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Federer Back On Court

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2016

Federer Back On Court

World No. 3 practises for first time since knee surgery

Roger Federer has ventured back onto the practice courts for the first time since undergoing right knee surgery just three weeks ago. The Swiss great tweeted the image of an indoor hit-out, stating that he had “rarely felt so happy to be back on a practice court”.


Federer went under the knife in Switzerland for arthroscopic knee surgery on February 3, to repair a torn meniscus that occurred the day after his Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic, according to his agent Tony Godsick. He was forced to withdraw from the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai.

Federer fans were quick to wish Federer well after he made his social media post.

“Roger, we always feel pure happiness in our hearts seeing you back on any kind of court. Keep practising, champ, we miss you so much,” Veronika Tuckova said.

“Roger not seeing you on a tennis court is like seeing a fish out of water,” Elton Engstrom said.

“Keep on getting stronger, recover fully, king of the tennis court! You don’t just play tennis Mr Federer, you are tennis!” Elizabeth Butler said.

“Happy that you are back on the practice court. Keep practising, we just love to see you out there competing and making tennis such an awesome sport to watch,” Rita Gaitskell.

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Berdych, Wawrinka, Kyrgios Advance At Dubai 2016

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2016

Berdych, Wawrinka, Kyrgios Advance At Dubai 2016

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Bagnis Bags Chance At Cuevas, Almagro Falls

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2016

Bagnis Bags Chance At Cuevas, Almagro Falls

Defending champion to open against Bagnis, while Almagro upset

Facundo Bagnis defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-1 Tuesday at the Brasil Open to set a second-round clash with third seed and defending champion Pablo Cuevas, who is fresh off a title win at the Rio Open. It will be the third meeting between the two; Cuevas leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head 2-0.

Brazilian wild card Thiago Monteiro continued his impressive run on home soil, backing up his upset of World No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last week in his ATP World Tour debut at the Rio Open with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over three-time champion Nicolas Almagro in the first round in Sao Paulo.

At 21, Monteiro is the youngest player in the draw, while seventh seed Almagro had only just returned to the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings (at No. 50) this week for the first time in more than a year after reaching the final at Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem) and the second round in Rio de Janeiro (l. to No. 5 Nadal).

Top seed Benoit Paire will open his Sao Paulo campaign against Dusan Lajovic, who beat last year’s runner-up Luca Vanni 6-2, 6-2 in 56 minutes on Tuesday, while Blaz Rola battled to oust sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(5). The Slovenian capitalised on four of his five break chances to advance to the second round in two hours and 44 minutes.

Rola will next face Inigo Cervantes, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta also advanced after knocking out fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 0-6, 6-4, 7-6(2). The Gijon native will next face countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver.

Gastao Elias and Diego Schwartzman both advanced to the second round after their opponents retired, eighth seed Pablo Andujar (right shoulder injury) and Horacio Zeballos (dehydration), respectively. Schwartzman will next face fourth seed Federico Delbonis, while Elias will face Santiago Giraldo, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Marco Cecchinato.

In doubles, Julio Peralta and Horacia Zeballos beat Mateusz Kowalczyk and Andreas Siljestrom 7-6(3), 7-5 to set a quarter-final meeting with Rogerio Dutra Silva and Joao Souza. Argentines Guillermo Duran and Andreas Moteni took down Brazilians Thomaz Bellucci and Marcelo Demoliner 6-4, 6-2.

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Nishikori Beats De Bakker At Acapulco 2016

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2016

Nishikori Beats De Bakker At Acapulco 2016

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Wawrinka Back From The Brink In Dubai

  • Posted: Feb 24, 2016

Wawrinka Back From The Brink In Dubai

Swiss two points from defeat against Stakhovsky

Stan Wawrinka was on the verge of a third first-round defeat in three visits to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday evening, but held on for a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Sergiy Stakhovsky.

The Swiss was two points from defeat as he trailed 4-5, 0/30 on serve in the deciding set. But he reeled off four straight points to hold serve before immediately breaking Stakhovsky. Wawrinka served out the hard-fought victory to love in just over two hours. Last week in Marseille, Wawrinka saved two match points as he edged Stakhovsky in a third set tie-break.

“It’s good for my confidence but it was a tough first match,” said Wawrinka. “I was hesitating, always being behind, staying aggressive. And it’s tough to play especially against Stakhovsky, who doesn’t give you too much rhythm.

“But it’s a great win for me. Not playing well, still winning, still fighting, still finding a way. I was playing a little bit better at the end, trying to be the aggressive player on the court. It’s good to have a chance to play better tomorrow.”

The 30-year-old Wawrinka is playing at this ATP World Tour 500 tournament for the first time since 2008. The right-hander captured his 12th tour-level title at the start of the season in Chennai (d. Coric) and has a 9-2 record in 2016.

Doubles: Rojer/Tecau Win Opener

Top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Viktor Troicki. The Dutch/Romanian duo, who finished as the year-end top team last season, are chasing their first title of 2016 this week.

Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez opened their title bid with a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt. Lopez and Lopez were victorious in the first week of the season, beating Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya in the Doha final.

Hyeon Chung and Jiri Vesely sprung a surprise as they upset third seeds Vasek Pospisil and Nenad Zimonjic, 6-4, 6-4.

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Kerber knocked out in Doha

  • Posted: Feb 23, 2016

World number two Angelique Kerber lost 7-5 6-1 to Zheng Saisai in the second round of the Qatar Open, her first singles tournament since winning the Australian Open.

Top-seed Kerber, 29, who also lost to Belinda Bencic at the Fed Cup earlier this month, hit 38 unforced errors as the world number 73 dominated.

“I was not feeling my game and not finding my rhythm,” German Kerber said.

China’s Zheng plays Canadian Eugenie Bouchard next.

Third-seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seed Petra Kvitova also progressed to the third round.

Kerber reveals trophy trouble

After the match, Kerber revealed that her plan to have her Australian Open trophy – her first piece of Grand Slam silverware – sent to her via recorded delivery had backfired.

She still has not been reunited with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after opting not to take the 10kg trophy in her hand luggage on the flight home from Australia.

“It’s stuck in Warsaw,” she said. “But I hope to get it soon and I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Berdych Makes Strong Start; Coric Advances

  • Posted: Feb 23, 2016

Berdych Makes Strong Start; Coric Advances

Czech chasing third Dubai final

Third seed Tomas Berdych marked the start of his 10th appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Joao Sousa.

The Czech is a two-time runner-up at this ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tournament, reaching the final in 2013 (l. to Djokovic) and 2014 (l. to Federer), and has a 21-9 event record.

The 30-year-old Berdych notched his 10th win of the season as he prevailed in 70 minutes, converting four of his five break points.

“I think he struggled in the first set, so he could get only better,” said Berdych. “I think he just started to play a little bit more solid, played a little bit more aggressive from his forehand side, which is his stronger side. He pushed me a little bit more. But I think overall it was quite good.”

Berdych goes on to face qualifier Thomas Fabbiano, who defeated Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 6-4.

Fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut set a second-round clash with Korean teenager Hyeon Chung after dismissing Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-4 in 85 minutes. The 27-year-old Bautista Agut has enjoyed a career-best start to the season, winning titles in Auckland (d. Sock) and Sofia (d. Troicki), and improved to a 15-3 match record.

“I served really well. I think I played very solid during all the match,” said Bautista Agut. “I was returning well and putting a lot of pressure on him and returning everything. It was the best start of the season for me, so I have to be confident for sure. I feel great on the court, and I feel I have a lot of rhythm. I played a lot of matches. So it’s good, to win matches and to be with confidence.”

Next Generation star Borna Coric advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jiri Vesely. The 19-year-old Croat, who lives and trains in Dubai, reached his first ATP World Tour final in Chennai at the start of the season (l. to Wawrinka).

Coric goes on to meet eighth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat Marsel Ilhan 6-1, 7-5.

Croatian qualifier Frank Skugor notched his first tour-level win in six years – and just the fourth of his career – as he defeated Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-3. The 28 year old could face second seed Stan Wawrinka in the second round, should the Swiss beat Sergiy Stakhovsky.

 

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Murray to lead GB Davis Cup defence

  • Posted: Feb 23, 2016

Andy Murray will lead Great Britain’s defence of the Davis Cup in the first-round tie against Japan in Birmingham from 4-6 March.

The 28-year-old world number two will be joined by brother Jamie, Kyle Edmund, Dominic Inglot and Dan Evans.

GB coach Leon Smith said: “It will be a test but I’m confident in our team and we’re lucky to have another home tie.”

Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 with victory over Belgium in Ghent last November.

Smith, who will make his final selections at the draw on 3 March, added: “Japan have a very strong team, progressed well in recent years and with Kei Nishikori have an established top-10 player.”

Murray’s wife Kim Sears gave birth to the couple’s first child this month and Smith said: “Andy has once again demonstrated his commitment to the team and his country in making himself available to play, especially so soon after becoming a father.”

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Djokovic Breezes Into Dubai 2016 Second Round

  • Posted: Feb 23, 2016

Djokovic Breezes Into Dubai 2016 Second Round

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Konta battles through in Acapulco

  • Posted: Feb 23, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta has beaten Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the first round of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco.

In her first match since reaching the Australian Open semi-finals last month, world number 26 Konta raced 5-1 ahead.

She was broken twice as 20-year-old Kontaveit, ranked 91, levelled in the first meeting between the players.

Konta, 24, also lost her first two service games in the decider but finally won in an hour and 44 minutes.

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