Aussies fall as Del Potro books London ticket

Updated October 26, 2012 08:05:45

Aussies Matt Ebden and Marinko Matosevic have missed out on the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors.

Ebden suffered a 6-3, 6-1 defeat to Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who convincingly eliminated Bernard Tomic in the first round of the tournament in Basel.

Matosevic lost a big-serving showdown with towering South African Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

Juan Martin del Potro secured his place in the ATP World Tour Finals with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of American Brian Baker which gave him a place in the quarters at the St Jakobshalle.

The second-seeded Argentine, who had already increased his qualification hopes for London by winning the Vienna title last weekend, was delighted to make it into the eight-man, season-ending event for the third time.

But he was also sympathetic to the plight of Rafael Nadal who had to withdraw from the World Tour Finals, which begin a week from Monday, as he continues to battle back from the knee injury which has kept him off tour since June.

Del Potro said he knows exactly how Nadal feels after his own wrist injury absence in 2010 saw his career suffer a worrying setback.

"I'm sad for Rafa, he's really trying in his comeback. But it's not easy after such a long time away. I had the same feeling with my wrist.

"We miss Rafa a lot on the Tour. He is one of the best players in history, he will come back strong.

"I'm sure it will be very soon. He will be ready to win a big event again, I know that he can play better than me when he makes his comeback, I wish all the best to him."

Two Frenchmen also celebrated wins, with Paul-Henri Mathieu overcoming Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 and Benoit Paire lining up a quarter-final date with Roger Federer after his 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Lukasz Kubot.

The 23-year-old Paire is buoyed by being at his highest ranking of 46 and fresh from an upset of fifth seed Andreas Seppi in the first round.

"I played a good match against Kubot, I'm very satisfied," said Paire, who admits that he has been working to curb his notorious temper.

"I've always admired Roger. It is a dream to be able to play him in his home. Of course he will be the favourite, but I want to put in my best effort and play as well as I can."

Paire nudged his 2012 record to 25 wins against 24 losses as he took down Kubot.

The Frenchman overcame the Pole in just under 90 minutes with six aces and three breaks of serve.

"It's great to be in a quarter-final and to be playing Roger Federer," added the Frenchman.

"I had a good match against Kubot which gives me confidence. And of course beating Seppi may have been a surprise.

"Federer had a tough time playing (Thomaz) Bellucci in the second round, it went to three sets. Anything is possible in tennis and I have my chances if things go well for me."

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, switzerland, australia, argentina

First posted October 26, 2012 07:11:50

View the original article here

Aussies win in French Open qualifying

Updated May 23, 2012 11:28:17

Australians Marinko Matosevic and Greg Jones are a step closer to earning a spot in the French Open main draw after winning their opening qualifying matches.

Matosevic, the world number 89 who just missed out on direct entry to the clay-court major, thumped Frenchman Mathieu Rodrigues 6-1, 6-1.

Jones also advanced comfortably, downing Czech Jan Hernych 6-1, 6-4.

Matosevic will play Marc Gicquel in the second round of qualifying, while Jones also takes on a local, Kenny De Schepper.

But the other two Australian men in the qualifying competition crashed out at the first hurdle.

Twenty-year-old James Duckworth - who took number nine seed Janko Tipsarevic to four tight sets in the second second round of the Australian Open in January - was beaten 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) by German Daniel Brands.

Benjamin Mitchell lost a tight three-setter at Roland Garros to France's Albano Olivetti 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The French Open women's qualifying event begins on Wednesday, with three Australians in action - Sacha Jones, Isabella Holland and Olivia Rogowska.

Meanwhile, Bernard Tomic has advanced to the second round of the Open de Nice tournament in the south of France.

The fifth-seeded Australian beat Slovakia's Lukas Lacko 6-2, 6-3 to record a comfortable straight sets victory.

Tomic will play Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in the next round.

Fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden went down 6-3, 6-3 to Russia's Nikolai Davydenko.

ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, france

First posted May 23, 2012 11:23:56

View the original article here

Aussies out in Munich

Updated May 05, 2012 14:30:49

Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Marinko Matosevic were both eliminated at the quarter-final stages of the Munich ATP tournament.

Tomic fell to world number 16, Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-2 while qualifier Matosevic lost to German fourth-seed Philipp Kohlschreiber of 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).

There was little between Lopez and Tomic, who is 17 places below the Spaniard in the world rankings, in the first set with one break point separating the players.

In the second set, Tomic could not threaten Lopez's serve failing to take a single point when his opponent's first serve was in.

Matosevic started awfully in the first set winning only 20% of his first serve points and was quickly brushed aside by the home favourite.

He will have been encouraged by his second set display though, where he broke Kohlschreiber and saved four of the five break points he faced before going down in a tie-break.

Lopez and Kohlschreiber, who won this tournament in 2007, will now meet in the semi-final.

The second semi-final on Saturday will see German wildcard Tommy Haas, who defeated Marcos Baghdatis in the last eight, take on Croatian third seed Marin Cilic.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, germany

First posted May 05, 2012 07:54:52

View the original article here

Aussies face Germany in Davis Cup play-off

Updated April 12, 2012 15:46:43

The last time Australia faced Germany in the Davis Cup, Patrick Rafter played a crucial on-court role to help seal a World Group quarter-final win.

Twelve years later, Rafter will hope to be just as effective off the court when Australia travels to Germany in September vying to break back into the elite bracket of tennis.

Australia avoided a nightmare trip to Roger Federer's Switzerland when the World Group play-off draw was announced in London on Wednesday night but still faces a tough stay in Germany from September 14-16.

Victory will allow 28-time Davis Cup winners Australia to break back into the elite 16-team World Group for the first time since 2007.

The key will be a man who was Rafter's team-mate when Australia last tasted success over Germany - Lleyton Hewitt.

Rafter will be sweating on the availability of the former world number one, who is out until June due to toe surgery.

Yet Rafter believes he has already formed a winning team's nucleus after cruising through their Asian-Oceania group.

Australia booked its fifth World Group play-off appearance in six years by completing a 5-0 sweep of a depleted South Korea in Brisbane on Sunday.

"It's been a while since Australia's been back in the World Group and I think we've got the team," Rafter said after the win.

"We'll get Lleyton back up and running and we'll have a very, very good team."

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic and world number 73 Matthew Ebden spearheaded Australia's singles in Brisbane, while Rafter blooded late bloomer Marinko Matosevic in the doubles with veteran Chris Guccione.

"These guys are forming a really good team," Rafter said.

"They're understanding that they've been together now for the last four or five ties, and that's what we need."

Rafter said the presence of the recovering Hewitt had ensured the Brisbane team camp was a success.

Last September, Australia's World Group hopes were dashed in Sydney by a Swiss team featuring Federer and Stan Wawrinka.

Australia lead 4-2 overall against Germany in Cup ties but will not be given any favours in September by a team expecting to boast the likes of world number 20 Florian Mayer, Phillipp Kohlshreiber (34), Philipp Petzschner (74) and veteran Tommy Haas.

Despite their Asia-Oceania group success, Australia dropped two places on the world rankings to 20 - Germany is 10th.

Meanwhile, Germany has named its line-up to take on the Australian Fed Cup team in their World Group play-off tie in Stuttgart next week.

World number 5 Sam Stosur must lift Australia against a German team boasting three top-20 players - Andrea Petkovic (11), Angelique Kerber (15) and Julia Goerges (16) - in the April 21-22 tie.

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, australia, germany

First posted April 12, 2012 15:46:43

View the original article here

Tomic pushed, Aussies take early lead

Updated April 06, 2012 18:26:00

Stepping up in Lleyton Hewitt's absence proved more difficult than first thought for Bernard Tomic despite pulling off a straight-sets Davis Cup win in Brisbane on Friday.

Australia drew first blood in the Asia-Oceania zone second-round tie against South Korea after Tomic took out Min-Hyeok Cho 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 at Patrick Rafter Arena.

World number 75 Matthew Ebden then gave Australia a 2-0 lead when he sealed a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Suk-Young Jeong, ranked 730th.

Jeong became South Korea's number one after its six top-ranked players opted not to come to Brisbane, reportedly due to a dispute with their federation.

Australia's Chris Guccione and Marinko Matosevic have been named to take on Jeong and Jae-Min Seol in Saturday's doubles rubber.

At just 19, Tomic was asked to lead Australia with Hewitt out until June due to toe surgery.

And a comfortable victory was expected for the world number 36.

But the Wimbledon quarter-finalist hardly had everything go his way despite lining up against a player who does not have an official ATP ranking.

Indeed Tomic looked like a concerned man when he was broken in the match's opening game before Cho saved three break points to lead 3-1 in the first set.

Tomic rattled off the next three games before Cho again went toe to toe with the young Aussie from the baseline to provide unexpected resistance.

Cho, 25, only conceded a break in the second game of the second set before giving Tomic another fright in the third.

Tomic broke to lead 2-1 in the third, only to have Cho return the favour immediately then serve out the next game to lead 3-2.

Alarm bells were ringing when Tomic then limped off to receive treatment for what appeared to be a thigh complaint.

However, Tomic regrouped to claim the next four games, sealing his second match point with a backhand winner to extend his Cup singles record to 6-1.

World number 18 Australia will advance to the World Group play-offs in September if it defeats number 31 South Korea.

Australia has not been in the elite 16-team World Group since 2007.

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, korea-republic-of

First posted April 06, 2012 18:26:00

View the original article here

Aussies clinch Davis Cup tie

Updated April 07, 2012 18:06:31

Another chance to break back into the Davis Cup elite beckons after Australia grabbed an unbeatable 3-0 lead over South Korea in Brisbane on Saturday.

But it is a task that will be easier said than done judging by another unconvincing performance in its Asia-Oceania second round tie against unheralded opponents.

For the third straight year, Australia has earned a World Group play-off shot in September after doubles combination Chris Guccione and Marinko Matosevic downed Suk-Young Jeong and Jae-Min Seol 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

The play-off draw is expected to be held next week.

However, it remains to be seen whether the 28-time winners will end a five-year drought and return to the elite 16-team group this year after another wobbly display in Brisbane.

On paper, South Korea fielded a lowly doubles line-up - Jeong is ranked 764th in the world and Seol equal 1,173rd.

After surprisingly overlooking world number 79 doubles player Matthew Ebden, Australian captain Patrick Rafter would still have been quietly confident fielding Guccione (138th) and Matosevic (260th).

But just like the opening singles rubbers on Friday, South Korea shocked Australia early before going down swinging at Patrick Rafter Arena.

"I wasn't too confident coming out on the doubles court. I really did think it was going to be Matt out there," said Matosevic, ranked 260th in doubles.

"I kept on joking around. About an hour before the tie, I said 'you've still got an hour to change it'.

"But they chose me and you saw the start - it was horrendous."

Nerves appeared to have got the better of Matosevic - playing in his first live rubber - as the world number 122 singles player made unforced error after another.

He was broken in his first game on serve and made enough mistakes to ensure Guccione suffered the same fate as they trailed 4-1 in the opening set.

They broke back but could not stop South Korea surprisingly grabbing the first set in just under an hour.

The Aussie pair looked to have finally clicked when they tore through the second in barely 30 minutes but South Korea's plucky resistance resumed.

South Korea got a break back in the third when Matosevic again failed to hold his serve but Australia held on to take a two sets to one lead.

Finally, South Korea waned in the fourth as Australia raced to victory.

"I am enjoying the moment. I think it had a lot to do with Marinko having a win in a pressure situation," Rafter said.

"Marinko is going through a lot of lessons now that 19, 20-year-olds did.

"He showed a lot of nerves, feeling the pressure of playing for your country that I felt when I did it at 20.

"I want him to start feeling it and working out how to deal with it."

While world number 18 Australia was without Lleyton Hewitt (toe) in Brisbane, Rafter would be forgiven for being concerned ahead of the World Group play-off.

Australia still boasted Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic and in-form world number 75 Ebden yet still battled against a depleted South Korea.

World number 31 South Korea left out its six top-ranked players for the Brisbane tie after they reportedly fell out with their federation.

Reverse singles will be played on Sunday.

Of Australia's World Group qualifying chances, Rafter said: "I rate them - I think it is a strong team".

Australia will know next week if it is drawn with Canada, Italy (both at home), Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan (all away) or Kazakhstan (host decided by coin toss).

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, korea-republic-of

First posted April 07, 2012 15:56:19

View the original article here

Tomic, Hewitt put Aussies on top

Updated February 10, 2012 21:19:54

Singles stars Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt gave Australia a commanding 2-0 lead over China after day one of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania qualifying tie in Geelong.

The rising star and the seasoned veteran enjoyed similar straight-sets victories on Friday over Chinese players, whose considerable ability belied their lowly rankings.

Tomic, 19, downed world number 502 Wu Di 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 after Hewitt had got the ball rolling at the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club with a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Zhang Ze, who sits at number 278 on the ATP rankings.

It was Hewitt's 38th Davis Cup singles victory, a remarkable 14 more than by any other Australian.

Hewitt cruised through the opening two sets but was made to work harder in the third by Zhang, who was unable to convert two break points in the sixth game.

The set eventually went to a tie-break, which the vastly experienced Hewitt won 7-4 when Zhang tugged a forehand wide on the first match point.

Hewitt also beat Zhang in the final round of Asia-Oceania qualifying last year, although on that occasion he was taken to four sets on an indoor hardcourt in Beijing.

"It was such a similar match to when I played him in Beijing," Hewitt said.

"In the first two sets he wasn't really going for his shots quite as much and wasn't taking it on and I was able to cruise through the first two sets, the same as Beijing.

"Then he came out swinging in the third set and he's awkward when he's playing like that.

"He's swinging from the hip and taking his chances."

The toughest part of Tomic's match against Wu was the second set.

Wu broke early and claimed a 3-0 lead before the unorthodox Queenslander fought back.

Tomic proved steadier in the match-defining second-set tie-break, winning it 7-3 before powering away in the third set.

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, geelong-3220

First posted February 10, 2012 16:51:14

View the original article here

Groth puts Aussies 1-0 up over Ukraine

Posted April 16, 2011 12:27:00

Australia took a 1-0 lead over Ukraine in its Fed Cup World Group play-off on Saturday.

Jarmila Groth gave Australia a flying start when she crushed Ukraine's Olga Savchuk 6-1, 6-1 in Melbourne.

The world number 30 took just 48 minutes to beat Savchuk and was never challenged from the moment she broke serve in the opening game.

The second rubber pits Australian number two Anastasia Rodionova against Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko.

The winner of the tie will remain in the elite eight-nation World Group.

The opening two singles matches are played on Saturday with both the reverse singles and the doubles scheduled for Sunday.

- AAP

View the original article here

Aussies confident of Fed Cup success

Published:Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:10 AESTExpires:Tuesday, July 12, 2011 9:10 AEST

Fed Cup captain David Taylor says Australia still has a strong team for the tie against Ukraine even without Samantha Stosur and Jelena Dokic.

View the original article here