Djokovic sinks Federer to win Tour Finals

Updated November 13, 2012 17:50:15

Novak Djokovic produced a masterful display to end Roger Federer's reign as ATP Tour Finals champion as the world number one swept to a 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 victory in the final in London.

Djokovic underlined why he will finish as the world's top-ranked player for the second successive year, withstanding an early barrage in both sets before overwhelming the six-time Tour Finals winner in an epic encounter lasting two hours and 14 minutes.

The 25-year-old Serb's brilliant display clinched his second triumph at the prestigious season-ending event and his first since 2008 when he won the title in Shanghai.

After winning the Australian Open in January and then falling short in the following three majors - he lost in the finals of the French and US Opens - this was the perfect way to end any debate about Djokovic's right to be regarded as the world's best.

"It's always a privilege and a challenge to play Roger," Djokovic said.

"I want to thank my team, I couldn't have done it without you. I love you!"

For Federer, bidding for a hat-trick of Tour Finals titles, there was only frustration as he failed to take advantage of some dominant spells.

The 17-time grand slam champion is the most successful player in the history of the event, having won more titles and recorded more match wins than anyone else.

But even he could not subdue the rampant Djokovic, who handed Federer just his second defeat in eight appearances in the final of the Tour Finals and only his third ever loss at the O2 Arena.

For just the fourth time in the 43-year history of the Tour Finals, the top two in the world rankings were meeting in the final and they produced an enthralling clash that lived up to its billing.

Federer had swept into the final with a dominant display against Andy Murray and picked up where he left off with a blistering start.

He fizzed winners past Djokovic from all angles to take the first nine points of the match, breaking in the second game in the process.

After absorbing that frenzied assault, Djokovic got on the scoreboard when he held serve in the fourth game.

Federer must have known Djokovic would not surrender and the Serb turned the match on its head when he converted a break point in the next game.

Now Djokovic was in the ascendancy and he broke for a 5-4 lead when he unloaded a searing forehand winner on the run.

But Federer staved off a set point in the next game and took advantage of that escape to break back for 5-5.

Djokovic needed treatment after cutting his elbow while diving in vain to reach a Federer shot, but he regained his composure well enough to force a tie-break.

The breaker included a candidate for the best point of the year as Djokovic, on set point, lunged to clip a diving Federer volley past his opponent, only for the Swiss to contort his body and fire a forehand winner past the Serb from an impossibly acute angle.

But not even that could subdue Djokovic, who broke on the next point thanks to a Federer mistake before blazing a forehand winner to seal a quite brilliant set on his third set point.

Federer needed an immediate response and he delivered in the opening game of the second set with a break at the fourth attempt.

There was no let-up from Djokovic though. He kept grinding away and eventually wore Federer down, saving two set points before breaking back to level at 5-5.

Djokovic celebrated by thumping his chest and letting out a defiant roar.

The message was clear. He was coming for Federer and he delivered the knockout blow with a sublime backhand winner to seal the victory on his first match point.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, england

First posted November 13, 2012 09:43:21

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Murray makes winning start to Tour Finals bid

Updated November 06, 2012 08:06:25

Andy Murray marked his first match on home turf since winning the US Open with a gritty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tomas Berdych in the ATP Tour Finals in London on Tuesday morning (AEDT).

Murray was playing in front of a British audience for the first time since his dramatic final win against Novak Djokovic in New York in September and he rewarded the partisan crowd with a come-from-behind Group A success to kick off his latest bid to win the season-ending event.

The 25-year-old, who has never been past the semi-finals of the Tour Finals in four previous attempts, made a slow start against Czech fifth seed Berdych in the tournament's opening match.

But, after failing to convert any of his first 10 break-point chances, Murray finally found his rhythm in the second set and was able to ease to the finish line in just over two hours.

"It was very tough from the start. Berdych has had a great year. I have played him a few times and every time it has been tough," Murray said.

"It's one last push for the end of the year and having so many people watching helps with the adrenaline.

"If you can you need to treat it like a knockout event because if you win the first two matches you usually go through (to the semi-finals)."

Murray is the first British man for 76 years to win a major and a maiden triumph at the Tour Finals would be a fitting finale to a remarkable campaign which also including winning the singles gold medal at the London Olympics and reaching a first Wimbledon final.

He entered the stadium to a rapturous reception that reflected the British sporting public's new-found admiration for a player who had previously struggled to win them over.

But even the crowd's energy could not lift Murray at the start. Since his breakthrough in Manhattan, Murray has suffered something of a let-down, losing the Shanghai final to Djokovic despite holding five match-points and then crashing out of the Paris Masters against Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz.

He wasted two break points in the first game before squandering another three in the fifth game.

Berdych made the Scot pay for those lapses as he landed the first break for a 4-2 lead after Murray netted a forehand on the run.

The Czech had to save two break points as he served for the set before finally taking it on his second set point.

Murray was under pressure again at the start of the second set when Berdych earned three break points, but the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up could not deliver the knockout blow.

Boosted by that escape, Murray finally converted his first break point at the 11th attempt when Berdych blazed a forehand long in the fourth game and that proved the turning point.

The Scot went on to take the set with ease and made the decisive break in the third game of the final set when Berdych lashed a wild groundstroke way off target.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, england

First posted November 06, 2012 07:19:51

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Stosur suffers early exit from WTA finals

Updated October 26, 2012 09:35:15

Samantha Stosur missed a chance to make the semi-finals of the WTA Tour Championships for the third straight time after losing her opening match in Istanbul.

Stosur, who was a late call-up for the season-ending tournament after defending champion Petra Kvitova withdrew with illness, went down 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 to Italian seventh seed Sara Errani.

The Aussie needed to win both of her White Group matches to progress, with her next encounter against Maria Sharapova now effectively a dead rubber.

Stosur hit 26 more winners but also 24 more unforced errors in an erratic display which ended with a double fault on match point.

"I really wanted to try and play a good match tonight and be at least one match up, but obviously the result wasn't quite that way," Stosur told the WTA website.

"It was a little bit up and down - in the second set I got off to a good lead and then was able to hold onto that and win the set, and then I had a break point in the first game of the third and missed a return, and then it was like all the energy went out of me.

"I certainly dug myself into too much of a hole to try and get out."

Errani faces a must-win match against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska if she is to join Sharapova in advancing from the group.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams reached the semis with what is fast becoming a routine defeat of world number one Victoria Azarenka.

The Wimbledon and US Open champion recorded a 6-4, 6-4 win, her fifth triumph over the Belarusian this year. Williams also owns an 11-1 record in their career head-to-heads.

The win was Williams' third at the tournament and while she is guaranteed to top the round robin Red Group, Azarenka must now beat China's Li Na to reach the last four.

The eighth-ranked Li ended German Angelique Kerber's participation in the event with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph.

Azarenka's power troubles nearly every other player on the WTA Tour but Williams has a substantially bigger serve than most and an equally good return.

Williams was again let down by her serving, but she still managed 35 winners to just 15 for Azarenka, broke her five times and won the match when Azarenka doubled faulted for the ninth time.

"I had too many opportunities that I didn't use," Azarenka said.

"She played really well. I didn't execute well enough. For me, the key word today was discipline, which was missing."

The 31-year-old Williams was at a lost to explain her dominance over Azarenka.

"Maybe I'm doing the right things at the right time." Williams said. "I don't know what the edge is."

Azarenka admitted she struggled mentally against Williams but fancied one more match against her before the year was done.

"She's playing great tennis," Azarenka said.

"She's letting her tennis speak for itself. My biggest opponent is her right now. I'll do everything I can. I might still have a chance to play against her in this tournament [in the final], so we'll see."

ABC/Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, turkey, australia

First posted October 26, 2012 09:32:51

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Heavy winds delay US Open finals

Updated September 09, 2012 13:52:54

Heavy winds in New York have forced Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka's clash to be postponed until Monday (AEST) and the men's final to be held off until 24 hours later.

The match was scheduled to begin at 9:00am on Sunday (AEST), but bad weather forced the match to be put back 24 hours and it is now scheduled to begin at 6:30am on Monday (AEST).

The first semi-final between Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych was played after a 90-minute delay following heavy rain and a tornado warning with the Briton winning in four sets.

The second semi between Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer ended prematurely when Flushing Meadows was evacuated due to an incoming storm with Ferrer leading 5-2 in the first set.

This match is now set to resume at 1:00am on Monday (AEST) with the final now scheduled for 6:00am on Tuesday (AEST).

"They were brutal conditions, some of the worst I have ever played in," Murray, the 2008 runner-up, said after his 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) win.

Serena Williams will be going for a fourth US Open title in six finals while Australian Open champion Azarenka, the world number one, is making her New York championship match debut.

Despite the testing conditions, the deluge and continuing storms did not dampen everyone's spirits at Flushing Meadows.

US tennis legend John McEnroe tweeted: "A tornado warning??? You cannot be serious!!!"

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, united-states

First posted September 09, 2012 05:04:05

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Tomic through to Wimbledon quarter finals

TONY EASTLEY: Queenslander, Bernard Tomic is being lauded by many of the greats of Australian tennis after winning through to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last night.

Tomic produced another impressive display to beat Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse in straight sets in the fourth round.

The 18-year-old is the youngest man to make the last eight at the All England Championships since Boris Becker achieved the feat on his way to a second title - that was 25 years ago.

Steve Pearce was court side for Tomic's match and he filed this report.

STEVE PEARCE: It's a significant moment for both Bernard Tomic and Australian tennis, as the much hyped and sometimes controversial teenager chose the lawns of SW19 to deliver on the promise that as a junior he's shown for many years.

(Cheering)

Tomic had little to lose on Saturday in his shock win against fifth seed Robin Soderling, but in the fourth round, much was expected of him and he knew it.

BERNARD TOMIC: Two different wins, I mean, then I beat a much higher ranked player but today I was playing for a big spot and in one way they're both unbelievable achievements but today was a win I really wanted and I prepared for well and played well for it today.

STEVE PEARCE: It's Tomic's ability to handle the pressure of the big occasion that was first noticed in Melbourne against Rafael Nadal in January and then again on Saturday night in London.

John Newcombe won three Wimbledon singles titles, the last of those 40 years ago. He says Tomic has the poise to be a top player.

JOHN NEWCOMBE: It seems that he has this ability when he gets in the big points, he doesn't panic, he doesn't try to overplay. He maintains with what he knows he can do but on top of that he really believes in what he's capable of doing and it's coming off.

STEVE PEARCE: Does that surprise you that at his age that he has the composure to be able to do that, to actually come in and play these matches on pretty big stages?

JOHN NEWCOMBE: We saw him do it at the Australian Open. I think it took a lot of people by surprise there and you know, got through to the third round and played a pretty good match against Nadal, wasn't panicking there. There hasn't been a lot since then, so in a way it's a bit of a surprise that it's all you know, come to the fore here at Wimbledon.

STEVE PEARCE: Australia's Davis Cup captain and a former runner-up himself here, Pat Rafter, is equally impressed with Tomic's ability to think and play his way through difficult matches.

PAT RAFTER: He's serving very well. He is making enough returns and from the baseline he is incredibly smart, and these guys don't know what's coming at them and he can pull the trigger and hit it hard whenever he wants to or dink it around and make it slow it up and it's a point of difference that this kid has got and it will take him a long way.

STEVE PEARCE: What are we dealing with here? I was standing around with a lot of people watching that and there is a lot of people of every nationality going, wow, this guy can play.

PAT RAFTER: Yeah, he's great for the game. It's something different. We got into a rut of seeing the same baseline-type style of tennis but this kid brings something different for sure.

STEVE PEARCE: Tomic is coached by his father John, a pairing that has caused some angst at Tennis Australia and some controversy for the teenager but Rafter has only praise for both.

PAT RAFTER: His father is, you know, he doesn't come from a tennis background but he knows a lot about tennis. It's been really interesting sitting with him for the last seven matches I've watched him play and I must say the father's very, very good for him. He's very important for him.

STEVE PEARCE: Whatever the outcome of Wednesday's match, Tomic at this stage is refreshingly realistic about his chances of an unlikely title win.

BERNARD TOMIC: Three matches away, wow, that's a big question. I don't know. Well anything is possible.

TONY EASTLEY: Australia's Bernard Tomic. Steve Pearce, our reporter for AM at Wimbledon.

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Djokovic qualifies for ATP Tour finals

Updated May 17, 2011 06:44:00

Novak Djokovic's tremendous run of form since the start of the year means the Serb has already booked his spot at the ATP World Tour finals in London.

The 23-year-old emulated the feat of Rafa Nadal in 2009 by guaranteeing a place in the eight-man showpiece before the French Open, the ATP Tour said on Monday.

Djokovic took his winning streak to 37 matches with a straight-sets defeat of Nadal in the Rome Masters on Sunday, his seventh title of 2011.

It is the fifth season in a row that Djokovic has qualified for the end-of-year finals which will be staged in London for the third time in November.

Australian Open champion Djokovic is now just 405 points behind world number one Nadal in the rankings and could reach the summit for the first time in his career at the French Open which starts on Sunday.

- Reuters

Tags: sport, tennis, italy

First posted May 17, 2011 06:04:00

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Wimbledon - The 2008 Finals: Nadal vs. Federer / Widescreen

On July 6 2008, one dream ended, and a new one began on the Centre Court in Wimbledon. In the latest, magnificent chapter of their storied rivalry, Rafael Nadal dethroned five-time champion Roger Federer by winning the longest-ever Wimbledon men's final.

The consistently heart stopping 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 classic began at 2.35 pm and, thanks to a couple of breaks for rain it ended at 9.15 pm with the 22-year-old from Mallorca dropping to the ground with his arms outstretched in celebration. With the win, Nadal matched Bjorn Borg's fantastic feat of winning the Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back and also prevented Federer from surpassing the five titles in a row Borg collected between 1976 and 1980.

Conditions for the latest duel between tennis's two finest players could not have been more demanding. The rain, which delayed the start for 27 minutes, eventually cleared but the chill, gusting wind which accompanied it persisted throughout the match, blowing winning shots off course and making life even more difficult for the two competitors. That they coped so well spoke volumes for their skill and adaptability.

The match is being proclaimed as the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time.

The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-break, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens, shattering Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy.

'It's impossible to explain what I felt when I won. I'm just very happy to win this title. I never thought I could win but to do so is a dream'; said Nadal who had lost the last two finals to Federer.

It was late, very late, but not too late to crown a new champion.

Price: $24.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Wimbledon - The 2008 Finals: Nadal vs. Federer / Widescreen

On July 6 2008, one dream ended, and a new one began on the Centre Court in Wimbledon. In the latest, magnificent chapter of their storied rivalry, Rafael Nadal dethroned five-time champion Roger Federer by winning the longest-ever Wimbledon men's final.

The consistently heart stopping 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 classic began at 2.35 pm and, thanks to a couple of breaks for rain it ended at 9.15 pm with the 22-year-old from Mallorca dropping to the ground with his arms outstretched in celebration. With the win, Nadal matched Bjorn Borg's fantastic feat of winning the Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back and also prevented Federer from surpassing the five titles in a row Borg collected between 1976 and 1980.

Conditions for the latest duel between tennis's two finest players could not have been more demanding. The rain, which delayed the start for 27 minutes, eventually cleared but the chill, gusting wind which accompanied it persisted throughout the match, blowing winning shots off course and making life even more difficult for the two competitors. That they coped so well spoke volumes for their skill and adaptability.

The match is being proclaimed as the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time.

The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-break, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens, shattering Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy.

'It's impossible to explain what I felt when I won. I'm just very happy to win this title. I never thought I could win but to do so is a dream'; said Nadal who had lost the last two finals to Federer.

It was late, very late, but not too late to crown a new champion.

Price: $24.99

Click here to buy from Amazon