2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Britain to face USA away in World Group return

Great Britain have been drawn to face the United States away from home in their Davis Cup World Group return.
Andy Murray earned the win that ensured Britain would return to the World Group in 2014 for the first time since 2008, when he defeated Croatia's Ivan Dodig last weekend.
That saw Britain take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the World Group play-off clash with Croatia, a day after Murray and Colin Fleming had put Britain back in front in the doubles.
They defeated Mate Pavic and Dodig in their doubles tie for a 2-1 lead following Murray's win over 16-year-old Berna Coric and Dan Evans' defeat to Dodig on day one. Evans beat Pavic in the dead rubber to secure a 4-1 victory.
Murray was playing his first Davis Cup tie for two years against the Croatians in Umag but hinted that he will be a regular for Britain in the World Group.
American reached the quarter-finals of this year's Davis Cup before losing to Serbia in Washington DC.
For that match-up they played Sam Querrey and John Isner in the singles with the Bryan brothers playing in the doubles. Captain Jim Courier selected a hard indoor court for that fixture.
The winner of the tie between USA and Britain will face either Italy or Argentina in the quarter-final.
Amongst the other first round highlights, Novak Djokovic could come against Roger Federer and/or Stanislas Wawrinka as Serbia take on Switzerland in Belgrade; while the current champions, the Czech Republic, who will face Serbia in this year's final, will open against the Netherlands at home.

Draw full – home teams in caps.

Top half

CZECH REPUBLIC v The Netherlands

Canada v JAPAN

Spain v GERMANY

FRANCE v Australia

Bottom half

Great Britain v USA

Italy v ARGENTINA

Belgium v KAZAKHSTAN

Switzerland v SERBIA

 

[Smallville22]

Davis Cup 2014 draw pits Czechs against Dutch

Top seeds Czech Republic were drawn on Wednesday to play their opening round of the 2014 Davis Cup World Group competition at home to the Netherlands.
The winners in 2012, the Czechs have reached the final again this year and will play Serbia in Belgrade on Nov. 15-17.
Serbia, the second seeds and winners in 2010, were drawn at home to Switzerland while world number two Rafael Nadal's Spain will play in Germany.
Britain, helped back by Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, return to the elite after a five-year absence with a trip to the United States - who played the very first Davis Cup tie against Britain in 1900.

World Group draw (first-named country playing at home, prefix number denotes seeding):

Germany v 3-Spain

1-Czech Republic v Netherlands

Japan v 7-Canada

5-France v Australia

6-United States v Great Britain

4-Argentina v Italy

8-Kazakhstan v Belgium

2-Serbia v Switzerland

 

[Smallville22]

Tomic dad regrets not having punched Drouet

John Tomic, father and coach of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic, has denied assaulting his son's training partner in a Madrid street in May but said he now wished he really had punched the Frenchman.
The 49-year-old was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Spanish court earlier this month for head-butting Thomas Drouet in the face and breaking his nose.
Tomic denied the charges in a Spanish court, saying he acted in self-defence, and did not have to serve jail time because his sentence was less than two years.
"Look, I have to take consequences about court, about (Drouet's) story, and I will accept the decision of court and what I have to do, but I didn't do that (head-butt him)," Tomic, who has also been banned from ATP events, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"It was collision head to head - when he hit me I just grabbed him and it was collision head to head.
"I know that I didn't do that, and I am just now regretting why I didn't punch him, when I see this campaign against Bernard, against me, I'm really regretting why I didn't punch him now, because I think that he deserved that."
A burly former taxi driver born in Bosnia, Tomic tangled with Drouet on the central Paseo de la Castellana during the Madrid Masters in which Bernard was competing.

 

[Smallville22]

Murray to undergo back surgery, doubt for rest of season

Andy Murray looks set to miss the rest of the season after opting to undergo minor back surgery next week, according to initial reports.
The two-time Grand Slam winner has identified this period as the right time to fix his long-standing problem with the next Major not until next year in Australia, although his participation at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals is now in doubt.
He withdrew from the French Open citing a back issue earlier in 2013 and also admitted that it felt sore during the Davis Cup tie with Croatia.
"Next week Andy is set to undergo minor back surgery in an effort to clear up a longstanding back problem," said a statement from Murray's management.
"The issue flared up during the Italian Open this year when Andy was forced to retire and he sought advice from a range of specialists.
"After recently playing on hard courts and clay, Andy once again sought medical advice about solving the issue once and for all. The aim is to be fully fit for the new season."
Murray has enjoyed a fine season which has seen him reach the final of the Australian Open, end Britain's 77-year wait for a men's champion at Wimbledon, and lead Britain back into the Davis Cup World Group.

 

[Smallville22]

Radwanska in top form in Seoul

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska cruised into the quarter-finals of the Korea Open in Seoul with a crushing 6-2 6-1 victory over Spain's Estrella Cabeza Candela.
The Polish world number four needed just 62 minutes to wrap up victory against the Spaniard who is ranked 104th in the world.
Radwanska has dropped only seven games in her two matches in the tournament.
Next up for Radwanska is a clash against Russia's Vera Dushevina.
Second seed in the tournament Maria Kirilenko was defeated by 42-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, who will now face former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the last eight.
After the match Kirilenko revealed she had picked up an injury and would miss next week's WTA Tokyo event.

Results from the Seoul Open Women's Singles Round 2 matches on Thursday

1-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Estrella Cabeza Candela (Spain) 6-2 6-1

Jang Su-Jeong (South Korea) beat Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) 1-6 6-4 6-1

Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) beat 2-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-3 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Jaded Serena withdraws from Tokyo

Women's world number one Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo citing fatigue, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.
"I'm disappointed to have to withdraw from the Pan Pacific Open, which I was very much looking forward to playing this year," the American was quoted as saying.
"Unfortunately with the number of matches I have played throughout the summer I need more time to properly recover."
World number 19 Maria Kirilenko also confirmed she was withdrawing for the event after picking up an injury in her loss to 42-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm at WTA Seoul.
The pair are the latest high-profile withdrawal from the September 22-28 tournament after Russian Maria Sharapova also pulled out last week to recover from a right shoulder injury.

 

[Smallville22]

Radwanska races into Seoul semis

World number four Agnieszka Radwanska continued her devastating form with a 6-2 6-0 win over Vera Dushevina to reach the semi-finals in Seoul.
The top-seeded Pole has dropped just nine games in her first three matches in the South Korean capital and cruised past her Russian opponent in 63 minutes.
Dushevina, who has not managed to take a single set off Radwanska in all four of their meetings, was hampered by a 49 per cent first serve rate and slapped down six double faults as she was broken five times.
Next up for Radwanska is Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena, who beat Korean wildcard Su Jeong Jang 6-0 6-4.
But Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm saw her run come to an end as Italian Francesca Schiavone battled back from a set down to win 4-6 6-4 6-4.
Against anyone else the 33-year-old Schiavone would be considered a veteran but she's almost a youngster compared to Date-Krumm, who at 42 continues to put younger players in their place on a regular basis.
Schiavone had too much for the Japanese player, however, and outlasted her opponent in two hours and two minutes to book her place in the last four where she will face third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The Russian proved too strong for Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu, booking her place in the semi-finals in 80 minutes with a 6-2 6-2 victory.

 

[Smallville22]

Wildcard Zhang to meet qualifier King in Guangzhou final

China's wildcard entrant Zhang Shuai entered her maiden WTA Tour singles final on Friday to set up a title clash with American qualifier Vania King in the Guangzhou Open.
Zhang, ranked 112th in the world, had an easy outing in the semi-final against Austria's Yvonne Meusburger and picked up her fourth straight-set win of the event with a 6-1 6-1 victory.
King, 124th in the rankings, rallied from a set down to beat the other Chinese Zheng Jie 3-6 7-5 6-3 in the $500,000 hard-court tournament, where none of the seeded players could make it to the last four.

 

[Smallville22]

Comfortable Radwanska reaches final in Seoul

Poland's world number four Agnieszka Radwanska breezed past Spaniard Larra Arruabarrena 6-0 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Korea Open on Saturday to set up a title clash with Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Pavlyuchenkova, seeded third, had a tough outing against former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy but eventually prevailed 7-6(11) 7-6(6) in the other semi-final.
Top-seeded Radwanska continued her good form on her Seoul debut, having dropped just 11 games in four matches, and needed 64 minutes to thrash the Spaniard, ranked 113 in the world.
"It was definitely a very good match. I was playing really good tennis," said Radwanska, after reaching her fourth final of the year.
"It was really hot out there but I played my 100 per cent throughout the match, so that's why it was two quick sets."
Pavlyuchenkova was hopeful that she could recover for Sunday's final after her gruelling semi-final that lasted two hours and 25 minutes.
"I'm so tired right now, to be honest," the Russian said after her victory. "I have to be aggressive but also consistent (in the final).
"We just played at the US Open and she's very consistent, she never misses, and if I make a lot of mistakes it'll be an easy victory for her," said Pavlyuchenkova who lost to Radwanska at Flushing Meadows last month.
"It will be a tough match for me, but it's the finals, and I hope I'll be 100 percent tomorrow (Sunday)."

 

[Smallville22]

Wildcard Zhang wins maiden WTA singles title in Guangzhou

China's wildcard entrant Zhang Shuai won her maiden WTA Tour singles title with a 7-6 (1) 6-1 victory over American qualifier Vania King in the Guangzhou Open final on Saturday.
Playing in her first singles final, the 112th-ranked Zhang continued her run of straight-set victories and won the $500,000 hard-court tournament in front of her delighted home crowd.
After an evenly-matched first set, Zhang ran through the second, winning 16 of the last 17 points against the 124th-ranked American.
Zhang, whose previous best singles performance was reaching the semi-finals in the same event in 2010, became the fifth Chinese player to win a WTA title after Li Na, Zheng Jie, Yan Zi and Sun Tiantian.

 

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Tsonga to face Simon in all-French final

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will aim to cap his comeback from injury with a third consecutive title at the Metz Open as he faces Gilles Simon.
World number eight Tsonga, returning this week from a knee injury that sidelined him for three months after forcing him to retire from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June, recovered from a set down to beat German Florian Mayer 4-6 6-2 6-3 in their semi-final on Saturday.
"I hung on thanks to the crowd's support and also because I knew that Florian Mayer has some endurance problems," Tsonga, who has now beaten the German in their three confrontations, told a courtside interview.
"It will be different against Gilles. I've seen that he's been playing very well," Tsonga said after Simon beat Nicolas Mahut 6-3 7-6 to reach the final without dropping a set on his way.
The 28-year-old top seed, who recently parted ways with coach Roger Rasheed, will seek an 11th ATP Tour title at the indoor tournament where he succeeded in 2011 and 2012.
Simon, seeded two, will also try to clinch an 11th crown after easing past fellow countryman Mahut without conceding a single break chance.
The 16th-ranked Simon had battled with whooping cough, which made him miss the U.S. Open, and arrived in Metz having not won a match since he reached the final at the Eastbourne grasscourt event in June.
He has a 10-4 win-loss record in finals but has never beaten Tsonga on hard courts.
"It's true that I have a good ratio but I lost the last two (in Eastbourne and Bangkok last year). I hope that I will be able to give 100 percent tomorrow," Simon told reporters.
Either Tsonga or Simon will join former world number four Guy Forget as the second most successful Frenchman in the Open era. Only French Open winner Yannick Noah has won more titles - 23 - since 1968.

 

[Smallville22]

'Flying Alone' Zhang hopes Guangzhou win a new start

Zhang Shuai was aware of the risks involved when she opted to "Fly Alone" two months ago but the 24-year-old Chinese now stands vindicated after winning her maiden WTA Tour title in Gunagzhou.
Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion, broke free from China's state-run training system and went independent after the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a move dubbed "Fly Alone" by the Chinese media.
Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie and Yan Zi also took the plunge, to be followed this year by Zhang who won the Guangzhou Open with a 7-6 (1) 6-1 victory over American qualifier Vania King.
"It is no doubt the most memorable time in my life," Zhang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency on Sunday. "I hope today's victory will be a new start for me, not a destination.
"I know there will be many troubles ahead of my journey of 'Flying Alone'," Zhang, who won in Guangzhou without dropping a set whole week, said.
"In the past I was an employee, but now I am the boss. I should be responsible for all the team expenses. I can only earn more when I win more.
"I am experiencing a huge shift, not only in tennis, but my whole life. 'Fly Alone' is not easy. I am enjoying happy moments (but) also painful ones."

 

[Smallville22]

Radwanska rallies to win year's third title in Korea

Polish top seed Agnieszka Radwanska came from behind to beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7 (6) 6-3 6-4 in the final of the Korea Open in Seoul to bag her third WTA title of the year.
Radwanska's victory in the gruelling final, which lasted two hours and 45 minutes, also gave the 24-year-old world number four her 13th career title.
"After a great match, almost three hours of great tennis at a really high level, of course I'm very happy," Radwanska said after her win.
Pavlyuchenkova, who lost to Radwanska in the US Open last month as well, came back after losing the first three games and saved four set points to eventually win the opening set in the tie-breaker.
Radwanska wrested back control after breaking the third-seeded Russian early in the second set and closed out the match with a break in the 10th game of the deciding set.
"It was a very close match - tight sets, all of them - but I was just a little bit better in the important moments today," Radwanska said.
"And at the end of the third set I think I was playing a little bit more aggressively than she was, and I managed to win a couple more points in the end.
"In the third set I was just trying to fight every point and stay calm, and I'm happy I made it."
Pavlyuchenkova complained of fatigue and jet lag after playing non-stop in the lead-up to last month's US Open but was not too disappointed with the result in Korea.
"It's tough losing this match after fighting so long and coming so close," she said. "It's difficult and frustrating, but in tennis you can be up then down and you lose some and you win some. "I'm actually proud of myself. I had a great week. I showed some good tennis and it was a great final."

 

[Smallville22]

Simon downs Tsonga to claim Moselle title

Gilles Simon beat fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets to win the Moselle Open.
The 16th-ranked Simon has joined former world number four Guy Forget on the list.
Former French Open champion Yannick Noah is the only Frenchman to have won more with 23 tournament wins since professionals were allowed to compete in 1968.
"Yannick is still way ahead but I'm really happy joining Guy," Simon told a news conference. "What makes me really proud is to have won a trophy for the seventh consecutive year," added the 28-year-old, who also won in Metz in 2010 and now has a 11-4 win-loss record in finals.
World number eight Tsonga, the twice defending champion in Metz, was making his comeback after three months out with a knee injury and seemed to lack sharpness against second seed Simon.
"I would have liked to play better tennis but I could not. I don't have any regrets. I'm in form and my knee is fine," Tsonga said.
Simon, who entered the tournament having not won a match since June and missed the U.S. Open because of illness, took a decisive edge in the hard-fought first set by breaking Tsonga's serve for the second time in the ninth game. He easily clinched the second by taking advantage of his exhausted opponent's numerous unforced errors.

 

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Gulbis completes comeback to win in Russia

Ernests Gulbis completed a dramatic comeback, winning 11 straight games, to beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the final of the St. Petersburg Open.
Spaniard Garcia-Lopez was in imperious form as he took the first set 6-3 and then continued his dominance to break World No 36 Gulbis and lead 4-1 in the second set.
There was to be a huge change in momentum, however, as Latvian Gulbis reeled off 11 consecutive games to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.
The win sees Gulbis, who claimed his fourth World Tour title, move back into the top 30 ranked players.
“I feel great, it’s my second title of the season - the fourth one of the my career," said Gulbis. "I’ve been very consistent especially in finals; I’ve never lost in a final. I’m proud of that record. "I made my short term goals. I’m going to be seeded in Melbourne with these points, so that’s done. Now everything that comes, comes. I have nothing to defend so it’s all good. “The main key why I’m not yet a top player is the consistency. Everybody knows I can play well for a tournament or a match and then I go downhill. I just need to bring this consistency to bigger tournaments, especially Grand Slams. Then I believe I am a Top 20 player for sure, and not so far from Top 10.”

 

[Smallville22]

Robson falls in Tokyo opener but Konta progresses in China

Laura Robson fell to a first-round 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 defeat at the hands of Ayumi Morita in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, but compatriot Johanna Konta won her opening match in Ningbo, China.
World number 38 Robson and Konta, ranked 125th, both reached the quarter finals in Guangzhou, China, last week, but there were contrasting fortunes in their next tournaments.
In Japan, both British number one Robson and world number 62 Morita broke serve twice in a fraught first set, but the Japanese player prevailed in the tie-break.
The 23-year-old Morita capitalised on her only break point of the second set to wrap up a straight sets win and progress to the next round where she will face Jelena Jankovic.
Konta, meanwhile, stayed in China but returned to the second tier of women's tennis after her exploits at Guangzhou.
The British number three blasted nine aces en route to an epic 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over eighth seed Lauren Davis of the United states in round one of the WTA 125 event at Ningbo.
The match lasted over three hours, with Konta, 22, facing Katarzyna Piter in the second round.

 

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Murray tweets thanks after successful surgery

Andy Murray's back surgery is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season.
Murray, who won Olympic singles gold at London 2012 last year before returning to SW19 to claim his first Wimbledon career title this summer, went under the knife to fix a back problem.
The 26-year-old opted for surgery shortly after leading Great Britain back to the Davis Cup World Group with a play-off victory over Croatia in Umag.
Murray, who also won Olympic mixed doubles silver with Laura Robson last summer, could return to training in November having lost in the quarter-finals on his last Grand Slam outing at the US Open.
And he appeared in good spirits after the surgery to fix a disc problem in his lower back, posting a picture on Twitter from his hospital bed with both thumbs up.

 

[Smallville22]

Downey appointed LTA chief executive

Michael Downey has been named the new chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Downey, who has been CEO of Tennis Canada for the past nine years, will replace Roger Draper, who leaves the position at the end of the month after more than seven years.
Downey, 56, will officially start his new job on January 6, with Nick Humby, the chief financial officer, acting as chief executive during an interim period.
David Gregson, president of the LTA, said of the appointment: “We set out to recruit a CEO with true success in business, with exceptional leadership credentials and ideally with significant knowledge of tennis. Michael demonstrably fits the bill perfectly and was the unanimous choice of our recruitment panel.”
Downey has broad experience of executive positions including regional president for Canada's largest brewery, Molson Canada.
He said of his appointment: "This is a huge privilege for me, at a fantastic time for British tennis. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us, and it is an honour to be able to lead the work of the LTA in getting more people playing tennis."

 

[Smallville22]

WTA hail Li as China production line continues

WTA chief Stacey Allaster hailed Li Na's rise as a key factor behind the growth of women's tennis in Asia as the next generation of Chinese players follow in the Grand Slam winner's footsteps and make their mark on the game.
Li's 2011 French Open victory made her the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title and spiked interest in the world's most populous country, one that is always a prioritised growth market for sports bodies.
Zhang Shuai became the fifth Chinese women to win a WTA title when the wildcard triumphed at the Guangzhou Open on Saturday and Allaster hailed the world number five Li for her continued efforts in building the sport.
"The athlete that will make the greatest impact on the growth of women's tennis in this decade," the Canadian told Reuters of Li in an interview in Singapore on Tuesday.
"You can have a strategy with multi-thronged pillars but you need the stars and Li is obviously our star here in Asia.
"She is obviously taking all those pillars of the business strategy and dialling them up because women's tennis is getting noticed and she is inspiring the ones that are right behind her. 'If Li can do it, I can do it' confidence breeds success."
China's appetite for tennis seems only growing, with Allaster saying a huge chunk of their fans were coming from the country where the WTA will have eight events next year, up from two in 2008, as other sports continue to struggle to make an impact.
The former tournament director, who assumed the role of CEO and chairman of the WTA in July 2009, said role models were key.
"Whether we like it or not the glass ceiling still exists and there are barriers to success for different people around the world," she said, citing women's tennis pioneer Billie Jean King as hers.
"The one thing about women's tennis it is a platform for athletes to be role models to show others in society that they can make it.
"I just look at what is happening in the United States right now, there are 10 Americans in the top 100 and I think five or six of them are under the age of 21. That is the Serena and Venus (Williams) impact of the last decade," Allaster said.
There are three Chinese players in the top 51 and 10 in the 300 after the rankings were update on Monday following Zhang's win as she jumped from 112 to 74 following the 24-year-old's first WTA title.
Zhang, along with Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie and Yan Zi, opted to follow in Li's footsteps and breakaway from China's state-run training system in order to have a greater control of her career.
Allaster said the WTA had no part in the decision but said the organisation had a history of strong women.
HAT TIP
"Those decisions are 100 percent of the athletes and we have had no dialogue with them. I think for all our athletes, whatever nation they come from, we want to give them a pathway to success, education is a key part of it," she said.
"I think 1973, the history of the WTA was about women's empowerment, strong confident women being successful on their own, so that is who we are and always have been and any day I see one of our athletes be successful on or off the court I tip my hat to them."
Backed by the confidence of success in China, the WTA have eyes on Singapore and Southeast Asia as the next market for growth as their tournament portfolio in Asia-Pacific continues to increase.
Singapore will host the WTA's end of season championships for five years from 2014 and the organisation are in the process of setting up an office in the wealthy citystate to help with their plans.
Allaster was cautious about predicting a repeat success of their China venture in a market known for corruption in sports, but said Li Na had meant anything was possible.
"Everyone has to be patient, sport development doesn't happen overnight. Li Na didn't happen overnight.
"We went to China before Li Na had made it, we committed to China in building the foundation of our strategy and in many respects we are doing the same here in Southeast Asia.
"Li came along a lot sooner that we had thought, and I never would have thought we would have a Chinese player with a Grand Slam in 2011 after we opened an office in 2008."

 

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Cilic cited injury to hide failed drugs test

Marin Cilic cited a knee injury at Wimbledon this year to hide the fact he had failed a dope test, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has revealed after handing the Croatian a nine-month suspension.
The former world number nine, banned last week after testing positive for the banned stimulant nikethamide, has said he never knowingly took any banned substance and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The ITF, in a full decision of its independent anti-doping tribunal published on its website, said the player was charged with a doping offence in a letter dated June 10 after a positive result in Munich on May 1.
Cilic received the letter on June 11 in London before his first match at the Queen's Club pre-Wimbledon tournament.
The Croat lost the final at Queen's to Andy Murray and, after instructing lawyers, played and won his first-round match at Wimbledon on June 24.
"On 26 June his lawyers in Brussels responded on his behalf, voluntarily accepting a provisional suspension until a decision in the case, and waiving his right to analysis of the B sample," the ITF decision said.
"He withdrew from Wimbledon, citing a knee injury to avoid adverse publicity."
Cilic was quoted at the time as saying it was "a very black day" and the 10th seed's reported injury was one of a spate of withdrawals on the third day that focused attention on the state of the grass courts.