Tennis, Federer admits Wimbledon dream

Swiss Roger Federer has admitted he would prefer winning Wimbledon again than regaining his world No 1 ranking.

The Swiss star, speaking at the press conference for the Showdown of Champions Kuala Lumpur 2008 here today, expressed his special love for Wimbledon which he says means more to him in tennis than anything else."Wimbledon is something special. There is no substitute for it," said Federer, who lost his top ranking to Spain's Rafael Nadal a few months ago."While I would also love to beat Pete Sampras' Grand Slam record of 14 titles, and also to regain my No 1 ranking, I place winning another Wimbledon title above all else," said Federer ahead of tomorow's showdown at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.Federer will share the spotlight with two other former Wimbledon champions, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg in the Showdown of Champions. James Blake will make up the quartet who will play two singles matches and one doubles tomorrow night."It's going to be an exciting match for Malaysian fans tomorrow as they will witness two generations of players in action," said McEnroe."Players now days are so fast and hit the ball even more powerful than during my time. I also believe that there are personalities in the men's game, much more than in the women's. We must capitalise on this as we can bring more fans to the game.Mean while, Federer will have a rare meet the fans session at the Petronas Twin Towers lobby from 11.30am-12.25pm tomorrow. Fans are advised to come early to avoid disappointment.Tennis fans in Malaysia will also be treated to entertainment levels of mega proportions when they attend the Showdown of Champions where one lucky fan will drive away with a brand new Proton Satria Neo.Aside from being thrilled by the skills of world-class tennis players, attendees of the event will be awed by the stunning performances of the country's top three divas.Local stars Jaclyn Victor, Ning Baizura and Ella have agreed to perform and do their own bit of entertaining the fans during the Showdown of Champions. The stars will be performing a pre- tennis concert and will perform between game changeovers during the actual matches throughout the night.

Tennis, Djokovic downs del Potro

Novak Djokovic started his Tennis Masters Cup campaign with a win after beating Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday.
The second seeded Serb battled to a 7-5 6-3 victory over his Argentinian opponent in one hour 57 minutes in Shanghai.
Djokovic surrendered an early break in the first set as Del Potro recovered to level matters at 5-5.
But the world number three moved ahead at 6-5 and then sealed the break and the set after a long baseline rally.
Del Petro drew first blood in the second set as he broke to go 2-1 up after his opponent opted to leave his passing shot and the ball dropped in.
Djokovic though broke right back after producing a fine return to a serve into the body and had the chance to move 4-2 ahead only for the Argentinian to keep himself in the game with a fine lob and then make it 3-3 with a running backhand down the line.
That was the last game Del Potro would win though as Djokovic broke again to close out the win.

Tennis , Federer admits to injury concern

Roger Federer admits he is unsure if his back will hold up when the Tennis Masters Cup gets under way in Shanghai.

The Swiss star has been struggling with the problem since withdrawing from the Paris Masters last week.
Federer is the top seed at the prestigious eight-player season finale in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, and comes in to the event as the two-time reigning champion.
The 27-year-old, who starts the defence of his title against Frenchman Gilles Simon on Monday, has been able to practice pain-free, but admits how the injury holds up in a match is another matter.
"It's way better than last Friday," Federer told reporters. "I've been able to practice without pain.
"(But) I'm not sure (what to expect against Simon) because I haven't been pushing it to the very limit. It just needs as much time as possible."
Also a back-to-back winner of this event in 2003 and 2004, Federer is aiming to join Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl as the only players with five titles.
But even though he has won four of the last five titles, and finished runner-up in 2005, Federer still has something to prove this time.
The 13-time grand slam champion has won 65 matches and four titles this season, including his fifth straight US Open crown, but his 13 loses have been the bigger story.
It is the first time since 2003 that he has endured a double-digit loss total, and his four titles are the fewest since 2002, when he won three.
While a bout with glandular fever at the start of the year played its part in Federer's struggles, the form of Nadal has also made things difficult.
The Spaniard has won all four of his meetings with Federer this year, including wins in the French Open and Wimbledon finals.
An eight-time champion this year, Nadal also took the world number one ranking from Federer in August, ending a record 237-week run.
Those setbacks appear to have made Federer more determined than ever, though.
"It is a challenge to get back to number one," he said. "I'm here to win. I'm not here just to participate."
Already guaranteed to finish the year as the world number one, Nadal will not be able to trip up Federer again here as the 22-year-old has withdrawn with knee tendinitis.
That's not to say Federer won't have his hands full as he attempts to emerge from the Red Group and improve on his 26 wins in the Masters Cup.
Awaiting him in round-robin play are American number one Andy Roddick, US Open finalist Andy Murray and Simon - a trio of players who have defeated Federer at least once in 2008.
The Gold Group is headlined by Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who will be joined by Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro.
The 20-year-old del Potro has been one of the finds of the second half of 2008.
The Argentinian had never played in an ATP singles final prior to winning four consecutive titles during July and August.
Del Potro has soared from 81st to a career-high ranking of eight since April.

Tennis, US Open my best chance - Murray

A stunning end to 2008 has given Andy Murray the belief he can soon add a Grand Slam title to his already impressive resume.

Murray has climbed to fourth in the world rankings after winning five tournaments this season, including back-to-back Masters Series victories, as well as reaching the final of the US Open where he lost to Roger Federer.
And the Scot believes the list of impressive scalps he has captured this season is an indication he has the ability to claim one of the sport's four most prestigious prizes. Asked if he felt he was ready to do so, Murray said: "I don't think you ever know until you do it (but) my results would suggest that I am."
He added: "I've played very well the last three or four months, making the final of the US Open. At Wimbledon I played pretty well and in the big tournaments since then. In the Masters series I've obviously performed well.
"I have to make sure I keep getting stronger physically and improve my game so if I do get in a situation where I'm in a Grand Slam final I'm better prepared.
"Realistically, the US Open is my best chance."
Most of Murray's success this year has come since suffering a disappointing quarter-final exit to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and the Scot recently saw a 14-match winning streak ended by David Nalbandian in Paris.
Murray underlined his success in the second half of 2008 was mostly down to a punishing fitness regime he decided to undertake at the end of last year.
"I worked very hard on that in December last year," he added.
"I think that's why my results got better as this year went on. I didn't only work on lifting weights, I also worked on my speed as well."

Tennis, Nalbandian halts Murray run

Saturday 1st November 2008:

Andy Murray's winning streak came to an end on Friday when he was beaten in straight sets by in-form defending champion David Nalbandian in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.

The Scot ran out of gas after 14 straight victories, which took in tournament successes at the Madrid Masters and the St Petersburg Open, as he was dumped out 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 by the Argentinian, the eighth seed in the French capital.
Murray's bid to become the first player to win three successive Masters Series events fell short but he will be the first to admit he was beaten by the better man.
Nalbandian is a self-confessed lover of indoor tournaments, winning last year's title in stunning fashion, and he always seemed to hold the whip hand in the first set.
He was the first to break, in the fourth game, but Murray responded in the very next game by claiming the first of his two break points when his opponent sent a forehand wide.
Murray, the fourth seed, had to save five break points in his next two service games as Nalbandian piled on the pressure, but he had found some poise by the time the tie-break came around.
Murray quickly slipped 4-1 down, though, and although he saved one set point, Nalbandian was spot on with a forehand winner to take it 7-3.
The British number one was broken in his first service game of the second set when his weak backhand found the net, but he restored parity in the fourth game when he came up with an amazing diagonal winner on the stretch on the second of his break points.
It looked as if he had turned the corner but Nalbandian stepped up a gear, sending Murray all over the court and again breaking at the second time of asking to go 3-2 up.
The two players went on to trade breaks but Nalbandian's third break of the set, in the ninth game, secured him a semi-final date with either Rafael Nadal or Nikolay Davydenko.

Tennis, Nalbandian through to finals

Sunday 2nd November 2008 :

David Nalbandian was made to battle before making it through to the final with a three-set victory on Saturday

Nalbandian, the reigning champion, was in remorseless mood early on in the first semi-final but had to hold off a stirring comeback from the gutsy Russian before eventually sealing a 6-1 5-7 6-4 win.
The Argentinian will meet either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or James Blake in Sunday's final, knowing a win there will qualify him automatically for the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai later this month.
Seeing the ball early and striking it so true, Nalbandian won 20 of the opening set's first 23 points on his way to snatching a double break and going 5-0 up inside just 15 minutes.
Davydenko finally stemmed the tide by holding a serve, but Nalbandian - bidding to become the first player to win back-to-back titles here - took the set by winning the next game after saving a couple of break points.
The pair traded breaks midway through the second set but even though the Russian was starting to make a fist of things, he was let down by a string of unforced errors, irritating not only himself but the near-capacity Centre Court crowd.
However, Nalbandian's level had by now dropped and, serving at 6-5 down, he lost four points on the trot to drop the set.
Davydenko was just about in the ascendancy and was holding serve with ease until the seventh game of the decider, when he threw in a couple of costly mistakes to gift Nalbandian the break.
Nalbandian, the eighth seed, then served out to clinch victory.
Tsonga, the 13th seed, meets 11th seed Blake later on Saturday.

Tennis, Federer and Nadal pull out

Saturday 1st November 2008:


The Paris Masters was hit with a double setback as both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer withdrew because of injury.

Second seed Federer, who was due to play James Blake in the evening in the third of the day's quarter-finals, was the first to pull out citing a back injury.
Organisers would have then looked on in horror as Nadal, the top seed, called in his trainer when 4-1 down to Nikolay Davydenko in his last-eight match. The Spaniard attempted to play on but after losing the next two games, and therefore the set, to his Russian opponent, he chose to quit. Nadal later admitted he had been hampered by a knee injury.
It means 11th seed Blake advances through to the semi-finals where he will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who came from behind to beat Andy Roddick 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7/3) in the evening match.
Davydenko, the sixth seed, will take on David Nalbandian in the first semi-final on Saturday after the Argentinian ousted Andy Murray in a high-quality match on Centre Court first up on Friday.
Federer announced he was pulling out to avoid aggravating a back injury he first suffered during his second-round victory over Robin Soderling.
"My back has been stiff for the last few days," he said.
"The treatment I had last night (Thursday) didn't do anything. So on precaution and because I cannot be at 100%, I've taken the difficult decision not to play."

Beaten Safin thinking over tennis future

By Julien Pretot

PARIS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Marat Safin, one of the most colourful figures in tennis, said on Monday he was considering his future in the game after his first round loss at the Paris Masters Series.
“I need to enjoy my life without tennis, I will see if I continue,” the 28-year-old Russian told reporters after losing 6-0 7-6 to Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco.
“I need to think it through. I will see, it was too intense these last three years. We will see. I have no pressure, nothing to show, nothing to prove.
“If I feel like I want to continue to play, I will. If not, it will be over. For the moment, I just need to rest.”
Safin, who reached the world number one spot following his U.S. Open victory in 2000, is widely regarded as one of the most gifted players on the tour.
However, he won only one more grand slam tournament, the Australian Open in 2005, which was the last of his 15 titles overall, as he squandered career opportunities due to a hot temper and, more recently, injuries.
Safin, who has been out of the top 10 since January 2006, has a propensity to throw matches away and Monday’s encounter with Monaco was no exception.
The Russian, who lies 31st in the ATP rankings, had already lost the first set and smashed a racket on the court when the clock ticked past the 20-minute mark.
DOUBLE FAULTS
He then served four double faults in the opening game of the second set as Monaco opened a 2-0 lead. The Russian broke back to level to 2-2 but lost the tiebreak 7-4 and stumbled out of a tournament he has won three times.
“I had my opportunities but unfortunately it was a bit too late already because the guy started to play well and started to feel much more comfortable on the court,” said Safin.
“I didn’t take my chances, that’s why the score is 6-0 7-6.”
Safin will not improve his position in the rankings and it is no secret he does not feel comfortable with the situation.
“It’s a little bit uncomfortable to find yourself in the top 10 for many years and (then) to find yourself ranked 70th and 30 and 50 and outside of the hundreds,” he said.
“It’s not really a comfortable position.
“I’ve been struggling throughout my career with injuries, left and right,” he added, referring to knee injuries that hampered his 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Although he does not yet know whether he will play professional tennis next year, Safin already knows where he will spend his holidays.
“Yeah, I’m already flying to Miami,” he said. (Editing by Rex Gowar)

Federer beats Nalbandian in Swiss Indoors final

By GRAHAM DUNBAR, Associated Press Writer

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)—Roger Federer won his hometown tournament for the third straight year on Sunday, beating second-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-3, 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors final.
The top-seeded Federer hit eight aces and conceded just seven points on his serve all match.
“Things are back into a groove the way I like it. I’m happy with the way I’m playing,” Federer said. “It feels great to win at home. Once you had it you want more of it and you want to do it over and over again.”
It was Federer’s fourth title of the season after victories at the U.S. Open, in Estoril, Portugal, and Halle, Germany. He is 4-4 in finals this season and 57-21 overall.
Federer improved to 10-8 against the 26-year-old Nalbandian, who won in Basel in 2002 and is a three-time runner-up.
The Argentine said Federer’s performance was among the best he has faced in their long rivalry that began as juniors.
“I didn’t play my best, but today he was very good,” Nalbandian said. “He was always winning his service games easy. So it was tough for me.”
The 27-year-old Swiss broke to lead 4-2 in the first set and again in the third game of the second set.
The fourth game of the first set epitomized the high quality of the tennis. Nalbandian saved five breakpoints, twice with aces, and eventually held after six deuces.
Federer kept up the pressure on his opponent’s next service game, creating two breakpoints with a forehand passing shot on the run. Nalbandian then hit a forehand long to drop serve.
Federer held to love in the next game, helped by two heavily sliced aces to Nalbandian’s forehand. He clinched the set with an ace and three service winners.
In the second set, Federer hit a backhand crosscourt winner to break for a 2-1 lead.
Federer closed out the match with a forehand winner behind a big serve.
He wouldn’t commit to playing in the Paris Masters starting Monday, where he is seeded No. 2 behind Rafael Nadal and has a first-round bye.
“I’m feeling sort of OK right now, but we’ll see how I feel tomorrow,” Federer said.