ATP Men's Tennis

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...

Breaking Down Federer’s Draw as He Aims for a Third Title in Rotterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:58:00 +0000

Breaking Down Federer’s Draw as He Aims for a Third Title in Rotterdam

The biggest indoor tournament of the ATP season so far has already kicked off in Rotterdam. Day One saw a smattering of upsets, the most significant being Jo-Wilfred-
Tsonga’s loss to Igor Sijsling. That means that the man who pushed Roger Federer to five memorable sets at the Australian Open last month will not face the Swiss in the
semi-finals in Rotterdam, depriving fans of a mouth-watering match-up but easing the top seed’s path to a successful title defence.

Since the inaugural event in 1972, only one man - Arthur Ashe - has triumphed three times in the Netherlands’ second city. Federer has one of the greatest indoor records in the history of the sport, and he is favourite to lift the trophy in the Ahoy Rotterdam on Sunday afternoon. Victory would mark the 77th singles title of his career, and put paid to any further suggestion that his game is in decline.

Federer’s route to last eight in Rotterdam looks straightforward enough. An opening match against 64th-ranked Grega Zemlja should pose few problems, and Federer has
schooled his likely second round opponent, Mikhail Youzhny, throughout his career. In nine meetings with the Russian, Federer has lost only one set, and it would be a huge upset if Youzhny were to turn the tables this week.

Federer was seeded to face the big-serving giant Jerzy Janowicz in the quarter-finals, but the Pole lost to Romania’s Victor Hanescu on Monday. While Hanescu is capable of winning another round, it seems more likely that Federer will face a Frenchman in the last eight, either Michael Llodra or Julien Benneteau. Llodra, currently ranked 51, is one of the wiliest competitors on tour, and although he has never beaten Federer, is in good from, having upset Janko Tipsarevic in Montpellier last week.

Benneteau, on the other hand, has got the better of Federer before, and on indoor courts, when he edged the Swiss in the 2009 Paris Masters. At Wimbledon 2012, the
world number 39 was famously just a few points away from ending Federer’s campaign, after racing to a two-sets-to-love lead. Should he face Federer in Rotterdam, Benneteau will fully believe he can win. Doing so is another matter, of course, but that quarter-final would be fun to watch.

Tsonga’s surprising loss leaves his compatriot Gilles Simon as the highest seed in the second section of the draw. The world number 14 has an excellent chance to reach the semi-finals, provided he can manage what Tsonga couldn’t and find a way past Sijsling. If he does get there, an encounter with Federer will be highly anticipated.
Simon has caused the Swiss more trouble than most players in recent years; in fact, he won the pair’s first two meetings back in 2008, with stunning victories in Toronto and Shanghai. In their only other completed match, Simon stretched Federer to five sets at the Australian Open in 2011. If the top seed has an “off-day” during their potential semi-final clash, the über-consistent, counter-punching Simon has a real shot at scoring the upset.

However, assuming that Federer does reach his fourth final in Rotterdam, who will he face? The bottom half of the draw features several big-name players, headed by second seed Juan Martin Del Potro. At the beginning of the year, the Argentine was hotly tipped to return to his Grand Slam-winning ways, having finally recovered from the wrist injury that derailed his 2010 and 2011 seasons. But he flopped down under, losing to Jeremy Chardy in the third round in Melbourne. Can he recapture his best form this week? If he can, he will be Federer’s biggest stumbling block. Although the 17-time Grand Slam champion beat Del Potro in the Rotterdam final in 2012, Delpo beat Federer twice on indoor courts at the end of the season, holding his nerve impressively to win three-set battles in Basel and London.

Del Potro has a tough route to the final, starting with an intriguing first round match against Gael Monfils. But based on current form, the player most likely to derail the 2009 US Open champion’s bid is yet another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet. Gasquet has quietly risen to fourth in the ATP Race rankings, after becoming the first man to win two titles in 2013 with victories in Doha at the beginning of the season and in Montpellier last week. Coming into Rotterdam with a 14-1 win-loss record, the world number 10 will be favoured to emerge from a tricky quarter of the draw that includes Benoit Paire, Marcos Baghdatis, Grigor Dimitrov and Nikolay Davydenko.

Should he go on to defeat Del Potro in the last four, a Gasquet-Federer final would showcase two of the most gifted players of the last decade. Gasquet’s trademark
flair and precision groundstrokes, combined with Federer’s peerless shotmaking and elegance, would offer fans a sterling exhibition of men’s tennis.

For all the talk of Roger Federer no longer being the force he was, it is very rare to see him lose to players he is supposed to beat. With Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray absent from Rotterdam, the Swiss will be expected to march to victory.
While he faces a stern test from the ensemble of aforementioned Frenchman, all signs point to Federer being anointed champion for a record-equalling third time.

Written by Steven Webb from Livestreamingsport.com.

Video: Nadal vs Chardy Semi Higlights Vina del Mar 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:18:00 +0000

Video: Nadal vs Chardy Semi Higlights Vina del Mar 2013

Watch highlights of Rafael Nadal's semi-final victory over Jeremy Chardy at the VTR Open in Vina del Mar on Saturday.

Murray's French Ambition

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:57:00 +0000

Murray's French Ambition

Andy Murray's decision not to play in the Davis Cup could be a shrewd move as he hopes to win at Roland Garros. Murray has decided against playing for Great Britain in April and has instead chosen to prepare for the French Open, a tournament in which he has never progressed past the semi-finals.

With the Open ending in June, Murray has said that he will represent GB in the Davis Cup when they play in September.

The Scot has reached the final of each Major, except the French, as he admitted he finds it more difficult to adapt to the clay courts at Roland Garros.

Murray said: "It's a surface that takes me a long time to get used to, it's not a surface that comes naturally to me. Grass and hard courts I feel comfortable on fairly quickly, the clay takes me a long time.

"I need to practice and train on that for a lot of hours. It's a surface where I had problems with my back last year and I had to take a pretty solid amount of time off during that season."

The 25-year-old has never reached the final of any ATP Tour event which is played on clay and he must believe that the extra preparation can provide him with the decisive edge he needs to lead him to his second Open success, as he said: "I believe I have a chance of winning the French Open."

Murray was beaten by Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarter-finals of last year's Open after an untimely rain break disrupted play and when the players returned to the court Ferrer beat Murray in four sets.

He will come into this tournament, however, as an Open winner and one with experience of success on the biggest stage, following his gold medal in the Olympics with a win over Roger Federer and his US triumph against world number one Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who is the world number three, will be one of the favourites in the Titan Bet tennis betting odds despite his lack of success on clay courts as

Rafael Nadal is only just returning from injury. Nadal doesn’t share the difficulties of Murray on clay as he has won the title at Roland Garros seven times.

Top seeds Spain dumped out of Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:44:00 +0000

Top seeds Spain dumped out of Cup
Spain’s efforts to reclaim their Davis Cup crown surrendered in 2012 have already come to an end after this year’s number one seeds made the tennis betting news headlines by falling in the first round of the World Group to Canada last weekend.

Marcel Granollers and Guillermo Garci-Lopez were Spain’s main hopes of surpassing an unseeded Canadian side, but the pair got off to a poor start in Vancouver – the team falling 2-1 down by Saturday evening.

It was the first time Spain had fallen at the World Group first hurdle in seven years, a result that shocked many punters in the betting community who had backed them in the tennis betting offers.

Captain Alex Corretja chose Garcia-Lopez over higher-ranked Granollers for Sunday’s crucial showdown with Milos Raonic, but the world number 82 was no match for Raonic’s power, Canada surfacing 6-3 6-4 6-2 victors to take an insurmountable 3-1 victory.

Sadly, the future of Spain’s dominance in this tournament is now under real threat after their three top-ranked players all pulled out of the first-round tie. While Rafael Nadal continues his comeback from a series of injuries, world number five David Ferrer was allowed to opt out of the tournament and focus on his singles career.

It is only fair that Ferrer takes a break after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month, yet with Nicolas Almagro also withdrawing from national duties – blaming fatigue – Spain’s squad travelling to Vancouver was severely weakened.

You can’t really blame Garcia-Lopez and Granollers for failing to live up to the standard Nadal, Ferrer and Almagro have set over the years; yet with this trio now focussing on their singles careers there is little chance Spain fans on Bet365 will see the same sort of success that yielded three Davis Cup titles in five years.

Viña del Mar 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Viña del Mar 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

Rafael Nadal [1] [WC] - Bye
Guido Pella - Qualifier
Nicolas Massu [WC] - Albert Montanes
Daniel Gimeno-Traver [7] - Joao Sousa

Jeremy Chardy [3] - Bye
Christian Garin [WC] - Qualifier
Tommy Robredo - Pere Riba
Paolo Lorenzi [6] - Qualifier

Albert Ramos [5] - Rogerio Dutra Silva
Leonardo Mayer - Filippo Volandri
Horazio Zeballos - Qualifier
Pablo Andujar [4] - Bye

Carlos Berlocq [8] - Andrey Kuznetsov
Santiago Giraldo - Martin Alund
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo - Guillaume Rufin
Juan Monaco [2] - Bye

Doubles

(1)Bracciali/Melo vs Kuznetsov/Sa
(wc)Garin/Jarry vs RamírezHidalgo/Robredo
(3)Brown/Kas vs Andújar/Riba
Lorenzi/Starace vs (wc)Lama/Massu

GimenoTraver/Ramos vs Berlocq/Mayer
Monroe/Stadler vs (4)Marach/Zeballos
Cabal/Giraldo vs Rufin/Volandri
Monaco/Nadal vs (2)Cermak/Dlouhy

PBZ Zagreb Indoors 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:36:00 +0000

PBZ Zagreb Indoors 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

Marin Cilic [1] - Bye
Grega Zemlja - Qualifier
Blaz Kavcic - Aljaz Bedene
Marcos Baghdatis [6] - Tobias Kamke

Mikhail Youzhny [3] - Bye
Nikola Mektic [WC] - Igor Sijsling
Ivan Dodig - Benjamin Becker
Grigor Dimitrov [7] - Ivo Karlovic

Lukas Lacko [8] - Flavio Cipolla
Lukasz Kubot - Lukas Rosol
Somdev Devvarman - Qualifier
Jurgen Melzer [4] - Bye

Martin Klizan [5] - Qualifier
Antonio Veic [WC] - Robin Haase
Mate Pavic [WC] - Qualifier
Andreas Seppi [2] - Bye

Doubles

(1)Lindstedt/Tecau vs Baghdatis/Youzhny
Marx/Mergea vs Cilic/Draganja
(4)Melzer/Petzschner vs Elgin/Zelenay
Haase/Sijsling vs Dodig/Pavic

(pr)Lacko/Levinsky vs (wc)Delic/Skugor
Becker/Rosol vs (3)Gonzalez/Lipsky
Karlovic/Moser vs Klizan/Seppi
(wc)Androic/Marcan vs (2)Knowle/Polasek

ATP Montpellier 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:33:00 +0000

ATP Montpellier 2013 Main Draw | Singles and Doubles

Tomas Berdych [1] - Bye
Jarkko Nieminen - Qualifier
Edouard Roger Vasselin - Tatsuma Ito
Nikolay Davydenko [5] - Sergiy Stakhovsky

Richard Gasquet [3] - Bye
Gael Monfils - Ruben Bemelmans
Victor Hanescu - Qualifier
Julien Benneteau [6][WC] - Adrian Ungur

Benoit Paire [8] - Qualifier
Adrian Mannarino - Steve Darcis
Paul-Henri Mathieu - Mikhail Kukushkin
Gilles Simon [4] - Bye

Victor Troicki [7] - Lucas Pouille [WC]
Jan Hajek - Dudi Sela
Michael Llodra - Qualifier
Janko Tipsarevic [2] - Bye

Doubles

(1)Fleming/Marray vs (wc)Monfils/Ouanna
Serra/Simon vs Cerretani/Shamasdin
(4)Delgado/Skupski vs Begemann/Emmrich
Paire/RogerVasselin vs Brunstrom/Klaasen

Junaid/Nieminen vs Murray/Peers
Ratiwatana/Ratiwatana vs (3)Huey/Inglot
(wc)DeSchepper/Martin vs Gicquel/Llodra
Hanescu/Norman vs (2)Butorac/Hanley

Del Potro needs to find his game soon

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Del Potro needs to find his game soon

Former Grand Slam champion Juan Martin del Potro suffered a huge blow to his aspirations of joining the ATP elite quartet after being dumped out of the early rounds at Melbourne to France’s Jeremy Chardy.

With Rafael Nadal out injured and Del Potro in a favourable side of the draw, the Betfair tennis suggested the path was clear to reach at least the semi-finals.

The Argentine, who beat Adrian Mannarino and Benjamin Becker with ease to make the third round, crashed out 3-6 3-6 7-6 6-3 3-6 in a gruelling match on the Melbourne hard surface.

Had he won then a clash with Andy Murray in the quarters was on the cards – a match that fans on Betfair would have given Del Potro a good chance of winning given that Murray struggled in his third-round tie with Ricardas Berankis.

Maybe Del Potro took his eye off the ball and had already started thinking about the quarters, for Chardy careered into a two-set lead with ease in front of an astonished Australian crowd. The Frenchman kept his serve tight and defended well off the baseline, forcing Del Potro into a flurry of errors that still remained despite the Argentine drawing level by the fourth.

The effort needed to come back from a two-set deficit was evident in the fifth, where again Del Potro struggled to handle Chardy’s consistency. It was a disappointing end to a promising tournament that this 2009 US Open champion was meant to prove his worth to the world at.

For with Nadal out and David Ferrer his only main challenger for fourth spot this 24-year-old expected himself to make headways in Melbourne. Fourth seed in a Grand Slam is far better than fifth and effectively gives you a clear run to the semis if you are consistent enough.

Sadly, Del Potro lacked the consistency needed to earn that right and must now waiting until the clay king returns at Roland Garros for another shot at progression.

Photo Source: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Roger Rocks Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Roger Rocks Australia Tshirts, bags and more

Check out these great products with the image of Roger Federer....

"Roger Rocks Australia"
Roger Federer Rocks Australia Store

Australian Open Results Day 8: Monday 21 January 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:10:00 +0000

Australian Open Results Day 8: Monday 21 January 2013

Results from the Australian Open Men's Singles Round 4 matches
2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 13-Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2

3-Andy Murray (Britain) beat 14-Gilles Simon (France) 6-3 6-1 6-3

7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat 9-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2

Jeremy Chardy (France) beat 21-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-2

Australian Open Results Day 5: Friday 18 January 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:18:00 +0000

Australian Open Results Day 5: Friday 18 January 2013

Results from the Australian Open Men's Singles Round 3 matches

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 28-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-4 6-2 6-3

5-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 26-Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-3 6-2 6-2

15-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 20-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 7-6(6) 7-5 6-4

Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 22-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 4-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2

16-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 7-6(3) 6-2 6-3

8-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) beat 32-Julien Benneteau (France) 3-6 6-4 2-6 6-4 6-3

10-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 24-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 6-1

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 31-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-3 7-5

Video: Federer Australian Open Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Video: Federer Australian Open Interview

Roger Federer discusses his relaxed preparation for Australian Open 2013 and what keeps him motivated at this stage of his career.

Video: Djokovic Australian Open Press Conference Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:23:00 +0000

Video: Djokovic Australian Open Press Conference Day 3

Novak Djokovic speaks following his win over American Ryan Harrison in the second round at the 2013 Australian Open.

Video: Australian Open Day 4 highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:01:00 +0000

Video: Australian Open Day 4 highlights

The scorching heat wasn't enough to deter the players or the crowds at another stunning day of the Open.
Kimiko Date-Krumm continued to wow the crowds with her win as well as local Bernard Tomic moving onto the third round, plus more from day four of AO 2013

Video: Australian Open 2013 Shot of the Day 4 by Bernard Tomic

noreply@blogger.com (Jess Abad) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:59:00 +0000

Video: Australian Open 2013 Shot of the Day 4 by Bernard Tomic

Bernard Tomic displays some trademark flair in the sweltering Melbourne heat.