(duration: 54:49; filesize: 24.9)
Presented by Cameron Green and Sacha Mirzabegian
Monday, June 20, 2011
Interview: Bernard Tomic
Published:Sunday, June 19, 2011 12:07 AESTExpires:Saturday, September 17, 2011 12:07 AEST
Grandstand's Steve Pearce speaks with Bernard Tomic after the Australian youngster earned his place in the Wimbledon draw.
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, englandStosur happy despite semis defeat
Updated June 18, 2011 23:27:00 Samantha Stosur's run at the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event in Eastbourne has come to an end at the hands for Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.
The former Wimbledon finalist handled the difficult conditions much better than the Australian on the English south coast, winning 6-3, 6-1.
In wild winds, Stosur struggled to find any rhythm in her game and eventually succumbed in 70 minutes on centre court.
Her normally lethal serve was off in the gusty conditions, winning just 56 per cent of points on her first serve.
Bartoli then later went on to defeat Petra Kvitova 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the final to claim the first grasscourt title of her career.
Kvitova had progressed after Daniela Hantuchova retired at 7-6 (9-7), 4-2 down.
It was world number 10 Stosur's third semi-final appearance at Devonshire Park, and she had shown encouraging signs before Wimbledon in her opening three rounds, defeating world number three Vera Zvonareva on Thursday.
The Queenslander's attention will turn fully to Wimbledon, where she will meet unheralded Hungarian Melinda Czink in the opening round.
Stosur has never progressed beyond the third round in eight visits at the famed grand slam tournament.
"It's been a really good week for me in spite of this match," Stosur said.
"I'm going into Wimbledon feeling quite good.
"I think I played some really good tennis here and got through some really good matches.
"It's been pretty much been exactly what I would want going into Wimbledon.
"I thought the other day when I played Vera it was the worst [conditions] I'd ever played in, but I think today was even worse than that.
"It definitely wasn't easy at all. It's one of those days where you've just got to try hard and do whatever you can to get through because it's very hard to try and hit the shots that you want."
-AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, england First posted June 18, 2011 23:00:00Tomic to play Davydenko
Updated June 19, 2011 12:12:00 Bernard Tomic has set up a first-round meeting with world number three Nikolay Davydenko at Wimbledon after negotiating his way through the final round of qualifying.
Tomic charged into the men's singles draw at the third grand slam of the year by dismissing journeyman Jean-Rene Lisnard of Monaco, 6-1 6-4 6-1.
Davydenko, the 29th seed, does not have a great record at Wimbledon and has been unable to reach the same heights following a wrist injury at the beginning of last year.
Tomic progressed through Wimbledon qualifying in 2010 before being bundled out in the opening round by American veteran Mardy Fish in straight sets.
Following his encouraging third round appearance at this year's Australian Open, the teenager was knocked out in the French Open first round by Argentine battler Carlos Berlocq last month.
Tomic has looked much more assured on the grass than clay and enjoyed some good lead-up form in Challenger tournaments in Nottingham in the past three weeks.
Meanwhile Australian Marinko Matosevic will make his Wimbledon debut against feisty Argentine and 25th seed Juan Ignacio Chela.
Matosevic, 25, earned the right to make his debut at SW19 by defeating compatriot Chris Guccione 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 - in a match played out over three rain-interrupted days.
The South American has only won three matches from seven Wimbledon campaigns but should provide a big hurdle for Matosevic, the Australian has only one ATP tour victory to his name.
Tomic and Matosevic's victories have trebled Australia's presence in the men's ranks at Wimbledon with the ailing Lleyton Hewitt the nation's only men's player to qualify automatically.
- AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, england First posted June 19, 2011 07:37:00Wimbledon 2007 Final: Federer vs. Nadal
Roger Federer retained his crown as king of Wimbledon on Sunday 8th July 2007, beating young Spanish prince Rafael Nadal to secure his fifth consecutive title, matching the legendary reign of the watching Bjorn Borg, the king of this court in a previous era.The 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-2 victory he achieved followed a feast of tennis fit for any king. At three hours and 45 minutes, it was the third longest men's single final in Wimbledon's history and the most thrilling climax to the Championships since Goran Ivanisevic's dramatic victory in front of a raucous third Monday Centre Court crowd in 2001.
Federer was at his very best, and he certainly needed to be to hold at bay the tigerish challenge of the Spanish 21-year-old. Last year Nadal lost here in four sets, this time he took the master of grass court tennis the full distance.
In a breathtaking fifth set Nadal, who had undergone treatment to his right knee towards the end of the previous set, twice held two break points. But twice Federer rose magnificently to the challenge, fighting off the danger before he broke Nadal for what proved to be a crucial 4-2 lead.
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The Wimbledon Collection - The Classic Match - Borg vs. McEnroe 1981 Final
There have been numerous classic encounters during The Wimbledon Championships, none more so than the 1981 Men's Final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. There could not have been two more contrasting characters, McEnroe renowned for his temper tantrums and Borg the ice-cool and reserved Swede. 202 minutes of gripping action and incredible tennis. Borg and McEnroe battled it out, pushing their levels of physical and mental endurance to the limit in this dramatic 4 set showdown.Price: $14.99
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Drum - Friday 17 June
Published:Friday, June 17, 2011 6:05 AESTExpires:Thursday, September 15, 2011 6:05 AEST
Steve Cannane hosts a discussion panel program with Inside Football columnist Rhys Muldoon, ABC News 24 reporter Amanda Shalala and SEN Radio presenter Francis Leach.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, coaching, cricket, rugby-union, sports-organisations, tennis, ice-hockey, unrest-conflict-and-war, state-of-origin, sports-injuries, australiaInterview: Jarmila Gajdosova
Play suspended in Wimbledon qualies
Posted June 17, 2011 12:15:00 Australia's Marinko Matosevic led compatriot Chris Guccione in the final qualifying round for Wimbledon starting next Monday.
Matosevic took the first set in a tiebreak 11-9 and leads 3-2 in the second with games on serve, before persistent bad weather forced play to be abandoned.
Compatriot Bernard Tomic is yet to start his final round match against Monaco's Jean-Rene Lisnard.
Tags: sport, tennis, united-kingdom, englandInjured Clijsters out of Wimbledon
Updated June 16, 2011 09:07:00 Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters has withdrawn from next week's Wimbledon Championships due to a foot injury, it was confirmed overnight.
The 28-year-old suffered a recurrence of an old ankle injury during a shock 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 defeat to Italian qualifier Romina Oprandi at a WTA tournament in the Netherlands on Tuesday.
"I'm very, very disappointed to have to withdraw from Wimbledon after injuring my foot again at the tournament in s'Hertogenbosch," Clijsters said.
"At this moment I feel frustrated that it has to happen now before one of my favourite tournaments.
"I've always enjoyed being a part of the Wimbledon atmosphere but I have no other choice now but to rest, recover and to not play tennis for a few weeks."
The reigning US and Australian Open champion has had a difficult season since winning the Australian Open in January, struggling with shoulder and ankle injuries that have limited her appearances.
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, united-kingdom, england First posted June 16, 2011 06:14:00Beaten Li 'ready' for Wimbledon
Posted June 16, 2011 11:40:00 China's French Open champion Li Na says she remains optimistic of performing well at Wimbledon next week, despite a second-round exit at the Eastbourne WTA tournament.
"I had a chance but I didn't take it," said the 29-year-old after losing 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 to Daniela Hantuchova.
"We played a good match today - I think I'm ready for Wimbledon."
Li is hoping to at least replicate her performance last year in reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, a stage she also reached in 2006.
She is ready to start polishing up her grass court game even further for the major starting on Monday.
"The grass was a little bit different than the clay court. But I'm still happy I played two matches here," Li said.
"I'm getting used to playing on the grass court. And there are still a few days until Wimbledon, so of course now (is the time for hard work) and prepare to get ready for Wimbledon."
For now, Li has put aside most memories of her glorious win in the French Open and is focusing on the next challenge.
"Now it's the grass-court season, so I'm just getting ready for Wimbledon," Li said.
"It doesn't matter whether I lose in the first round or I reach the quarter-final, or the semi-final. I mean, you just play your tennis."
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, united-kingdom, englandInterview: Samantha Stosur
Williams rusty ahead of Wimbledon
Published:Thursday, June 16, 2011 7:23 AESTExpires:Wednesday, September 14, 2011 7:23 AEST
US tennis player Serena Williams has been knocked out of the Eastbourne event in England as she struggles to revive her form after injuries.
Tags: sport, tennis, sports-injuries, united-kingdom, united-statesDokic through to Dutch third round
Posted June 15, 2011 23:01:00 Australia's Jelena Dokic has won her second round match at the Unicef Open in the Netherlands.
She beat Italian fourth seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-4.
Meanwhile fifth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia thrashed Germany's Kristina Barrois 6-0, 6-1.
- AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, netherlandsStosur battles into Eastbourne semis
Updated June 17, 2011 10:40:00 Samantha Stosur has come from a set down to beat Russian world number three Vera Zvonareva in the quarter-finals of the WTA event in Eastbourne.
Stosur was down 4-2 in the second set before hitting back to win 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in just under three hours at Devonshire Park.
The Queenslander will now meet Marion Bartoli for a place in Saturday's final, after the Frenchwoman's opponent, Victoria Azarenka, was forced to retire.
Stosur says she is certain she made the right decision in missing Australia's Fed Cup tie loss to Ukraine in April.
She chose to stay in Europe to prepare for the claycourt season rather than return to Melbourne for a World Group play-off tie eventually won by the visitors.
Despite the shock loss, Stosur says it was the correct decision in what was a difficult situation for both her and the team.
"I definitely wanted to be there if it was possible, but it was a decision I made for my schedule and to stay over in Europe," she said.
"I don't think it was an ideal situation for anyone to have to go back. I made that choice and I still thought the girls could have been able to win."
Meanwhile, Daniela Hantuchova ended the Williams sisters' run at Eastbourne, as she finally triumphed after 10 losses in her career series with Venus.
Hantuchova, who had won just two sets previously against the American holder of five Wimbledon titles, secured a gritty 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 quarter-final victory to send Venus out a day after her sister Serena lost to top seed Vera Zvonareva.
Hantuchova, ranked 25th, laboured for two hours and 23 minutes after a delayed start due to rain in the area. The Slovak, who played last week's Birmingham final, won her 27th match of the season and heads into a semi-final against fifth seed Petra Kvitova, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
In other results at Eastbourne, the men finally completed three left-over second-round matches topped by rain on Wednesday.
Janko Tipsarevic, the number three and last seed remaining, beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), Belgian Olivier Rochus stopped Argentine Carlos Berlocq 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) and Japan's Kei Nishikori beat German veteran Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
- ABC/AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, england First posted June 17, 2011 06:12:00Thursday, June 16, 2011
Nadal sees off Aussie qualifier Ebden
Posted June 9, 2011 06:07:00 Rafael Nadal had no problems making the switch from clay to grass courts as the French Open champion beat Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-4, 6-4 at Queen's overnight.
Nadal was last seen four days ago swathed in a Spanish flag as he celebrated his record-equalling sixth French Open title after another victory over his old rival Roger Federer.
There was little time to savour that latest success on the crushed earth of Roland Garros however and, after a quick trip to EuroDisney, Nadal has set his sights on successfully defending his Wimbledon crown.
The rapid change of surfaces at this time of year has troubled many great players in the past, but Nadal copes with remarkable ease.
He won back to back French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2010 and made the Eurostar train journey from Paris to London firmly believing he can tie Bjorn Borg's record of three French-Wimbledon doubles.
Nadal, who was given a first round bye, rarely needed to get anywhere near his best against such a raw opponent as 23-year-old Ebden, who is ranked 168th in the world and has spent most of his career playing in Futures and Challenger tournaments.
Back on grass for the first time since beating Tomas Berdych in last year's Wimbledon final, Nadal quickly stamped his authority on Ebden by breaking in the first game.
He served out the first set and then broke again in the opening game of the second before cruising through to a third round meeting with Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, who beat 16th seed Ivan Ljubicic 0-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray also made a winning start to his grass-court campaign as the world number four defeated Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Murray, seeded second, sustained an ankle ligament injury during his run to the French Open semi-finals that briefly threatened his participation in a tournament he won in 2009.
But with the start of his home grand slam at Wimbledon just 11 days away, Murray, who was given a first-round bye, will be encouraged that he was able to last the distance in a tough test against the experienced Malisse.
Although this was hardly a vintage display from the British number one, he had no obvious problems with his ankle and showed plenty of spirit to set up a clash with Serbian 14th seed Janko Tipsarevic.
"It was tricky. The court is very slow for a grass court," Murray said.
"I managed to turn it around in the end and I moved pretty well considering it was the first match. It's good to get through.
"The ankle was all right. It was a little bit sore at times but it's getting better every day."
Despite wearing a brace on the ankle, Australian Open finalist Murray was moving well enough and some wayward ground-strokes from Malisse allowed him to build a 3-1 lead before a brief rain delay.
Murray had to save two break points following the resumption and after that fright he swiftly finished off the set.
After Murray wasted three break points at 5-5 in the second set, Malisse hit back to break and level the match.
But, aided by a pair of wild forehands from Malisse, Murray broke for a 2-1 lead at the start of the final set.
He had to save two break points at 3-2 and that was Malisse's last chance as Murray served out the match.
Next up for Murray is the talented but erratic Tipsarevic, who defeated American Michael Russell 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5).
Elsewhere in the second round, South African 15th seed Kevin Anderson set up a third-round clash with four-time champion Andy Roddick after a 6-2, 6-4 win against American youngster Donald Young.
Croatian eighth seed Marin Cilic eased through to the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-4 win against French qualifier Arnaud Clement.
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, englandMurray crowned king of Queen's
Posted June 14, 2011 06:00:00 Briton Andy Murray withstood an athletic onslaught from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to beat the Frenchman 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 and win the final of the Queen's Club championships on Tuesday morning.
The climax of the Wimbledon warm-up event was being held a day late after rain washed out play on Sunday and, while conditions stayed dry, Murray weathered the storm of Tsonga's fast groundstrokes, diving volleys and energetic charges.
"He was playing a different sport to me in the first two sets. I've never seen anyone dive so much," the world number four grinned in a courtside interview.
Murray, who picked up his second Queen's trophy after also triumphing in 2009, goes into next week's grasscourt grand slam at the All England Club having given the British public and media even more reason than usual to set expectations high.
Having dished out a grasscourt masterclass to American Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, Murray was forced to play a different game against Tsonga who hurled every imaginable shot at the Briton while also throwing his body across the court.
The Frenchman's high-risk strategy of attack had looked like paying off before an unlucky net cord in the 11th game of the second set prevented him from breaking to serve for the match.
The ball bounced off the top of the net and had looked like it would make it over the net before dropping down on the wrong side in what was a major turning point in the match.
"I remember only this ball," Tsonga said on court.
"Today I had only one chance, it was this one but I missed it. But today Andy was just too good and I will try to beat him next time."
Outlandish shots
Fifth seed Tsonga had lost to Murray in the quarter-finals at last year's Wimbledon and he found himself lacking once again as the Scot drew on his experience of three grand slam final appearances, as well as his passing shots, to see him through.
His mouth often caught somewhere between a grimace and a look of mild amusement as Tsonga reached the most impossible shots, Murray gave the Frenchman a taste of his own medicine with some outlandish shots of his own.
His first between-the-legs forehand was unbelievably batted back by a diving Tsonga in the second set but the second time he tried the trick, he won the point at the net to go 5-3 up in the final set.
"I got my feet a bit messed up and I wasn't planning on doing that when I went forward, I do it sometimes in practice but I've never tried it at the net but I'll give it a few more goes," said Murray.
Having won the second-set tiebreak with ease 7-2, Murray carried his momentum through the third set where he dominated and he wrapped up the title with a seemingly heart-felt smash as Tsonga's tenacious challenge came to an end.
"He's so much fun to watch, I enjoy watching him myself but he wasn't fun to play today," Murray said of his opponent.
"It's been great preparation this week (for Wimbledon) and I'll work hard for the next five or six days to get ready."
- Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, englandHewitt eases into Halle quarters
Posted June 10, 2011 06:19:00 Defending champion Lleyton Hewitt had few problems as he set up a quarter-final clash against crowd favourite Philipp Kohlschreiber at Halle's ATP grasscourt tournament.
The Australian won his second-round match against Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 20 minutes.
With Wimbledon starting in 10 days' time, former world number one Hewitt admitted he was glad to have got a hard-fought match under his belt.
"This match was good, though it was a tough battle for me," the 30-year-old Hewitt said.
"Seppi had already played well against quality players. I remember him playing very well against James Blake at Wimbledon, so I know he plays well on grass.
"I was able to keep the ball flat and I am a little surprised about my performance.
"I feel pretty comfortable playing out there. Every time I come back from injuries, I noticed my ball-striking always comes back quickly and easily.
"It is the adjustment and the feeling for the court that is the thing missing."
Germany's Kohlschreiber awaits in the last eight clash after he enjoyed a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory over seventh-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.
"Obviously Kohlschreiber is a quality player, who has come far in this tournament so I have to watch out," said Hewitt, who is also still involved in the doubles.
"I'd like to execute my game like I did today, that would be great."
Monfils through
French third-seed Gael Monfils is also into the quarter-finals and faces another German opponent in sixth-seed Florian Mayer.
The 24-year-old Monfils saw off Croatia's Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-3, but admitted he is not a natural on grass and was looking to improve his game ahead of Wimbledon.
"I really feel good, especially because I moved well," said Monfils, who beat compatriot Florent Serra in straight sets in the first round.
"I am happy about that, because I do have problems adjusting to grass. In the last 10 days before Wimbledon, I want to improve my overall game further still - serve faster and stronger and work on my movement.
"Last year, I was terrible on grass, because that surface does not come natural to me, so this year I am happy, I want to continue improving.
"All in all, after this second easy win, I think I have made a good debut on grass here in Halle."
Mayer enjoyed a 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 win over Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun.
He fired down 13 aces on the firm Halle turf which is favouring the big hitters, but says Monfils starts as favourite in their quarter-final.
"In my opinion, Monfils is slighty ahead as the favourite," Mayer said.
"I'm surprised how well he is playing on court here, but I must play my own game and let form on the day decide.
"I will have to get things right under pressure and play my game, otherwise it will be really difficult."
In the other quarter-finals, Germany's Philipp Petzschner will play Canada's rising star Milos Raonic and top seed Tomas Berdych will play fifth seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia.
-AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, germanyHewitt slides in the net
Published: 11/06/2011 14:28:58
Lleyton Hewitt slides into the net during his quarter-final match against Philipp Kohlschreiber during day five of the Halle Open at Garry Weber stadium on June 10, 2011 in Halle.
Lleyton Hewitt slides into the net during his quarter-final match against Philipp Kohlschreiber during day five of the Halle Open at Garry Weber stadium on June 10, 2011 in Halle
Tomic wins first round qualifying match
Posted June 14, 2011 09:52:00 Bernard Tomic has won his opening round match at Wimbledon qualifiers.
Compatriots Justin Lemke, Chris Guccione, Marinko Matosevic, Greg Jones and Matthew Ebden will join him in the second round.
Players must win three matches in qualifying to earn a place in the main draw at next week's grand slam.
Lleyton Hewitt is the nation's only automatic entry into the men's singles at Wimbledon this year.
But Hewitt's world ranking has blown out to 130 in the week before Wimbledon - his worst position in 13 years.
The Australian slipped 57 places in the latest rankings released on Monday after he failed to defend his ATP title in Halle last week.
The last time the 30-year-old had a worse singles ranking was in October 1998.
Injuries have greatly hampered Hewitt's ability to contest tournaments during the past 12 months, the 30-year-old only returned to action from foot surgery in Halle last week.
The former world number one collected straight-set wins against Argentine qualifier Leonardo Mayer and Italian Andreas Seppi before losing a tight quarter-final to Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Two-time grand slam champion Hewitt has the chance to pick up some valuable rankings points at a key Wimbledon warm-up event in Eastbourne this week.
He is due to meet Olivier Rochus in their first round match on Tuesday.
Despite Hewitt's declining status, he remains Australia's highest ranked men's player ahead of Marinko Matosevic (150), Bernard Tomic (158) and Matthew Ebden (159).
- AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, englandHewitt advances in Halle
Hewitt happy despite Halle exit
Updated June 11, 2011 09:01:00 Defending champion Lleyton Hewitt was in good spirits despite his exit from Halle's ATP grasscourt tournament, after he went down in straight sets to Philipp Kohlschreiber in Friday's quarter-final.
Kohlschreiber is into Halle's semi-finals for the fourth time in his career after securing a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over the former world number one in exactly 90 minutes.
"It could have gone either way. It was very tight in the first set, I didn't have a lot of luck in the tie break," admitted Hewitt with Wimbledon set to start on June 20.
"He played extremely well and served well throughout the entire match. It's been perfect preparation for me here after a few months out.
"I didn't come here with any expectations and it's been nice to get some matches here and feel comfortable on the grass."
Kohlschreiber smashed down 14 aces, compared to the Australian's nine, in a hard-fought match and the defeat means Hewitt, who is making his comeback after ankle surgery, is now set to drop out of the top 100 in the ATP rankings.
"Today, I could see an improvement in my game - everything was just fine and I often had a bit of luck on my side," said Kohlschreiber.
"I couldn't do much wrong. This match was good - although he is coming back from injury, Lleyton Hewitt is still one of the best players in the world.
"Now the bar has been set high. The next game will be hard, no matter who is on the other side of the net. Form on the day will decide the match."
It was Kohlschreiber's strong serve which carried him to victory and he will play Gael Monfils, ranked ninth in the world, in Saturday's semi-final after the Frenchman beat Germany's Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-4 in little over an hour.
"I am happy," beamed Monfils, who has won over the crowds here.
"I came here with the expectation to play like a top-10 player and I did that.
"It is always tough for me to adjust to grass. Last year I played three rounds in Wimbledon and this year I wanted to have a good comeback on grass.
"My movement on the court is great and I know, it will be a good match against Philipp (Kohlschreiber).
"I am happy that I have had such a good preparation for Wimbledon here in Halle."
After the withdrawal of world number three Roger Federer on Monday, Tomas Berdych became the top seed and the winner of the 2007 tournament had few problems as he enjoyed a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 win over fifth seed Viktor Troicki.
The firm surface at Halle is favouring the strong hitters and this was a battle of the big guns as Berdych smashed down 13 aces, compared to the Serbian's 11, as both players contributed to 14 aces in the first set alone.
Berdych will meet Philipp Petzschner in his semi-final after the German booked his place by knocking out eighth-seeded Canadian newcomer Milos Raonic.
In a tough last-eight match, Petzschner needed nearly two hours to prevail over 20-year-old Raonic and seal a 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 win.
"It was a tight match on a knife edge. I nearly won it in the second set," said Petzschner, who also reached the semi-finals here last year.
-AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, germany First posted June 11, 2011 08:02:00Weekend Half Time
The show which aired 12/06/2011Download audio
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Presented by Cameron Green and Sacha Mirzabegian
Aussie Ebden to play Nadal
Updated June 8, 2011 07:00:00 Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden earned a shot at world number one Rafael Nadal, thanks to his 7-5, 6-3 win over India's Somdev Devvarman at Queen's, while four-time champion Andy Roddick defeated Feliciano Lopez in three tight sets.
Ebden, who was born in South Africa, has spent most of his short career playing on the unglamorous Futures Tour and is ranked 168th in the world.
But the 23-year-old will be mixing with tennis royalty in west London on Thursday (AEST) when he takes on Nadal in the Spaniard's first singles match since winning his sixth French Open crown in Paris.
Nadal arrived in London late on Monday just 24 hours after his final victory over Roger Federer to begin preparations for the defence of his Wimbledon title.
And his first opponent will be the unheralded Ebden, who secured an impressive victory over Devvarman even though the Indian was 101 places above his opponent in the ATP rankings.
Perth-based Ebden had been in good form of late, reaching the latter stages at Nottingham and Cremona, and he edged a tight first set before pressing home his advantage with a break late in the second set to clinch the win.
Elsewhere at the Wimbledon warm-up event, Roddick started his bid for a record fifth title with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 win against Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the second round.
Third-seeded Roddick, who was given a first-round bye, had been troubled by an injury to his right shoulder in recent months and was forced to miss the French Open as a result.
The three-time Wimbledon finalist had lost in the first round in each of his past three tournaments, with his ranking down to 10th as a result, and needed all of his grass-court savvy to get past Lopez.
After taking the first set in a tie-break, Roddick found Lopez in no mood to surrender and the Spaniard won the second set in another breaker.
Roddick looked in danger of an early exit when he fell a break down in the final set, but he hit straight back to level at 2-2.
The 28-year-old was finally able to see off his persistent opponent when Lopez sent a forehand long on Roddick's third match point.
"I felt great on the grass. I came over here to win Wimbledon, but I'm trying to win this tournament too," Roddick said.
Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro enjoyed a winning return to grass, as the Argentine beat Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.
Del Potro, 22, was playing his first match on grass since Wimbledon in 2009, after missing most of the 2010 season with a serious wrist injury.
"I played really well after two years away from this surface," del Potro said.
"For South American players, it can be difficult on grass, but I want to learn and improve my game because I know the best players in history won on grass."
Reigning champion Sam Querrey kept his title defence on course, as the American 13th seed secured a 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 win against Germany's Rainer Schuettler in the second round.
Next up for Querrey is British wildcard James Ward, who sprang a surprise with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka, the Swiss fourth seed, ranked 202 places above his opponent.
Ward's compatriot Andy Murray learned that he will play Xavier Malisse in the second round after the Belgian's 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany's Matthias Bachinger.
Japan's Go Soeda suffered a miserable Queen's debut as the world number 130 was beaten 6-1, 6-3 by veteran Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
Argentine ninth seed and former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 first round win against the Ukraine's Illya Marchenko.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the French fifth seed, demolished Germany's Michael Berrer 6-0, 6-1, while Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco also advanced to the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 win against France's Nicolas Mahut.
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, england First posted June 8, 2011 06:07:00Ebden earns match-up with Nadal
Matthew Ebden eyes the ball during his men's singles first round match against Somdev Devvarman on day two of the AEGON Championships at Queens Club on June 7, 2011.
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, englandDellacqua out in Wimbledon tune-up
Posted June 9, 2011 10:54:00 Australia's Casey Dellacqua has been dumped from the WTA event in Birmingham in a second-round loss to Alla Kudryavtseva.
The Russian 16th seed won the first and final sets to procure a battling 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory.
Dellacqua recently won the mixed doubles title at the French Open.
Tags: sport, tennis, australia, united-kingdom, englandNadal honoured by Borg comparison
Updated June 6, 2011 09:53:00 Rafael Nadal said he was honoured to be compared to Bjorn Borg after equalling the great Swede's record of six French Open titles with his 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-1 win over Roger Federer on Sunday.
But the Spaniard ruled out suggestions that he was now to be regarded as the greatest player of all time.
"It's very special to equal the six French Opens of Bjorn Borg, but the most important thing is to win Roland Garros," said the world number one.
"I have worked hard to be here and to play here another time. It's an honour to be compared to Borg."
Nadal now has 10 major titles made up of six French, two Wimbledon and one each at the US and Australian Opens.
Federer still leads the way with 16 majors, but with Nadal almost five years' the Swiss star's junior, expectations are high that the Spaniard will race past that total.
However, he was keen to play down the hype.
"I'm not the best player in the history of tennis but I'm amongst the best and that's enough for me," he said.
Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal said Sunday's win was the most difficult of all his nephew's six wins in the French capital.
"It was the most complicated. He played really badly in the first three rounds," said Toni Nadal.
"For Roger it was important for him to try and win another grand slam and for us it was crucial that Rafa did not lose as he wouldn't then be the best player on clay."
Nadal needed five sets to see off John Isner of the United States in the first round in Paris and complained that he did not feel as if he was playing well enough to win the title.
Toni Nadal said he had needed to have a pep talk with his nephew.
"I said to him: 'You won't win playing at this level. You must be more relaxed and I told him that winning or losing would change nothing.'
"Winning Roland Garros is an indication that 2011 is a good year. It'll give him peace of mind for what's ahead. If he loses at Wimbledon, we will always have the French Open."
Toni Nadal also shrugged off his nephew now standing level at six titles with Borg.
"This doesn't mean anything. I saw Borg when I was young. Borg will always be the greatest. He was extraordinary."
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, france First posted June 6, 2011 08:46:00Hewitt drops out of top 100
Washed-out Queen's final postponed
Posted June 13, 2011 06:35:00 Heavy rain washed out the final of the Queen's Club grasscourt tournament on Monday morning with the clash between Briton Andy Murray and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga postponed.
Organisers had hoped to squeeze in the match before the expected weather front arrived, re-scheduling the final for mid-day on Sunday local time, but the rain started early and hardly relented.
Play was officially called off just before 6:00pm (3:00am AEST).
World number two Murray, who produced a stunning demolition of Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, is bidding to win the title for a second time following his triumph two years ago.
It is the third time the traditional Wimbledon warm-up event has been extended into Monday after similar weather problems in 1979 and 1987.
The 24-year-old Murray, who will again shoulder British hopes of a long-awaited men's singles champion at Wimbledon starting next week, killed time by playing table tennis against Tsonga and exchanging banter with fellow players on his Twitter feed.
In one message to world number two Novak Djokovic, en route to London via Luton airport, Murray suggested the Serb came to Queen's for a sing-along with the American doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan.
Djokovic replied: "Another idea: Go out on court with water polo caps and speedo's...I will get a ball!"
Former world number one Serena Williams, given a wildcard at this week's Eastbourne tournament after nearly a year out with injury and illness, practised indoors with her sister Venus.
It was a similar story in Birmingham where the Edgbaston final between between Daniela Hantuchova and Sabine Lisicki was also postponed until Monday.
- Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, englandNadal wins sixth French Open
King of clay reigns again
6 June 2011listen now | download audio
Last night Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer to win his sixth French Open title -- equalling Bjorn Borg's record at Roland Garros.
Jonathan Overend
BBC's chief tennis commentator, Paris
Michel Panayotov, international editor
Radio National often provides links to external websites to complement program information. While producers have taken care with all selections, we can neither endorse nor take final responsibility for the content of those sites.Kohlscreiber wins in Halle
Call for Chinese tennis players to 'break away' after Li Na's win
Last Updated: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 09:47:00 +1000
China's top tennis official has called for reform to the country's state-run sports system after the success of Li Na at the French Open.
Li Na is the first Asian tennis player to win a singles Grand Slam event.
The director of China's tennis programme says more athletes should follow Li Na's lead and break away from the country's sports system.
Sun Jinfang has told the Xinhua news agency there must be innovation in the centralised training system.
In 2008, Li opted out of the state system and set up her own training team.
Nadal equals Bjorn Borg's haul at Roland Garros
Murray crowned king of Queen's
Posted June 14, 2011 06:00:00 Briton Andy Murray withstood an athletic onslaught from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to beat the Frenchman 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 and win the final of the Queen's Club championships on Tuesday morning.
The climax of the Wimbledon warm-up event was being held a day late after rain washed out play on Sunday and, while conditions stayed dry, Murray weathered the storm of Tsonga's fast groundstrokes, diving volleys and energetic charges.
"He was playing a different sport to me in the first two sets. I've never seen anyone dive so much," the world number four grinned in a courtside interview.
Murray, who picked up his second Queen's trophy after also triumphing in 2009, goes into next week's grasscourt grand slam at the All England Club having given the British public and media even more reason than usual to set expectations high.
Having dished out a grasscourt masterclass to American Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, Murray was forced to play a different game against Tsonga who hurled every imaginable shot at the Briton while also throwing his body across the court.
The Frenchman's high-risk strategy of attack had looked like paying off before an unlucky net cord in the 11th game of the second set prevented him from breaking to serve for the match.
The ball bounced off the top of the net and had looked like it would make it over the net before dropping down on the wrong side in what was a major turning point in the match.
"I remember only this ball," Tsonga said on court.
"Today I had only one chance, it was this one but I missed it. But today Andy was just too good and I will try to beat him next time."
Outlandish shots
Fifth seed Tsonga had lost to Murray in the quarter-finals at last year's Wimbledon and he found himself lacking once again as the Scot drew on his experience of three grand slam final appearances, as well as his passing shots, to see him through.
His mouth often caught somewhere between a grimace and a look of mild amusement as Tsonga reached the most impossible shots, Murray gave the Frenchman a taste of his own medicine with some outlandish shots of his own.
His first between-the-legs forehand was unbelievably batted back by a diving Tsonga in the second set but the second time he tried the trick, he won the point at the net to go 5-3 up in the final set.
"I got my feet a bit messed up and I wasn't planning on doing that when I went forward, I do it sometimes in practice but I've never tried it at the net but I'll give it a few more goes," said Murray.
Having won the second-set tiebreak with ease 7-2, Murray carried his momentum through the third set where he dominated and he wrapped up the title with a seemingly heart-felt smash as Tsonga's tenacious challenge came to an end.
"He's so much fun to watch, I enjoy watching him myself but he wasn't fun to play today," Murray said of his opponent.
"It's been great preparation this week (for Wimbledon) and I'll work hard for the next five or six days to get ready."
- Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, englandHewitt unsure of place at Wimbledon
Published:Wednesday, June 15, 2011 2:20 AESTExpires:Tuesday, September 13, 2011 2:20 AEST
Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has pulled out of the Eastbourne International in England after suffering foot pain.
Tags: tennis, australia, united-kingdomNadal overcomes Queen's stumble
Posted June 10, 2011 07:11:00 Rafa Nadal suffered a late blip against unseeded Czech Radek Stepanek before reaching the quarter-finals of the Queen's Club championships, while Andy Murray and Andy Roddick both cruised through.
World number one Nadal, fresh from his record-equalling sixth French Open title, looked in total command against Stepanek as he served for the match in the second set.
However, a rare collapse kept the Spaniard on court for longer than he wanted before he walked off with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 victory.
"For sure, I'm a bit tired," Nadal said on court before hurrying off to play doubles with partner Marc Lopez.
"5-2, 5-3, 40-15 he played well. I had a few mistakes and you know that's the turning point.
"The beginning of the third was tough but after that I think I played my best. Much better than yesterday."
Second seed Murray, who will spend the next few weeks shouldering Britain's hopes of a first men's grand slam champion since 1936, beat flashy Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 7-6 despite losing his service at the start of each set.
Roddick, the third seed who is looking for a record fifth title at the traditional Wimbledon warm-up event, was equally impressive as he dispatched towering South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarter-final against Spain's Fernando Verdasco, a 7-5, 6-1 winner against David Nalbandian.
Another Argentine to fall was Juan Martin del Potro, who was bundled out in two tiebreaks by Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Croatia's Marin Cilic made it a bad day for south Americans as he ousted Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 to seal a last-eight clash against Murray.
Nadal is usually ruthless when an opponent is on the ropes, but serving at 5-3 in the second set he wasted two match points and then threw in a double fault to give Stepanek a lifeline.
Then, at 5-5, he played another messy game and suddenly the mercurial Czech veteran was serving for the second set, which he did in some style, levelling the match with a lunging volley.
While the crowd, some of them perched on the balconies of the rambling Victorian clubhouse, loved it, Nadal was clearly not amused and stormed through the deciding set in quick time to set up a last eight meeting with fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray's ankle improving
Murray, beaten by Nadal in last year's Wimbledon semi-final as the Spaniard marched towards a second title at the All England Club, made sloppy starts to each set against the bespectacled Tipsarevic.
The Scot appears to like setting himself puzzles to solve though and the way he recovered both times with some dazzling shot-making and thumping serves left him feeling upbeat.
Even better news was his suspect right ankle, injured at the French Open, showed signs of improvement.
"It's the best it's felt," world number four Murray, who won the Queen's title in 2009, told reporters.
"If I had gotten off to better starts I could have won more easily but I was always trying to get myself back into it. I did a good job of that."
American Roddick, who has won four titles at Queen's but never gone on to reach the Holy Grail at Wimbledon, required just one break of serve in each set to get the better of the 2.03-metre Anderson, one of the most improved players on the Tour.
After an impressive victory against dangerous Feliciano Lopez in the previous round, the third seed said he was happy with his form at his favourite time of the year.
"Everything felt fine," said Roddick, three-times a Wimbledon runner-up to Roger Federer.
"He had some chances to break. He didn't get them. I had a couple chances and I converted. That was pretty much the story of the match," added Roddick, who fired down two 225kph bullets towards the end of the match, proof that his famed serving shoulder is in fine fettle.
Two French players were forced to withdraw injured.
Gilles Simon retired with a back strain at 3-0 down in the third set against compatriot Mannarino in a second-round match held up overnight and Michael Llodra quit with a thigh injury in the first set against Tsonga.
-Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, united-kingdom, englandSport bosses want veto on spot betting
Posted June 8, 2011 17:05:00 Australia's seven major sports want to be able to veto types of spot betting, with Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib on board and urging his state counterparts to follow suit.
The state sports ministers will meet on the Gold Coast on Friday to consider a proposal which would greatly increase the criminal penalties for corruption in sport.
The NRL, AFL and Cricket Australia are among those to push for the power to ban spot betting, while they have also joined calls for 10-year jail sentences for gambling-related corruption.
Spot betting, where gamblers place wagers on sometimes relatively incidental elements of games such as no-balls in cricket or corner kicks in soccer, is considered the area of sports gambling most susceptible to corruption.
The problem was highlighted by the scandal involving three Pakistani cricketers on last year's tour of England.
Mr Arbib says it is vital there is a national approach to what is a growing problem in sport.
"There must be national consistent laws in relation to criminality; that is something I am urging all states to sign up to at the state sports ministers conference on Friday," he said.
"We must have in place integrity agreements between sports and the betting agencies."
Sports gambling in Australia, worth $2.8 billion in 2008, is a major growth industry, although there have been relatively few cases of corruption to date.
"Even the perception that something could be wrong is enough to undermine a sport's public credibility," Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said.
The veto proposal was contained in an Anti-Corruption Working Paper endorsed on Wednesday by the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS), which represents rugby (union and league), cricket, AFL, soccer, tennis and netball.
The paper, brought together by former International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Malcolm Speed, had three main proposals.
These included calls for severe penalties for the offence of "cheating in connection with sports wagering" and a requirement that betting providers hand over details of suspicious betting patterns.
The sports also want betting companies to pay a fee for using their "intellectual property rights".
"The recommendations detailed in the working party paper set out to preserve the integrity of Australian sport and stem from a desire from professional sports to stamp out betting related corruption," Sutherland said.
"They are individual and collective actions designed to minimise opportunities for corruption and arm sports governing bodies with the ability to deal with corruption effectively if and when it affects Australian sport."
Gambling is becoming increasingly linked with Australian sport as TV broadcasts exhort viewers to bet on events and odds are displayed on perimeter advertising.
Some of the bodies represented by COMPPS also generate revenue from gambling through sponsorship by betting companies.
"The answer that the sports give to that, and I think it's a good one, is that one of the key aspects is intelligence - to get an early warning," Speed said back in March.
"The best way of doing that is for the betting agencies and the sports to be on the same page so that if there are suspicious betting patterns, they can report that to the sports and the police.
"So it's good they have a close relationship. Whether it needs to be as close as it is, in terms of sponsorship, I think that's the issue they face."
-ABC/Reuters
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, cricket, netball, rugby-league, nrl, rugby-union, football, aleague, tennis, super-14, australiaHewitt focused on Wimbledon, not ranking
Updated June 09, 2011 18:33:34
Lleyton Hewitt is unfazed about the prospect of spiralling out of the world's top 100 as he casts his steely gaze towards the only prize that matters - Wimbledon.
Hewitt crunched Argentine qualifier Leonardo Mayer 6-2, 6-3 in barely an hour in his long-awaited comeback from foot surgery to reach the second round in Halle, Germany.
After dodging a scheduled first-round clash with Roger Federer following the Swiss ace's late withdrawal from the event, Hewitt unleashed six aces and converted all three break-point chances in a polished performance.
But Australia's former world number one still has four matches to win to successfully defend the title he won last year with a hoodoo-busting final triumph over Federer.
Failure to retain the trophy will almost certainly result in Hewitt falling from 73rd in the standings to outside the top 100 entering Wimbledon.
"Ranking is not important to me," he said after booking a second-round meeting with Italian Andreas Seppi on Friday (AEST).
"I have been out of the game for over three months and I feel it's tough to re-adjust ... I couldn't care less about points.
"I have to pick up my game again, my timing, movement, footwork - everything has to become second nature again.
"You can't hurry things up."
Hewitt, an 11th-hour scratching from the French Open, had a hunch Federer might withdraw from Halle following his sapping French Open campaign.
"This time of the year is very difficult since we have two majors so close together," Hewitt said.
"With Roger having played two tough weeks in Paris, I saw a small chance that he might pull out.
"(But) seeing that I was due to play Roger Federer in the first round didn't bother me. I didn't worry about the draw. I am focusing on my fitness and my matches."
Hewitt has now won nine of his past 10 grasscourt matches, his lone defeat a four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
Written off by English bookmakers pre-Halle as a 660-1 chance to land a second Wimbledon crown, nine years after his first, Hewitt is happy enough just to be back on court and feeling injury-free ahead of his favourite tournament of the season.
"I don't feel too bad. I had no expectations going out there," Hewitt said after his 69-minute work-out against Mayer.
"You have to adjust to the climate and the conditions - obviously the practice courts here in Halle are very different to the centre court.
"My body feels pretty good."
In other results, 2007 Halle winner and second seed Tomas Berdych will face Serbian Viktor Troicki in the quarter-finals following his 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) second round win over Czech compatriot Jan Hernych.
Troicki beat Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-1 in just 52 minutes.
Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic also sealed his place in the quarters with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory over German Tobias Kamke.
Raonic, who hit 14 aces, will play another German in Philipp Petzschner, who defeated Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-2, 6-4.
- AAP
Tags: tennis, sport, england, united-kingdom First posted June 09, 2011 18:33:34Peng into Birmingham semis
Posted June 11, 2011 11:39:00 Chinese third seed Peng Shuai reached the Birmingham WTA grasscourt semi-finals on Friday with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Marina Erakovic of New Zealand.
Peng will take on Sabine Lisicki in the last four after the German enjoyed a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 win over Magdalena Rybarikova, the Slovakian 14th seed.
Second seed Ana Ivanovic progressed to the last four with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic.
Ivanovic will now face Daniela Hantuchova after the Slovakian Hantuchova, seeded fourth, overcame Alison Riske of the United States 6-2, 6-4.
"I'm very happy with the win," said Ivanovic, who will be playing in her first semi-final of the year.
Ivanovic, a former French Open champion, looked to be back in grand slam-contending form after winning Bali to conclude last year and then rising to number 17 in the world, her highest ranking since October 2009.
But her momentum stalled this season, losing early at several events, including both majors so far.
However, in three matches this week in Birmingham, she has yet to lose more than four games in a set.
"I'm just enjoying competing again," Ivanovic said.
"I have a lot of nice memories on grass courts. Since the first match this week, I've felt good about myself and my game. I'm just trying to enjoy it while it lasts and have fun out there."
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, united-kingdom, englandWednesday, June 15, 2011
Federer pulls out of Halle tournament
Posted June 7, 2011 06:43:00 Roger Federer pulled out of the Halle grasscourt tournament on Monday a day after losing the French Open final to Rafa Nadal, tournament officials said on Monday.
Federer was due to play Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in the opening round.
"I've unfortunately had to pull out of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany," said the Swiss world number three.
"I am very disappointed as it is one of my favorite tournaments on the ATP World Tour, but my body and especially my groin need a rest after the French Open."
"After talking with my team this morning, I feel that it is too big a risk to take a chance and aggravate it before Wimbledon."
But tournament organisers were left fuming over Federer's withdrawal.
"All the plans throughout the year were almost exclusively focused on Roger's start here," said tournament director Ralf Weber.
"He also never indicated that there could be health problems there. I made my disappointment clear to his management."
The small Halle event is seen as a lower-key Wimbledon preparation event than the Queen's Club tournament in London.
- Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, germanyMonday, June 6, 2011
Wimbledon 1975 Final: Ashe vs. Connors
The 1975 Championship reached a spectacular climax to the Gentlemen's Singles Final between the world's then number one player, Jimmy Connors, and Arthur Ashe.Connors, a self-taught player from Belleville, Illinois, had burst onto the tennis scene only a couple of years earlier and was taking the tennis world by storm. In fact, he had enjoyed one of the most successful years of tennis that any player had ever experienced, producing some remarkable tennis along the way. He had won fifteen tournaments, including Wimbledon, The U.S. Open and The Australia Open.
During The Championships he looked invincible, having waltzed through to the Final without losing a single set. In contrast, Ashe from Richmond, Virginia, was pushing 32 and seemed past his prime. The prospect of Ashe being able to thwart his opponent in the final seemed remote, especially as Connors had beaten him in their three previous encounters.
However, there was a final twist in store, as Ashe overcame all the odds to beat the younger champion in four thrilling sets to win the most coveted title of all.
Price: $14.99
Hewitt to face Federer first up at Halle
Posted June 5, 2011 09:14:00 Lleyton Hewitt's prospects of a gentle warm-up for Wimbledon have been shattered by the news he has drawn to play Roger Federer in the opening round of next week's ATP tour event in Germany.
The contest will be Hewitt's first competitive outing in three months following foot surgery in March.
Hewitt snapped a 15-match losing streak against Federer in last year's final of the grass court tournament at Halle.
Judging by the Swiss superstar's victory in Friday's semi-final win over Novak Djokovic at the French Open, Hewitt could be in for a torrid return to action.
Six-time Wimbledon champion Federer's showings in Paris suggested he is going to be incredibly tough work on grass for any player this year, let alone one on the comeback trail.
If world number 67 Hewitt loses in the opening round, he may slip out of the world's top 100 and leave Australia without a men's singles player with a double digit ranking.
Hewitt, who was a late withdrawal from Roland Garros last month, must consider himself highly unlucky to have drawn Federer first-up in the 32-man draw.
The Australian is trying to cram in as many matches as possible before the third grand slam of the year and will play in Eastbourne, England, in the week before Wimbledon.
- AAP
Tags: sport, tennis, germanyLi celebrates at Roland Garros
This week in Offsiders
Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras: The Changing of the Guard
Coming into the 2001 Championships, Pete Sampras was a seven times Wimbledon champion. He had dominated the Centre Court for almost a decade and his powerful, athletic tennis had lifted the sport into new realms. The twenty nine year old American was no longer at the peak of his game though, ranked six, he was still the favorite to win an unprecedented eighth Wimbledon title. But, in the round of sixteen, he met a nineteen year old Swiss who had ambitions of his own.
Roger Federer was a Junior Wimbledon champion. His two subsequent main draw performances had ended in first round defeat. On 2nd July 2001, the fourth round match was not only Federer's Centre Court debut, but it was his first meeting with Sampras who had been beaten only once before on the most famous tennis court in the world.
The match was a five set epic lasting three hours and forty one minutes. Federer was the eventual victor 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5. The upset ended Sampras's thirty one match winning streak at Wimbledon. Federer went on to lose in the next round to Britain's Tim Henman but two years later he would win the first of his Wimbledon crowns.
The program features exclusive contributions from both Pete Sampras and Roger Federer as they recall a match that would prove to be one of the most significant in recent tennis history. Sampras acknowledges his opponent's incredible talent and admits that Federer's success was a sign of things to come. There are also contributions from Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova.
The Changing of the Guard is an enthralling account of an historical encounter featuring arguably two of the greatest champions of them all.
Price: $14.99
Schiavone rues final defeat
Li makes history to win at Roland Garros
Published: 05/06/2011 05:55:51
Li Na of China lifts the trophy following her victory during the women's singles final match against Francesca Schiavone of Italy on day fourteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 4, 2011.
Li Na of China lifts the trophy following her victory during the women's singles final match against Francesca Schiavone of Italy on day fourteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 4, 2011.
Choosing the Best Tennis Racket
Whether you are just starting out as a tennis player, or even if you
are an old pro, the tennis gear you choose is extremely important. One
of the most important pieces of tennis merchandise that you will
purchase as a tennis player is your tennis racket. Your racket is
extremely important and will set the tone for your game, so of course
you want to pick out the best tennis racket you can find. With so many
different choices out there, it can be difficult to figure out what the
best tennis racket is for you; however, if you consider your skills,
your style of playing, the weight, and the materials of the racket, you
should pick a winner.
Skill Level
When you are looking for the best tennis racket, one of the most
important things that you need to consider is your skill level.
Beginners will want to make different choices from advanced players
when it comes to picking out tennis equipment.
1. Beginners - If you are a beginner at tennis, more than likely you
will want to start out with a cheap racket that has a larger head than
most. Having the oversized head will make it easier to hit the tennis
ball while you are learning. Also, there is definitely no need to spend
a couple hundred dollars on a racket until you have learned the basics
and decided that you want to actively pursue this sport.
2. Intermediate and Advanced - Intermediate and advanced players will
want to pick out a racket that has a smaller head than the rackets for
the beginners. While the oversized head is great for beginners, as an
intermediate to advanced player, you should have more strength in your
tennis swing and a smaller head will allow you a great deal more
control in your hits.
Style of Playing
More than likely if you are an advanced player, you have your own
particular style of playing. Your tennis playing style will also
influence what you will need in a good tennis racket. If you like to
use a great deal of topspin in your game, then a racket that is head
heavy can help you improve your spin. Also, if you are a serve and
volley player, there are tennis rackets that are specifically designed
for your style of play, and the same goes for players whose game relies
mainly on groundstroking. No matter what style of play you enjoy, more
than likely you will be able to find a racket that can enhance and
improve your style.
Racket Weight
To avoid injury, taking a look at the weight of the tennis racket is
important before you purchase it. While you may be inclined to head for
the lighter rackets, actually you will want to choose a racket that is
a bit heavier; however, the head should be fairly light. While it may
sound a bit crazy to purchase a racket that is a bit on the heavy side,
a lighter racket can also lead to injury, such as tennis elbow and
shoulder problems. Also, a racket that is a bit heavier can also
improve your serves as well as your groundstroke.
Racket Materials
When you are trying to pick out the best tennis racket, you will also
need to consider the various materials that they are made of as well.
The most common materials that are used on tennis rackets today include
graphite, aluminum, and boron and Kevlar. Graphite rackets are probably
the most popular, since it provides great hitting power and both
beginners and even advanced players will find that this type of a
racket will perform nicely for them. Aluminum rackets are cheaper than
graphite ones, and they will provide you with excellent feel. The Boron
and Kevlar rackets are very stiff and can cause shoulder problems due
to the shock, so this type of racket should be avoided by a beginning
player.
While there are no set overall rules when picking out a racket, there
are a variety of things to keep in mind so you can pick out the very
best tennis racket. So instead of just walking into a shop and taking a
few practice swings, keep these tips in mind and find the best tennis
racket for you.
YourServeTennisShop.com
has an excellent selection of rackets, equipment and clothing.
Hannah Reid, co-owner
YourServeTennisShop.com [http://www.your-serve-tennis-shop.com]
[http://www.your-serve-tennis-shop.com]
Federer crushes Djokovic in semi-final
History-maker Li wins French Open
Updated June 5, 2011 06:10:00 Li Na made sporting history at the French Open on Sunday morningwhen she became the first player from China to win a major singles title.
The 29-year-old from Wuhan defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) to take her place in the pantheon of Chinese sports stars.
Li clinched the watershed win with a superb 7-0 tie-break performance in the second set, falling onto her back in the red dirt when Schiavone hit long on match point
It was a thrilling display of shot-making from the Chinese player who has said she hopes that by winning a major title she will act as a catalyst for the growth of tennis in her giant homeland.
For 30-year-old Schiavone it was a bitter pill to swallow one year after she upset the odds to become Italy's first and so far only major women's champion.
"I was 4-2 up and she tried to come back, but I just had to stand up again and I made it. I think everyone in China will be so excited," said Li.
"I was nervous but I didn't want to show my opponent."
Schiavone said: "She played well. I couldn't push her from the baseline. Then we were closer. One has to lose, one has to win. She deserved to win."
In what was the the oldest major singles final in 21 years, the combined ages of the two players was 60 years and 79 days.
Schiavone was looking to her claycourt expertise and experience of winning here last year to make the difference, while Li said that having played and lost a grand slam final already this year in Australia would help her confidence.
With the final broadcast live on television in China, where interest in her exploits has spiralled, Li had the first break point of the match on a sultry, still afternoon on the Philippe Chatrier centre court but she clattered a forehand long.
A tense, closely-fought start to the final pitted the wiry Schiavone's vicious top spin and tactical guile against the more powerful flat-hitting of the athletic Li and it was the Chinese seventh seed who drew first blood in the fifth game.
A poorly executed drop shot from Schiavone gave Li two break points and she took the second of these when an under-pressure Schiavone hit a forehand wide.
Li then held serve three consecutive times to take the first set 6-4 in 39 minutes and she looked in total charge of the final going into the second set.
She earned three more break points as Schiavone struggled to contain her weight of shot and the Chinese player let out a shout of triumph as she converted the final one of those.
Schiavone badly needed to find an answer to her opponent's domination and by throwing in some more variety in the next game she crafted her first break point of the final in the next game.
Li though swatted that aside with a big first serve and then confidently moved out into a 2-0 lead.
Another netted drop shot gave Li a further break point in the fifth game, but with the court wide open the sixth seed blasted a shoulder-high forehand into the net with a 4-1 lead on offer.
Li was proving steady as a rock on her own serve as she comfortably held for 4-2 and she saw another break point against Schiavone go astray in the next game.
The missed opportunities immediately came back to haunt her as she flung in three unforced errors when serving for a 5-3 lead and Schiavone pounced to secure her first service break of the match.
Both players then held serve twice to force the tie-break.
Li dominated that from the start, sweeping it 7-0, to gleefully write her name into the record books.
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, france First posted June 5, 2011 05:48:00Li Na takes historic French Open
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Federer smashes Djokovic in semi-final
How Do You Play Tennis?
Always wanted to learn how to play tennis but don't know where to start? Don't worry, there's a bunch of different ways you can learn how to play tennis online. Books is a great way to explore what tennis has to offer, not to mention videos which is even better since you get to see all the moves and techniques get preformed in front of you. So how do you play tennis? This article will teach you the basics of tennis, reveal the tennis scoring system, discuss court differences and hopefully give you some insight on the subject.
Technique in tennis is just a little part of the abilities and skills required to play tennis. I've encountered many instructional videos and books which hasn't understood this. They are all about how you play tennis, and how to make the correct move with your arms or legs, not twisting your wrist etc. when you actually might have problems with judging the balls landing spot or getting into position for the ball within the time limit. How do you play tennis? You study the rules of the game, learn the basic moves and perform them over and over again until you feel like you can evolve and try performing some more advanced techniques that will let you get that score advantage against your tennis partner.
To describe the tennis scoring system as simple as possible, a player must win four points to win a game, six games to win a set, and two or sometimes three sets to win a match. Game points will be counted 0(love)-15-30-40-game, and if the score between two players is 40-40 it's called Deuce. To win the game at deuce, a player must first acquire an advantage by winning a point, and then win the following point. If a player gains an advantage but loses the following point, the score is reset back to deuce. The first player who wins six games by margin of two points wins a set, and the first player to win two (or sometimes three) sets wins the match. The outcome of matches can often depend on which type of court the match is played on, so it is important to know the differences between them.
There are many types of courts used for tennis, but do you know what a fast or slow court is? A fast court is a court which has a faster surface, in other words is slowing the ball down less then a slow court. The ball also generally bounces higher on slower surfaces then on faster surfaces and vice versa. As expected the fast court surfaces suites a big server and serve-and-volley player best, although shorter strokes are easily executed on a fast surface compared to longer strokes. Slow court surfaces are baseliners favorite courts with their long strokes and/or a consistency based game. To sum up, slow courts makes you run less while fast courts make you run more, which by the way is a good thing as a game of tennis is a fabulous workout opportunity.
Tennis requires flexibility and agility to keep up with the ball, raw strength for powerful shots, endurance to be able to play a whole match and a good mental mind to stay ahead of ones opponent. Tennis allows you to train all of this while having fun, relieving stress and energizing your spirit. Tennis shapes the body as well as sharpens the mind. Each time a ball is hit, one is forced to react and respond fast. Some might want to find a strategy to use against an opponent. This keeps your brain young and helps relieve tension. Hitting the ball with a racket for an hour or two will leave you stronger and surely tone and sculpt your entire upper body. Tennis players often have good core strength (abs and lower back muscles) because they do the hard work when hitting a tennis ball but also keeps you balanced when you run and provide power to your strokes along with your legs and upper body. And the fact that your legs will get a full workout should be apparent when playing tennis, but you might not have known that you stretch muscles all over your body, (increasing your flexibility) including a few you didn't even know you had just by playing tennis. Your heart is also getting a piece of the action when you play tennis, interval training improves your heart function and you might well say tennis is interval training since you get a few seconds rest in between the points.
As you probably can tell this is only a fraction of the subject, but what you've read in this article is the basics of playing tennis. So if you're still asking "How do you play tennis?", maybe this game isn't for you.
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Sunday, June 5, 2011
Mirnyi, Nestor claim French doubles title
Posted June 5, 2011 06:51:00 Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Canada's Daniel Nestor clinched the French Open men's doubles title on Saturday with a 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-4 win over Colombia's Juan Sebastian Cabal and Eduardo Schwank of Argentina.
The result shattered the hopes of the South American pair who only teamed up after Schwank's original partner Horacio Zeballos pulled out injured.
Had they triumphed, Cabal would have been the first man to win a major title on his debut appearance.
But the greater experience of second seeds Mirnyi and Nestor eventually told as they won their first major title as a team.
With different partners, Mirnyi had already won four grand slam titles and Nestor six.
- AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, franceNadal and Federer seal dream final
Updated June 4, 2011 07:45:00 Roger Federer stunned Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal beat Andy Murray as the four musketeers put on swashbuckling displays on Friday, with a classic duel still to come in Sunday's French Open final.
Five-times winner Nadal will take on old nemesis and 16-times grand slam champion Federer after the Swiss pulled off a 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 win over Djokovic to inflict the Serbian's first loss in 42 matches and stop him becoming world number one.
That honour will stay with Spanish birthday boy Nadal, who swished and swaggered his way into the final with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over fourth seed Murray on a windy but sunny Court Philippe Chatrier.
"Always in these kind of matches, it is small things but I started playing the match fantastically," Nadal told reporters.
The Briton went down fighting, showing the same tenacious spirit which has carried him through a sprained ankle and some tough matches in the Roland Garros fortnight.
In the end, Nadal, who has lost only once on the Paris clay in singles, was just too good but the high quality of tennis in both semi-finals showed the men's game is in the rudest health it has ever been, in contrast to the women's.
China's Li Na faces defending champion Francesca Schiavone in Saturday's women's final but the duo will have to go some way to match the gripping drama that the men provided on Friday.
It was not long before third seed Federer and second seed Djokovic were unleashing stunning winners and duelling in extraordinary rallies.
"The first set was awesome and we were a bit tired for the second and third set," Federer said after reaching his first major final in more than a year as dusk almost descended.
"It will be a very difficult final."
Two breaks of serve each in the first set led to a tight tiebreak which the 2009 winner edged 7-5 when his rival, who had not played since Sunday, netted.
Bounced racket
With the noisy crowd firmly behind Federer, Djokovic bounced his racket off the ground before the Swiss won the second set after surging 3-1 up when a net cord went his way.
Australian Open champion Djokovic was not going to give up lightly and he roared back in the third set, breaking early and putting an extra flourish into his forehand to hit back.
Federer was not be outdone though and nervously sealed the fourth-set tiebreak as Djokovic failed in his quest to win a first French title and beat John McEnroe's 1984 record of 42 wins since the start of the season.
"I think I had a good first set and I was really unfortunate to lose that set," Djokovic told a news conference.
"I think I played well. I congratulate him for a great performance. We were part of a really good match."
Nadal, who made a slow start to his favourite tournament before regaining his form, was made to work for every point as he continued his bid to equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles.
The Mallorcan, celebrating his 25th birthday, broke serve for 2-1 in the first set with a passing shot down the line and after Murray missed three break points to hit back straight away, Nadal powered 4-1 ahead.
Murray brought the score back to 5-3 but he missed two more break points as Nadal closed out the first set.
The second set had a similar feel but Murray, who kept shouting to himself to keep focus, surrendered his serve for 6-5 having been 5-4 ahead and Nadal triumphed again.
Nadal used his trademark open-bodied crosscourt forehand to huge effect, somehow finding a split second to come all the way round the ball in the high-powered encounter while Murray used his quickening serve, drop shots and slices exquisitely.
"It's been by far the best claycourt season for me in terms of the way I've actually played on this surface," Murray said.
"I've had decent results before, but I feel like I played a lot better."
- Reuters
Tags: sport, tennis, france, switzerland, yugoslavia, serbia First posted June 4, 2011 06:38:00
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