
The understrength five-times champions had struggled from the start of the tie in Vancouver and Raonic killed them off with a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Garcia-Lopez to secure Canada's first ever triumph at this level of the men's team competition.

The US also fended off a fightback from Brazil in Jacksonville to secure a place in the last eight, where they will meet Serbia.
Sam Querrey finished the job with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over Thiago Alves in the final rubber after Thomaz Bellucci had tied the contest up at 2-2 by battling past big-serving John Isner 2-6 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-3.

 

[Smallville22]

Hahaha... Melzer is such a fucking wuzz, it's just pathetic. To be fair, Austrian tennis as a whole is really pathetic and there will be only one Thomas Muster.

Maybe in the future a new star rises in the Austrian tennis.

 

[Smallville22]

Corretja has no regrets as beaten Spain face play-off

Spain have found themselves in the unusual position of contemplating a Davis Cup play-off tie to secure their status in the elite world group after the weakened top seeds were dumped out in the first round by Canada.
Milos Raonic, the world number 13, sealed Canada's first passage to the quarter-finals with victory against 82nd-ranked Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, drafted into the Spain side in the absence of Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro.
Nadal is returning from seven months out with a knee injury in Chile this week, while Ferrer and Almagro were unavailable after gruelling runs to the last four and last eight of last month's Australian Open respectively.
Spain captain Alex Corretja, in his second campaign in charge after inheriting a team that had won the cup three times in five years and were losing finalists last year, said he respected players' desire to recuperate rather than add to their packed calendars.
"Players are on their own to decide if they want to play or want to rest," Corretja told the Davis Cup website.
"It's not like we were underestimating Canada; not at all," he added.
"Our players didn't come because their calendars are very busy and they chose another option but we have no regrets about the ones who didn't come or the ones who were here.
"They were trying to do their best and for us it's always a big disappointment to go out in the first round."
Spain's defeat on the indoor hard court in Vancouver means they will have to wait until April's draw to discover their opponents for September's play-off.
It is the first time they have lost in the first round since a defeat to Belarus in Minsk in February 2006 when they were also missing Nadal.
They went on to beat Italy in the play-off to restore their world group status and lost to the United States in the quarter-finals the following year.
"When we drew Canada I knew it was going to be difficult for many reasons, especially on this surface," Corretja said. "Canada did better than us and we need to congratulate them."

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal 'will suffer' on comeback

Rafael Nadal will probably suffer minor knee trouble in his first two weeks back after a long spell out, his coach and uncle said.
Nadal plays his first match in over seven months on Tuesday, as he competes in Chile to start his preparations for an expected Major return at the French Open in May.
A 90-minute hitting session with local player Nicolas Massu was the former world number one's fourth straight day of training since arriving in the South American country.
Nadal is wearing a white bandage on his knee and first match is a doubles with Argentina's Juan Monaco. On Wednesday, he will play singles in the second round against the winner of Guido Pella and Federico Delbonis's all-Argentine clash.
"The knee is much better, but they've told us he will feel some discomfort and lack of mobility until the end of the month," said Toni Nadal, the seven-times French Open champion's coach and uncle. "But it's definitely getting better."
"The bandage is normal and is part of the treatment.
"His game is much better than when we got here," Toni Nadal said. "It was better yesterday and even better today. We're looking to the doubles as an added test."
Nadal is regarded as one of the best if not the best clay player of all time.
He has won 93% of his matches on the surface, and regularly wins tournaments without dropping a set.

 

[Smallville22]

Tennis - Klizan survives scare in Zagreb

Fifth seed Martin Klizan came from a set down against Matteo Viola to reach the second round of the ATP tournament in Zagreb.
The world number 33 was broken twice in a first set that he lost 6-4 before edging a second-set tiebreak to narrowly avoid an upset against 148th-ranked Italian Viola.
The relieved Slovak dominated the deciding set to win 4-6 7-6(6) 6-1.
Left-hander Klizan, 23, raced up the rankings in 2012 after a run to the second round of the French Open saw him break into the top 100.
Reaching the fourth round of the US Open - upsetting fifth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round - he then won his first ATP tournament in St Petersburg, beating Fabio Fognini in the final.
Viola, 25, reached a career-high ranking of 123 in November last year.
The top four seeds in Croatia - Marin Cilic, Andreas Seppi, Mikhail Youzhny and Juergen Melzer - all received byes into the second round.
Top seed Cilic knocked Klizan out 7-5 6-4 6-0 in that US Open fourth-round match.

ATP Zagreb first-round results

Philipp Petzschner (Germany) beat Mate Pavic (Croatia) 7-5 6-2

Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) beat Nikola Mektic (Croatia) 6-4 6-2

Somdev Devvarman (India) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 0-6 7-6(6) 4-1 (Berrer retired)

5-Martin Klizan (Slovakia) beat Matteo Viola (Italy) 4-6 7-6(6) 6-1

ATP Montpellier first-round results

Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-2

Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 2-6 7-5 6-1

Steve Darcis (Belgium) beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 6-4 7-6(0)

 

[Smallville22]

Karlovic's booming serve knocks out Dimitrov

Ivo Karlovic used his big serve to knock seventh-seed Grigor Dimitrov out of the ATP tournament in Zagreb.
The Croat fired 18 aces in a 7-6 (3) 7-6 3) win against the Bulgarian in a match where neither player could even manufacture a break point.
Karlovic is a three-time quarter-finalist at his hometown event.

In Montpellier, crowd favourite Gael Monfils and eight seed Benoit Paire rewarded the home fans with straight set win.s

ATP Zagreb first-round results

Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Filip Veger (Croatia) 6-2 6-4

Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat 7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 7-6(3) 7-6(3)

Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) beat Ilija Bozoljac (Serbia) 6-7(5) 7-6(4) 6-2

Blaz Kavcic (Slovenia) beat Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3

ATP Montpellier first-round results

Gael Monfils (France) beat Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium) 7-5 6-4

8-Benoit Paire (France) beat Adrian Menendez (Spain) 6-0 6-2

Victor Hanescu (Romania) beat Guillermo Olaso (Spain) 6-1 7-6(6)

ATP Vina del Mar first-round results

Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Pere Riba (Spain) 6-2 6-2

8-Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 6-2 6-1

Guillaume Rufin (France) beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) 6-3 6-4

Christian Garin (Chile) beat Dusan Lajovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-4

 

[rivasky]

Fed Cup Group I kicks off tomorrow in Israel

http://www.fedcup.com/en/results/group-i/europe-africa/2013.aspx

TEAM NOMINATIONS

Pool A

- Austria: Yvonne Meusburger, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, Nicole Rottmann, Melanie Klaffner, Jurgen Waber (captain)

- Belarus: Ilona Kremen, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Lidziya Marozava, Ekaterina Dzehalevich, Tatiana Poutchek (captain)

- Croatia: Donna Vekic, Tereza Mrdeza, Ana Konjuh, Darija Jurak, Iva Majoli (captain)

- Georgia: Sofia Shapatava, Sofia Kvatsabaia, Ekaterine Gorgodze, Margalita Chakhnashvili (playing captain)

Pool B

- Bosnia/Herzegovina: Jelena Simic, Anita Husaric, Jasmina Kajtazovic, Dea Herdzelas, Jelena Stanivuk (captain)

- Great Britain: Heather Watson, Laura Robson, Anne Keothavong, Johanna Konta, Judy Murray (captain)

- Hungary: Timea Babos, Greta Arn, Reka-Luca Jani, Katalin Marosi, Levente Baratosi (captain)

- Portugal: Michelle Larcher de Brito, Barbara Luz, Margarida Moura, Joana Vale Costa, Pedro Codeiro (captain)

Pool C

- Israel: Shahar Peer, Julia Glushko, Keren Shlomo, Valeria Patiuk, Amos Mansdorf (captain)

- Poland: Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula Radwanska, Paula Kania, Alicja Rosolska, Tomasz Wiktorowski (captain)

- Romania: Sorana Cirstea, Andreea Mitu, Raluca Olaru, Cristina Dinu, Marius Comanescu (captain)

- Turkey: Cagla Buyukakcay, Pemra Ozgen, Basak Eraydin, Ipek Soylu, Ali Gorec (captain)

Pool D

- Bulgaria: Tsvetana Pironkova, Elitsa Kostova, Dia Evtimova, Isabella Shinikova, Dora Rangelova (captain)

- Luxembourg: Anne Kremer, Claudine Schaul, Tiffany Cornelius, Laura Correia, Frank Eicher (captain)

- Netherlands: Arantxa Rus, Richal Hogenkamp, Bibiane Schoofs, Angelique van der Meet, Manon Bollegraf (captain)

- Slovenia: Andreja Klepac, Tjasa Srimpf, Tina Rupert, Tina Pisnik (captain)


Laura and Heather and ready to kick ass ::yesyes:

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal wins doubles match on Chilean comeback

Rafa Nadal made a successful comeback after a seven-month injury absence with victory in the first round of the Chilean Open doubles on Tuesday.
He former world number one and Argentine partner Juan Monaco overpowered second-seeded Czechs Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy 6-3 6-2 in 65 minutes at the Pacific coastal city of Vina del Mar.
Spanish left-hander Nadal had been out with a knee problem since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June.
"It's a good feeling to be back. We'll see how the knee reacts," Nadal told a news conference. "The moment and the surfaces were the right ones and playing for the first time in this country was a great opportunity.
"Playing doubles is less aggressive, so we'll see how things go tomorrow in singles," he added after he and Monaco had taken advantage of four of their seven chances to break the Czechs' service.
The 26-year-old's planned return at the end of last year was delayed due to illness but he will compete on his favourite clay surface at three Latin American events this month.
On Wednesday, Nadal plays a second-round singles match against Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis.
After the Chile tournament he will compete at the Brazil Open in Sao Paulo next week and the Mexico Open in Acapulco from February 25.

 

[Smallville22]

Venus out of Qatar Open

Venus Williams has pulled out of next week's Qatar Open with her lower back injury.
Williams pulled out of last week's Paris Open with the problem, which has bothered her since the Australian Open, where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the third round.
She is also missing for the United States' Fed Cup match against Italy.
Andrea Hlavackova takes her place in Qatar, where sister Serena is scheduled to play and Victoria Azarenka is top seed.

 

[Smallville22]

GB's Fed Cup bid delayed by rain in Israel

Great Britain must wait until Thursday to start their Fed Cup campaign after rain washed out their opening tie in Israel.
Judy Murray's team were due to begin against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their first pool match, taking place in the southern city of Eilat.
They also face Hungary and Portugal in Pool B, and should they emerge through their group they would then face a play-off with the possibility of securing promotion to World Group II.
Heather Watson and Anne Keovathong are expected to lead the team in singles, while Laura Robson and Johanna Konta are also in the team.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal back with solid win in Chile

Rafa Nadal overcame a slow start to beat Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-3 6-2 and advance to the third round of the Chilean Open with his first singles victory in seven months.
Nadal lost his serve in the first game but quickly hit back, taking command of the match and winning the first set in 50 minutes at the Pacific resort city of Vina del Mar.
The French Open champion seemed surprised when Delbonis took a 2-0 lead, but with some fierce shots he put things in their place.
The former world number one began to vary his game and showed greater mobility in a one-sided second set which he wrapped up in 38 minutes.
"I feel happy to be playing singles again. It's been an important day for me," Nadal told local television after the match.
"Thanks for supporting me. I'd never dreamed of a comeback like this," he added in front of an ecstatic crowd.
"It was a tough start. Federico played really well and forced me to run a lot".
Nadal took advantage of four of his eleven chances to break Delbonis's serve.
The Spanish left-hander had been out with a knee injury since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June.
"I'm happy the knee responded well," Nadal added.
In the quarter finals, Nadal will play against the winner of Thursday's match between Spaniards Albert Montanes and Daniel Gimeno-Traver.
The 26-year-old, whose planned end-of-year return was delayed due to illness, will now compete on his favourite clay surface at three Latin American events this month.
Nadal will compete at the Brazil Open in Sao Paulo next week and the Mexico Open in Acapulco from February 25.

RESULTS

ATP Vina del Mar

Round 2

1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-3 6-2

8-Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-5 4-6 6-4

Guillaume Rufin (France) beat 2-Juan Monaco (Argentina) 7-6(3) 6-4

Round 1

6-Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Gianluca Naso (Italy) 6-1 6-4

7-Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 6-4 4-6 6-1

5-Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Rogerio Dutra Silva (Brazil) 6-4 6-1

ATP Montpellier

Round 2

8-Benoit Paire (France) beat Steve Darcis (Belgium) 4-6 7-6(11) 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat 5-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-3 7-6(8)

Round 1 Michael Llodra (France) beat Kenny De Schepper (France) 6-3 6-3

Tatsuma Ito (Japan) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 3-6 7-6(5) 7-5

6-Julien Benneteau (France) beat Adrian Ungur (Romania) 6-3 4-2 (Ungur retired)

Arnau Brugues (Spain) beat Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(3)

7-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Lucas Pouille (France) 6-4 7-5

ATP Zagreb

Round 2

3-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 6-3 6-2

Round 1 Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat Benjamin Becker (Germany) 6-2 7-6(3)

6-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Tobias Kamke (Germany) 6-7(6) 6-2 6-4

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat Antonio Veic (Croatia) 2-6 6-3 6-3

Flavio Cipolla (Italy) beat 8-Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) 1-1 (Lacko retired)

 

[Smallville22]

Britain whitewash Bosnia in Fed Cup opener

Olympic silver medallist Laura Robson and fellow Team GB member Heather Watson both tasted victory as Great Britain began their Fed Cup campaign with victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Robson, who won mixed doubles silver with Andy Murray at London 2012, completed a 3-0 win with the help of women's doubles partner Johanna Konta as they saw off Jelena Simic and Jasmina Kajtazovic.
Watson, who reached the second round at last summer's Olympics, had earlier followed Anne Keothavong's lead in winning her singles match as the Britain-Bosnia and Herzegovina clash was finally played in Israel.
Heavy rain on Wednesday forced the Europe/Africa Zone Group I tie to be delayed by 24 hours however it didn't affect Britain much in the first of their three Pool B matches.
Keothavong, who was making her 39th Fed Cup appearance to take her into second on the British all-time list for the competition, defeated Dea Herdzelas 6-4, 6-2.
Watson also won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4 over Anita Husaric to ensure victory for the British team in Eilat before Robson and Konta then took to the court to complete it.
Only two teams will progress out of Europe/Africa Zone Group I and into the World Group II play-offs in April with Britain facing Portugal next on Friday and then Hungary on Saturday.
Should Britain top Pool B they will face the winners of Pool D, which involves Bulgaria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia, in an attempt to keep their promotion hopes alive.

 

[Smallville22]

Bartoli return unlikely due to flu

Marion Bartoli has a fever and is "highly unlikely" to make her long-awaited return for France in the Fed Cup against Germany this weekend.
French captain Amelie Mauresmo told L'Equipe that she had been unable to train on Wednesday and Thursday.
"The doctor says it's the flu. Currently she is in bed resting," said Mauresmo
Mauresmo added that that she would give the French No.1 until the last possible moment before making a decision on her team.
"We will check on her tonight (Thursday) and especially tomorrow (Friday) morning," she said.
Bartoli refused to play for France for eight years as the team rules exclude parents or private coaches from being involved during Fed Cup weeks. She is coached by her father Walter.
Mauresmo recently convinced her to return.
Kristina Mladenovic, Virginie Razzano, Pauline Parmentier and Alize Cornet have also been called up for the clash.

 

[Smallville22]

Fourth singles to be dropped in 3-0 ties

The fourth singles match in a Fed Cup tie will be scrapped if a team has an unassailable 3-0 lead.
International Tennis Federation executive vice president Juan Margets said that the rule change "came in response to requests from players, captains and national associations".
The doubles will be played instead - but should the fourth singles decide the outcome, the doubles will still be played.
A first-to-10 tie-break decider would then replace the third set, apart from in the final, when the doubles would be scrapped.

 

[Smallville22]

Tipsarevic stunned by Llodra in Montpellier

Janko Tipsarevic's campaign at the Open Sud de France ended with defeat to Michael Llodra in the second round.
Llodra, buoyed by a home crowd in Montpellier, reeled off victory in straight sets, 6-3 7-6(4) against the second seed.
Llodra fired 13 aces and attacked throughout, eventually finishing with a total of 20 winners.
"My serve was good today and that helps on a quick surface like this," Llodra said. "There wasn't much in it, but I think I had more chances than him. I'm very happy to have won in straight sets."
Tipsarevic was effectively the top seed after Tomas Berdych withdrew before the tournament began.
There was more good news for French players as fourth seed Gilles Simon also reached the quarter-finals, beating Arnau Brugues-Davi 7-6(5) 6-2 to set-up an all-French showdown against Benoit Paire.

RESULTS

ATP Montpellier

Round 2

Michael Llodra (France) beat 2-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 6-3 7-6(4)

Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) beat Tatsuma Ito (Japan) 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3)

4-Gilles Simon (France) beat Arnau Brugues (Spain) 7-6(5) 6-2

Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) beat 7-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-0 4-2 (Troicki retired)

ATP Zagreb

Round 2

1-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) 6-2 6-3

Philipp Petzschner (Germany) beat Dino Marcan (Croatia) 6-3 6-4

Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Flavio Cipolla (Italy) 6-4 2-6 6-3

Blaz Kavcic (Slovenia) beat 6-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4

4-Jurgen Melzer (Austria) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 1-6 7-6(5) 6-2

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat 5-Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-2 4-6 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

And in another all-French clash third seed Richard Gasquet won through to the last eight at Gael Monfils' expense.

RESULTS

ATP Montpellier

Round 2

6-Julien Benneteau (France) beat Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-4 6-4

3-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Gael Monfils (France) 6-3 2-6 6-3

ATP Zagreb

Round 2

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 7-6(2) 6-7(2) 6-3

ATP Vina del Mar

Round 2

7-Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-4 6-4

6-Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-4 6-4

5-Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Filippo Volandri (Italy) 6-7(5) 6-3 7-5

Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat 4-Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-3 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Robson leads GB to win over Israel

Olympic silver medallist Laura Robson dropped just six games in two matches as Great Britain remain unbeaten in their Fed Cup campaign in Israel.
After Thursday's win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Judy Murray's team were given a tougher examination by Portugal.
Robson, who won Olympic mixed doubles silver with Andy Murray at London 2012, beat Margarida Moura 6-2 6-1 before Heather Watson lost 6-1 6-4 to Michelle Larcher De Brito.
However, Robson and Watson combined to win their doubles encounter over Larcher De Brito and Joana Vale Costa 6-2, 6-1 for a 2-1 victory for Britain.
Murray's team will now face Hungary in their final pool encounter on Saturday and another win on Sunday would see them advance to the World Group II play-offs in April.

 

[Smallville22]

Melzer makes Zagreb semis

Austrian fourth seed Jurgen Melzer made the semi-finals of ATP Zagreb with a straight sets win over Lukas Rosol.
World number 29 Melzer stormed past his Czech opponent to earn a last-four match against either Robin Haase or Philipp Petzschner.

ATP Zagreb quarter-final results:

4-Jurgen Melzer (Austria) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-4

ATP Montpellier quarter-final results:

Michael Llodra (France) beat Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) 7-6(3) 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Paire beats Simon to reach Montpellier semis

Benoit Paire upset Gilles Simon in straight sets to reach the ATP Montpellier semi-finals.

ATP Zagreb quarter-final results:

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat Philipp Petzschner (Germany) 6-4 3-6 6-0

3-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-3 6-2

ATP Montpellier quarter-final results:

Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 4-6 6-3 7-6(2)

8-Benoit Paire (France) beat 4-Gilles Simon (France) 7-5 7-6(4)

 

[rivasky]

Next week, we'll take Grenoble

No, we don't!

http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/women's-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1100028311

Sandra ZAHLAVOVA (CZE) 7-5 6-2 Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE) [1]
Julia KIMMELMANN (GER) 6-4 3-6 6-3 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) [2]