2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Federer beats "Baby Federer" to keep up Tour Finals bid

Roger Federer ended Grigor Dimitrov's seven-match winning streak and showed the Bulgarian he has some way to go to live up to his 'Baby Federer' tag with a 6-3 7-6 (2) quarter-final victory at the Basel Open on Friday.
Third seed Federer is now two matches away from scooping a sixth title at his Swiss hometown tournament and guaranteeing his place in the season-ending ATP World Tour finals.
It was the first meeting between the 17-times grand slam champion and young pretender Dimitrov whose stylish game has drawn comparisons with Federer.
The eighth seed was the form player, having claimed his maiden ATP title in Stockholm on Sunday, but was unable to make the most of his chances.
Dimitrov passed up five break points in the first set while Federer clinically won both of his to take the opener in 35 minutes.
The world number 22 got his nose in front in the second set but Swiss great Federer fought back, forced a tie break and then ran away with it to set up a semi-final against rising Canadian talent Vasek Pospisil.
Failure to win the Basel crown would leave Federer in danger of missing out on the eight-man season finale after a difficult year.
He is eighth in the ATP Race standings, with next week's Paris Masters the final event where players can earn points to qualify for the London showpiece.
Top seed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina will face unseeded Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the other semi-final.

 

[Smallville22]

Ferrer downs Janowicz to reach Valencia semis

David Ferrer stepped up his game when it mattered to post a 6-4 4-6 6-0 win over Jerzy Janowicz and reach the semi-finals of the Valencia Open.
The top seeded Spaniard sealed victory in one hour and 40 minutes after losing just one point on serve in the deciding set.
It was the world number three's 55th win of the season and if he now beats compatriot Nicolas Almagro, he will book a place in his seventh final of the year and second on the bounce, following Stockholm.
"It was a very tough match," said Ferrer, who has won the title in Valencia three times before. "[Janowicz] is a really good player."
Almago secured his place in the semis with a 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Fabio Fognini, and was full of praise for his Italian opponent.
"Fabio is having an extraordinary season in hands of someone very special to me, Jose Perlas. It was with him that I reached the top 10," said Almagro.
"During the match there were a lot of ups and downs and I knew that if I kept the right mindset the opportunity would come."
In the other semi-final, Dmitry Tursunov will play fellow Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

Valencia Open results

Quarter-finals

3-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 7-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 7-6(6) 6-2

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 5-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 6-4 4-6 6-0

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-3 6-3

Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Li beats Kvitova to spot in Istanbul final

China's Li Na reached the final of the WTA championships after beating Czech Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Saturday, becoming the highest-ranked player ever from an Asian country.
Her 6-4 6-2 victory means she will climb to third in the rankings and can finish the season on a high in Sunday's final against either Serena Williams who came through against Jelena Jankovic.
Li, who took only three games when she lost to Williams at Flushing Meadows in September, said: "At the U.S. Open (semi-final) I had already lost the match before I came to the court.
"Maybe now I have to try to focus on what I should do on the court, not focus on what she does, so I have to try to play my game and not follow her," the 31-year-old said.
Her coach Carlos Rodriguez said Li needed to show more self-confidence to go out and enjoy her matches but she explained it was a problem dating back to her beginnings as a player.
"I always try, but sometimes it doesn't work, you know. And also, I think when I was growing up, I did not learn to feel that confidence, I cannot show how good I am, because when I was starting to play tennis, when I won a tournament, the coach was so tough," she said.
"If I won a tournament and the next day I was training, if I made a mistake, for sure she would say, 'What? You just won one tournament. Are you thinking you can win another one? Why don't you train harder?'
“I think she always punched me at the time, so that's why. I didn't have the confidence to show how good I am."

 

[Smallville22]

Out of sorts Serena stumbles into final

Serena Williams moved into the WTA Championship final despite an uneven performance against Jelena Jankovic in Istanbul.
Title holder Williams struggled early on with her own game before overcoming Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4 2-6 6-4 and will now face Li Na in the final.
The 32-year-old world number one, going for fourth title at the season-ending event, was not her usual self during the first two sets, not serving with her customary power and lacking enthusiasm to run for returns. Williams seemed close to tears at a changeover in the first set yet she went back on court and won eight straight points, but taking the set did not appear to improve her mood and her serves were even slower during the second
The 14,000 fans who filled Istanbul's Sinan Erdem dome were disappointed by Serena's blues and some even booed her although she had entered court for her match to the loudest cheers.
Williams found her rhythm in the third set and started hitting her strong serves once again to get the job done. "I just hit a wall, I was so tired. Physically I was so tired just even standing. My legs wouldn't move. My arm wouldn't go fast," Williams said.
"I think when you are doing something so much for so long throughout the year, maybe it can take its toll. At the end of the match, I was really just fighting just to stay in there and just try and get my legs to move to go to the balls.
"I'm just - just one word is "exhausted." I need to lay down for 24 hours and that's it, I think. But I don't have that time, so I'll try," said Williams, who became the first woman tennis player to earn more than $10 million (£7.2m) in prizes in a year.
"I was looking at the statistics when the tournament began. I saw I had like 70-something matches, and the person closest to me had like 50, I think Agniezska Radwanska.
"Really? I played 20 matches more than her? I thought, that's a lot! I didn't realize how much I had been going at it."

 

[Smallville22]

Federer sets up Del Potro final in Switzerland

Roger Federer won a tight three set match against Vasek Pospisil on home soil to set up a final with defending champion Juan Martin del Potro at the Basel Open in Switzerland.
The Swiss will play top seed Juan-Martin Del Potro in Sunday's final. The Argentine battled past unseeded Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4 4-6 6-2.
Third seed Federer needed to survive another mid-match dip in form and a determined challenge from his big-hitting opponent to earn the chance to win his sixth title in his hometown tournament and guarantee qualification for the season-ender.
Backed by a noisy partisan crowd, he negotiated the first set comfortably, breaking the 23-year-old Pospisil's serve twice. But the lanky Canadian, who reached a career-high 39 in the world after a fine mid-year run, served more freely in the second set and found the corners with some explosive crosscourt groundstrokes.
He looked to have the idol of his junior tennis days on the ropes when he broke serve for the second time in the match in the fourth game of the final set. But the 32-year-old Federer brought his experience to bear, coming up with big shots on crucial points to break twice and clinch victory with an unreturnable serve down the middle.

 

[Smallville22]

Youzhny to face Ferrer in Valencia final

Mikhail Youzhny will face David Ferrer in the final of the ATP Tour event in Valencia after the two came through their semis.
Youzhny secured victory in the first all-Russian ATP Tour semi-final in more than three years, beating Dmitry Tursunov 6-2 6-4.
He now goes into Sunday’s final looking to win multiple titles in the same year since 2010 – after claiming titles in Munich and Kuala Lumpur three years ago.
The Russian, who will vie for his 10th ATP Tour crown in his 21st final, will face David Ferrer.
"I feel I served well and I'm happy to be back in the final," said Youzhny.
In the day's other semi-final Ferrer extended his perfect record against compatriot Nicolas Almagro. The 6-2 6-3 victory saw Ferrer's head-to-head record reach 14-0 with his fellow Spaniard.

 

[Smallville22]

Cilic looking forward to 'gift of year' in Paris after ban

Marin Cilic has called his appearance at next week's Paris Masters "the gift of the year" after the Croatian was allowed to play again when the Court of Arbitration for Sport cut his doping ban on Friday.
The 25-year-old was suspended for nine months by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in September for taking the stimulant nikethamide but CAS has reduced his ban by more than half meaning Cilic can return to action.
"Being with all the players here in Paris is my gift of the year," the former world number nine told Reuters after a training session at Bercy.
"On Monday I will get my points from Queen's back and I'll be 31st or 32nd in the ATP rankings," said Cilic, adding he had been "relieved of an immense weight."
Cilic, who has said he inadvertently took the banned substance in glucose tablets, recalled: "The nightmare started on June 10 when I got that letter from the ITF saying there was nikethamide in my samples.
"I thought the case could be dealt with in two weeks but my lawyers were pressured by the ITF so I pulled out of Wimbledon."
Cilic, who spent 11 weeks in the world's top 10 in 2010, tested positive for nikethamide at the BMW Open in Munich in April.
He has not played since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June and has dropped to 47th in the rankings.
Cilic will face a qualifier in the opening round in Paris.

 

[Smallville22]

Del Potro beats Federer to defend Basel title

Roger Federer's unhappy season continued on Sunday when he lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the final of the Basel Open for the second year running.
The Swiss played some of his best tennis this year but it was not enough to avoid a 7-6 (3) 2-6 6-4 defeat against the powerful Argentine and his 220 kph serve.
After Del Potro took the first set, the momentum seemed to swing Federer's way when he raced through the second after breaking serve in the second game.
But the turning point came in the first game of the third set when Federer, who has managed only one win against a top-10 opponent and one tournament win all year, was broken after leading 40-15.
Del Potro hit a stunning return on his way to break point and, although the Swiss saved one point with an amazing backhand overhead smash, Del Potro took the game when Federer overhit a forehand.
Del Potro went on to take the set and win his fourth ATP title of the season after Tokyo, Washington and Rotterdam.
Federer would have qualified for the season-ending World Tour Finals if he had won, although he should still book his place there at next week's Paris Masters.
A win over Kevin Anderson or Mikhail Youzhny in his second round match on Wednesday will be enough to ensure he reaches the season finale for a record-equalling 12th consecutive year, tying with Ivan Lendl for most successive appearances.
Federer, whose season has been peppered with embarrassing defeats to lower-ranked opponents, was happy with Sunday's performance, where he interspersed some stunning winners with unforced errors including five double faults.
Yet he could not take comfort from the result. "I am a winner, I don't take much confidence from losing matches," he told reporters.
"I am happy about the level of my play, it's getting better but it's not in losing where I get much confidence."
Del Potro admitted he lost his way in the second set before recovering. "I made a lot of mistakes and you can't afford to relax in a final," he said.
"My big challenge is to get closer to the top four players and the only way to do that is when you have a chance to play against them."
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 tournament this season for the first time since 2002.
His only tournament success was at the low-key Halle event and he was beaten in the final at Rome.
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 US Open fourth round.
His win over Tsonga in the Australian Open quarter-finals was his only victory against a top-ten ranked opponent this year.

 

[Smallville22]

Youzhny denies Ferrer to clinch Valencia Open title

Unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny denied top seed and defending champion David Ferrer a fourth Valencia Open title when he beat the world number three 6-3 7-5 in the final of the Spaniard's home event on Sunday.
Ranked 21 and a couple of months younger than his 31-year-old opponent, Youzhny used his graceful one-handed backhand to devastating effect at the cathedral-like Agora arena, breaking the tenacious Ferrer's serve four times in total.
Runner-up in Valencia in 2009, the Russian sealed victory and his 10th career title on his second match point when Ferrer netted a forehand and it was his second success of the year following his victory on clay in Gstaad in July.
"I am happy because it was a great week for me and a great tournament," Youzhny, who next competes at this week's Paris Masters, the final event of the season before the World Tour finals, told Spanish television.
"Of course everyone in the crowd was for David but still if I played good I felt they were supporting me too," he added.
"Now there is a big tournament in Paris and I just want to enjoy it and play like I played this week."
Ferrer, who has already qualified for the Tour finals in London, was appearing in his 41st career final and the second in as many weeks.
He was runner-up to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in Stockholm last Sunday and the Valencia title match was his eighth final of the year in 21 tournaments.
"I gave everything and tried to win but it wasn't to be today," an emotional Ferrer told his supporters.
"You never like to lose and especially not at home and it's a sad moment but it has been a great week," he added.
"Congratulations to Mikhail and for his performance, it was a deserved victory and the truth is he went after the win more than me today."

 

[Smallville22]

Serena steamrolls her way to fourth WTA Championship title

Serena Williams overcame a slow start to beat Li Na 2-6 6-3 6-0 in the WTA Championship final in Istanbul.
The 32-year-old American finished off a dominant year, in which she also won the French and US Opens, by scooping up her 11th title of 2013.
China's Li, who will reach a career-high third in the WTA rankings on Monday, broke Williams's serve twice in the first set.
However, the world number one shifted gears in the second set to roar through 6-3, to the delight of more than 16,000 fans who filled Istanbul's Sinan Erdem dome.
Williams showed little sign of the fatigue she complained about a day earlier, flattening Li in the third set with her brutal power and on court coverage.
The 17-times Grand Slam winner, who has played over 80 matches this season, said there was still room for improvement.
"I live to win slams. I really don't know if this was my best season ever, but definitely top three. I still have things to add to my game," she said without elaborating.
The opening game of the second set, which featured nine deuces, was the turning point.
"Looking back the first game of the second set was definitely a very important game for me to win. Li had been on a real roll. I guess I was determined to win that game at any cost," she said.
Quizzed about the gap between her and the other players, Williams said: "I'm just playing, and I'm trying to do the best that I can. I don't know if there is a gap."
Mental strength is the key to Williams's dominance, according to Li's coach Carlos Rodriguez.
"As we saw today, the tennis gap between Serena and the rest of the players is not much. But mentally, she's over the top, and she's by far the greatest player at the moment," said Rodriguez, the man who shaped former world number one Justine Henin's career.
Li admitted nerves played a part in her defeat.
"I was too excited at the start of the game, and by the half of the second set, I had no more energy left," she said.
But the 31-year-old Chinese, who served 10 double faults, was not too concerned.
"I have showed much improvement this year, and this serve-volley thing is new to me, and it's not like playing from the baseline," she explained.
"I was feeling much better than the US Open. At least this time I tried to do my best," said Li, who won only three games when she lost to Williams at Flushing Meadows in September.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal: Federer doesn't care about number one spot

Roger Federer does not need to be world number one anymore and he might well be a top contender at next year's Australian Open, his chief rival Rafa Nadal has said.
Federer's decline has been well documented since 2011, the year he failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2003. He suffered yet another below par performance this season, at best reaching the last four at the Australian Open -- the first time he has not made it to a major final since 2002.
The Swiss, however, has a record 17 Grand Slam titles to his name and has spent 302 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
He does remain a formidable opponent, according to current world number one Nadal.
"I don't have any doubt that he will be playing better than what he did this year," the Spaniard told a news conference at the Paris Masters, where the two could clash in the final.
"No doubt about that. His talent allows him to keep being one of the favourites, to keep winning the best tournaments of the year.
"So talking about if he's able to be back or try to be back in the No. 1 (spot), I think it's not his goal, because at the end he already has been there. He has been in the top positions of the ranking for a long time."
Federer, who lost the Basel final to Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday, will be seeded fifth in Paris as he looks to secure a spot in next month's ATP World Tour Finals.
Is the Swiss worried at the prospect of missing out on the year-end tournament? All signs point to no, said Nadal.
"At the end, what really makes you happy is to go on court with the feeling you can win the tournament. That's probably the only thing that maybe worries him," he said, hinting Federer probably has plans for 2014.
"His goal probably will be finish the year well and be ready to start well in Australia next year. If that happens, he will be one of the candidates to win the first grand slam of the season. That's something that really motivates him."
Federer, this year, has dropped out of the top four for the first time since 2003.
""But I am sure that he's not finished. He will work hard in the off-season to be ready for 2014. I am sure he will be back playing great tennis again," said Nadal.

 

[Smallville22]

Tsonga makes coaching change

French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has appointed the duo of Thierry Ascione and Nicolas Escude as his new coaches.
World number 10 Tsonga, who missed the entire North American hard-court season through injury, parted ways with Roger Rasheed at the end of August and has been coachless since.
In an attempt to emulate the recent success of compatriot Richard Gasquet, who has risen to French number one after including two men in his coaching set-up, Tsonga has appointed former world number 17 Escude and former top 100 player Ascione.
“We have begun this project at my suggestion and I am really pleased to begin a new phase of my career with them both,” Tsonga said in Bercy, where he is taking part in the Paris Masters.
“They will be there often, either one or the other depending on the tournament. I like to have different eyes watching what I do.
“I’ve been looking for the ideal situation for some time, and I feel best with them.”
Gasquet, who is on the brink of qualifying for next week's World Tour Finals in London, works with coaching expert Riccardo Piatti and former world number four Sebastien Grosjean.
Since appointing the pair last year, Gasquet has risen from the lower end of the top 20 to world number nine, having not been an established top-10 player since 2008.
Ascione has developed a strong reputation as a coach due to his work with Kristina Mladenovic and Nicholas Mahut, while Escude – a former Davis Cup team-mate of Tsonga’s – has a long-standing rapport with the 28-year-old former world number five.
Because of Ascione’s other commitments, he will not be able to accompany Tsonga to all his events, which is where Escude steps in.
Escude is targeting a maiden Grand Slam for Tsonga, who reached but lost the 2008 Australian Open final, but says success will be measured by Tsonga’s world ranking.
“Of course we will got for all four (Slams), but the important thing for us is to see a rapid movement up the rankings,” Escude said.
“If, after one year, he is still at the same place, we will not have succeeded in our mission.”

 

[Smallville22]

Cilic wins first match since returning from doping ban

Marin Cilic won his first match since returning from a doping ban with a 5-7 6-1 6-4 success against Igor Sijsling at the Paris Masters.
Cilic was only cleared to play last week after he has had his nine-month ban for a doping offence reduced to four months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The former top-10 player served 22 aces and hit 42 winners on his way to victory and will take on fourth seed Juan Martin del Potro in the next round.
"I felt like a kid playing for the first time," Cilic told a news conference. "The feeling was amazing just to be back on the court, to be competing and I enjoyed every moment.
"My thoughts were just on how much I am enjoying it and how I am happy to be back on the court."
Cilic was initially banned for nine months in September after the ITF said he had failed a test for the banned stimulant nikethamide.
On Monday he explained that he had tested positive for a metabolite of nikethamide.
"It shows that nikethamide was in the system some time before and it's completely inactive and doesn't have any effect on the body," he said.
"I'm definitely waiting for the CAS decision in writing and waiting what the ITF will say with all these things."
World number one Rafa Nadal said he was happy that Cilic had returned to competitive tennis.
"The only thing that I can say is that I am happy to see Marin back on tour," he told a news conference.
"He's a good guy and a great player. I don't know what happened, but if he's back, it's because it's fair that he's back. That's all. Happy for that."
Elsewhere, Feliciano Lopez came through a tough battle with Australia's Bernard Tomic to make it into the second round.
The Spaniard won the tight opening set by converting the only break point, but was pushed hard thereafter by Tomic before producing a superb final tie-break to win 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(1).
Lopez's wayward serving - he got less than half his first serves in - often put him on the back foot, but he attacked Tomic's second serve effectively in a tough-fought encounter that saw both men miss repeated break-point chances in the final set.
The world number 29 turned on the style in a near-flawless deciding tie, however, claiming victory and a match against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the next round.
Kei Nishikori of Japan beat local hope Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-2. He will face another Frenchman in the second round in world number 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-3 3-6 6-4 and will face compatriot Tommy Haas, who received a bye from the first round.
Lukas Rosol, who beat world number one Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon earlier this year, cruised past Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-4 to earn a second-round match against world number four David Ferrer.

Paris Masters: Round 1 results

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) beat Benoit Paire (France) 6-2 6-2

Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-4 6-2

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-3 3-6 6-4

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-6(3) 7-6(5)

Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 5-7 6-1 6-4

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(1)

Robin Haase (Netherlands) beat Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 7-6(8) 6-3

Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 6-3 2-6 6-4

Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-3 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Ivanovic starts off with win in Bulgaria

Twice winner Ana Ivanovic started her Tournament of Champions campaign with an easy win over Tsvetana Pironkova in Sofia.
The Serb, who won the tournament in 2010 and 2011, beat the Bulgarian 6-0 6-2 with a controlled performance against her fellow wild-card.
Apart from a brief spell at the start of the second set, it was all Ivanovic, who won through in under an hour.
"It's always tough playing a local girl," Ivanovic told the WTA website. "Obviously to open the tournament and play the first match is never easy, but I really enjoyed it.
"I really tried to focus on what I had to do and I did serve well - I was placing the ball really well around the court - and I was really happy with that. It's tough to play on a new court so I'm really happy to win the match."
The other match on Tuesday saw Maria Kirilenko pull out of her match with Alize Cornet due to injury.
"I just want to say that I can't continue playing this tournament," Kirilenko said afterwards.
"During the match I made a wrong step and felt pain in my knee - I feel so much pain right now that I can't continue here. Before the match it was fine - it happened during the match."
The Russian’s withdrawal means Elina Svitolina will join the tournament.

Group Serdika

7-Alize Cornet (France) beat 3-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 5-0 (Kirilenko retired)

Group Sredets

2-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat 8-Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-0 6-2

STANDINGS P W L F A Pts

Group Serdika

1. Alize Cornet 1 1 0 1 0 2

2. Simona Halep 0 0 0 0 0 0

2=. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 0 0 0 0 0 0

4. Maria Kirilenko 1 0 1 0 1 0

Group Sredets

1. Ana Ivanovic 1 1 0 2 0 2

2. Samantha Stosur 0 0 0 0 0 0

2=. Elena Vesnina 0 0 0 0 0 0

4. Tsvetana Pironkova 1 0 1 0 2 0

 

[Smallville22]

Tsonga down and out of Paris and London

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga double-faulted on match point to lose to Kei Nishikori in the second round of the Paris Masters in Bercy, meaning he fails to qualify for the World Tour Finals in London.
Frenchman Tsonga, the world number 10, cruised to the opening set but lost the second and third on tie-breakers as his serve blew up dramatically, going out 1-6 7-6(4) 7-6(6).
The final four points were as follows: Tsonga double-fault, Nishikori ace, Nishikori ace, Tsonga double-fault.
"I believe he managed well, because I could have won that match," said Tsonga. "He was very solid, especially during the important moments of the match."
Tsonga got off to a great start against Nishikori, punishing him with his booming forehand, but lost focus inexplicably in the second set, falling 4-1 behind.
Although he managed to force a tiebreak, a string of unforced errors threw the match into a decider, which Nishikori won as his opponent double-faulted on match point.
Tsonga had only this week announced a new two-man coaching team that he hopes will push him closer to his career high ranking .
The defeat rules Tsonga out of the season-ending finals in London, and gives a helping hand to compatriot Richard Gasquet - ranked one place above him in nine - who had earlier kept alive his hopes with a 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3 win over Fernando Verdasco in the second round.
Provided neither Tommy Haas nor Nicolas Almagro wins the event, and Milos Raonic does not make the final, Gasquet will qualify for the event due to Andy Murray's injury. Roger Federer, ranked seventh, is also all-but through.
Gasquet must get past Japan's Nishikori next in his bid for qualification; Nishikori, meanwhile, moves to 16th in the ATP Race but cannot reach the Finals at the O2.
"I felt bad," said Gasquet afterwards. "I had two match points and I was close to winning the match.
"There was a tie-break after that, and I thought it was very tough to lose that second set. Physically, it was tough. It could have turned around in his favour. I was lucky.
Gasquet, who reached the semis at this year's US Open, has been nursing thigh pain as the end of a long season looms.
"It hurts sometimes, but it's not very serious. I played two hours and 45 minutes today, and I saw that I could play, although I was not at 100 percent.
"I had a good season. I'm very happy with what I did. I will not have a lot of pressure for this match. It's sort of a gift for me to be here."
The Frenchman did not exactly shine in front of his home crowd, looking far from his attacking self in a two-hour, 41-minute tussle and allowing Verdasco to put him on the back foot too often.
The Spaniard, who had won six of their last seven encounters, saved 14 of 18 break points but eventually Gasquet's superb single-handed backhand made the difference.
Gasquet wrapped it up on his fifth match point when Verdasco, an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2009, returned long.
Five players - Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych - have already secured their places at the ATP World Tour finals.
Federer, who is seventh in the ATP Race, will qualify if he wins his first match at Bercy after a bye into the second round.
His compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka and Gasquet started the week in eighth and ninth respectively.
In the first round, Grigor Dimitrov moved on at Bercy with a hard-fought win over Michael Llodra.
Bulgaria’s Dimitrov, who won his first career title in Stockholm last month, lost a first-set tie-breaker but came through 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3 against the veteran Frenchman.
Llodra, who will retire at the end of next season, said he made too many errors on his first serve – not ideal for a traditional serve-volleyer.
"The difference was when I started missing my first serves," Llodra told the ATP website. "I really had difficulties serving really hard lately.
“He is extremely fit right now. He's in good shape and that made a difference in important points."

Second-round results:

2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) 7-6(3) 6-3

Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat 8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 1-6 7-6(4) 7-6(7)

14-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-6(3) 6-3

9-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3

First-round results:

Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 4-6 7-6(0) 2-1 (Youzhny retired)

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-4 6-4

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 7-6(6) 6-4

Pablo Andujar (Spain) beat Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 6-4 2-6 6-4

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-6(6) 6-1

Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3

Michal Przysiezny (Poland) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-3 7-6(6)

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic moves into third round of Paris Masters

World number two Novak Djokovic started his Paris Masters campaign with a routine second-round 7-6(3) 6-3 win over French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The Serb staved off two set points in the opening stanza then stepped up a gear and never looked back.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, playing in just his second ATP Tour main draw event, saved two match points at 5-2 down in the second set but could not stave off defeat for long and Djokovic closed out the victory in just over 90 minutes.
The 2009 Paris champion next faces either American 13th seed John Isner or Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny in the round of 16.
Five players - Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych - have already secured their places at the ATP World Tour finals.
Britain's Andy Murray, third in the ATP Race to London, has withdrawn because he is still recovering from back surgery, meaning the ninth-ranked player will qualify for the O2 event.
Swiss Roger Federer, who is seventh in the Race, will qualify if he wins his first match at Bercy after a bye into the second round.

Paris Masters results

Round 2

2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) 7-6(3) 6-3

Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat 8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 1-6 7-6(4) 7-6(7)

14-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-6(3) 6-3

9-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3

Round 1

Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 4-6 7-6(0) 2-1 (Youzhny retired)

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-4 6-4

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 7-6(6) 6-4

Pablo Andujar (Spain) beat Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 6-4 2-6 6-4

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-6(6) 6-1

Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3

Michal Przysiezny (Poland) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-3 7-6(6)

 

[Smallville22]

Wawrinka on track for Tour finals after overcoming Lopez

Stanislas Wawrinka ran into a spot of bother but stayed on track for the ATP World Tour finals by seeing off Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
The seventh-seeded Swiss, looking to qualify for the season-ending event for the first time, started the week in eighth place in the ATP Race to London.
Three tickets remain up for grabs, with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych having already qualified.
World number four Andy Murray of Britain has pulled out because of back surgery.
Wawrinka's victory means that Spaniard Nicolas Almagro is ruled out of the race.
The Swiss served 19 aces and prevailed in under two hours at Bercy, recovering quickly after a dip in concentration cost the 28-year-old the loss of the second set.
His compatriot Roger Federer will qualify for next week's finals at the O2 Arena in London if the 17-times grand slam champion beats South African Kevin Anderson in the second round.
World number one Nadal starts his Paris campaign with a second-round match against fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers later on Wednesday.

 

[Smallville22]

Stosur grinds out win over Vesnina

Sam Stosur got her Tournament of Champions off to a winning start against Elena Vesnina in Sofia.
The number four seed won 6-3 6-3, but that does not tell the full story as she was 0-3(0-30) down in the second set before roaring back to victory.
The Australian had lost two of her previous three matches against the Russian, so she was pleased to complete the win in two sets.
"The start was definitely quite close," Stosur told the WTA website. "We both had a few opportunities on each other's serve at the start, and then at 4-3 I think she had 40-15 up and made a couple of errors, and all of a sudden it was deuce and there was a little bit more pressure on her.
“I managed to return quite well from there and get that break, then served it out. I think that was the main difference in that first set.
"Second set, my level probably went a little bit down and hers a little bit up, and I found myself 3-0 down pretty quickly. But I regrouped and was able to play well again, and won those last six games.
"It was important to bounce back as quickly as possible so she couldn't get a real run going."
The other match on Wednesday saw top seed Simona Halep beat seventh seed Alize Cornet 6-4 6-4, putting the Romanian top of the group with two wins in two.
In the same group, sixth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat late entrant Elina Svitolina 6-2 6-4. Svitolina entered the competition today after Maria Kirilenko was injured.

Group Serdika

6-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 6-2 6-4

1-Simona Halep (Romania) beat 7-Alize Cornet (France) 6-4 6-4

Group Sredets

4-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 5-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-3 6-3

STANDINGS: P W L F A Pts

Group Serdika

1. Simona Halep 2 2 0 4 0 4

2. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2 1 1 2 2 2

3. Alize Cornet 2 1 1 1 2 2

4. Elina Svitolina 1 0 1 0 2 0

. Maria Kirilenko 1 0 1 0 1 0

Group Sredets

1. Ana Ivanovic 1 1 0 2 0 2

2. Samantha Stosur 1 1 0 2 0 2

3. Elena Vesnina 1 0 1 0 2 0

4. Tsvetana Pironkova 1 0 1 0 2 0

 

[Smallville22]

Federer finally seals spot in London with win in Paris

Roger Federer confirmed his spot at the end of season ATP Tour finals by reaching the third round of the Paris Masters.
Federer beat Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4 to ensure he would be one of the eight participants at the event in London.
It will be the Swiss master's 12 appearance at the season-ending Finals, although he does not enter as one of the favourites after a poor season saw him drop to seventh in the world rankings.
The 32-year-old, who was a beaten finalist in London last year, is the most successful ever player at the Finals, winning three titles and boasting a 42-9 record.
Federer barely broke sweat to knock out Anderson.
He broke his opponent's serve in the first game and never looked back. Anderson's series of unforced errors made sure there would be no contest at Bercy, even though the world number 21 rallied from 4-1 down in the second set.
World number one Rafael Nadal saw off fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers 7-5 7-5 to advance into the third round as he looks to bag one of the three Masters titles he has never won.
Nadal was never really troubled by Granollers and broke decisively in the 11th game of each set to set up a meeting with last year's runner-up Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, the 14th seed.
Nadal won 80 per cent of his service points but only needed to break serve twice to triumph in one hour and 42 minutes.
"I am happy about the victory today," said Nadal. "First match indoors against not an easy opponent. So it is a good victory, a positive one for me.
"The victories on days when you are not playing well have much more value than the victories on days that you played well.
"He did a lot of things well. He played short points. He went to the net a lot of times. I have to improve a lot for tomorrow. I hope to be ready to do it.
"Tomorrow will be a tough match. I had a very tough one against him in Montreal this year. I'm going to try to play aggressively, play with more intensity than what I did today."

Second-round results:

10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-3 6-4

5-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-4 6-4

6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-2 7-5

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat 11-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-2 6-2

1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 7-5 7-5

Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat 16-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-3 5-7 6-2

4-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(3)

7-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 3-6 6-3

15-Gilles Simon (France) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(3)

12-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-4 6-3

13-John Isner (U.S.) beat Michal Przysiezny (Poland) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3

3-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 6-0 2-6 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Wawrinka win ends Almagro's London hopes

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Feliciano Lopez 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters in Bercy, keeping him on course for the World Tour Finals while ending Nicolas Almagro's hopes.
Wawrinka - who returns to eighth in the Race to London after beating Spain's Lopez in one hour and 45 minutes - is all-but qualified for the season-ending event in London, with Milos Raonic needing to reach the final in Paris and Tommy Haas now out of it after he lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round.
The seventh-seeded Swiss served 19 aces and prevailed in under two hours at Bercy, recovering quickly after a dip in concentration cost the 28-year-old the loss of the second set.
Ironically, Wawrinka's next opponent is the 12th-seeded Almagro, who cannot now break into the top nine even if he wins the tournament. The Spanish player beat Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3.
Two more wins should do it for 'Stan' anyway, with France's Richard Gasquet - ninth in the race - almost there too. Ninth will be good enough as Andy Murray is absent through injury.
Raonic still has a chance though - he beat Robin Haase 6-3 6-3 to move into the third round.
Roger Federer sealed his place at the O2 in London after beating Kevin Anderson later on Wednesday. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro - who beat Marin Cilic 6-4 7-6(3) on Wednesday - and Tomas Berdych are already through.
World number one Nadal won his opener with relative ease, ousting Marcel Granollers 7-5 7-5.
Defending Paris Masters champion David Ferrer battled past Lukas Rosol to move into the third round.
Spain's world number three Ferrer, who was given a first-round bye, won 6-0 2-6 6-3 in a topsy-turvy 87-minute match that maintained his 100% record against the Czech.
Next for the 32-year-old Ferrer – who, as the fourth-ranked player in the ATP Race, has already qualified for the season-ending World Tour Finals in London next week – is Frenchman Gilles Simon, who needed just under three hours to oust compatriot Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(3).
Big-serving American John Isner also needed three sets to overcome qualifier Michal Przysiezny 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3 and set up a third-round clash with Novak Djokovic.

Second-round results:

10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-3 6-4

5-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-4 6-4

6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-2 7-5

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat 11-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-2 6-2

1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 7-5 7-5

Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat 16-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-3 5-7 6-2

4-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-4 7-6(3)

7-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 3-6 6-3

15-Gilles Simon (France) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(3)

12-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-4 6-3

13-John Isner (U.S.) beat Michal Przysiezny (Poland) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3

3-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 6-0 2-6 6-3