ATP Men's Tennis

2013 Wimbledon Qualifying Draw | First round results

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:01:00 +0000

Wimbledon 2013 Qualifying Draw

Dudi Sela (ISR) [1] vs Stephane Robert (FRA)46 76 63
Oleksandr Nedovyesov (UKR) vs Leonardo Kirche (BRA) 64 67 61
Radu Albot (MDA) vs Dzmitry Zhyrmont (BLR) 46 67
James McGee (IRL)vs Paul Capdeville (CHI) [32] 36 46

Jack Sock (USA) [2] vs Mischa Zverev (GER) 26 26
Pavol Cervenak (SVK) vs Bastian Knittel (GER) 46 67
Sebastian Rieschick (GER) vs David Rice (GBR) 36 2 6
Jordi Samper-Montana (ESP) vs Flavio Cipolla (ITA) [24] 361 6

Joao Sousa (POR) [3] vs Nicolas Renavand (FRA) 64 63
Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) vs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 67 06
S.Gutierrez-Ferrol (ESP) vs Karol Beck (SVK) 16 67
Arnau Brugues-Davi (ESP) vs Julian Reister (GER) [21] 46 67

Wayne Odesnik (USA) [4] vs Thiago Alves (BRA) 61 64
Arthur De Greef (BEL) vs Carlos Salamanca (COL) 6 4 76
Josselin Ouanna (FRA) vs Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) 76 62
Renzo Olivo (ARG) vs Olivier Rochus (BEL) [20] 36 46

Jiri Vesely (CZE) [5] vs John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 76 63
Dustin Brown (GER) vs Lewis Burton (GBR) 64 63
Marek Semjan (SVK) vs Alex Bogdanovic (GBR) 67 36
Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) vs Yuichi Sugita (JPN) [18] 63 75

Denis Kudla (USA) [6] vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 63 64
Filip Peliwo (CAN) vs Bradley Klahn (USA) 62 16 97
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) vs David Guez (FRA) 6 3 63
J.Dasnieres De Veigy (FRA) vs Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) [23] 36 46

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) [7] vs Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) 63 63
Laurent Rochette (FRA) vs Hiroki Moriya (JPN) 63 46 46
Niels Desein (BEL) vs Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 62 16 57
Jamie Baker (GBR) vs Matteo Viola (ITA) [17] 46 63 64

Tim Smyczek (USA) [8] vs A.Menendez-Maceiras (ESP) 62 64
Mirza Basic (BIH) vs Tsung-Hua Yang (TPE) 6 7 33 Retired
Peter Polansky (CAN) vs Amir Weintraub (ISR) 2 6 36
Matt Reid (AUS) vs Somdev Devvarman (IND) [22] 76 46 18-16

Illya Marchenko (UKR) [9] vs Edward Corrie (GBR) 64 57 75
Malek Jaziri (TUN) vs Jan Mertl (CZE) 6 3 57 64
Frank Dancevic (CAN) vs Albano Olivetti (FRA) 76 62
Boy Westerhof (NED) vs Jimmy Wang (TPE) [29] 16 46

Dusan Lajovic (SRB) [10] vs James Duckworth (AUS) 36 16
Donald Young (USA) vs Agustin Velotti (ARG) 46 36
Matwe Middelkoop (NED) vs Alessio Di Mauro (ITA) 36 76 61
Andre Ghem (BRA) vs Michael Berrer (GER) [31] 36 57

Michal Przysiezny (POL) [11] vs Dusan Lojda (CZE) 26 63 6 2
Josh Goodall (GBR) vs Samuel Groth (AUS) 46 67
Peter Gojowczyk (GER) vs Antonio Veic (CRO) 61 61
Daniel Evans (GBR)vs D.Munoz-De La Nava (ESP) [25] 16 63 26

Rhyne Williams (USA) [12] vs Victor Crivoi (ROU) 62 64
Fabiano De Paula (BRA) vs Steven Diez (CAN) 67 57
Aldin Setkic (BIH) vs Marcelo Demoliner (BRA) 46 63 36
Jorge Aguilar (CHI) vs Bobby Reynolds (USA) [27] 46 26

Go Soeda (JPN) [13] vs Nikola Mektic (CRO) 62 60
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) vs Danai Udomchoke (THA) 16 75 10-12

Rik De Voest (RSA) vs Boris Pashanski (SRB) 67 63 46
Gianluca Naso (ITA)vs Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) [30] 16 61 64

Matthias Bachinger (GER) [14] vs Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 76 36 26

Inigo Cervantes (ESP) vs Maxime Authom (BEL) 26 46
Alex Kuznetsov (USA) vs Joshua Ward Hibbert (GBR) 64 6 4

Marco Trungelliti (ARG) vs Guido Andreozzi (ARG) [26] 57 06

Marc Gicquel (FRA) [15] vs Ti Chen (TPE) 62 62

Matthew Barton (AUS)vs Farrukh Dustov (UZB) 632 6 46

Guilherme Clezar (BRA) vs Javier Marti (ESP) 62 57 5 7

Vincent Millot (FRA) vs Florent Serra (FRA) [28] 16 63 36

Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) [16] vs Jonathan Eysseric (FRA) 75 76

Jozef Kovalik (SVK) vs Dominik Meffert (GER) 16 26
Michael Yani (USA) vs Denys Molchanov (UKR) 36 67

Martin Fischer (AUT) vs Simon Greul (GER) [19] 46 64 Retired

Rafa Nadal wins 8th French Open title

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:29:00 +0000

Rafa Nadal wins 8th French Open title

Is this unbelievable or what??? Rafael Nadal won his eighth singles title at the French Open after crushing David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the final.

Rafa has an amazing 59-1 record at Roland Garros and it looks like as long as he is healthy noone will take this title away from him.

“That’s just amazing … That’s more than I can even dream about,” Nadal said, “but here we are today. [As a kid wanting to be a professional tennis player,] I never thought about something like this. I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who supported me throughout my career. Without them I would not be here today.”

"I never like to compare years, but it's true that this year means something very special for me," Nadal added. "When you have a period of time like I had (7 month out of the tour due to knee injuries), you realize that you don't know if you will have the chance to be back here with this trophy another time."

"Rafael was better than me," said Ferrer. "He didn't make mistakes."

Even he won the event, Nadal is now the No. 5 while Ferrer is up at No. 4.

"Yeah, it's strange, no? I lost the final against Rafael, but tomorrow I am going to be No. 4 and him No. 5," Ferrer said with a grin, then delivered his punch line: "I prefer to win here and to stay No. 5."

Royal Marsden Cancer Charity - Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:02:00 +0000

Royal Marsden Cancer Charity - Photos

Over the last couple of days we have been talking about Ross Hutchins and his support to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity... Here we have some pictures from his campaign :) Enjoy...

You can help by making a can donation online ... visit www.justgiving.com/RallyAgainstCancer2013 or via SMS by texting “RALL60 £10” to 70070 to make, for example, a £10 donation.

Watch Ross Hutchins video campaign :)

Ross Hutchins supports The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, you should too!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:18:00 +0000

Ross Hutchins supports The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, you should too!!
Sponsored by Spreaditfast

British Davis Cup player Ross Hutchins, who is just 28 years old, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last December and he is continuing to receive Chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.

Ross started to feel intense back pain in April 2012 which became more excruciating towards the end of the year when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Now he has all his energy on his recovery and in raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, saying "it is an unbelievable place that helps thousands of people in situations similar to mine."

The Royal Marsden is a world-leading cancer centre dedicated to excellence in the study, treatment and care of people with cancer since 1851 and it is located in Chelsea, London and Sutton, Surrey.

They help and take care of 50,000 cancer patients from across the UK and abroad each year.

Over the last decade The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has raised £100 million and their goal is to raise another £100 million over the next decade to ensure this work can continue in curing more people and improving quality of life for all those affected by cancer.

There are many ways we can help them, we can donate made online by visiting www.justgiving.com/RallyAgainstCancer2013 or via SMS by texting “RALL60 £10” to 70070 to make, for example, a £10 donation.

Ross Hutchins (@RoscoHutchins) and the tennis tour are also getting involved in this campaign.
First will be the Rally Against Cancer at The Aegon Championships on finals day where Ivan Lendl and Tomas Berdych will team up to face Andy Murray and Tim Henman in a doubles exhibition to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Also a selection of high-profile celebrities will then join Murray and Henman on court for some first-rate tennis action!

The tournament has also added an additional £10 for each finals day ticket which will go to Charity.

Thankfully it doesn’t stop here, The Lawn Tennis Association will contribute £10 for every ace hit during the tournament and visitors will have the opportunity to buy daily raffle tickets from Royal Marsden Cancer Charity volunteers at two tournament promotional booths, located at the front entrance of the Queen’s Club by the programme and cushions sales point, and opposite the public food court.
Also tennis fans will have the chance to drop their donations into Royal Marsden Cancer Charity collection boxes located at many points around the grounds, and buy charity pin badges.

It is a great opportunity to help people who really need all the support they can get.

Visit www.justgiving.com/RallyAgainstCancer2013 and participate!!!

Video: Ross Hutchins and The Royal Marsden

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:09:00 +0000

Video: Ross Hutchins and The Royal Marsden

At the age of 28 Ross Hutchins never expected to get cancer but he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2012 and is getting treatment at The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre.

Hutchins has committed himself to raise money for the hospital... Check out his campaign...

Can Rafael Nadal Rule at Roland Garros and Wimbledon Again?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 30 May 2013 10:38:00 +0000

Can Rafael Nadal Rule at Roland Garros and Wimbledon Again?

While Novak Djokovic is the undisputed number one in men's tennis, there is no doubt that he is the second favorite going into the Roland Garros grand slam. The French Open is, and has always been, Rafael Nadal's home court. He may be from Spain, but Nadal has made the clay of Paris the court where he feels most comfortable. He has only lost ONE match at Roland Garros during his entire career. That is an incredible run, spanning close to a decade. His only loss came when he was half injured, so what chance does Djokovic, or anyone for that matter, have of beating Nadal?

The greatest threat to Nadal will come from the world number one, and the two are set to meet in the semi final stage. This will be a monumental clash, with Novak Djokovic determined to break Nadal's stranglehold at Roland Garros. Interestingly, Djokovic has never had the best record in the French Open. So he has two reasons for wanting to do very well there this season. The two will give everything in their semi final, which could play into the hands of another tennis great. Roger Federer will most likely be the one waiting for the outcome of the Nadal/Djokovic semi final, with his route to the final considerably easier.

Federer does not have Murray to deal with this time, as Andy suffered an injury before this tournament. In addition, Gael Monfis just took care of the seventh seed, Tomas Berdych. If Federer plays anywhere close to his best tennis, he is a shoe in for the final. In addition, the fatigue of Nadal and Djokovic could play into his hands as he bids to win this grand slam. Those two will end up playing a three to five hour semi final, while Federer's match should be a lot shorter.

Tennis tickets are available for this year's French Open. Tickets for the latter rounds will be expensive, but it is definitely worth the money. Despite the advantage that Federer may have, he will still have an impossible task if it is Nadal that he faces in the final. The last time those two met in a final, Nadal won in four sets. However, one of those sets was a 6-0 scoreline, highlighting the dominance of Nadal over Federer on clay. Roger will have to hope that he has the best day of his year, while Nadal has an off day, if he is to claim glory at Roland Garros. If it is Novak Djokovic that Federer faces in the final, he would fancy his chances of winning.

If you can get your hands on Wimbledon men's final tickets, you will be in for a true treat. Wimbledon is considered by many to be the greatest grand slam event on the calendar. With four great players vying for the trophy, there are sure to be plenty of great match-ups.

The French Open title may be a near certainty for Nadal, but Wimbledon will be a totally different matter. Murray will be back, while Djokovic and Federer are stronger on grass. In addition, Nadal will struggle with his fitness after a grueling two week French Open. It would take something very special for him to claim glory at both grand slam events, particularly with such fierce competition around him.

The French Open is here, who dares to bet against Nadal?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 30 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

The French Open is here, who dares to bet against Nadal?

Is this time of the year again, the time when Rafael Nadal makes history and breaks records at the French Open.

The defending champion has won the major in Paris 7 times and has a 52-1 record which makes it very difficult to think that another tennis player can take this title away from him if he is healthy and playing the way he has being playing lately.

Rafa played eight tennis tournaments in 2013, has claimed the trophy in six occasions with a 36-2 match record.

He lost the final of Viña del Mar to Horacio Zeballos in his first tournament of the season after 7 month out the ATP Tour because of injury, and was beaten by Novak Djokovic at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters final in April.

The Spaniard can meet Djokovic in the semi-finals of Roland Garros and owns a 19-15 Head2Head record against the Serb.

Knowing Nadal’s impressive record on clay, won 285 matches lost just 21, who will be brave enough to bet against him in Paris? I know I will not.

If you're considering having a bet on the outcome of this year's French Open, check out Paddy Power's Tennis odds, offering great value promotions on all major tennis events throughout the year.

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be there to try to stop Nadal’s supremacy in Roland Garros but it will not be easy.

The former world number 1 is seeded third thanks to Andy Murray’s withdrawal and starts his campaign against Daniel Brands.

He may face Lukas Rosol or No. 27 seed Fabio Fognini in the third round. Richard Gasquet, 7^th seed, or No. 9 seed Stanislas Wawrinka , may be quarter-final opponents.

Djokovic will have a tough road if he wants to claim the only Grand Slam title he hasn’t won.

He will play David Goffin in the first round, then would meet No. 26 seed Grigor Dimitrov, in the third round. Alexandr Dolgopolov, the No. 22 seed, or No. 16 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber may be fourth round opponents. In the quarters Janko Tipsarevic, seeded 8^th could be his rival.

Federer, who won the 2009 French Open, will face a qualifier in the first and second round. He could meet No. 30 seed Julien Benneteau in the third round.

In the 4^th round, the Swiss could play No. 15 seed Gilles Simon or No. 18 seed Sam Querrey.

The quarterfinals will not be easy for another him as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded 6^th, No. 10 seed Marin Cilic may be his opponent .

The French Open is almost here, the top players are getting ready to take this title but Rafael Nadal is always one step ahead of them.

Will Nadal take the title in 2013 too? Are you ready to bet?

2013 French Open Day 4 Results | Wednesday May 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

2013 French Open Day 4 Results | Wednesday May 29th

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Benoit Paire (FRA) [24] def. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 3-6 7-6(1) 6-4 6-4
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8] def. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1
Lukasz Kubot (POL) def. Maxime Teixeira (FRA) 6-4 5-7 7-6(7) 6-2
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 7-6(9) 6-4 6-7(4) 2-6 8-6

Men's Singles - 2nd Round
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6] def. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 7-6(6) 6-4 6-3
Gael Monfils (FRA) def. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN) [14] def. Michael Llodra (FRA) 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2
Roger Federer (SUI) [2] def. Somdev Devvarman (IND) 6-2 6-1 6-1
Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30] def. Tobias Kamke (GER) 7-6(9) 7-5 5-7 0-6 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP) [4] def. Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-2 6-1 6-3
Gilles Simon (FRA) [15] def. Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-1 6-1
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11] def. Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 6-2 6-4 6-3
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32] def. Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-7(2) 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-1
Andreas Seppi (ITA) [20] def. Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 6-0 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 4-6 6-3
Sam Querrey (USA) [18] def. Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-4 7-5 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) [10] def. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 6-4 6-2 6-2
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [25] def. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-1 7-5 6-4
Viktor Troicki (SRB) def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-0 6-7(7) 6-4
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) def. Joao Sousa (POR) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23] def. Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-7(8) 6-1 7-5 6-2

Men's Doubles - 1st Round Complete
Jonathan Dasnieres De Veigy (FRA) / Florent Serra (FRA) def. Marinko Matosevic (AUS) / John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 7-6(4) 7-6(6)
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) / Potito Starace (ITA) def. Sanchai Ratiwatana (THA) /Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) 6-4 6-1
Marcel Granollers (ESP) [2] / Marc Lopez (ESP) [2] def. Jaroslav Levinsky (CZE) /Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) 4-2 Ret.
David Marrero (ESP) [8] / Fernando Verdasco (ESP) [8] def. Johan Brunstrom (SWE) /Raven Klaasen (RSA)6-3 6-2
Ivan Dodig (CRO) [12] / Marcelo Melo (BRA) [12] def. Victor Hanescu (ROU) / Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-7(4) 6-4 6-1
Max Mirnyi (BLR) [5] / Horia Tecau (ROU) [5] def. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) / Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-0 7-6(3)
Eric Butorac (USA) / Jack Sock (USA) def. Martin Klizan (SVK) / Igor Zelenay (SVK) 6-4 6-4
Robert Lindstedt (SWE) [3] / Daniel Nestor (CAN) [3] def. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 7-6(8) 7-6(4)
Mikhail Elgin (RUS) / Denis Istomin (UZB) def. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) [11] /Scott Lipsky (USA) [11]1-6 6-3 6-4
Andre Begemann (GER) / Martin Emmrich (GER) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) / Albert Ramos (ESP)6-3 4-6 6-3
Jamie Murray (GBR) / John Peers (AUS) def. Julian Knowle (AUT) [15] /Filip Polasek (SVK) [15] 7-6(5) 7-6(5)

French Open 2013 Day 3 Results | Tuesday May 28th

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Tue, 28 May 2013 21:55:00 +0000

2013 French Open Day 3 Results | Tuesday May 28th

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] def. David Goffin (BEL) 7-6(5) 6-4 7-5
Tommy Haas (GER) [12] def. Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 7-6(4) 6-1 6-3
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Florent Serra (FRA) 6-3 6-4 7-5
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] def. Thiemo De Bakker (NED) 7-5 6-3 6-7(1) 7-5
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-2 6-3 6-1
Jack Sock (USA) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-2 6-2 7-5
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [16] def. Jiri Vesely (CZE) 7-6(3) 1-6 7-5 6-2
Federico Delbonis (ARG) def. Julian Reister (GER) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-0 6-4
Guido Pella (ARG) def. Ivan Dodig (CRO) 4-6 6-4 6-3 2-6 12-10
Victor Hanescu (ROU) def. Bernard Tomic (AUS) 7-5 7-6(8) 2-1 Ret.
Denis Istomin (UZB) def. Florian Mayer (GER) [28] 4-6 6-3 7-5 Ret.
Lucas Pouille (FRA) def. Alex Kuznetsov (USA) 6-1 7-6(2) 6-2
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [29] def. Pablo Andujar (ESP) 4-6 6-4 6-2 6-3
Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) def. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) [22] 7-6(7) 6-4 7-6(7)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26] def. Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-4 1-0 Ret.
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) def. Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-4 6-4 2-1 Ret.

Mens doubles first round
Philipp Marx (GER) / Florin Mergea (ROU) def. Gael Monfils (FRA) /Josselin Ouanna (FRA) 6-3 7-6(4)
Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) [16] / Marcin Matkowski (POL) [16] def. Jan Hajek (CZE) /Radek Stepanek (CZE) 7-5 6-3
Alexander Peya (AUT) [7] / Bruno Soares (BRA) [7] def. James Cerretani (USA) /Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-2 3-6 6-1
Frantisek Cermak (CZE) / Michal Mertinak (SVK) def. Benjamin Becker (GER) /Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-2 2-1 Ret.
Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL) def. Xavier Malisse (BEL) /Ken Skupski (GBR) 6-4 4-6 6-3
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) / Grega Zemlja (SLO) def. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) /Rajeev Ram (USA) 4-6 6-4 6-4
Christopher Kas (GER) / Oliver Marach (AUT) def. Robin Haase (NED) /Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3
Tomasz Bednarek (POL) / Jerzy Janowicz (POL) def. Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) [4] /Rohan Bopanna (IND) [4] 7-5 6-4
Jonathan Erlich (ISR) / Andy Ram (ISR) def. Daniele Bracciali (ITA) [14] /Fabio Fognini (ITA) [14] 7-6(3) 6-4
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) [9] / Leander Paes (IND) [9] def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) /Nicolas Renavand (FRA) 6-3 6-3
Bob Bryan (USA) [1] / Mike Bryan (USA) [1] def. Jonathan Eysseric (FRA) / Fabrice Martin (FRA) 6-3 6-4

French Open Day 3 Tuesday Order of Play | May 28th 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 27 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

French Open Day 3 Tuesday Order of Play | May 28th 2013

Court Philippe Chatrier
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Marion Bartoli (FRA) [13]vs.Olga Govortsova (BLR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1]vs.David Goffin (BEL)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Nicolas Mahut (FRA)vs.Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Elena Vesnina (RUS)vs.Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [3]

Court Suzanne Lenglen
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Tommy Haas (GER) [12]vs.Guillaume Rufin (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Alize Cornet (FRA) [31]vs.Maria Joao Koehler (POR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Benoit Paire (FRA) [24]vs.Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Petra Kvitova (CZE) [7]vs.Aravane Rezai (FRA)

Court 1
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)vs.Samantha Stosur (AUS) [9]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Florent Serra (FRA)vs.Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9]vs.Thiemo De Bakker (NED)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Nina Bratchikova (POR)vs.Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [12]

Court 2
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [18]vs.Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)vs.Lauren Davis (USA)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)vs.Marc Gicquel (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)vs.Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)

Court 3
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jack Sock (USA)vs.Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jiri Vesely (CZE)vs.Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [16]
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Marina Erakovic (NZL)vs.Elena Baltacha (GBR)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Stefanie Voegele (SUI)vs.Heather Watson (GBR)

Court 4
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Federico Delbonis (ARG)vs.Julian Reister (GER)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU)vs.Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Klara Zakopalova (CZE) [23]vs.Kaia Kanepi (EST)

Court 5
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Coco Vandeweghe (USA)vs.Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) [27]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Ivan Dodig (CRO)vs.Guido Pella (ARG)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Shuai Peng (CHN)vs.Camila Giorgi (ITA)

Court 6
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Bernard Tomic (AUS)vs.Victor Hanescu (ROU)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Florian Mayer (GER) [28]vs.Denis Istomin (UZB)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [16]vs.Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS)vs.Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

Court 7
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Alex Kuznetsov (USA)vs.Lucas Pouille (FRA)
DOUBLES TBA
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Lukasz Kubot (POL)vs.Maxime Teixeira (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Jamie Hampton (USA)vs.Lucie Safarova (CZE) [25]

Court 8
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)vs.Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)
DOUBLES TBA
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Vasek Pospisil (CAN)vs.Horacio Zeballos (ARG)

Court 14
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [29]vs.Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Court 16
11:00 AM
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) [22]vs.Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)

Court 17
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Alejandro Falla (COL)vs.Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Simone Bolelli (ITA)vs.Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
DOUBLES TBA
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Sandra Zahlavova (CZE)vs.Annika Beck (GER)

French Open 2013 Day 2 Results | Monday May 27th

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 27 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

2013 French Open Day 2 Results | Monday May 27th

Men's Singles - 1st Round

Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3] def. Daniel Brands (GER) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-3
Gael Monfils (FRA) def. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5] 7-6(8) 6-4 6-7(3) 6-7(4) 7-5
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6] def. Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-2 6-2 6-3
Richard Gasquet (FRA) [7] def. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-1 6-4 6-3
Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30] def. Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 7-6(5) 6-3 5-7 7-6(5)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4 4-6 7-6(9) 4-6 6-2
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) def. Martin Alund (ARG) 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-0
John Isner (USA) [19] def. Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 6-3 6-4 6-4
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11] def. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) def. Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-1 7-6(4) 6-3
Martin Klizan (SVK) def. Michael Russell (USA) 3-6 6-3 6-1 Ret.
Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) def. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6(7) 2-6 7-6(2) 6-2
Pablo Cuevas (URU) def. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3 2-6 6-3 5-7 7-5
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [21] def. Albert Ramos (ESP) 7-6(3) 7-5 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN) [13] def. Jesse Levine (CAN) 6-3 6-2 6-0
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP) [31] 7-5 2-6 6-4 4-6 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) [10] def. Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-1 6-2 6-3
Tobias Kamke (GER) def. Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3 6-3 3-6 0-6 6-3
Albert Montanes (ESP) def. Steve Johnson (USA) 6-4 3-6 6-3 3-6 6-1
Igor Sijsling (NED) def. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-4 6-3 6-2
Ryan Harrison (USA) def. Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-3 6-4 7-6(4)
Grega Zemlja (SLO) def. Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-1 6-4 6-1
Lukas Rosol (CZE) def. Pere Riba (ESP) 6-3 6-4 6-4
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [27] def Andreas Beck (GER) 6-3 7-5 6-3
Michal Przysiezny (POL) def. Rhyne Williams (USA) 6-3 6-7(5) 7-5 7-5
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32] def. Jurgen Zopp (EST) 6-3 6-2 6-1
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) def. Juan Monaco (ARG) [17] 4-6 4-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) def. Radek Stepanek (CZE) 7-6(4) 7-6(8) 7-6(11)
Robin Haase (NED) def. Kenny De Schepper (FRA) 6-4 7-6(3) 2-6 6-3

2013 French Open Photo Gallery | Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 27 May 2013 13:42:00 +0000

2013 French Open Photo Gallery | Part 1

The French Open in underway and here we have the first photo gallery... Pics from day 1 action, practice and qualy :) Enjoy...

Roland Garros 2013 Mixed Doubles Draw

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 27 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Roland Garros 2013 Mixed Doubles Draw

(1)Mirza/Lindstedt v Black/Qureshi
Cirstea/Marrero v Hsieh/Nielsen
Petrova/Cabal v Minella/Peya
Rodionova/Gonzalez v (7)Dellacqua/Bhupathi

(3)Srebotnik/Zimonjic v Garcia/Gicquel
Watson/Marray v Lim/Chardy
Zhang/Knowle v Kops-Jones/Huey
Spears/Lipsky v (5)Mladenovic/Nestor

(8)Huber/Melo v Beltrame/Paire
Jankovic/Paes v Voskoboeva/Bracciali
Peschke/Matkowski v Hlavackova/Douhly
Foretz Gacon/Roger-Vasselin v (4)Raymond/Soares

(6)Groenefeld/Tecau v Coin/Mahut
Flipkens/Fleming v Cornet/Simon
Hradecka/Cermak v Barty/Bopanna
Hantuchova/Rojer v (2)Vesnina/Mirnyi

French Open Day 2 Monday Order of Play | May 27th 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 27 May 2013 11:51:00 +0000

French Open Day 2 Monday Order of Play | May 27th 2013

Court Philippe Chatrier
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Na Li (CHN) [6]vs.A. Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3]vs.Daniel Brands (GER)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5]vs.Gael Monfils (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)vs.Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2]

Court Suzanne Lenglen
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4]vs.Shahar Peer (ISR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6]vs.Aljaz Bedene (SLO)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [10]vs.Laura Robson (GBR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)vs.Richard Gasquet (FRA) [7]

Court 1
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Stephanie Foretz Gacon (FRA)vs.Roberta Vinci (ITA) [15]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30]vs.Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)vs.Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Flavia Pennetta (ITA)vs.Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) [21]

Court 2
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Martin Alund (ARG)vs.Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)vs.Mathilde Johansson (FRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Mona Barthel (GER)vs.Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Carlos Berlocq (ARG)vs.John Isner (USA) [19]

Court 3
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Julia Goerges (GER) [24]vs.Zuzana Kucova (SVK)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)vs.Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Ernests Gulbis (LAT)vs.Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Melinda Czink (HUN)vs.Francesca Schiavone (ITA)

Court 4
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Simona Halep (ROU)vs.Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [20]
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) [29]vs.Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Martin Klizan (SVK)vs.Michael Russell (USA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)vs.Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)

Court 5
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)vs.Evgeny Donskoy (RUS)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)vs.Bojana Jovanovski (SRB)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Jie Zheng (CHN)vs.Vesna Dolonc (SRB)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Tatjana Maria (GER)vs.Paula Ormaechea (ARG)

Court 6
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Adrian Mannarino (FRA)vs.Pablo Cuevas (URU)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Madison Keys (USA)vs.Misaki Doi (JPN)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)vs.Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [22]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Albert Ramos (ESP)vs.Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [21]

Court 7
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jesse Levine (CAN)vs.Kei Nishikori (JPN) [13]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Marcel Granollers (ESP) [31]vs.Feliciano Lopez (ESP) To Finish 5-7 6-2 4-6 6-4
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Philipp Petzschner (GER)vs.Marin Cilic (CRO) [10]
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Pauline Parmentier (FRA)vs.Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Karin Knapp (ITA)vs.Sloane Stephens (USA) [17]

Court 8
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Tobias Kamke (GER)vs.Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Jana Cepelova (SVK)vs.Christina McHale (USA)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Steve Johnson (USA)vs.Albert Montanes (ESP)

Court 10
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Igor Sijsling (NED)vs.Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP)vs.Julia Glushko (ISR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS)vs.Ryan Harrison (USA)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Karolina Pliskova (CZE)vs.Garbine Muguruza (ESP)

Court 11
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Monica Niculescu (ROU)vs.Johanna Larsson (SWE)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Grega Zemlja (SLO)vs.Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Pere Riba (ESP)vs.Lukas Rosol (CZE)

Court 14
11:00 AM

Women's Singles - 1st Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)vs.Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Vania King (USA)vs.Alexandra Cadantu (ROU)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Andreas Beck (GER)vs.Fabio Fognini (ITA) [27]
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Michal Przysiezny (POL)vs.Rhyne Williams (USA)

Court 16
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Jurgen Zopp (EST)vs.Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32]
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Romina Oprandi (SUI)vs.Elina Svitolina (UKR)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Juan Monaco (ARG) [17]vs.Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)

Court 17
11:00 AM

Men's Singles - 1st Round
Radek Stepanek (CZE)vs.Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Women's Singles - 1st Round
Tamira Paszek (AUT) [28]vs.Melanie Oudin (USA)
Men's Singles - 1st Round
Kenny De Schepper (FRA)vs.Robin Haase (NED)

French Open 2013 Main Draw

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:34:00 +0000

French Open 2013 Main Draw

Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] - David Goffin (BEL)
Ivan Dodig (CRO) - Guido Pella (ARG)
Alex Kuznetsov (USA) [WC] - Lucas Pouille (FRA) [WC]
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26] - Alejandro Falla (COL)

Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) [22] - Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Bernard Tomic (AUS) - Victor Hanescu (ROU)
Simone Bolelli (ITA) - Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [16] - Qualifier

Tommy Haas (GER) [12] - Guillaume Rufin (FRA)
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) - Qualifier
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) - Ryan Harrison (USA)
John Isner (USA) [19] - Carlos Berlocq (ARG)

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [29] - Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Federico Delbonis (ARG) - Qualifier
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) - Marc Gicquel (FRA) [WC]
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8] - Nicolas Mahut (FRA) [WC]

----

Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3] - Daniel Brands (GER)
Martin Klizan (SVK) - Michael Russell (USA)
Lukas Rosol (CZE) - Qualifier
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [27] - Qualifier

Benoit Paire (FRA) [24] - Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Lukasz Kubot (POL) - Qualifier
Grega Zemlja (SLO) - Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) [13] - Jesse Levine (CAN)

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] -Thiemo De Bakker (NED)
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) - Qualifier
Kenny De Schepper (FRA) - Robin Haase (NED)
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [21] - Albert Ramos (ESP)

Florian Mayer (GER) [28] - Denis Istomin (UZB)
Florent Serra [WC] (FRA) - Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Qualifier - Qualifier
Richard Gasquet (FRA) [7] - Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5] - Gael Monfils (FRA) [WC]
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) - Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA)
Igor Sijsling (NED) - Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32] - Jurgen Zopp (EST)

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [20] - Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) - Qualifier
Martin Alund (ARG) - Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11] - Qualifier

Milos Raonic (CAN) [14] - Xavier Malisse (BEL)
Michael Llodra (FRA) - Qualifier
Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) - Qualifier
Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23] - Qualifier

Marcel Granollers (ESP) [31] - Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Joao Sousa (POR) - Go Soeda (JPN)
Albert Montanes (ESP) - Qualifier
David Ferrer (ESP) [4] - Marinko Matosevic (AUS)

------

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6] - Aljaz Bedene (SLO)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) - Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) - Gilles Muller (LUX)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [25] - Benjamin Becker (GER)

Juan Monaco (ARG) [17] - Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) - James Blake (USA)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) - Nick Kyrgios (AUS) [WC]
Marin Cilic (CRO) [10] - Philipp Petzschner (GER)

Gilles Simon (FRA) [15] - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) [WC] - Pablo Cuevas (URU)
Jan Hajek (CZE) - Qualifier
Sam Querrey (USA) [18] - Lukas Lacko (SVK)

Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30] - Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
Tobias Kamke (GER) - Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)
Qualifier - Qualifier
Roger Federer (SUI) [2] - Qualifier

Wimbledon now Murray’s Priority

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000

Wimbledon now Murray’s Priority

Andy Murray will prioritise Wimbledon over the French Open after the world number two withdrew from Rome in agony just a fortnight before the start of the clay Slam.

The Scot, celebrating his 26th birthday, drew level on sets with Marcel Granollers in his first match of the Italian Open but immediately withdrew following a successful tiebreak, citing back pains.

According to mother, Judy, Murray is likely to switch his focus to the grass season now that clay is effectively over for him. “Obviously, the goal is to be in peak condition for Wimbledon,” said Judy.

“Often you pick up niggles when you change surfaces. Each surface brings its own problems and challenges. This back issue has been rumbling for a week or so.”

Indeed, the French Open is now too close to consider playing at full fitness and there is still no idea when Andy Murray will recover from this fresh hurt. Therefore, he would be wise to withdraw from Roland Garros altogether and instead channel his energies into Wimbledon.

One of the early favourites in the Wimbledon betting, Murray has a tough road ahead if he is to go one better than last year’s final defeat and lift the famous trophy on Centre Court. First, he must recover sufficiently to start training on grass before a testing tournament at Queens Club.

If this disastrous clay season has taught him anything, it is that switching surfaces takes time and the dedication Murray puts in to practising on hard over the winter does leave him vulnerable to softer conditions.

If he does play Roland Garros, he may further strain his back for no real purpose. He has no chance of beating Rafael Nadal to the title while both David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic look likely to pose a threat in the semis, so Murray is better off leaving the clay courts and taking a rest before grass.

Djokovic French Open Plans in Disarray

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:18:00 +0000

Djokovic French Open Plans in Disarray

No one expected what happened on Tuesday afternoon as world number one, Novak Djokovic, crashed out early at the Madrid Open with a defeat that casts his chances of winning the Roland Garros crown this summer into serious doubt.

Djokovic lost in the second round on clay 7-6 6-7 6-3 to Bulgaria’s Gregor Dimitrov, who had not earned a set over the Serb in their previous two meetings.

Yet the 21-year-old did not let history repeat itself and after saving set point at 5-4 down in the first careered to an early lead before finishing Djokovic off in the last.

The result shocked many sports betting news reporters simply because Djokovic was on course to win this title after recovering from an ankle injury to win the Monte Carlo crown.

Or so it seemed. Two weeks ago, Djokovic appeared comfortable on clay as he dispatched Rafael Nadal at the Monaco final and he was set to continue his impressive run of form into Madrid.

Yet clearly, his ankle problems have not been solved as he underwent treatment for his injury midway through the second set. Yet while his fitness was a factor in his defeat on Tuesday, come the French Open it will not define whether he wins the clay slam.

Plenty other factors come into play during Roland Garros and form as well as fitness is crucial to victory. Nadal is the modern day king of clay and he has always benefitted from solid results in build-up tournaments before the French.

With three clay titles already this season the Spaniard is set to lead the way into Roland Garros, while Roger Federer and David Ferrer are likely contenders for the second final spot.

Djokovic needs match practice like this trio, but some tennis betting news outlets believe that he won’t get it.

Sadly, it appears the Serb won’t last too long in France should his ankle affect his training over the next three weeks. He’s already lost major game time with this defeat to Dimitrov and is unlikely to make a competitive serve until emerging onto the famous French courts.

Djokovic to warm up for Wimbledon at Boodles

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:19:00 +0000

Djokovic to warm up for Wimbledon at Boodles

Novak Djokovic will take part in the Boodles invitational tournament this year as part of his Wimbledon 2013 preparations.

Novak Djokovic has joined a cast of world class players to take part in the Boodles invitational tournament this season. The grass court exhibition event is often a key part of the Wimbledon preparations for many of the world's best players, and the quality of the entry list only proves this.

In signing up for the event, Djokovic has joined a list of confirmed entrants that includes Juan Martin Del Potro, Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, Richard Gasquet, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic. Djokovic seems excited about being part of the line-up.

"I’m so happy to be coming back to The Boodles," said the world No. 1. "It’s always great preparation for Wimbledon for me because I know that the quality of the tennis and the opponents is always really high. Stoke Park is a beautiful place to play and the crowd always makes it lots of fun for us too."

Djokovic won the Wimbledon title in 2011 and will be eager to win the title for a second time. With Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the way, he can expect a tough battle in his bid for the title. On top of this, some of his Boodles rivals, namely Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro and Milos Raonic, could achieve big things on the grass this season.

Written by Ian Horne from Wimbledon-Live.com

Murray Targets Top Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:18:00 +0000

Murray Targets Top Spot

Andy Murray has quickly turned his attentions to Novak Djokovic's top ranking after climbing to number two in the world with victory at the Sony Open last weekend.

The Scot was made to work hard for his second Miami title by David Ferrer, who had a match point in the deciding set. Murray saved it on his way to a 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) win and his ninth Masters title.

The tournament success saw Murray leapfrog Roger Federer in the world rankings, though he is still some way behind six-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic.

Murray will not let the distance to his great rival stop him as he looks to continue his impressive start to 2013.

"For me it doesn't change a huge amount, but the fact that I'm moving up the rankings is a good sign," the 25-year-old told tennis betting news pundits.

"I have been winning a lot of matches. My consistency has been better over the last few months. The rankings obviously reflect that, so I will try and keep working hard during the clay and hopefully I can go higher."

Murray will take a short break as he prepares for the clay-court season, a time of the year which is traditionally difficult for the British number one.

He failed to advance past the last eight in four events on the surface in 2012, with his French Open bid stopped in its tracks by Ferrer in the quarter-finals.

Murray is determined to improve on last year's performances on clay and lay down a marker at the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 14.

"It's the most challenging surface for me, and with Rafa (Nadal) coming back, it's going to be very tough, but I'll give it my best shot," he added to the sports betting news.

US Open up the Stakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:43:00 +0000

US Open up the Stakes

The US Open have gone one better than their Australian counterparts after revealing a staggering increase in prize money for the 2013 Grand Slam.

Fresh off the back of Melbourne’s announcement last autumn to push up their pot to $31m, organisers in New York say the total fund by 2017 will be $50m – roughly double what it was last year.

The deal also includes raising this year’s tournament pot by a combined $8.1m, meaning that the total payout in 2013 will be $33.6m compared to $25.5m last year.

The news, of course, was relayed to Novak Djokovic who had this to say to reporters: “It’s a very positive step for players. You know, it proves that players, I think, are more united than ever,” said the Serb.

“We just feel like we deserve it. There is a lot of players – not just the top players, but a lot of players who are in top 100, top 200 – who deserve to have a better living from this sport.”

Despite indigestible figures, the news has sparked great acceptance from Betfair Wimbledon pundits, many of whom want to see the players get more rewards for the entertainment they put on show.

Djokovic is one of the best in the business and he has earned millions through winning Grand Slams and securing sponsorship deals. However, there are hundreds of players down the ATP ranks who struggle to make a living and although a $50m prize fund may seem extreme the majority goes to those who need it most.

Djokovic himself is likely to contest for the top prize at Flushing Meadows this year but has a lot to play for before jetting into New York.

He is one of the favourites in the betting world to win the French Open while a second Wimbledon title is on his radar, meaning that while the mega bucks lie Stateside, the world number one must keep his focus on other tennis events this summer.

Andy Murray’s inconsistent history at the Miami Masters

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:21:00 +0000

Andy Murray’s inconsistent history at the Miami Masters

The Sony Open Tennis 2013 is set to begin next week, and once again expectations will be high for the British number one, Andy Murray.

Often, top players have a favourite tournament at which they always seem to perform well; whether it is due to the playing surface, the facilities, the location or the crowds, there are certain events that bring out the best in the elite. For Roger Federer, it is Wimbledon, for Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, and for Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open. Andy Murray has won several events twice, but hasn’t had an extended period of dominance in any one place.

However, his results have fluctuated more at the Miami Masters than almost anywhere else. Here is a brief look at Murray’s playing history in Florida.

2006: lost to Wawrinka, first round

Murray’s debut in Miami, as a talented but undisciplined 18-year-old, ended abruptly with an opening round defeat to the Swiss number two, Stanislas Wawrinka. The Scot mounted an impressive comeback from two breaks down in the final set, but a heavy recent schedule took its toll, and he tumbled out of the tournament 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

2007: lost to Djokovic, semi-final

Murray’s run to the last four in Miami in 2007 was one of his best results of his young career. He was initially very fortunate - coming through a tough fourth round clash with Paul-Henri Mathieu and advancing when his quarter-final opponent, Andy Roddick, retired - but his luck ran out in the semi-finals, when Novak Djokovic thrashed him for the loss of only one game.

2008: lost to Ancic, first round

Murray’s 2008 Miami Masters campaign was over before it had even begun. Facing the big-serving Croatian giant Mario Ancic in the first round, the Scot recovered from the loss of the opening set and held two match points in the final set tie-break. Ancic saved the first, but Murray double faulted on the second, and his opponent took full advantage.

2009: champion

Putting the disappointment of the previous year’s agonisingly close loss behind him, Murray looked like a world-beater at the 2009 Sony Open Tennis. He beat two top ten players on the way to the final in Fernando Verdasco and Juan Martin Del Potro, and scored a third consecutive victory over Djokovic in the showpiece match to lift his third ATP Masters trophy.

2010: lost to Fish, second round

Having risen to the dizzy heights of the world’s top three, with two Grand Slam finals behind him, Murray’s attempt at a successful title defence in Miami was cut short in 2010 by world number 101 Mardy Fish. The American deserved credit for a solid performance, but Murray was well below par, hitting short, serving erratically and generally looking as if he’d rather be anywhere than on a tennis court. He was candid about his failings after the desultory 6-4, 6-4 loss: “Mentally, I’ve been poor over the last few weeks, and that’s unacceptable.”

2011: lost to Bogomolov, second round

In circumstances remarkably similar to those of the previous year, Murray’s opening match in 2011 was against an American with a ranking in triple figures. While he did play more positively against Alex Bogomolov Jr. than he had against Fish, the result was the same: a straight sets defeat. It was Murray’s third consecutive straight sets loss that season, and caused some to question whether he would ever fulfil his promise.

2012: lost to Djokovic, final:

Murray’s fortunes improved again in Miami in 2012. Not only did he overcome illness and Janko Tipsarevic in a draining three-set quarter-final, but he was also handed two walkover victories when Milos Raonic and Rafael Nadal were forced to pull out of the tournament. Once again, however, he ran into an unstoppable Novak Djokovic in the final. Murray’s backhand and return, usually his biggest strengths, deserted him, and the Serb capitalised to win a gruelling contest 6-1, 7-6.

Given Murray’s changeable run of results in Miami, it is difficult to predict how he will fare at the 2013 Sony Open Tennis. As he did in 2010 and 2011, Murray heads into next week’s event having lost the Australian Open final. Yet his attitude has improved immeasurably since then, and the US Open champion knows he can win on the sport’s biggest stages. A second title in Key Biscayne may not be guaranteed, but another early loss would be surprising.

Written by Steve Webb from Miami-Masters-Live.com

Murray Relieved to get past Tough Lu

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Murray Relieved to get past Tough Lu

Andy Murray was relieved to see off the challenge of Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu and book a meeting with Carlos Berlocq in the last 16 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Murray beat the world number 79 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 28 minutes on Tuesday but did not have everything his own way against the man who stunned him in the first round of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"It was a tough match. He's caused a few upsets over the last couple of years. He takes the ball extremely early, hits the ball very flat, and really goes for it," the world number three said to tennis betting news pundits.

Murray started slowly in his second-round win over Evgeny Donskoy and was sluggish again in the early exchanges as Lu threatened to cause another shock. Some powerful strokes created five break points for the underdog but he was unable to take advantage.

Murray grew in confidence after weathering the early storm and created opportunities of his own, duly taking them to seal the first set.

The second set began in cagey fashion before Murray made his move and broke to love in the sixth game. That was enough to break the resolve of Lu, who lost the next two games as Murray kept his hopes of a semi-final date with Novak Djokovic alive.

First, though, Murray must focus on getting past Argentina's Berlocq, ranked 85, in the next round. The 25-year-old believes his hard-fought win over Lu will stand him in good stead for the rest of the tournament.

Murray has genuine threat for Queens title

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:56:00 +0000

Murray has genuine threat for Queens title

Andy Murray’s expected stroll in the tennis odds to the 2013 Aegon Championships title in June is under threat after Tomas Berdych confirmed he will also play at Queen’s Club this season.

Murray won the tournament in 2010 and 2011 yet crashed out in the second round to Nicolas Mahut over three sets last season, leaving his Wimbledon preparations in tatters.

Although the Scot went on to make the final on Centre Court a month later, the lack of playing time on grass leading up to the Championships must have irked him and he will not want to replicate that scenario this season.

Not that Murray’s path to the title will be easy, for with Berdych set to play the Queens trophy is very much up for contention. The Czech is determined to win Wimbledon himself after making the final in 2010 and reportedly sees Queens as perfect preparation.

“I think it could be a good advantage to be in London to get used to the conditions and to those great courts, and I think this is exactly what I need before Wimbledon,” he told BBC Sport.

Currently ranked sixth in the world, Berdych has won four of his eight previous clashes with Murray although they have never met on grass. With the pair expected to top the field at Queens – unless Rafael Nadal opts to warm-up for Wimbledon in London –fans in the online betting world can expect to witness a Murray/Berdych final.

This expected match-up won’t scare Murray – he will use the challenge to his advantage ahead of Wimbledon – but no-doubt he would like to earn a title before heading into the Grand Slam.

Nothing does one’s game more good than a boost of confidence earned from a trophy and Murray will be more than happy with his Queens exploits should he bypass his Czech adversary.

What Impact Has Sponsorship had on Tennis?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:13:00 +0000

What Impact Has Sponsorship had on Tennis?

Tennis really is at its peak at the moment, and the ‘fabulous four’ have played a key part in boosting the sport’s popularity. Top athletes Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have dominated the game for the past six years, taking tennis into a whole new territory.

The players have become marketable superstars and similarly to other sports like golf, the sport has become a very lucrative one.

How much money can you win?
• In 2013 the Australian Open is offering a record prize money of AUD$30 million (£2 million).
• US Open prize money in 2013 for singles will be $5.9 million (£3.8 million).
• £1.1 million was given to the singles winner at Wimbledon last year.
• The 2012 French Open awarded the singles winner €1,250,000 (£1,081,148).

So as you can see, there is some big money to be made. And businesses know this, which is why sponsorship in the game has grown so much over the past 40 years.
Let’s look at the top players and their sponsorship deals, to learn more:

• Roger Federer
Roger Federer is the world’ s highest-paid tennis player. In 2012, he earned £6.1 million on court and £29.6 million off court, taking his total earnings to £35.7 million.
He has sponsorship deals with Nike, Rolex, Gillette, Mercedes-Benz and Credit Suisse. His £42 million career prize money and 16 grand slams, both smash existing records.

• Andy Murray
According to Forbes, Murray earned £7.9 million last year for both on and off the court. He has lucrative sponsorship deals with Adidas, Royal Bank of Scotland and Jaguar; and his five-year contract with Adidas is said to be worth £3.2 million alone.
His career prize money has now reached £14.3 million, making him the fifth highest-paid tennis player in the world.

• Maria Sharapova
At just 24-years old, Maria Sharapova is the world’s third highest-paid tennis player in the world, and the highest paid female tennis player.
She has five other Tour pros wearing her collection, and her Nike line of tennis apparel rose 26% last year, raking in £46 million including royalties, over the past eight years. In total she earned £17.8 million in 2012, of which £14.5 million was through off court endorsements.

Tennis stars have transformed from athletes into players with a celebrity status. It has become much more ‘glamourised’ but this is attracting newer, younger audiences to the game.

Sponsorships can put added pressure onto players to behave a certain way and there is the added stress to win big games, however overall, sponsorship can be perceived in a positive way. It is taking the game from strength to strength; surely a boost in popularity is a good thing?

What do you think; do you feel that the likes of Nike and Adidas are changing the game in a bad way? We’d love to know your thoughts!

This article was written by Lauren Grice on behalf of Wimbledon Debenture Holders, the leading website for competitive, corporate Wimbledon tickets. Visit the site today or speak to the experts for centre court tickets from just £570.

Video: Rafa into Acapulco 2013 2nd round

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Video: Rafa into Acapulco 2013 2nd round

Rafa Nadal beat Diego Schwartzman 62 62 in his opening match in Acapulco...