FEDERER DENIES DAVYDENKO TO RECLAIM DOHA CROWN


Roger Federer won the Doha title
for the third time.

World No. 2 Roger Federer reclaimed the Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy Saturday as he dethroned defending champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tennis tournament in Doha.

The Swiss player captured the title for the third time, following back-to-back triumphs in 2005 (d. Ljubicic) and 2006 (d. Monfils), making him the first three-time winner in tournament history (since 1993). Victory marked 67 tour-level titles from 95 finals for the 29 year old, who received 250 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points and $177,000 in prize money. It is the 11th straight year that he has won an ATP World Tour title.

Victory in Doha gives Federer the best possible preparation for the Australian Open, which begins in just over a week’s time in Melbourne. The Basel native is the defending champion in Melbourne and is looking to add to his record tally of 16 Grand Slam singles titles.

"This is important to do well here," said Federer. "I'm not just using this to get ready for the Australian Open. This is a pleasure coming to this part of the world where I actually do spend quite a bit of time, and I've always had good friends here in Qatar. I love playing here, been successful here in the past."

The second-seeded Federer has been nigh on impenetrable on serve this week, only being broken once in 42 service games to reach the final, and was just as impressive against Davydenko. The Swiss did not face a break point against the Russian and won 79 per cent of points behind his first serve.

Federer made a fast start to the match, racing to a 3-0 lead, and despite missing six set point chances on Davydenko’s in the eighth game, confidently closed out the opener on serve. Davydenko was forced to produce close to his best tennis to stay level with Federer in the second set, but his resistance crumbled in the ninth game as Federer broke to love before wrapping up victory in 79 minutes. He improved to a 23-3 event record.

"When he's on, he's easily Top 10 if not Top 5 potentially, and that's why this is obviously a huge win, because I thought he was playing well," declared Federer. "I thought the level of play was extremely high. I was very happy with, from my side, I was almost flawless, and I was able to play offensive when I needed to, and when I wanted to it all worked out. So I'm really pleased with such a great final."

“Today he was tough. Really played fast," lamented Davydenko, who dropped to a 2-15 record against Federer. "He gave me no chance on the return, and also he was returning good. His first serve was very good. My tennis is OK, really. I don't want to say I played bad today."

The 29-year-old Davydenko was bidding to complete the Federer-Nadal double to capture the Doha title for the second year in a row, having ousted World No. 1 Nadal in the semi-finals yesterday. Last year he defeated Federer in the semi-finals before saving two match points to overcome Nadal in the final and win his 20th ATP World Tour title.

Davydenko looks to have made a welcome return to form just in time for the Australian Open, where he reached the quarter-finals (l. to Federer) for the fourth time last year. After his strong start to the 2010 season, the Russian was sidelined for three months after fracturing his left wrist in February, and struggled to regain his best form for the remainder of the season.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … Crown.aspx

BHUPATHI-PAES REACH CHENNAI FINAL


Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are chasing
their fifth title in Chennai.

Top seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are one win away from the perfect reunion at the Aircel Chennai Open after they edged Croatians Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig 6-1, 6-7(4), 10-5 Saturday to reach the final of the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tennis tournament.

The home favourites made a fast start, winning eight of the first 10 games to lead by a set and a break. However, Cilic and Dodig fought back to draw level at 2-2 in the second set by breaking Bhupathi’s serve and won the ensuing tie-break to force a deciding Match Tie-break. Bhupathi and Paes held their nerve, though, and took charge of the decider from 4-4, winning five straight points before claiming victory in one hour and 41 minutes.

Bhupathi and Paes are chasing their fifth title in Chennai, having lifted the trophy in 1997-99 and 2002. Should they succeed, it would be their first ATP World Tour doubles title together since August 2004 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto.

In the final Bhupathi and Paes will face Dutch-American duo Robin Haase and David Martin, who battled past Simone Bolelli and Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 in 66 minutes. Haase and Martin, who upset second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi in the quarter-finals, will contest their first ATP World Tour doubles final together.

At the Brisbane International, fourth seeds Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau advanced to the final with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 victory over German-Austrian pairing Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya. The Swedish-Romanian duo, who reached the Wimbledon final last year (l. to Melzer-Petzschner), are bidding for their fifth ATP World Tour title together.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … Final.aspx

WAWRINKA DISMISSES BERDYCH; FACES MALISSE IN FINAL


Xavier Malisse is hoping to regain the Chennai
title he won in 2007.

Third seed Stanislas Wawrinka defeated top seed Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-1 Saturday to reach the final of the Aircel Chennai Open for the second year in a row.

In the final Wawrinka will face seventh seed Xavier Malisse, who battled past sixth seed Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tennis tournament.

Wawrinka, who finished runner-up to Marin Cilic in the final last year, was involved in a rain-delayed quarter-final match with Robin Haase that did not finish until 2:09 am on Saturday morning, but recovered well to dismiss World No. 6 Berdych in just 76 minutes.

"I'm very happy with my game today. I finished really late last night, but I had time to rest for today's match and I felt fresh," said Wawrinka.

"I'm playing better with every match. It was really good to win in straight sets today. Tomorrow will be the most difficult match to play. Malisse will be ready too and he's won some big matches this week. It will be interesting as we've never played each other before."

One break of serve in the fifth game sufficed to secure the opening set for Wawrinka and after Berdych held serve at the start of the second set, the Swiss reeled off six straight games to claim victory. World No. 21 Wawrinka is through to his ninth ATP World Tour final and is bidding for his third title to add to triumphs in Casablanca (d. Hanescu) in 2010 and Umag (d. Djokovic) in 2006.

Malisse, who reached a career-high World No. 19 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings in 2002, won the Chennai title in 2007 (d. Koubek) and has an 11-1 event record in three appearances. The 30 year old is through to his 12th ATP World Tour final (3-8 record) and his first since winning the Chennai and Delray Beach (d. Blake) titles in 2007.

After losing the first set by one break of serve, Malisse squandered an early break advantage in the second set, but broke the Tipsarevic serve again in the eighth game to level the match. In the deciding set Malisse broke in the first and seventh games to clinch victory in one hour and 37 minutes.

"In the first set I couldn't do much, but in the second set I started serving better, going for my shots and taking a few risks," reflected Malisse. "He started making more mistakes because I played more aggressive. Somehow I managed to turn it around. I worked hard and I'm just happy to be in the final. It's always nice to play on a court where you've won before. I'm going to give everything I have in the final."

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis … Berth.aspx

Wawrinka, Malisse square off for Chennai title



Stanislas Wawrinka will contest the Chennai final for the second consecutive year on Sunday. Standing in his way this time is former tournament champion Xavier Malisse.

One year after finishing runner-up at the Aircel Chennai Open, Stanislas Wawrinka finds himself back in the title match. Having lost to Marin Cilic in 2010, this time Wawrinka is going up against Xavier Malisse. Somewhat surprisingly, the two competitors are set for their first career head-to-head encounter.

Both players have been in outstanding form this week. Wawrinka has dismissed Rohan Bopanna, David Goffin, Robin Haase, and Tomas Berdych, losing just a single set to Haase in the quarterfinals. The 21st-ranked Swiss crushed the top-seeded Berdych 6-4, 6-1 in a scintillating performance on Saturday.

Malisse has not faced quite the same caliber of opposition, but he has been similarly impressive. Chennai's No. 7 seed dropped a mere 10 total games in his first three matches, victories over Marsel Ilhan, Stephane Robert, and Bjorn Phau. He followed that up with a three-set win over Janko Tipsarevic in a tough semifinal.

Wawrinka is 2-6 lifetime in ATP finals. His last title came one season ago on the clay courts of Casablanca. Malisse has triumphed in three of 11 ATP finals and this is his first appearance in a title match since winning in Delray Beach back in 2007. The 30-year-old Belgian also won the Chennai title that season.

A furious baseline battle should be on Sunday's menu, and it could go either way even though Wawrinka is the clear favorite on paper. Based on Wawrinka's showing against Berdych, look for the No. 3 seed to pull out a three-set victory.

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/previews/2 … nnai_title

Soderling faces Roddick for Brisbane title



The top two seeds will go head-to-head at the Brisbane International, as World No. 5 Robin Soderling battles defending champion Andy Roddick on Sunday. The players are set to contest their sixth ATP World Tour match.

World No. 5 Robin Soderling holds a slender 3-2 series edge over World No. 8 Andy Roddick after winning their last clash at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris. The Swede secured a 7-5, 6-4, quarterfinal-round victory en route to winning his first Masters shield. The competitors are level at 2-2 on hard-court.

Soderling will attempt to record his 7th ATP World Tour championship win since his professional debut in 2001. Sunday afternoon will mark the 17th finals appearance for the Swede, who aims to take hard-court title No. 3.

The 26-year-old reached the final following his 6-3, 7-5 ousting of 2009 Brisbane International winner Radek Stepanek. The World No. 5 has not dropped a set this week, having downed opponents Ryan Harrison, Michael Berrer and Matthew Ebden with little difficulty.

Defending champion Andy Roddick made the title match after holding on to defeat Kevin Anderson in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. The World No. 8 looks to continue his solid service effort, having tallied 42 aces through four completed matches.

The 28-year-old American is set to make his 49th showing in an ATP World Tour final. With a victory on Sunday, he adds title No. 30 to his resume.

Prediction: Expect a better effort from both players after they showed some vulnerability in the semifinal. If Soderling can keep his emotions and error count in check, look for him to win the title. The Swede in two very tight sets.

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/previews/2 … bane_title

Doha: Federer d. Davydenko



In sports, momentum doesn't always carry over from year to year—it rarely does, actually. Roger Federer has been an exception to that observation before, and he's doing it again, starting his 2011 campaign in much the same way he ended 2010. (It helps, of course, that tennis seasons are separated by just a few weeks, not a few months.)

The aggressive and opportunistic Federer that beat Rafael Nadal to win the ATP World Tour Finals in November won the Qatar Open on Saturday using similar tactics. Federer overwhelmed Nikolay Davydenko at the start of today's final, like he did to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis, with hard, deep forehands and efficient serving. The Russian worked his way into the match come set two, but a late break at 4-4 was all Federer needed; he finished it off 6-3, 6-4.

Federer fans should be pleased with two developments from today. First, Federer's backhand continues to become more of a threat, as opposed to just a slice and/or rally shot. Davydenko was beaten with it on a number of points, and Federer looks more comfortable and confident when he goes for one-handed winners. Second, Federer didn't let Davydenko back in the match after he missed on six set points in a 13-plus minute game late in the first. He calmly served out the set thereafter, erasing any momentum Davydenko earned. I normally wouldn't make a big deal of this, but after Gael Monfils recovered from five match points down against Federer at last year's Paris Masters, I think it's noteworthy.

Speaking of the Paris Masters, it's the only tournament that Federer has lost in his previous five. Stockholm, Basel, London and (now) Doha were all impressive wins, but Melbourne will reveal the most about Federer, who hasn't won a Slam since last year's Aussie Open. If Federer fails to win Down Under, it will be the first time since 2003 that he hasn't held at least one Grand Slam title.

Care to bet against that happening, after this week's developments?

—Ed McGrogan

http://blogs.tennis.com/racquet_reactio … denko.html

Federer downs Davydenko for Qatar Open title

DOHA, Qatar (AP)—Roger Federer won the Qatar Open without dropping a set when he beat defending champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 in a 79-minute final on Saturday.

Federer became the first three-time winner in Doha, following titles in 2005 and 2006.

“It is a great start to the new season,” Federer told the 8,000 fans at Khalifa Tennis Complex. “I felt great all week here. I controlled the game from the first set and did well in the second, too.”

When asked about his chances at the Australian Open this month, a smiling Federer said, “I am not ready now. I will be when I get there. But obviously, the wins here will help me build my rhythm (in Australia).”

Davydenko, who beat top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and also hadn’t dropped a set coming in the final, was attempting to become the first player to beat Nadal and Federer in the same tournament three times. He did it in Doha a year ago and at the 2009 ATP Finals.

The fourth-seeded Russian looked overmatched from the start and fell to his 15th loss in 17 matches against second-seeded Federer.

Federer broke Davydenko in game two by producing a deft drop shot after the Russian hit a couple of shots into the net. Davydenko valiantly saved seven set points on serve in the eighth game, but in the next game Federer easily held serve to close the first set.

In the second, Davydenko held serve until the ninth game when Federer charged to the net twice to fetch winners for the break. Federer then served out for his 67th career title, fourth best in the Open era after Jimmy Connors (109), Ivan Lendl (94) and John McEnroe (77).

http://www.tennis.com/articles/template … &zoneid=25

Z głębi kortu Roddick jest szmacony jak jakiś junior. W dodatku Szwed bardzo pewnie serwuje. Jak tak dalej pójdzie to daje Rodowi max 6 gemów ugranych w meczu. 4:1 Soderling

Pere Riba gra agresywniej z głębi kortu niż Rod.


Ufff, obronił 2bp, no walczymy dalej.

Ostatnio edytowany przez COA (09-01-2011 05:22:53)

Nie ma na co patrzeć w sumie, jak na razie.

Parafrazując Durczoka, tylko dlatego że Soda teraz pomógł to się to k***a uchowało, i ludzie tego nie widzą. Tym niemniej prędzej czy później ten break w końcu stanie się faktem, nie można tak grać z głębi. Szkoda że Rod nic nie miesza, nie próbuje nawet pójść do siatki, o ruszeniu Sody zza końcowej nie wspominając..

Ostatnio edytowany przez COA (09-01-2011 05:27:05)

Cudem się wybronił. Zastanawiam się czy ma to dalej sens oglądać - ale chyba naiwnie dalej w niego wierzę.

Jezus Mario, groundstroke winner

0:30

Ależ pięknie teraz !

4/3*, próbuj do tajbreka chociaż.

Ostatnio edytowany przez COA (09-01-2011 05:34:42)

Forhand winners Soderling 12:0

Racja Metju, co by nie psioczyć na Roda, to Soderling rozgrywa świetne zawody. Świetnie serwuje, z głębi kortu łupie, łupie, łupie i błędów nie widać.

Taa, tylko deszczu brakowało...

E:
LOL