Australian Open 2013: Heather Watson beats Ksenia Pervak

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Heather Watson produced a miraculous escape from three match points down to beat Ksenia Pervak and reach the third round of the Australian Open. 

The British number one, 20, looked as good as out when she trailed the Kazakh by a set and 6-3 in the second set tie-break on a blisteringly hot Court Eight. But Watson refused to buckle, finally finding her rhythm from the baseline at the crucial moment, and she battled back to win 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 after three hours and two minutes. She will play in-form fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last 32. That will be a mighty test against a player who has won all 11 matches and two titles in 2013, but that is a concern for Friday. For now, the world number 50 can reflect on a day when her tennis was way below par but her fighting spirit proved irresistible. "I do make it hard for myself but a win's a win, no matter how you do it," Watson told BBC Radio 5 live. "It was a very tough one today. I wasn't sure whether I was going to get through it but I did, I kept fighting, the crowd was amazing and kept pushing me on from start to finish, and I've put myself in a position to play another match here. "You've just got to keep fighting and fighting, because it's never over until that last point's done. "She's a tough opponent, she makes every single ball. I didn't win a point until the eight or ninth point of the match. She wasn't going to give me anything, but you've just got to fight through and find a way." Pervak, 21, was the better player in the early stages, breaking to love in the opening game and deservedly edging a scrappy first set with three breaks. When she moved 2-0 clear in the second, only the noisy contingent of British fans on the outside court seemed to believe Watson was still a contender. But while the errors continued to flow from the Guernsey-born player's racquet, the winners began to come as well. Watson hauled herself back level and forced the tie-break, but it looked like merely a stay of execution when some wild errors helped Pervak to 6-3. With defeat apparently inevitable, Watson loosened up and began striking with real freedom as she pounded from side to side on the baseline. The deficit was erased and, at the second opportunity, the Briton converted set point to level the match. Pervak, ranked 82nd, immediately headed for a bathroom break and took some time to return, presumably castigating herself for letting such a golden opportunity slip by. Within 25 minutes she found herself 4-0 down in the decider against an opponent apparently struggling with cramp, but at the same time cleverly mixing up her game. A nerveless love service game gave Watson victory and, understandably thrilled, moments later she was in an embrace with the British supporters gathered courtside.











16 January 2013 Last updated at 07:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21038650

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Ivan Lendl sees himself coaching the rest of Andy Murray's career

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Ivan Lendl says he sees himself coaching US Open champion Andy Murray for the rest of the Scot's career. 

Murray appointed eight-time Grand Slam winner Lendl as his coach in December, and has since won Olympic gold, the US Open and reached the Wimbledon final. "As long as it works for both of us, I can see myself being with him for the rest of his career," Lendl told BBC World Service. The 52-year-old also revealed he intends to improve Murray's tennis. "I have a lot of plans where I would like to see Andy end up with his game," said Lendl, who helped the 25-year-old become Britain's first male Grand Slam singles champion in 76 years with victory in the US Open in September. But despite Murray's success, the 52-year-old Czech-born coach says the player is only at 20% of where he wants him to be, though he refuses to set a particular target in terms of Grand Slam victories. "I think [he can achieve] a lot more. I'm not going to say number of Grand Slams, I'm just going to say where Andy is now," he said. "I take 'point A' - when we started working - now he's at 'point B', and when I envisage I would say he's about 20% there." Murray has enjoyed his best year of tennis under Lendl - winning the US Open, an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic silver medal and reaching the final, semi-final and quarter-final of Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open , respectively. His Olympic gold medal came with a victory over Roger Federer at Wimbledon, just a month after losing the Wimbledon final at the same venue to the same opponent. It sparked fresh debate over whether Murray could become the first male British singles Wimbledon winner since Fred Perry in 1936. "I think that [if Andy's career will be judged on whether he wins Wimbledon] is an inappropriate question because I think everybody knows he can," said Lendl. "The question is 'is he going to win Wimbledon?' and know he will give it a good crack many, many times - not just once, not just in 2013 or 2014. He has quite a few years left in him and he's going to give it a crack." However, Lendl believes nothing is guaranteed with regards to success on home turf. "As you know in sport, you cannot predict, you can only anticipate - both Andy and I would be disappointed if at the end of the day he does not win," said Lendl. "But it's also a possibility that he may win more than one, and he may not win any. "I don't know, I don't know the answer to that, but he can."










16 November 2012 Last updated at 18:14
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/20363282

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Andy Murray chases place in ATP World Tour semi-finals

Friday, November 9, 2012

Andy Murray knows that a straight-sets win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday will guarantee a semi-final place at the ATP World Tour Finals.  

The Briton goes into the final round of Group A matches in second place, having beaten Tomas Berdych and lost to top seed Novak Djokovic. Murray takes on Tsonga at 19:45 GMT, after Djokovic plays Berdych at 13:45. A Djokovic win would ease Murray's task as he would then only need a set against the Frenchman. All four men go into Friday still able to secure one of the two semi-final places on offer in the group, and there are 10 different qualification scenarios. It is a situation Murray has experienced before, notably in 2009, when he won two group matches but was still eliminated on the percentage of games won. He at least has the advantage of playing last on Friday, so will know exactly what he has to do against Tsonga. "Who knows what the scenario will be when I get on the court but I'll just try my best to win," said Murray. "There are no easy matches here and you need to be prepared for some tough battles." The message was the same from Djokovic who, despite having won both his opening matches, could still suffer the same fate as Murray three years ago with a poor result against Berdych. "I will try not to depend on some other players' scores and matches," said the world number one.

 "I will try to focus and win every match that I play." Murray can take encouragement from a one-sided 6-1 record against Tsonga that includes victories in their last five matches. He beat the Frenchman over four sets in the Wimbledon semi-final this summer and has not lost to the world number eight since 2008. "I just have to play the Tsonga match and try to win regardless of what situation either of us are in," added Murray. "It doesn't matter what has gone before, I just have to win. We are not used to the round-robin format in tennis because we play knockout everywhere else apart from here. "That is the tradition of the tournament and it's fine. As professional sportsmen we should be able to deal with all sorts of situations and focus regardless." Fellow Briton Jonny Marray faces a less nerve-wracking evening after he and Danish partner Freddie Nielsen secured a place in the doubles semi-final with wins in their opening two matches. The Wimbledon champions complete the group stage when they take on Swede Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau of Romania at 18:00.






 8 November 2012 Last updated at 20:16
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/20259569

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Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win Shanghai Masters

Friday, October 19, 2012

Andy Murray failed in his bid to make it a hat-trick of titles at the Shanghai Masters after losing a three-set thriller to Novak Djokovic. 

  In their first meeting since Murray's win in the US Open final, Djokovic triumphed 5-7 7-6 (13-11) 6-3. Murray edged the first set, which had seven breaks of serve, with Djokovic reacting angrily by smashing a racket. Djokovic saved five match points in the second set before taking the tie-break and breaking Murray twice in the third. In a top-class match, the British world number three showed plenty of the form he displayed in beating world number one Roger Federer in Saturday's semi-finals but Djokovic - who had lost his last two matches against the Scot, at Flushing Meadows and in the Olympic semi-final at Wimbledon - threw everything at him. The second set was packed with drama, with Murray breaking to lead 4-3 and serving for the match at 5-4. But having saved his first match point, Djokovic levelled the set and then saved four more in a tie-break lasting more than 20 minutes, sealing the set with a volley that led to fist-pumping celebrations. With the momentum in his favour, Djokovic broke to go 4-3 up in the decider and broke Murray again in the ninth game when the Scot went long with a backhand. It ended Murray's winning run in Shanghai and gave Djokovic his fifth title of the year.

"It was a thrilling match [and] very long," said the Serb. "Three and a half hours for best of three is quite long. But I have got used to it. "Whenever I play Andy, I know it's going to be a gruelling fight with a lot of long rallies. It could have gone either way. Murray is a danger - Djokovic "I could not say I dominated the match because all three sets were very close and he had some match points. I could have easily been a runner-up today but I'm very proud of my fight." Murray said he was disappointed but paid tribute to Djokovic. "I've lost tougher matches than that before and I'm sure I will recover," he said. "But it was a top-quality match. Both of us played some unbelievable tennis at times. "It was literally the difference of one, two centimetres [between] winning the match and losing it. You have to put things into perspective. It was obviously a bit frustrating but it was so close and could have been a different outcome. "The third set, he played better than me. When I had my chances he served very well and hit the lines when he needed to. "Most of our games have been tight, close matches but I feel like my game is there."











14 October 2012 Last updated at 13:18
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19941370

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Laura Robson: China defeat sets back top-50 hopes

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Laura Robson's hopes of breaking into the world's top-50 for the first time suffered a setback when she was knocked out of the China Open in round two. 

The 18-year-old Briton was defeated 7-5 6-3 by Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino. An evenly matched opening set went with serve until Dominguez Lino converted the first break point of the contest in the very last game. Quick breaks saw the Spaniard take a 3-1 lead in the second and she wrapped up victory in just over 90 minutes. Robson, who won Olympic mixed doubles silver with Andy Murray this summer, has risen from world number 131 to 60 in a year and became the first British woman to reach a WTA final since 1990 when she was a runner-up at the Guangzhou Open in September. She also reached the fourth round of the US Open, before losing to defending champion Samantha Stosur. Robson returns to action at next week's HP Open in Osaka, Japan. Elsewhere in the women's event in Beijing, Chinese star Li Na brushed aside in-form Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1 6-2 to progress to the last 16.

It was the 2011 French Open champion's first win against Petrova, who won last week's Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, in seven attempts, a timely boost as she aims to qualify for the WTA Championships - featuring the world's top eight - in Istanbul later this month. Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, two places behind Li in the race to qualify, German fifth seed Angelique Kerber and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska also progressed. In the men's event, an out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic, playing his first match since losing to Andy Murray in the US Open final, required three sets to defeat German qualifier Michael Berrer. The world number two took the first set with ease but lost the second on a tie-break after several unforced errors against the left-hander, ranked 123rd in the world. But the Serb improved to take the decider and complete a 6-1 6-7 (3/7) 6-2 victory as he chases a third China Open title in three appearances, having won it in 2009 and 2010 before missing last year's event because of injury. Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also progressed but fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau was forced to retire shortly into the second set against Italian Andreas Seppi.












2 October 2012 Last updated at 09:15
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19776437

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Davis Cup: Great Britain to host Russia in 2013

Friday, September 21, 2012

Britain will host top seeds Russia next April in the second round of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group One. 

 Leon Smith's side were the only one of seven unseeded nations to receive a first-round bye and will begin their 2013 campaign on 5-7 April. A victory over Russia would see Britain play for a place in the elite World Group in September. The only previous meeting between the two nations was in 1963 when Britain beat the USSR 4-1 in Eastbourne. Britain have avoided the Europe/Africa Zone first-round matches on 1-3 February and were given a seventh consecutive home tie. "Wow, another home tie! Russia at home in April," said GB doubles player Colin Fleming on Twitter. "A tough tie but an exciting one!" Russia won the Davis Cup in 2002 and 2006 but have since lost Marat Safin to retirement, while Nikolay Davydenko has slipped down the rankings. They were relegated from the World Group this year with a 3-2 defeat by Austria and a 5-0 loss to Brazil. In the draw for the 2013 World Group, defending champions and this year's finalists Spain will travel to Canada, while Spain's November opponents - Czech Republic - are away to unseeded Switzerland. Thirteen-time winners United States play Brazil at home, third seeds Argentina host Germany, unseeded Italy were drawn against seventh seeds Croatia, Belgium take on Serbia, eighth seeds Kazakhstan will play Austria and France host Israel. The World Group quarter-finals will be played on 5-7 April, with the semi-finals and play-offs on 13-15 September. The World Group final is scheduled for 15-17 November 2013. World Group first-round draw: Canada v Spain; Italy v Croatia; Belgium v Serbia; USA v Brazil; France v Israel; Argentina v Germany; Kazakhstan v Austria; Switzerland v Czech Republic.










19 September 2012 Last updated at 17:43
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19647473

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Andy Murray targets further Grand Slam tennis success

Friday, September 14, 2012

US Open champion Andy Murray says he will work hard to improve his game as he sets his sights on more Grand Slam success and the world number one spot. 

Murray beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 to become the first British male Grand Slam winner in 76 years. "You want to try to win those big matches and big tournaments and I'll keep working hard," said Murray. On the top ranking, the world number three added: "I'm definitely going to try. It's something I'd love to do." Victory at Flushing Meadows caps a fine year for Murray, who made the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where he was beaten by Djokovic, and then bowed out of the French Open in the quarter-finals. At Wimbledon, Murray advanced to the final but lost in four sets to Roger Federer before exacting his revenge with victory in the London 2012 Olympic final over the Swiss world number one. Playing with a new-found self-belief, Murray surged into the final at Flushing Meadows and managed to hold off everything defending champion Djokovic threw at him to triumph in four hours and 54 minutes. "I want to keep improving," said Murray. "I know how it feels to win a Grand Slam and winning the Olympics. "I think I'll get a better feel when I get back on the court and start practising again, I'll feel what it's like to have a bit more belief in myself and my shots. "I could have won Wimbledon this year, I was very close. I know if I'm in that position again, I'll take the same chances, I'll go for my shots again. "A little bit more confidence and experience of taking my chances in big matches will help me." Murray has been a busy man since breaking his major duck shortly after 21:00 New York time. He celebrated with a team dinner, where he stuck to being teetotal, before appearing on the CBS breakfast show on Tuesday morning. He then headed to a photoshoot in Central Park and a reception at British Consul Danny Lopez's official residence in Manhattan, where he was welcomed by Scottish piper Don Neil MacRitchie playing Scotland The Brave and presented with a hamper of British food and drink. "I wasn't able to sleep last night," said Murray. "I wasn't bouncing off the walls or anything, I just couldn't go to sleep, I was just sitting awake for a few hours. "During the tournament, if I'd had an hour and a half's sleep and had to get up I would have been in the worst mood ever but I woke up and jumped out of bed at 6.30am, which isn't like me. I'm very excited but it'll probably take a few days for it to sink in. "It's something that will probably take a bit of getting used to. [Attention] is not something I've always been that comfortable with. "I spoke to (coach) Ivan (Lendl) a couple of times during the year and he asked me, 'What worries you?'. "And I said that I worry what might happen if I win a major, how my life might change, because I want it to be the same. "He said he felt the same thing but all that happens is you get more people congratulating you, you get nicer tables in restaurants and to play on all the good golf courses for free." Murray will now turn his attention to the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November and a tilt at the world number one spot next year. "All players, once you get near to the top of the game, one of the goals is to try to get to world number one," he said. "I can't say this year it's necessarily possible for me to do it because I didn't have a particularly good clay-court season and I didn't do well in the Masters Series in Cincinnati and Montreal and also in Indian Wells. "But that is the next step. To do that, you need to be consistent throughout the whole year. That's something that Novak and Roger and Rafa [Nadal] have done incredibly well the last few years. "I'm definitely going to try. It's something I'd love to do, to get to number one. It's a very tough thing to do." Asked about the prospect of a knighthood, Murray said: "A lot of my friends have been messaging me about it and I don't really know what to say. "I think it should take more than one or two good tournaments to deserve something like that. It would probably be a bit rash." Meanwhile, Murray's coach Ivan Lendl believes the Scot can go on to even greater success. Lendl, who became Murray's coach at the start of 2012, said: "Hopefully, we're not anywhere near where Andy can get. "He won two big ones in this fantastic year. I'm very happy for Andy. It's a great achievement and let's hope he can continue and rake up more. "Andy has been maturing very nicely as a player, as a competitor, as a person. As you mature you become more comfortable in these situations. "Of course, it's very important to be in more of these situations and the more of them you are in the more comfortable you feel."




 11 September 2012 Last updated at 23:40
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19554926

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Andy Murray: US Open success 'means the world to me'

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Andy Murray says his US Open win "means the world" and that he is relieved to have ended Britain's long search for another male Grand Slam champion. 

The Scot, 25, beat Novak Djokovic in five sets to claim his first major. "It is what I have been working towards for the last 10 years of my life," Murray told BBC Sport's Andy Swiss in New York. "It means the world to me." The last British man to win a Grand Slam title was Fred Perry, who won the US Open in 1936, 76 years ago. Murray has long been tipped to emulate Perry, who won eight majors, but had lost in his four previous Grand Slam finals. He finally ended his barren run at the fifth attempt, beating defending champion and world number two Djokovic 7-6 (12-10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in a contest at Flushing Meadows that lasted almost five hours. "I think everyone is in a little bit of shock that it has happened," said Murray, speaking to the media after his win. "I've seen my mum after I've lost Slam finals and she has been really upset. Everyone's really happy. "It is hard to explain. It has been a long, long journey to this point, so I don't know if it is disbelief or whatever, but I am very, very happy on the inside. I'm sorry if I'm not showing it as you would like." Asked what it felt like to end Britain's lengthy wait for a male Grand Slam winner, Murray replied: "I've been reminded of that most days of my life for the last few years. It's great to have finally done it and I don't need to get asked that anymore." Murray said the disappointment of losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final in July was tough to take but added he was proud of the way he had reacted, beating Federer to win Olympic gold last month and now Djokovic to win his first major. "To come back in the next Grand Slam and to win it in a five-set match against Djokovic on a hard court - he hasn't lost for a couple of years on a hard court in a Grand Slam - is unbelievable," said Murray. He said it would have been hard to recover had he lost a fifth major final. "I'm very, very happy to come through," he said. "If I had lost this one from two sets up, it would have been tough to take." Asked what had been the key to success at Flushing Meadows, Murray said: "I have kept improving. "I have worked hard all the time, even after the tough losses. I have had a fairly solid team around me as well for a long time." He also credited coach Ivan Lendl after teaming up with the former world number one and eight-time Grand Slam winner in January. "Having Ivan Lendl around has definitely helped, not just me but the rest of the team as well, having someone of his experience, especially in these situations," said Murray. "He's got his name on that trophy three times and made the final eight times in a row. It really helps having him around." Murray said he also hoped his win "inspires some kids to play tennis" and "takes away the notion that British tennis players choke or don't win". He also insisted British tennis was "in a good place right now" and praised the achievements of Laura Robson, with whom he won Olympic silver in the mixed doubles, and junior Liam Broady. "Laura's done very well, the Olympics was great for us and Liam Broady was in the final here in the juniors," said Murray. "I hope it stays that way."










 11 September 2012 Last updated at 07:34 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19554524

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US Open: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beaten by Martin Klizan

Friday, August 31, 2012

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga crashed out of the US Open in the second round, losing 6-4 1-6 6-1 6-3 to Martin Klizan.  

The Slovakian, ranked 52 in the world, had 19 break points against Tsonga, who reached the quarter-finals in 2011. There was no such trouble for world number one Roger Federer who beat Bjorn Phau 6-2 6-3 6-2. Andy Murray will face Feliciano Lopez in the third round on Saturday after the Spaniard beat his compatriot Pablo Andujar 6-4 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 3-6 7-5. Fifth seed Tsonga was expected to meet Murray in the quarter-finals. "I was not in good shape," said the Frenchman. "I didn't play good tennis. "It seemed like I couldn't hit the ball hard enough to put my opponent out of position. I don't really know why it was like this, but sometimes it happens with me. "I'm disappointed but it's tennis. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Of course, it's always sad when you lose but I will wait for another good moment. I will forget it." The 23-year-old Klizan, who lost to Britain's Dan Evans in the Davis Cup earlier this year, will play 32nd seed Jeremy Chardy in the third round and was understandably overjoyed to have beaten Tsonga. "He's number six in the world and I beat him," he said. "I think it's my best result in my career and I'm looking forward to playing Saturday in the third round.

There is a chance to win again." Federer remained on course for a record sixth US Open title with a 90-minute victory over Germany's Phau. Both players produced some exquisite shots but it was the top seed who came out on top, finishing the match with 15 aces and 44 winners. The Swiss will next play the 25th seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain who beat fellow countryman Albert Ramos 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. America's Mardy Fish bounced back from a two-set deficit to beat Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-1 6-2, creating a new US Open record in the process by becoming the 10th player at this year's tournament to recover from two sets down. Fish's compatriot James Blake overcame Spain's Marcel Granollers 6-1 6-4 6-2 and will play Milos Raonic in the third round after the Canadian beat Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-4). Sixth seed Tomas Berdych completed a 6-1 6-4 6-2 victory over Jurgen Zopp and will play Sam Querrey, while 12th seed Marin Cilic needed five sets to overcome Daniel Brands of Germany 6-3 6-2 5-7 4-6 7-5. Spain's Nicolas Almagro battled past Germany's Philipp Petzschner 6-3 5-7 5-7 6-4 6-4 to set up a meeting with American teenager Jack Sock , who comfortably eased past Flavio Cipolla 6-2 6-2 6-4.











31 August 2012 Last updated at 02:25
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19430736

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Andy Murray to meet Alex Bogomolov in US Open first round

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Third seed Andy Murray will play Alex Bogomolov Jr in the first round of the US Open, which starts on Monday. 

The Russian world number 73 beat Murray in 2011's Sony Ericsson Open, breaking serve seven times in a 6-1 7-5 victory. Murray could face world number one and top seed Roger Federer in the semi-finals, after the pair were drawn in the same half of the draw. In the women's tournament, Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist Laura Robson opens against a qualifier. Robson, 18, could then face three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters in the second round. Clijsters, 29, will retire after the US Open , but the 2009 and 2010 champion is looking to continue a 21-match unbeaten run at Flushing Meadows after missing the 2011 tournament through injury. Great Britain's Heather Watson and Anne Keothavong have been handed tough first round matches in the women's singles.

 Watson will face 2011 French Open champion Li Na of China while Keothavong will play sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany. World number one Victoria Azarenka is in the top half of the draw with Maria Sharapova, while Serena Williams joins Agnieszka Radwanksa in the bottom half. Federer, who hopes to become the first man in 87 years to win the US Open six times, will play Donald Young of the United States in the first round. Young, 23, ended a 17-match ATP losing streak this week by beating Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the Winston-Salem Open. Federer currently has five Flushing Meadow wins, level with US legends Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors, although amateur Bill Tilden won for the sixth time in 1925, before finishing his career with a seventh US Open victory in 1929. Number two seed Novak Djokovic opens against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi.













23 August 2012 Last updated at 18:23
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19354738

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Tsonga beats Raonic in longest ever Olympics tennis match

Friday, August 3, 2012

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Milos Raonic in the longest tennis match in Olympic history to reach the third round. 

The Frenchman won 6-3 3-6 25-23 after three hours and 56 minutes, following a third and final set lasting 48 games - itself an Olympic record. Tsonga wasted three match points before winning the epic deciding set. The 66-game contest also beat the previous record of 48 games, set in 2004 when Fernando Gonzalez beat Taylor Dent to win bronze in Athens. Chile's Gonzalez eventually won that match 6-4 2-6 16-14 after a then-record three hours 25 minutes. Serbia's Novak Djokovic thrashed Andy Roddick of the United States 6-2 6-1 to reach round three. The second seed, a bronze medallist in Beijing, took only 54 minutes to overcome Roddick and will now play Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who beat 13th seed Marin Cilic 6-4 7-5. World number two Djokovic, who was beaten in the 2012 Wimbledon semi-finals by Roger Federer, said he was enjoying the different atmosphere of the Olympics. "You're not playing for yourself like you are most of the time throughout the year," said the 25-year-old. "This is one of the unique events, unique opportunities to play for your country, and the nation is cheering for you as an athlete, as a representative of the nation at this Olympic Games. "I served extremely well during these opening two matches and [against Roddick] everything was working perfectly well. "I was neutralising his serve by getting a lot of returns back in the court and serving a lot of aces. Getting a lot of free points on serve is something I really want to have in my game." Venus Williams moved closer to a fourth Olympic gold as she reached the third round with a 6-1 6-3 win over Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada.









31 July 2012 Last updated at 19:35
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19069737

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Wimbledon Championships moved back a week from 2015

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Wimbledon will start a week later from 2015 to allow players a three-week rest period following the French Open. 

Currently, the All England Club opens its Championships two weeks after the play finishes at Roland Garros. But as of 2015 - when Wimbledon will run from 29 June to 12 July - competitors will have 22 days to make the transition from clay to grass. "There is widespread support within the game for extending the gap," said All England Club chairman Philip Brook. "The best interests of tennis will be served by allowing the players more time to recuperate and to adjust from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass at Wimbledon. "We think most players will welcome the prospect of a longer grass-court season and spending more time on the softer surface of grass." The Aegon Championships at Queen's Club usually begins a day after the French Open men's final and concludes on the following Sunday.

That is also true of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, and the Aegon Classic in Birmingham. In the week before Wimbledon, the Aegon International in Eastbourne and Unicef Open in the Netherlands are the most high-profile events. Wimbledon being put back a week may influence the North American hard-court schedule building up to the US Open, which traditionally starts on the final Monday in August. "In making this change from 2015 we recognise that there will be some important consequences for the overall tennis calendar and enough time needs to be given to allow us all to plan accordingly," Brook continued. "In anticipation of the work required, I would like to thank our colleagues throughout the game for their enthusiasm and support for the vision of a tennis calendar that will better suit the needs of the modern day sport." World number two Novak Djokovic suggested during Wimbledon that he supported the plan. "We need an extra week," he said. "It would work in the favour of players because it would give the top ones a little bit more time to get used to the surface. "Logically speaking, it is the slowest surface that we're talking about, clay, moving to the fastest one, which takes time." The switch may see Wimbledon avoid a clash with Formula 1's British Grand Prix and major football international tournaments.












19 July 2012 Last updated at 15:25
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18913701

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Anne Keothavong and Heather Watson lose at Stanford

Thursday, July 12, 2012

British number one Anne Keothavong and Heather Watson are both out of the Bank of West Classic in Stanford.

 

Keothavong, 28, was beaten 2-6 7-5 6-4 by unranked Mallory Burdette - who last won a professional singles match in 2008 - in the first round. Watson was beaten by the world number 37 Yanina Wickmayer in the second round on Wednesday. Belgian Wickmayer beat Watson in three sets, winning 5-7 6-1 6-4 to book her place in the third round. Burdette, 21, will next face second seed Marion Bartoli, while Keothavong is to represent Team GB at London 2012. Continue reading the main story “ I was her ball girl once when I was 12-years-old ” Nicole Gibbs on her second-round opponent Serena Williams Wimbledon champion Serena Williams beat wildcard Nicole Gibbs 6-2 6-1 in the second round. The 19-year-old, who was ball girl during a Williams match seven years ago. Afterwards Williams said she was struggling with jet lag after returning from England. "I couldn't quite believe I was playing today," she said. "But I'm healthy and I have a heartbeat so I didn't have a reason not to. "I definitely felt sluggish and it was good to get the win over with. I'm still waking up at 2am."








 12 July 2012 Last updated at 10:25
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18794050

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Andy Murray beats Marin Cilic to make Wimbledon quarters

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Andy Murray booked his place in a fifth straight Wimbledon quarter-final with victory over Marin Cilic in a match heavily disrupted by rain on Court One. 

The match began at 15:45 BST on Monday but was suspended at 16:52 with Murray leading by a set and a break. Play resumed at 12:10 on Tuesday, only to be stopped five minutes later with only two games being completed. They re-started at 13:10 and Murray won 7-5 6-2 6-3 to set up a tie with David Ferrer, who beat Juan Martin del Potro. "It's quite a tough match to analyse because it was very bitty," the British number one told BBC Sport. "We were on and off the court. "Last night was difficult, I was in a good position. Cilic started well today - he was hitting the ball cleaner. But I served well in the third set especially. "It was a good experience because I haven't had too many rain delays at Wimbledon and I haven't always done that well when I have had them. The Scot must be relieved to have wrapped up proceedings so quickly - they finished at 14:10 in two hours 10 minutes of match play - given that his last-eight tie will be played on Wednesday. With more showers expected later, there was a strong chance Murray could have been delayed further, while Ferrer and Del Potro were under the Centre Court roof and, therefore, guaranteed to finish. The decision to schedule him on a roofless Court One - for the only time all fortnight when the weather forecast was poor - led to heavy criticism.

 "I honestly don't care which court I play on," Murray added. "It makes no difference, but every player would rather play on Centre Court because it's got the roof, so you know you will get your match in. "But I don't deserve to play every match on Centre Court. I'm more than happy to play on Court One. I just wish the weather was a bit better. "It's tough but it's good experience for me. I don't want to say for sure, but I'll probably be on Centre from now on, so I don't have to worry about that." Murray led Cilic 7-5 3-1 at 40-0 when the rain arrived on Monday, frustrating for him as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - the only higher-ranked players left in the draw - won through on the same same. But if anything his form was more impressive on Tuesday as he subjected Queen's champion Cilic to a comprehensive defeat.













 3 July 2012 Last updated at 14:18
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18664821

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Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic to win seventh French Open

Monday, June 11, 2012

  Rafael Nadal won a record seventh French Open title after ruthlessly snuffing out Novak Djokovic's comeback to win 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5 in a rain-affected final. 

Nadal resumed leading 6-4 6-3 2-6 1-2, but his uncharacteristic wobble late on Sunday had fuelled Djokovic's belief. The Spaniard broke back in the first game of the day however, and then piled pressure on an unsettled Djokovic. The Serb finally folded with a double fault to hand Nadal an 11th Grand Slam. Having drawn level with Bjorn Borg on six Roland Garros titles last year, the victory gave Nadal sole ownership of the landmark, and the 26-year-old is likely to have plenty of opportunities to stretch further clear. The only three men to have more Grand Slam victories - Roger Federer with 16, Pete Sampras on 14 and Roy Emerson on 12 - are now in his sights. The crowd had returned to Court Philippe Chatrier entertaining the possibility that they may witness a different piece of tennis history. Djokovic, aiming to become only the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously, seemed to have the upper hand on his rival when Parisian drizzle had forced them off on Sunday. Nadal led a precariously-poised contest 6-4 6-3 2-6 1-2 overnight, but, having been broken early in the fourth, he had looked ill at ease on the court he has made his own. The Spaniard had surrendered eight successive games and grew increasingly irritated by the wet conditions underfoot before tournament officials called an end to proceedings. With the chance to reassess his position and resume in dry, if cloudy, conditions the world number two emerged renergised. Djokovic's hopes of becoming the first man to beat Nadal on clay after losing the opening two sets immediately dimmed as Nadal toppled his serve in the opening game. Nadal's body language had spoken volumes on Sunday and, after the Serb's forehand down the line was snagged by the tape to bring up 2-2 , it was Djokovic who allowed his frustration to show. The world number one pounded his head with his racquet strings, but the brutal treatment he was receiving from the opposite end of the net proved harder to halt. Twice Nadal held to love, while Djokovic's serve continued to look vulnerable. Djokovic's resolve and fight had seem him haul back four match points to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals, but he appeared drained as he gifted Nadal the championship without forcing him to play a return. The Serb's second serve strayed long to end a run of three successive Grand Slam final wins over Nadal and extend his rival's extraordinary record of just one defeat in the tournament since making his 2005 debut.







 By Mike Henson BBC Sport
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18395750

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French Open: Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer win epics

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

World number one Novak Djokovic saved four match points to secure a thrilling five-set victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the French Open last eight.

   

 Djokovic was on the brink of defeat but dug deep to complete a 6-1 5-7 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 win in more than four hours. The Serb will play Roger Federer in the semi-finals after he also came through a gruelling five-set match. The 16-time Grand Slam champion, seeded third, overcame Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro 3-6 6-7 6-2 6-0 6-3. He will now have a chance to repeat his 2011 semi-final victory over Djokovic, who is attempting to become only the third man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. The last person to achieve the feat was Rod Laver in 1969 and Djokovic's hopes of doing the same only remain on course after an incredible comeback. He and Tsonga both came through five-set contests in the last round and while Tsonga seemed jaded and nervous early on, Djokovic was alert and authoritative. There seemed little sign of the drama to come as the 25-year-old top seed won the opening set in 21 minutes. Tsonga belatedly kickstarted his challenge in the second set, delivering some scintillating blows to level the match. Djokovic gestured angrily to his camp from his chair at the changeover, while Tsonga and the crowd were now firmly against him.

 Tsonga recovered a break early in the third set and while his play was generating huge cheers, Djokovic successes brought shunned silence. The Serb failed to take two break points at 5-5 and was punished in spectacular style as Tsonga broke him and served out. Tsonga's power was unsettling Djokovic and the fifth seed had four match points late in the fourth set. But as in the 2011 US Open final against Federer, when he also faced a match point, Djokovic hit out and it paid off. Djokovic edged the tie-break to shatter Tsonga's resolve and he broke three times in the deciding set before roaring in celebration. He has two days to recover before he plays Federer , who overturned a two-set deficit for the seventh time in his career. Del Potro beat Federer in an epic US Open final in 2009 but wrist and hip injuries have severely hampered his progress. The ninth seed chose their latest encounter to rediscover the form that helped him defeat the Swiss at Flushing Meadows. This time, however, Del Potro became hindered by a heavily strapped left knee and Federer was able to overwhelm his opponent. Federer's form did improve as the match progressed and he remains in contention to add to his sole French Open triumph in 2009. 

5 June 2012 Last updated at 20:31 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18331991

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Heather Watson within one match of French Open main draw

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Heather Watson is one match away from the French Open main draw after beating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in the second round of qualifying.

 

The British number three was 5-1 down in the tie-break, but swept through the next six points as Jabeur faltered. Watson won three games in a row from 3-3 in the second set and faces Italy's Anna Floris on Friday, aiming to qualify for the second straight year. Compatriot Laura Robson plays France's Laura Thorpe later on Thursday. Watson beat Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon in the first round of the main draw last year, before slipping to defeat against Kaia Kanepi, the then-world number 16. The 20-year-old from Guernsey, currently ranked 109, will hope to at least match that run to protect her ranking position and hopes of qualifying directly for the Olympics. The world's top 56 players will make London's 2012 main draw automatically, but with a previso that there can be no more than four from one nation, it is expected that the cut-off will fall around the 70th ranking slot.










24 May 2012 Last updated at 13:13
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18192457

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Andy Murray defeats David Nalbandian on clay in Rome

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

World number four Andy Murray overcame David Nalbandian 6-1 4-6 7-5 to make it into the third round of the Masters series event in Rome.

 

Murray, 25, cruised through the first set, but found his Argentine opponent a much harder proposition in the second. Nalbandian forced the match into a third with a much-improved service game, but Murray saw out the match. The clay event in Rome is seen as a curtain-raiser for the French Open, which starts in 12 days. Birthday boy Murray did not compete in the Madrid Masters last week having sustained a back injury, and had also received a bye through the first round in Rome. He seemed in total control of the match in the first set, seizing the initiative after dominating Nalbandian's unreliable first serve. After a marathon 15-minute sixth game ended with Nalbandian's 17th unforced error, Murray was able to close out the set. But the experienced Argentine's performance took an abrupt about-turn in the second set, as the 30-year-old clay court specialist broke his higher-ranked opponent then capitalised.

Murray's first serve deserted him, landing a poor 42% and allowing his opponent to take the game into a deciding third. The final set was a tight and hard-fought affair, with both players breaking the other's serve before Murray forced three break points at 5-5. Nalbandian saved the first two before a Murray return clipped the net cord and dropped over, giving the Scot the game and allowing him to serve for the match. He had to save two break points of his own in the final game, but was able to close out the match in the gathering dusk. Murray's victory sets up a third round clash with with either Richard Gasquet, who defeated Roger Federer in this event last year, or home favourite Paolo Lorenzi. Elsewhere, world number one Novak Djokovic dominated Australian teenager Bernard Tomic to produce an impressive start to the defence of his title with a 6-3 6-3 win.












15 May 2012 Last updated at 19:33
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/18078676

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Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova both win in Madrid

Monday, May 7, 2012

Top seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are both through to the second round of the Madrid Open.

 

The world number one and last year's runner up Azarenka beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 6-4. Second seed Sharapova crushed Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-0 6-2. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also made it through, but only after being pushed all the way by Ksenia Pervak . She eventually prevailed 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-4. Another ex-world number one, Ana Ivanovic beat French qualifier Mathilde Johansson 6-4 6-1. Of the other players fancied to do well on the new blue clay surface, the 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone crashed out 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 to American qualifier Varvara Lepchenko .

The courts have been attracting almost as much attention as the players. Speaking before the tournament Wozniacki said: "Blue is my favourite colour, this makes things a bit different. "The court seems a bit faster than when it was (traditional) red. "Adding the Madrid altitude (650 metres above sea level) makes it even faster. But we will only know who handled it best when the tournament is over." Defending champion Petra Kvitova added: "I haven't practised on them enough yet to say, but I think they are something new for us."In my opinion they look very nice, very cool. "I like the colour, so I'm looking forward to playing on them." Both Venus and Serena Williams are in action on Monday with ninth-seed Serena taking on Russia's Elena Vesnina while Venus, who is on a wildcard, takes on Angelique Kerber of Germany in the second round.









 6 May 2012 Last updated at 20:56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17978470

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Heather Watson wins but Elena Baltacha bows out in Estoril

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

British number three Heather Watson beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4 to reach the second round of the Estoril Open.

 

Watson, ranked 115th, overcame the world number 98 to book a match against fourth seed Petra Cetkovska in round two of the clay-court event. British number one Elena Baltacha lost 7-6 6-1 against second seed Maria Kirilenko in Portugal. Watson had to win three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. The Guernsey-born player took two hours and 33 minutes to defeat American Sloane Stephens 4-6 6-4 6-2 in the final qualifier.




1 May 2012 Last updated at 16:24
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17913970

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