2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Del Potro stuns Nadal to set up Djokovic final

Rafa Nadal failed to reach a final for only the second time during his incredible 2013 season after being blown off court by Argentine whirlwind Juan Martin Del Potro at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday.
The Spaniard had been hoping to celebrate his return to the top of the world rankings this week by setting up a final showdown for the second time in as many weeks with chief rival Novak Djokovic.
But Nadal, one of the fastest athletes on the tour, found himself outpaced 6-2 6-4 after a breathtaking semi-final display of power and touch by the 2009 US Open champion.
Serb Djokovic continued his love affair with the hard courts of China as he swotted aside the challenge of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 7-5.
The defending champion stretched his unbeaten run in China to 19 matches by overcoming Frenchman Tsonga.
Del Potro's 1.98-metre frame usually prevents him from threatening Nadal's unshakeable ability to run the ball down at every corner of the court and the Spaniard's 8-3 head-to-head record before the semi-final bore testament to that.
On Saturday though Del Potro barely allowed Nadal, winner of 10 titles this year, a chance as he raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set before bagging it with a scorching ace.
Nadal thought he had broken for the first time to level at 2-2 in the second but Hawkeye disagreed and from then on the world's best player was chasing shadows as Del Potro produced one of the best performances of his career.
The Spaniard fired a service return long on match point to leave a jubilant Del Potro leaping high into the air in celebration.
The result condemned French and US Open champion Nadal to his earliest defeat since a shock first-round exit from Wimbledon in June, the only other time this year he failed to reach the final of an event he had featured in.
Del Potro's first win over Nadal since 2009 also handed him a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals.
The Argentine became the fifth player to qualify for next month's elite eight-man tournament in London but four spots are still up for grabs as Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has ruled himself out following back surgery.
Nadal, Djokovic and David Ferrer are the other confirmed participants.
Djokovic lost the world number one ranking to Nadal last week despite beating the Spaniard in the final of the China Open to claim his fourth Beijing title in five years.
The Serb could add another Chinese title to his name after another slick display of returning in Shanghai heaped too much pressure on Tsonga who unravelled with 35 unforced errors.
The world number two and Australian Open champion was quick out of the blocks, racing into a 3-0 lead after breaking Tsonga to love in his opening service game.
The Frenchman looked like dropping another service game but some heavy hitting helped him get on the board before a sumptuous backhand crosscourt resulted in him breaking Djokovic in the next.
That was as good as it got for Tsonga, who is in a close race with Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet and Milos Raonic to grab one of the last remaining places at the ATP Tour Finals.
Djokovic claimed the next three games to wrap up the set as Tsonga's first serve percentage fell to 46, coupled with 14 unforced errors in comparison to just four by the Serb.
A change of shirt and a renewed focus helped Tsonga stay on terms at the start of the second set before another misplaced volley handed Djokovic a break and a 4-2 lead.
The Frenchman broke back immediately as Djokovic returned to his chair to scream at the umpire after a couple of late calls by a line judge.
The Serb regained his composure and the set looked to be heading for a tiebreak with Tsonga serving at 5-6 before Djokovic raised his game once more.
Tsonga saved one match point with a booming forehand before wasting the chance to force a tiebreak and Djokovic made him pay as he sealed victory at the second attempt with a powerful winner down the line.

 

[Smallville22]

Kerber and Ivanovic fly through semis in Austria

Top seed Angelique Kerber thrashed Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in straight sets to set up a final with Ana Ivanovic at the Linz Open in Austria.
Despite losing the pair’s only previous meeting at the 2013 US Open the German ruthlessly set about dispatching her opponent, breaking on six occasions for an easy 6-2 6-0 victory.
''Apart from the first set of my first match, everything is going very well this week,'' said Kerber, who was referring to her first round match against Monica Niculescu in which she lost the opening set to love.
"I feel better with every round. Today I was more aggressive than in my previous matches."
Ivanovic endured a slightly trickier encounter against Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele – who shocked American Sloane Stephens on Friday – but emerged victorious 6-4 6-4 to earn her first final spot of the season.
The Serb created numerous openings on Voegele’s serve and now has her sights set on claiming back the title she previously won in 2008 and 2010.
"It wasn’t an easy draw for me so I am happy to get though," said Ivanovic. ''I am still looking for more consistency.''

 

[Smallville22]

Federer splits with coach Annacone

Roger Federer has split from his American coach Paul Annacone with the struggling Swiss former world number one saying on Saturday that it was the best time to make a change.
"After a terrific 3-1/2 years working together, Paul and I have decided to move on to the next chapter in our professional lives," the 32-year-old Federer said on his website.
The announcement came two days after the world number seven was dumped out of the Shanghai Masters by France's Gael Monfils.
Federer, winner of a record 17 grand slams, is battling to qualify for next month's end-of-season ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th consecutive year.
He teamed up with Annacone, former long-time coach to multiple grand slam winner Pete Sampras, in August 2010.
"When we started together we had a vision of a three-year plan to win another Grand Slam title and get back to the number #1 ranking. Along with many other goals and great memories, these two main goals were achieved," Federer said in a statement.
"After numerous conversations culminating at the end of our most recent training block, we felt like this was the best time and path for both of us.
"Paul remains a dear friend, and we both look forward to continuing our friendship. I want to thank Paul for his help and the value he has added to me and my team," he added of the 50-year-old former world number 12.
Federer, who won his last grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2012 before claiming a silver medal at the London Olympics, has failed to reach the final of a major this season for the first time since 2002. His only tournament success was at the low-key Halle event.
He lost in the Australian Open semi-finals to Andy Murray, fell at the last-eight stage to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the French Open, suffered a shock second-round defeat at Wimbledon to Sergiy Stakhovsky before losing to Tommy Robredo in the U.S. Open fourth round.
Federer last held the number one ranking in October 2012 having taken it from Serbian Novak Djokovic that July.

 

[Smallville22]

Stosur rallies past Bouchard to claim Japan Open title

Australia's Sam Stosur fought back from a set down to claim the Japan Open for a second time on Sunday and deny Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard her first WTA title.
The former US Open champion beat her 19-year-old opponent 3-6 7-5 6-2 in Osaka to clinch the hard court title, with her second of the year ensuring she has won more than once in a season for the first time.
The Australian wore down Bouchard with some booming forehands into an open court after pushing the Canadian out wide with a clever kick serve.
It was a fifth career title for the world number 20 and second in Osaka following a 2009 success.
The fifth seeded Bouchard began her first WTA final confidently, breaking her 29-year-old opponent three times en route to taking the set 6-2.
The second set looked to be heading for a tiebreak at 5-5 but third seed Stosur stepped up her game, breaking the Canadian as she won seven of the next eight points to seal it 7-5.
Bouchard held serve to open the deciding set but Stosur again went on a run, claiming the next four games to open up a lead she would not relinquish to seal victory in two hours and 13 minutes.
"Eugenie was playing really well today. I just had to stick it out in the second set, and I'm pretty happy with how things went in the third," Stosur said in an on court interview.
"I love playing here. I love the site and the fans are great - I always feel like I have lots and lots of support when I come to Osaka."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic beats Del Potro in Shanghai thriller

World number two Novak Djokovic produced a magical display to overcome the ferocious hitting of Argentine Juan Martin del Potro and successfully defend the Shanghai Masters title.
The Serbian triumphed 6-1 3-6 7-6 (3) to complete a brilliant fortnight on the Chinese hard courts after he defended his China Open in Beijing last week. It was the 26-year-old's 20th consecutive win in China.
After Del Potro defeated world number one Rafa Nadal in Saturday's semi-finals with some powerful hitting, Djokovic was eager to avoid giving the Argentine any room to find his rhythm in the early stages.
The Serbian took command of the centre of the court, moving his taller opponent from side to side by taking the ball early and pressuring the Argentine's serve with some crisp, deep returns.
Djokovic broke twice to race into a 5-0 lead before sixth seed Del Potro finally held for the first time to register a game. The Argentine's first serve percentage dropping to 56 percent as the pressure from Djokovic's brilliant returning told.
Djokovic quickly wrapped up the set in 34 minutes but a rejuvenated Del Potro fought back gamely in the second, turning the tables on the Serbian with some powerful hitting of his own.
The 2009 US Open champion scored a crucial break early in the set thanks to some booming winners as he opened up a 3-0 lead with an improved serve also providing cheap points.
Djokovic, though, had three chances to break back at 2-4 but the Argentine's monstrous forehand offered some clean winners as he crucially held before serving out for the set in the next game.
Neither man gave an inch at the start of a tense third set where the hitting intensified as Del Potro sensed his first Masters title.
Del Potro had break point on the Djokovic serve at 2-2 only for the Serb to come up with a huge ace and hold before it was the turn of the Argentine to feel the heat.
More pressure hitting from Djokovic fashioned two break point chances in the next game but Del Potro came up with more forehand winners to hold as the crowd rose in appreciation at the display of the two ATP Tour World finalists.
Djokovic then had two match points at 6-5 only for Del Potro's forehand to once again dig him out of a hole as he somehow hung on to his serve and forced the tiebreaker.
But the Serbian's renowned athletic steel finally came through though as Del Potro, who won last week in Japan, finally appeared to tire.
A careless forehand was pushed wide setting up match point which Djokovic took on the first with a backhand winner down the line to seal his 15th Masters title.
"The whole third set was give and take. I was break points down, he was break points down. Just in the important moments I managed to play some better shots than he did, I was fortunate and I am just really glad to win the title," Djokovic said.
Del Potro added: "I am very proud of myself. I did everything, I fought every single point but he is so good and I think he deserved to win."

 

[Smallville22]

Kerber defeats Ivanovic in Linz final

German top-seed Angelique Kerber claimed her first title of 2013 with a 6-4 7-6 (6) victory over Ana Ivanovic at the Linz Open in Austria on Sunday.
The world number 10, who sealed her spot at the WTA's season-ending championships in Istanbul later this month by virtue of reaching the semi-finals, broke her rival three times in the first set. She then survived two set-points in both the second set and resulting tie-break for the win.
Serbian Ivanovic, a twice winner of the hard-court tournament, had not dropped a set on her way to the final but was forced to continue her wait for her 12th WTA title and first since 2011.
"At the end it was pretty close," Kerber said in her post-match interview. "I am very happy to have won because Ana is an exceptional player.
"I focused on myself but I should have been calmer about taking my chances for winning the match.
Kerber shot to a 4-1 lead in the opening set before Ivanovic broke back twice to level matters.
One further break of serve was enough for 25-year-old Kerber to claim the first set.
World number 16 Ivanovic saved three match points when down 5-4 in the second set and had two chances to force the match into a third set before it went into a tie-breaker.
She then had a further two set points in the tie-breaker, but Kerber rattled off four straight points to claim her third career WTA title.

 

[Smallville22]

Beaten Watson falls outside top 100, now British number three

Heather Watson's latest defeat was compounded by the news that she has fallen outside the women's top 100 and is now British number three behind Johanna Konta.
Last year Watson became Britain's first WTA Tour event winner since 1988 after claiming the Osaka title, but her fall from grace has been as rapid as her ascent.
Monday's 6-0 5-7 6-2 defeat to Yanina Wickmayer in the first round at Luxembourg is symptomatic of her decline as the energetic baseline struggles to find the form and fitness that saw her move to the brink of earning seeded spots at Grand Slam tournaments.
Watson, 21, has been in trouble since suffering from glandular fever earlier this season, going out in the first round of most events she has contested.
She had started 2013 at a career-high of world number 39, but illness struck - ruling her out for two months - and the Guernsey native has endured a terrible campaign, with her first-round loss in Japan last week proving extremely costly as she had won that tournament last season.
She has fallen from world number 92 to 133, with British number four and world number 167 Samantha Murray only 106 ranking points behind her.
Early defeat in Luxembourg is likely to see the Briton slip further.
Meanwhile Konta, who has done well on the women's second tier this season, rises to 115 but is some way short of British number one Laura Robson, the world number 46.

 

[Smallville22]

Lisicki fights back to progress in Luxembourg

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki battled back from a set down to see off the challenge of Croatia’s Donna Vekic and advance to the second round of the Luxembourg Open.
Four double faults in the opening set did little to help the third seed as she was broken three times before recovering to take the next two sets and seal a 2-6 6-3 6-0 win.
Sloane Stephens also progressed with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Timea Bacsinszky.
The American was rarely troubled by her opponent despite surrendering an early advantage in the first set.
"It was tough - obviously playing a player I had never played before, or even seen play, was a little bit tricky," said Stephens.
"But I thought I played pretty good overall, so I was happy to get the win."
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki progressed in far more serene circumstances, beating Mandy Minella 6-3 7-6.

 

[Smallville22]

World No 808 stuns Tipsarevic in Moscow

Teenage wildcard Karen Khachanov shocked third seed Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets to become the youngest quarter-finalist of the ATP Tour season at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
Khachanov, 17, did not face a single break point as he picked apart the Serbian - who appeared to struggle with an injury - to earn a 6-4 6-4 win in just 77 minutes.
The little-known Russian was ranked 808th in the world prior to the tournament with his only title of note coming at the European Junior Championships in July when he dropped just one set in six matches.
The world junior number 19 reeled off 14 aces against the Serb, who was ranked eight in the world last season but has suffered from illness and injury and is currently ranked 27th.
"I heard Tipsarevic is injured, and I saw it at the beginning of the match," Khachanov said afterwards. "And the rhythm of the play was absent, so it was hard.
"He was trying to get winners from the first ball. My serve saved me. Of course, he wasn’t in his best shape, so this is why I wasn’t too happy at the end.
"After the match I asked him if he remembered me as we hit together during the Kremlin Cup two years ago, when he won it. He answered: 'Yes, of course. Congratulations, you’re playing so well'."
Eurosport Russia commentator Alexander Kalivod described Khachanov as "a Russian Del Potro, with great serves and forehand".
While Khachanov does not have overly impressive junior results apart from his aforementioned continental title, he beat Romanian star Victor Hanescu in the first round at St Petersburg last month.
Defending champion Andreas Seppi – the number two seed – strolled past Paolo Lorenzi in an all-Italian affair 6-3 6-2 to set up a quarter-final match with Edouard Roger-Vasselin who beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-5 7-5.
Qualifier Andrey Golubev was the last man to book a last eight spot on Wednesday, overcoming sixth seed Horacio Zeballos 6-3 6-4.

 

[Smallville22]

Becker: Federer can still win a big one

Boris Becker believes that Roger Federer still has "the fire and motivation" to return to the top of the sport.
The German star - a six-times Grand Slam champion - is convinced that Federer can still win major trophies, despite firing his coach Paul Annacone after enduring his worst season in a decade.
"He could have walked off into the sunset with Paul but this move tells me that Roger still has the fire and the motivation," said Becker, explaining that the Swiss maestro is still capable of tournament-winning weeks even if he is unlikely to enjoy consistent top-level performance.
"He will know better than anyone that he was a better tennis player at 25 than now," Becker said. "I don’t see him as a contender for No 1 but he is still very good on faster surfaces."
The German added that Federer will have a great chance of winning the ATP World Tour Finals in London, so long as he qualifies.
Federer currently stands in the seventh effective qualifying spot (thanks to the absence of Andy Murray), and will hope that results over the next few weeks - at the Swiss Indoors and the Paris Masters - go his way.
[Blog; Why Roger Federer should stay coachless and just enjoy his tennis]
His next tournament is the Swiss Indoors in Basel next week, which Federer has won five times in his career - and which presents similar playing conditions to those that players will face in London.
A victory - or a run to the final - on home turf would all-but-guarantee a place in the season finale, and if that happens then Becker believes anything is possible: "I would not rule out him winning at the O2," he said.
Annacone himself feels similarly, telling USA Today this week that, "Greatness doesn't stop It doesn't just go away. He's not all of a sudden now not that good anymore. The problem is that the expectations and the bar are so high.
"Whenever you start to doubt people like this you kind of set yourself up to get your own foot stuck in your mouth.
"They're atypical. They're phenoms. As much as Roger still loves to play, the exuberance he still shows in every practice, his desire to continue to enjoy the game — I can't imagine anything other than success coming his way.
"For me, it's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when."
Becker admitted that he has not enjoyed watching Federer's struggles this season, but also thinks the 32-year-old should keep going as long as he wants.
"I am one of Roger’s biggest fans and I don’t like seeing him lose in the second or third round of the Slams," he said.
"But as long as he wants to play it is up to him, he deserves that respect. He still has fun playing and travelling and let’s not forget, he is still a great asset to tennis."

 

[Smallville22]

Murray in dash to Palace after drugs test

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was held up on his way to receive an OBE at Buckingham Palace by a random drugs test on Thursday.
The Scot, who was to receive the honour from Prince William, got an unexpected knock on the door just as he was sprucing himself up for his royal engagement.
Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon when he beat Novak Djokovic in July, a year after winning the Olympic gold medal, for which he had received royal recognition.

 

[Smallville22]

Johansson and Bjorkman mask fall of Swedish tennis

Once a conveyor belt of tennis greats like Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg, Swedish tennis now finds itself in the doldrums but two old warriors have helped lift the mood at the Stockholm Open this week.
Former world No.4 Jonas Bjorkman, aged 41, came out of retirement to partner compatriot Robert Lindstedt in the men's doubles and Joachim Johansson, once regarded as the next big thing before injury struck, made a rare singles appearance.
Both shook off the rust to win.
Bjorkman, who quit five years ago, was approached by Lindstedt after breaking up with his regular partner before the US Open and jumped at the chance of a one-off appearance.
"It's not a comeback, just here in Stockholm," Bjorkman, who is also the tournament's marketing director, said in an interview on the tournament's website.
"Robert is one of the best in the world and I hope he can carry me on his shoulders. The aim is to win the title."
Bjorkman, who won all four majors in doubles and reached two grand slam singles semi-finals, and Lindstedt beat fellow Swedes Isak Arvidsson and Andreas Siljestrom in the first round and were up against Ernests Gulbis and Dmitry Tursonov in the second round.
Johansson, nicknamed Pim Pim, rolled back the years to when he reached the 2004 US Open semi-final, with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Colombia's world No. 112 Alejandro Falla.
The former top tenner's performance was remarkable as it was his first main tour match for four years, although he has performed Davis Cup duties for Sweden on occasions since.
Johansson burst through in 2004, defeating Andy Roddick on his way to the semis at Flushing Meadows, but after reaching the top 10 the following year the shoulder problems that forced him to retire in 2008 surfaced.
The 31-year-old, who once served a then record 51 aces against Andre Agassi at the Australian Open in 2005, will face one of the big-hitting new generation in Canadian Milos Raonic later on Thursday.
Win or lose he has said his comeback is for one event only.
Johansson's brief return masks the sad state of Swedish tennis, especially in the singles ranks, where their top player is Markus Eriksson, ranked 406th in the world.

 

[Smallville22]

Tired Nadal withdraws from Basel event

World tennis number one Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Basel indoor tournament because of fatigue.
The 27-year-old Spaniard, who has reclaimed top spot in the rankings after a superb year since returning from injury in February, announced his decision on his Facebook page.
"Sorry to announce that I won't travel to Basel in Switzerland but after very exhausting weeks I have to regroup my fitness and my body," said Nadal, this year's French Open and U.S. Open champion.
"I will do my best to come back to the Swiss Indoors next year."
Local favourite Roger Federer will play in Basel, hoping to cement his place in next month's ATP World Tour finals in London.

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki reaches Luxembourg semis

Caroline Wozniacki had to graft to book her place in the WTA Luxembourg semi-finals after a three-set win over Bojana Jovanovski.
The top seed claimed the opening set before her Serbian opponent battled back to force a decider.
Though at times she appeared to be on the ropes, Wozniacki rallied well to clinch a 6-3 3-6 6-3 win and set up a last-four showdown with Sabine Lisicki who beat Karin Knapp 7-5 4-6 6-0.
The other semi will be contested by Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who upset American second seed Sloane Stephens 6-3 3-6 6-2, and Germany’s Annika Beck, who saw off Katarzyna Piter of Poland in another three-set quarter-final which included two tie-breakers.

Luxembourg Championship quarter-finals

1-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 8-Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-3 3-6 6-3

3-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 7-5 4-6 6-0

Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat 2-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) 6-3 3-6 6-2

Annika Beck (Germany) beat Katarzyna Piter (Poland) 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(5)

Kremlin Cup women’s quarter-finals

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-0 6-4

5-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-1 6-1

8-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 2-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-2 6-3

7-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 4-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 7-5 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Tsonga avoids shock in Vienna

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga edged a gripping quarter-final against Dominic Thiem to reach the Erste Bank Open semi-finals.
The top-seeded Frenchman won the event in 2011 and looked on course for a comfortable passage when he took the first set.
But Austrian Thiem fought back well to level things up before taking the Frenchman to a final set tie-breaker where Tsonga clinched the win.
"I was really poor from the baseline but I served well," said Tsonga, who had 16 aces. "I have played many matches like this so I have the experience. That made the difference. I am not in a good shape, I have to fight to win matches."
Tsonga will take on Robin Haase of the Netherlands for a place in Sunday's final, while second-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany faces Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic in the other semi.

Vienna Open quarter-finals

1-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-4 3-6 7-6(3)

2-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 5-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 7-6(10) 6-3

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat 3-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-7(4) 6-1 6-1

8-Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium) 6-3 1-6 6

Kremlin Cup men’s quarter-finals

1-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 6-3 6-2

Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat Karen Khachanov (Russia) 6-4 6-0

Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) beat Andrey Golubev (Kazakhstan) 6-4 7-6(4)

2-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 5-2 (Roger-Vasselin retired)

Stockholm Open quarter-finals

6-Benoit Paire (France) beat 2-Milos Raonic (Canada) 7-6(3) 6-3

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain)WO

5-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat 3-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 7-5 4-6 6-3

7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Kenny De Schepper (France) 6-4 6-2

 

[Smallville22]

Tsonga dumped out by Haase in Austria

Top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was upset in straight sets by world number 63 Robin Haase in the Erste Bank Open semi-finals.
Frenchman Tsonga, hoping to secure a spot at the ATP World Tour Finals, failed to convert four set points in the opening set before dropping the second on a tie-breaker.
"He was a bit injured and that made me nervous," said Haase. "Later on, I managed to focus better on my own game."
Dutchman Haase plays German second seed Tommy Haas in the final after his three-set triumph over Lukas Rosol in the other last-four encounter.
Meanwhile top seed Richard Gasquet will meet unfancied Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin in the Kremlin Cup men’s singles final after the duo won their respective semis in Russia.
And David Ferrer and Grigor Dimitrov set up an intriguing Stockholm Open final with semi wins over Ernests Gulbis and Benoit Paire respectively.

Vienna Open semi-finals

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat 1-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 7-5 7-6(4)

2-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 8-Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 3-6 6-4 7-6(0)

Kremlin Cup men’s semi-finals

1-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-5

Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) beat 2-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-1 1-6 6-4

Stockholm Open semi-finals

7-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat 6-Benoit Paire (France) 4-6 6-2 6-2

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 5-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 3-6 6-4 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki to meet Beck in Luxembourg final

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki will battle Annika Beck for the Luxembourg Open title on Sunday.
Wozniacki saw off third seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany while a retirement from Swiss semi-finalist Stefanie Vogele put Beck, who was a set up, through.
The Kremlin Cup women’s singles title meanwhile will be decided by fifth seed Simona Halep, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 6-1, and seventh seed Samatha Stosur who also earned a straight-sets last-four win over Russian opposition by despatching Svetlana Kuznetsova.

WTA Luxembourg semi-finals

1-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 3-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-4 6-4

Annika Beck (Germany) beat Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 7-5 1-0 (Voegele retired)

Kremlin Cup women’s semi-finals

5-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-2 6-1

7-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 8-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-2 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki beats Beck, Halep stuns Stosur

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki beat Annika Beck 6-2 6-2 to secure her first WTA title of 2013 in Luxembourg.
Wozniacki had to negotiate her way past this year's Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki in the semi-finals while a retirement from Swiss semi-finalist Stefanie Vogele put Beck, who was a set up, through.
The former world number one made light work of Beck in just one hour and 14 minutes to take the 21st title of her career.
At the Kremlin Cup, Simona Halep stunned Sam Stosur 7-6(1) 6-2 to win the tournament.
Stosur, a runner-up in Moscow last year, saved 11 break points in the first set but Halep prevailed in the tiebreaker.
Halep raced into a 4-1 lead in the second before sealing the win on her first match point.
"I've been playing more aggressively this year, hitting the ball very strong, and I'm more relaxed on the court and have been focusing much better on every point," Halep said.

 

[Smallville22]

Gasquet boosts hopes of playing in London with Kremlin win

Frenchman Richard Gasquet boosted his chances of playing in next month's season-ending ATP World Tour Finals after capturing the Kremlin Cup with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory over Kazakh qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin on Sunday.
The top seed's hopes of being one of the eight men to play in the lucrative tournament at the O2 Arena on the bank of London's River Thames appeared to be ebbing away as he fell a break down midway through the final set in Moscow.
However, the 27-year-old clung on in an eighth game that stretched to seven deuces before breaking back to level for 4-4.
That appeared to take the fight out of Kukushkin and Gasquet wrapped up his 10th title when his weary opponent slammed a forehand wide.
The win allowed world number 10 Gasquet to leapfrog fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the race to secure a place in the Tour Finals.
"It was an incredible week here for me and now I have great memories about my playing here," Gasquet told reporters.
"It is one of the most successful seasons in my career but the race for a place in London is not over yet and I need to concentrate on my further playing to get there."
Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro have already qualified for the tournament while Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has pulled out following back surgery.
Tomas Berdych, Stanislas Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Gasquet, Tsonga and Milos Raonic are in a battle to secure the remaining four spots, along with Tommy Haas.

 

[Smallville22]

Haas shows no signs of slowing down as he trumps Haase

Tommy Haas kept alive his slim chances of qualifying for next month's ATP World Tour Finals when he edged past near namesake Robin Haase 6-3 4-6 6-4 to lift his 15th career title at the Vienna Open on Sunday.
The 35-year-old German won his second trophy of the season after triumphing in Munich in May.
"This victory is really something special," the world number 12, who also won in Vienna 12 years ago, told reporters. "You don't win tournaments too often and this year I've won in my two favourite cities."
Haas, whose career seemed all but over after he suffered a series of shoulder, elbow and hip injuries, is certainly relishing all the unexpected success he has enjoyed in recent months.
"If you'd seen me 3-1/2 years ago ... I was really asking myself if it made sense to continue," Haas said. "I have been paying a lot of attention to my fitness and nutrition and I am always looking to improve my tennis."
Haas's never-say-die attitude certainly helped him out of a hole when he trailed Dutchman Haase 4-2 in the final set.
A Haase double fault gave him the break back in the next game and from then on there was no stopping the German, who completed the win when Haase flicked a backhand long.
Haas, currently 12th in the ATP Race, only has an outside chance of making it to next month's eight-man season finale at London's O2 Arena.
Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro have qualified for the tournament and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has pulled out following back surgery.
Tomas Berdych, Stanislas Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Milos Raonic and longshot Haas are in a battle to secure the remaining four spots.