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Djokovic gets new clothing sponsor
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsDjokovic gets new clothing sponsor
Serbian world No 3 Novak Djokovic announced he has signed a clothing deal with Sergio Tacchini that will start in January, ending a long association with Adidas.
“I am pleased to partner with Sergio Tacchini, a strong brand with a true tennis DNA and am honored to become a part of this legacy,” the 22-year-old said.
The iconic T logo has been worn by some of the greatest players, including 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.
Adidas recently announced it had signed world No 4 Andy Murray, who was previously kitted out by British brand Fred Perry. -
Federer, Murray win Tour Finals openers
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsFederer, Murray win Tour Finals openers
Roger Federer blazed past Fernando Verdasco after an early stumble on Sunday while Andy Murray marked the start of London’s five-year hosting of the ATP Tour Finals with a three-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro.
Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after winning his ATP World Tour Finals first round tennis match against Fernando Verdasco of Spain in London November 22, 2009. [Agencies]
Andy Murray of Britain returns a shot to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during their ATP World Tour Finals first round tennis match in London November 22, 2009. [Agencies]
Swiss maestro Federer, looking to regain the year-end top ranking after being overthrown by Rafael Nadal last year, dug himself out of trouble to win 4-6 7-5 6-1 and join Murray at the top of Group A in the season-ending showpiece.
World number one Federer was top billing for the evening session at the spectacular 02 Arena but lost his opening service game to love and sprayed 15 errors in the first set as Verdasco threatened to cause a shock.
He then survived a crisis at 5-5, 0-30 in the second set, breathing a sigh of relief as the left-handed Verdasco went agonisingly wide with a forehand – a near-miss confirmed by a Hawkeye replay accompanied by thumping heartbeat sound effect, which was just part of the razzmatazz enjoyed by the 17,500 crowd.
Crisis over, 15-times grand slam champion Federer broke serve for the first time in the match in the following game to take the set and then raced away to victory.
“I was down a set, and only the second set was I able to sort of get the ball into play, find my range, find my rhythm,” Federer, a four-times winner of the tournament, told reporters.
“The longer the match went, the more my belief was going up and his was going down.”
Six-times Wimbledon champion Federer said he was impressed with the venue and the lighting, which leaves the crowd in virtual darkness as the players duel on a vivid blue court.
“I thought the crowds were great. The lighting is unique. We don’t really see the crowd and the focus is very much on us. It’s a bit unusual,” he said. “It’s not Wimbledon like, but still special obviously.”
Murray withstood a ferocious comeback by US Open champion Del Potro to claim a 6-3 3-6 6-2 victory that at one stage looked to be slipping away from him.
Del Potro, who lost the first five games, scorched some huge forehand winners but was finally undone by the wily world number four, who soaked up everything the burly Argentine threw at him.
“He didn’t start particularly well but after 5-0 I thought the standard was very good,” Murray, who has won more titles this season than any other player on Tour, told reporters.
“He’s got a big serve, long reach and goes for huge shots. You just have to try and get through it. Tactically I’ve always been fairly good so I found a way through today.”
London’s O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, is more used to welcoming the world’s greatest pop stars, and there was plenty of glitz as the $5 million event got under way with hardly an empty seat in sight.
Led Zeppelin blared out of the sound system and spotlights punctured the eerily-lit arena as Murray and Del Potro walked out to begin the sixth instalment of what many predict will become one of the fiercest rivalries in men’s tennis.
Del Potro, a year younger than the 22-year-old Murray but already one-up on the Scot in the grand slam stakes after his stunning victory over Federer in the Flushing Meadows final in September, arrived at the venue by boat and looked all at sea in the first set in which he was troubled by a nose bleed.
“I have a big nose, that’s the problem,” a glum Del Potro told reporters, although some of his play from 0-5 in the first set should give him confidence that he can still progress.
Things began to change as Del Potro found his timing to claw it back to 3-5 and, although Murray finally clinched the opener on his seventh set point, the tide had turned.
Del Potro broke serve twice in the second set and after softening up Murray with some punishing inside out forehands that Murray could merely slice back defensively he levelled the match with an unstoppable crosscourt effort.
As quickly as it had sparked into life, however, Del Potro’s challenge withered and world number four Murray won the third set surprisingly comfortably after breaking in the second game.
“I could win two matches and still not get to the semi-finals,” said Murray. “But winning the first one obviously helps a lot.”
Group B action opens on Monday when Rafael Nadal, who can still beat Federer to the year-end world number one ranking, faces Swede Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic takes on Nikolay Davydenko. -
Westwood lands Dubai double
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsWestwood lands Dubai double
Lee Westwood achieved a European Tour double yesterday by winning the season-ending Dubai World Championship and the European Tour money-list title.
An imperious eight-under-par 64 gave him a final 23-under total of 265 and a runaway six-stroke win over fellow Briton Ross McGowan (68) on the Earth Course.
Westwood’s rival for the Race to Dubai money-list, Rory McIlroy, who shot a 67 yesterday, was third on 273.
Englishman Westwood picked up 1.77 million euros (US$2.37 million) for his double triumph at the Jumeirah Estates.
McIlroy arrived in the United Arab Emirates leading the money-list but the 20-year-old Northern Irishman was eclipsed by Westwood, who started the week in second position.
“The way I played today under this much pressure and the circumstances of it all was about as good as I’ve ever played,” Westwood told reporters after a flawless eight-birdie round.
“It’s easily the biggest moment in my golfing career so far. I knew what I had to do and to go out and shoot 66-64 at the weekend, making no bogeys, gives me a lot of confidence for the future.
“My commiserations go out to Rory.”
A dejected McIlroy said: “Every time I looked up at the leaderboard Lee was making birdies.
“He played unbelievable golf and fair play to him. Lee’s different class and he deserves to be No. 1.”
China’s Liang Wenchong was the highest Asian finisher, firing a final round 70 to finish at 281 for the tournament.
Eye injury
In Miyazaki, Japan, Italy’s Edoardo Molinari beat Robert Karlsson in a playoff to win the Dunlop Phoenix tournament yesterday, denying last year’s European order of merit winner a first victory since an eye injury wrecked his season.
Karlsson, who missed more than four months with career-threatening retinal problems and failed to qualify for the Dubai Championship, led by a stroke halfway through the final round of the US$2.5 million event.
Overnight leader Molinari made up the deficit over the back nine, however, to finish on 13-under and force a playoff which he won to join Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter on the honor roll at the Phoenix Country Club.
Swede Karlsson, 40, will be boosted by his performance in Japan as he heads to Shenzhen, China, this week to defend the World Cup of Golf title with compatriot Henrik Stenson.
Former US Amateur champion Molinari, whose five previous professional wins came on the European Challenge Tour, will again team up with his younger brother Francesco to represent Italy at Mission Hills.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry finished tied for third with Japan’s Hirofumi Miyase at seven-under 277 after both shot 69 in the final round. -
Host favorite Murray wins first match at ATP World Tour Finals
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsHost favorite Murray wins first match at ATP World Tour Finals
Andy Murray of Britain serves to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during their ATP World Tour Finals first round tennis match in London November 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Host favorite Andy Murray defeated reigning U.S. Open Champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 3-6 and 6-2in the first single match of the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday.
“It was a really good start,” said the Scot. “Start of the match was important. Me and Juan haven’t played that much since the U.S. Open. I kind of expected a little bit of a scrappy match maybe.”
Murray, seeded No. 4, made a strong start by leading the first set 5-0, but the towering del Potro from Argentina won three games consecutively later to make the match unpredictable.
Although the 22-year-old Murray snatched the victory of the first set after nine games, del Potro, who overplayed world No. 1 Roger Federer in Flushing Meadow this September, revenged harshly in the second set to win 6-3.
Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina reacts during his ATP World Tour Finals first round tennis match against Andy Murray of Britain in London November 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
In the deciding set, however, the 21-year-old del Potro surrendered quickly 2-6, losing his first match in the Group A round-robin.
“Andy played great tennis in the third set. He was a little lucky, but you need the luck to win and today (the luck) was with him,” said the 5th seed.
Murray is going to play the winner between Roger Federer and Fernando Verdasco on Tuesday.¡¡ -
Djokovic ending year as real rival to Roger and Rafa
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsDjokovic ending year as real rival to Roger and Rafa
Novak Djokovic looked in danger of getting left behind earlier this year after a punishing claycourt season took its toll on his body and mind but the Serbian appears to be back to his best.
First this month he beat world No 1 Roger Federer in his own backyard to take the Basel title, then last week he thrashed world No 2 Rafael Nadal on his way to winning the Paris Masters, his fifth title of the year.
Now the 22-year-old former Australian Open champion is setting his sights on defending his ATP World Tour Finals crown in London and next year challenging for the world No 1 spot.
“I don’t think I’m the favorite or No 1 right now because every single player who is here can win the tournament, which makes it even more interesting,” said Djokovic, who begins at the O2 Arena today against Nikolay Davydenko in Group B, which also contains Nadal and Robin Soderling.
Djokovic may not rate himself as the favorite next week but he certainly has a spring in his step despite playing 94 Tour matches this season.
“I feel that I’ve matured more now and I know what I want to do on the court.
Fitness dedication
“Physically I’ve dedicated a lot of time to fitness and I’ve been working hard over the last three or four months and now it’s paying off because I really feel I can survive those long five setters and still be fresh.
“I’ve regained that confidence and I’m able to play the way I’ve always wanted to play, which is to be aggressive and try to take control of matches.”
By most people’s standards Djokovic has had a good year, but earlier than expected exits at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon led some to believe his career was beginning to level off after stunning progress in his first years on Tour.
Since losing to Federer in the US Open semis, however, Djokovic has won three out the four tournaments he has entered and reached the semifinals in the other one.
After reclaiming the world No 3 spot from Andy Murray, he now believes he can start snapping at the heels of Nadal and Federer again, although he is under no illusions how great a challenge it will be to overtake them.
“My lifetime goal is to be No 1 and that will always be my dream until I make it,” said Djokovic.
“But I have Roger and Rafa in front of me and they are two guys who have been so consistent, especially in the Grand Slams. If you have them as your main competitors for that spot then you’re in trouble.
“On the positive side, battling against those two gave me a lot of competitive spirit and made me mentally stronger. -
Wickmayer and Malisse appeal
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsWickmayer and Malisse appeal
Belgian tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse, who both fell foul of anti-doping regulations, appealed against their one-year bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Wednesday.
“Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse have filed appeals at CAS against decisions taken by the Vlaams Doping Tribunal of Gand, Belgium, in which they were found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation,” a CAS statement said.
Wickmayer, a US Open semifinalist this year, was suspended after breaking the controversial whereabouts rule – that requires players to notify their country’s doping agency where they can be reached on a daily basis – three times.
Malisse, a former Wimbledon semifinalist whose career has slumped after various injuries, was banned for missing a doping test and twice failing to say where he could be reached.
The 29-year-old said earlier this month the suspension would probably mean the end of his career.
“It’s hard to get a one-year suspension if you never used doping,” an emotional Malisse said after being informed of his punishment. -
King Rogers crown wobbling
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsKing Roger’s crown wobbling
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will step on board the riverboat to the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday with the world No 1 ranking in their sights.
After a season that began with Federer in floods of tears at the Australian Open and Spain’s Nadal seemingly on the verge of complete domination, men’s tennis has come full circle with the Swiss maestro once again leaving the rest in his wake.
As London’s O2 Arena on the River Thames prepares to welcome the world’s top eight singles players, tournament organizers could not have wished for a better scenario to launch the city’s five-year stint as hosts.
Federer, who completed a career grand slam at the French Open this year before claiming a sixth Wimbledon title to surpass Pete Sampras’s record of 14 majors, is firmly in the driving seat to end the year as No 1.
But Wednesday’s draw has opened up the possibility of some late twists and turns in the season finale, which splits eight of the world’s top nine players into two round-robin groups.
Federer, a four-time winner, must face Britain’s world No 4 Andy Murray, a player he has lost to in six of their nine meetings.
Juan Martin del Potro, the Argentine who stunned the Swiss in the US Open final, and dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco also await in Group A. Nadal, who trails Federer by 945 points but could pocket 1,500 if he leaves London undefeated, will take on in-form Novak Djokovic and Russian stalwart Nikolay Davydenko in Group B.
The Spaniard must also face Sweden’s Robin Soderling, the man who ended his hopes of five consecutive French Open titles.
On paper, Nadal has the easier task but he has not looked in peak condition in recent weeks.
The Spaniard lost heavily to Serbia’s Djokovic in the quarterfinals of last week’s Paris Masters after having saved five match points in a previous match against Nicolas Almagro.
That typically gutsy display against Almagro – and Federer’s surprise loss to Julien Benneteau – kept the race to be No 1 alive at least but Australian Open champion Nadal will probably need to win the title unless the Swiss falls at the group stage.
With 255,000 tickets already sold, tournament director Chris Kermode has promised to turn up the razzamatazz at the 02 Arena, a huge fabric dome boasting restaurants, bars and a cinema.
Music and fireworks will add to the on-court theatrics and should help put to bed the common assumption that tennis in England exists only for the Wimbledon fortnight.
“Already it’s the biggest indoor tennis event ever staged and the interest has been phenomenal,” Kermode said. “It’s all systems go now and all hands to the deck.”
Kermode hopes the tournament will break new ground in terms of public access and player satisfaction, hence a practise court for the players in the middle of the O2’s restaurant area and two 60-seat powerboats to speed players and coaches from their hotel to the venue in 30 minutes.
“I’m pretty certain none of the players have arrived at a tournament by boat before,” Kermode said. “But they’ll be smoother than cars and will beat the London traffic. Plus they’ll get to admire the scenery on the way in.”
Another bonus for London is the presence of a fit-again Murray. The Scot returned recently from a wrist injury to win the title in Valencia and he will be a huge draw as he chases a possible 950,000 pound ($1.59 million) jackpot for five victories.
“Whoever you draw is going to be tough,” said Murray.
“I look forward to playing Roger. I’ve played Juan a few times on the tour recently and also had a close match recently with Verdasco indoors in Valencia.
“It’s a tough group but if I play well I think I have a good chance of qualifying.”
With Andy Roddick’s late withdrawal because of a knee injury, American interest at the tournament will focus on Bob and Mike Bryan as they try and overtake Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the race to end the year as the world’s best doubles pairing. -
Federer, del Potro in same group for ATP Finals
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsFederer, del Potro in same group for ATP Finals
Top-ranked Roger Federer was drawn yesterday to play US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Andy Murray in the round-robin phase of the ATP World Tour Finals.
Federer, who lost to Del Potro in the US Open final, will also face Fernando Verdasco in Group A.
Second-ranked Rafael Nadal was drawn in Group B with Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling.
The top two players in each group will advance to the semifinals of the season-ending tournament, which starts on Sunday at the O2 Arena in London. The final is set for Nov 29.
The tournament, which could earn an undefeated champion $1.63 million, features the top eight players in the world. Each round-robin match is worth $120,000, while the semifinal winners earn another $380,000 each. The champion will get an extra $770,000.
Federer, who regained the No 1 ranking from Nadal this season, could still be overtaken by the second-ranked Spaniard because an undefeated winner of the tournament will claim 1,500 points in the rankings. Federer has 10,150 points while Nadal trails with 9,205.
Federer rebounded from a disappointing year in 2008 and completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open for the first time. He then reclaimed his Wimbledon title while breaking Pete Sampras’ career Grand Slam record with his 15th major title. In the other two Grand Slam tournaments, Federer lost in five sets in the finals – to Nadal at the Australian Open and to del Potro at the US Open.
Despite winning the Australian Open, Nadal struggled with injuries throughout the 2009 season. He lost to Soderling in the fourth round at Roland Garros and then pulled out of Wimbledon, where he was the defending champion. He made the semifinals at the US Open but again was hampered by injuries and lost to del Potro.
Djokovic, who won the ATP World Tour Finals in Shanghai last year, seems to be in the best form heading into London. The third-ranked Serb beat Federer in the Swiss Indoors final early this month and then defeated Nadal in the Paris Masters semifinals en route to winning the tournament on Sunday.
Sixth-ranked Andy Roddick had been expected to play in London, but the Wimbledon finalist withdrew late on Tuesday with a left knee injury. Ninth-ranked Soderling, who lost to Federer in the French Open final, is Roddick’s replacement.
In doubles, Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak and Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram are in Group A. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes, Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach and Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski are in Group B. -
World No 1 Ochoa looking for marriage, family, golf
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsWorld No 1 Ochoa looking for marriage, family, golf
Lorena Ochoa is having one of the best years of her life and it has nothing to do with being ranked No 1 in golf.
She’s getting married next month in her hometown, which will be a boon for Mexico’s edition of Hola magazine. Her engagement was front-page news in every paper in the country. But the pending marriage hasn’t helped the struggling US LPGA Tour, which needs a dominant star.
Ochoa’s won only three times – compared to 21 times in the previous three seasons including two majors – and didn’t contend in any of the four majors. Shin Ji-yai of South Korea is about to take the player of the year award, which Ochoa has claimed three straight times.
Ochoa finished tied for sixth on her home course last weekend at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Michelle Wie won her first US LPGA event and earned much of the attention at the Guadalajara Country Club.
“For me, personally, it’s been a better year (than the past three),” Ochoa said at her tournament. “If you are talking about the results on the golf course, for sure it’s not the best year for me. But what’s important is I am happy.”
In Mexico, she’s the country’s highest profile athlete – except for football stars Rafa Marquez of Barcelona or Cuauhtemoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire – and expected to win every tournament.
But Ochoa has been candid. She is traveling more, playing less and has more off-course obligations, which include her charity foundation. She’s also planning to move from Guadalajara to Mexico City after her marriage to Andres Conesa, the CEO of Aeromexico airline – one of her sponsors.
Conesa has three children from a previous marriage, so she’ll step into a ready-made family.
“Personally, the things that I do outside of the golf course are more important,” she said. “And that is my main focus right now.”
Ochoa may follow the path of former No 1 Annika Sorenstam, who married this year just weeks after ending her career. She gave birth to a baby girl in September.
“I will think about a family but later on,” said Ochoa, who was often described as a “great ambassador” and an “awesome person” by other players.
Brittany Lincicome says Ochoa hasn’t changed this season, except she seems “more stretched with other things”. Lincicome said Ochoa has stopped coming to meetings of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“She said she just did not have time,” Lincicome said. “I mean, she is still religious but she told us she had other obligations.”
With all the distractions, Ochoa’s weak spot on the course was probably her putting. She complained about it last week at her tournament, yet was seldom seen practising on the putting green. Paula Creamer, who finished second to Wie, made a point about how much time she spends on the practise greens.
“You see it with No 1 players in the world,” Angela Stanford said. “There are a lot more demands on their time. … I can’t imagine planning a wedding and then also being the No 1 player in the world and carrying that with you. I’m sure it’s gotta be a lot more difficult.”
Ochoa recovered from a deep, midseason slump marked by one of the worst rounds of her career – an 8-over 79 in the second round of the US Women’s Open. In early October, she won the Navistar Classic for her third victory. She shot 8-under 64 in the final round of the Mizuno Classic this month to finish second.
Ochoa’s been No 1 for 2 1/2 years, and she’ll stay there heading into next season no matter what she does at this week’s season-ending LPGA Tour Championship in Houston. -
Wies victory gives LPGA a lift
Posted on 二月 20th, 2010 No commentsWie’s victory gives LPGA a lift
Michelle Wie’s breakthrough victory on the LPGA Tour has given the US women’s circuit a timely boost after a season of economic struggle.
The Hawaiian’s two-shot triumph at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico on Sunday came just 18 days after the Tour appointed a new commissioner to rebuild relationships with sponsors and players.
On October 28, former marketing executive Michael Whan succeeded Carolyn Bivens, who resigned in July after several LPGA players voiced concerns about the health of the tour in the face of the economic downturn.
At that point, the women’s tour had lost seven tournaments since 2007, including all three in Hawaii, and numerous others are up for renewal at the end of the year.
In the 20-year-old Wie, however, the circuit has one of the biggest drawcards in the game, a gifted and long-hitting player who is beloved by television and sponsors alike.
The Korean-American turned professional at 15 under a mountain of expectation after signing endorsement deals believed to be worth US$10 million a year.
She joined the paid ranks in 2005 as golf’s richest female and one of the highest paid athletes in women’s sport. Swede Annika Sorenstam, the world No. 1 at the time, earned around US$6 million a year in endorsements.
Surprisingly, it took another four years before Wie finally visited the winner’s circle, a trying period as she battled injuries, putting woes and criticism from many of her peers for her sporadic attempts to make the cut on the men’s PGA Tour.
Golf’s most trumpeted teenager since Tiger Woods, she came under intense media scrutiny as she strived to land a first tournament victory since the 2003 US women’s amateur public links title aged 13.
Wie appeared to be micro-managed by her parents as one of the game’s most marketable figures without ever justifying all the hype by winning.
To her credit, though, she earned her Tour card last year the hard way, at qualifying school, and was then selected for the Solheim Cup in August when she produced red-hot form on her debut in the biennial competition.
The youngest player on either side, she revelled in the team atmosphere and won 3-1/2 points from a possible four as the US beat Europe 16-12 in Illinois.
“For anybody who’s said Michelle Wie can’t play under pressure, I think they were proven wrong,” US captain Beth Daniel told reporters. “She did everything, and more than we asked of her. She was like walking on air.”
Invigorated and inspired by her Solheim Cup experience, Wie went on to record three top-four finishes in her next five LPGA Tour starts, including her win in Mexico.
“This year was a great learning experience for me,” Wie said after sealing victory with a 3 under-par 69 at Guadalajara Country Club.
“There were so many ups, the Solheim Cup and just being able to play every single tournament out here.
“This tournament is the icing on the cake and hopefully life will be a lot better but I still have a lot of work to do, a lot to improve. It just feels so great right now.”
