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Challenger Tennis Back In Manila After 22 Years

Posted: Jan 20, 2016

Challenger Tennis Back In Manila After 22 Years

Jan192016

The Asian tennis boom on the ATP Challenger Tour continues with the inaugural Philippine Open

It was 22 years ago, in the summer of 1994, that the Philippines last hosted a professional tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour. Australia’s Michael Tebbutt won his lone title, routing future World No. 4 Tim Henman in the final 6-2, 6-2. The tournament would subsequently close its doors, but more than two decades later, the city of Manila welcomes back the Philippine Open. Held this week at the same venue as it was in 1994, the tennis centre at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the tournament is located in the Malate district of Manila.

“Having the Challenger in Manila is great for tennis in the Philippines,” Treat Huey told ATPWorldTour.com. Huey is one of the nation’s most successful players with six ATP World Tour doubles titles and a career-high spot of No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. “It will hopefully grow the game throughout the country, as fans and younger players will come to the Challenger and see world-class tennis. I hope they will be inspired to play and in the coming years more Filipino players will compete worldwide and on the ATP World Tour. We have some good, young players and hopefully there will be even more rising up the ranks with this tournament, as they see something to strive for.”

In the midst of a tennis renaissance, Japanese World No. 7 Kei Nishikori has put Asian tennis back on the map and look no further than the Challenger circuit for more signs of progress in the continent’s resurgence. Last year, 27 events were contested in 11 Asian countries, with the ATP Challenger Tour returning to Vietnam for the first time since 2007. British rising star Kyle Edmund won his first career title in Hong Kong, which welcomed back professional tennis after a 13-year hiatus.

“We are very pleased that Manila is hosting this ATP Challenger tournament, especially at a time when they have young players who are looking to break onto the Tour,” said Alison Lee, Chair of the ATP Challenger Committee. “All these Asian countries now hosting Challengers are contributing to the future success of this region and tennis in Asia is certainly gathering momentum. There were 17 Asian players ranked inside the Top 200 in the 2015 year-end Emirates ATP Rankings, versus only seven players 10 years prior. As the number of Challengers in this region increases, it is natural that more higher-ranked players from Asia will emerge as they gain more international playing experience.”

Manila tournament director Randy Villanueva, who serves as the vice president of the Philippine Tennis Association, hopes the tournament will continue to cultivate its identity as an emerging market in the tennis world.

“The last time the tournament was here, it was very memorable,” said Villanueva. “We’re blessed that the ATP considered us to do it here again. It’s timely too because we’ve recently had some very good junior players who are now trying their careers on the professional circuit.

“I’m passionate with what we’re doing at the tennis federation. We’ve always wanted to host an ATP event here and now we have the chance. We are excited. I hope that some Filipinos will do well in the tournament. We have Ruben Gonzales, who has won some Challengers in doubles. The fans are excited and hopefully they show up.”

World No. 105 Luca Vanni is the top seed this week in Manila, with former World No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny seeking a third ATP Challenger Tour title in as many weeks. Young guns Kimmer Coppejans, seeded fifth, and 17-year-old Duckhee Lee are in the draw as well. Four Filipinos – Gonzales, Alberto Lim, Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon – are looking to make a splash on home soil.

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Nadal Left Shaking His Head After Australian Open Exit

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Nadal Left Shaking His Head After Australian Open Exit

Jan192016

Rafael Nadal reacts to his early exit at Melbourne Park

Rafael Nadal was left shaking his head on Tuesday at the Australian Open after he suffered just his second first-round exit at a Grand Slam championship.

The 2009 champion and fifth seed seed insisted he felt competitive during his five-set loss to fellow Spaniard and left-hander Fernando Verdasco, but could not explain how he had failed to convert practice court form into a match situation.

“The match is a tough one to lose for me obviously,” said Nadal. “It’s not like last year, when I arrived here playing bad and not feeling ready for it. This year was a completely different story. I have been playing and practising great and working so much. It is tough when you work so much and arrived at a very important event and you’re going out too early.

“I know I did everything that I could to be ready for it. It was not my day. There is no more things to do other than keep practising hard and keep practising the same way that I have been doing for the past four, five months.”

Nadal led 2-0 in the fifth set, but Verdasco reeled off six games for a 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in four hours and 41 minutes.

“In terms of being competitive, I was competitive,” said Nadal, who is now 14-3 lifetime against Verdasco. “In terms of creating damage to the opponent with my forehand, I didn’t. So I was hitting forehands, and he was able to keep hitting winners. [It] cannot happen when I am hitting my forehand… That was the biggest issue for me today.

“I was not enough aggressive with my forehand during the whole match. I didn’t feel it. I tried. I fought. I was ready to do it, [but] I didn’t… [But] I don’t know [one] hundred per cent the reason, to be honest.”

The only other time that Nadal had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam champion was at Wimbledon 2013, when he lost to Belgium’s Steve Darcis.

“I play majors the same way I play other tournaments all the year,” said Nadal. “All my life, I have played every tournament by putting all that I have there… I try my best in every single match of the year. That’s it. Sometimes you have success; sometimes you do not. Today it is obvious that I didn’t.

“He played so aggressive, and the serve was huge for him today. I just [want to] congratulate him because he deserved [it], and I wish him all the best for the rest of the tournament.”

Seven years ago, Verdasco arrived in Melbourne having spent the off-season working with Andre Agassi’s former trainer, Gil Reyes. In the best shape of his life, he swept into the Australian Open semi-finals, but was unable to get the better of Nadal in a five-set loss. At five hours and 14 minutes, it was the second-longest match (in terms of duration) in the championship’s history.

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Ram Advances At 2016 Australian Open

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Ram Advances At 2016 Australian Open

Jan192016

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Is Rafael Nadal in decline?

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Rafael Nadal has been knocked out of the Australian Open in the first round by Fernando Verdasco.

Should the defeat be treated as a one-off, or does it indicate the 14-time Grand Slam champion, who turns 30 this year, is in a state of decline?

Here, BBC Sport analyses the facts and figures:

Nadal’s defeat by Spanish compatriot Verdasco was only his second ever first-round exit at a Grand Slam.

But it followed a 2015 season in which he failed to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2004.

As well as not winning a Slam, Nadal only managed to win three ATP Tour titles in 2015. It is the joint fewest titles he has won in a season since 2004.

Perhaps the true indication of whether Nadal is in a state of decline will come during the clay season – his favoured surface.

The left-hander, nicknamed the ‘King of Clay’, has won nine of his Grand Slam titles on the surface at the French Open, including five in a row between 2010 and 2014.

What do you think? Will we ever see Rafael Nadal back to his imperious best? Sign in to comment below.

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Sweet Revenge! Verdasco Stuns Nadal In Five

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Sweet Revenge! Verdasco Stuns Nadal In Five

Jan192016

Seven years on from their epic 2009 Melbourne semi-final

He’s waited seven years, but revenge tasted sweet for Fernando Verdasco on Tuesday night in Melbourne as he stunned Rafael Nadal 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in four hours and 41 minutes in the first round of the Australian Open.

On the very same court, Rod Laver Arena, in 2009, Verdasco had been on the losing end of a five-hour, 14-minute marathon against Nadal in the semi-finals that lingered into the Melbourne night — the longest match in Australian Open history at that time.

It looked as though Nadal would once again edge his countryman in the decider as he assumed a 2-0 lead in the fifth. But Verdasco reeled off the last six games to claim a memorable victory.

“I was just closing my eyes and everything went in!” Verdasco told Jim Courier an on-court interview for the host broadcaster. “In the fourth set I started serving better than the second and third. He started playing less deep and strong. I started coming inside the court, being aggressive and it went well.

“Winning against Rafa in five sets here, coming from two sets to one down, is an unbelievable feeling.”

When Verdasco took the more-than-hour-long first set in a tight tie-break, fans figured they might be in for another match for the ages. Nadal, the No. 5 seed, stormed back with service breaks in the third and ninth games of the second set, and added another to open the third in moving ahead two sets to one.

Verdasco would break Nadal to kick off the fourth set and even had a chance to serve out the set 5-4. But Nadal would battle back to force a tie-break. However, Verdasco found the range on his forehand again and bullied Nadal into submission as he took the match into a decider.

It is the first time in 11 visits that Nadal has suffered a first-round exit at Melbourne Park. The 29 year old has a 45-10 tournament record, lifting the trophy in 2009 (d. Federer) and finishing runner-up in 2012 (l. to Djokovic) and 2014 (l. to Wawrinka).

Verdasco goes on to face Dudi Sela in the second round.

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VIDEO: Murray: Tennis must act on fixing claims

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Andy Murray says revelations over match-fixing in tennis could turn out to be a positive thing in the longer term as they will force the sport to tackle the problem.

READ MORE: Andy Murray says youngsters must be warned about match-fixing

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Verdasco stuns Nadal in first round

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Rafael Nadal suffered the only first-round exit of his career at the Australian Open after Fernando Verdasco recorded a stunning five-set win.

The Spanish left-handers produced an exhibition of hard-hitting in a match which spanned four hours and 40 minutes in the Rod Laver Arena.

Verdasco saved a break point to prevent going 3-0 down in the decider, going on to win 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 7-6 (4-7) 6-2.

Verdasco, 32, hit 90 winners and meets Israel’s Dudi Sela in round two.

Injuries and a 24-game decider

Verdasco’s quarter of the draw produced some drama on day two of the first Grand Slam of 2016, not least in a four hour and 43 minute match on court 19 as Jeremy Chardy beat Ernests Gulbis 13-11 in a deciding fifth set.

Frenchman Chardy – seeded 30 – edged through in temperatures around 31C in Melbourne and could now meet Nadal in round three.

Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka is in the same quarter of the draw but he will not have to worry about an early meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.

The 29-year-old – who knocked Andy Murray out of last year’s US Open – trailed American Rajeev Ram before retiring hurt in the fourth set.

Wawrinka – who plays Dmitry Tursunov later – could meet Murray at the semi-final stage if the draw goes according to seeding.

Guarding against a grind

Tenth seed John Isner – one of the biggest servers in the game – is a potential threat to Murray at the quarter-final stage and slammed 37 aces as he beat Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets.

Isner is one of seven Americans in round two – the most since nine progressed in 2009 – and one more is guaranteed to progress when Jack Sock meets Taylor Harry Fritz.

Elsewhere, 13th seed Milos Raonic explained he now wears a mouthguard during matches to prevent him from grinding his teeth.

The 25-year-old, who beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets, says grinding his teeth causes “stress and headaches”, adding: “I guess maybe it’s just a way to calm myself down.”

Wimbledon runner-up progresses

In the women’s draw, Garbine Muguruza – beaten by Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final last year – opened play in the Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

The world number three – on court before Great Britain’s Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams – has never gone past round two in Melbourne but looked in complete control as she overcame Anett Kontaveit 6-0 6-4 in just 60 minutes.

Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens awaits Muguruza next and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic improved on her first-round exit in this tournament last year.

The Serb, 28, beat wildcard Tammi Patterson 6-2 6-3 and meets qualifier Anastasija Sevastova next.

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Tennis needs to do more, says Murray

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Andy Murray says tennis needs to do “a better job” of warning young players about the perils of match-fixing.

The British number one was responding to BBC and BuzzFeed News revelations about suspected illegal betting in tennis over the past decade.

World number one Novak Djokovic has revealed he was offered £110,000 to fix a match early in his career.

Murray, 28, said: “When people come with those sums of money when you are that age, people can make mistakes.”

Djokovic said he was approached to lose a first-round match at the St Petersburg Open in 2007, adding that the offer, which was not made directly to the Serb, was dismissed immediately.

Speaking in Melbourne following his first-round win at the Australian Open, Murray said tennis authorities needed to be on the front foot on the issue of match-fixing.

“You have to be proactive with things like this and go and speak to the players rather than them reading about it in the newspapers or listening to it on the TV or the radio,” the Scot said.

“I think the more proactive you are with educating young players, the better on matters like this.”

He said players should learn about the dangers of match-fixing from the age of 15 and they should also be warned that a bad decision “can affect your career, can affect the whole sport”.

Murray also said that:

He has never been approached to fix games or matches
Tennis and all sport needs to be more transparent
Tennis is “a little bit hypocritical” to allow betting companies to sponsor tournaments
He is surprised at the number of matches that were flagged as potentially dubious
He is not surprised that Grand Slam winners and players in the top 50 have come under scrutiny

“If there is corruption in any sport, you want to hear about it,” said the world number two after his straight-sets win over Alexander Zverev.

“As a player, you just want to be made aware of everything that’s going on. I think we deserve to know everything that’s sort of out there.

“Some of it will be true, some of it might not be true, but I’m always very curious with that stuff, across really all sports as well.

“I think sports could in general be much, much more transparent.”

Murray also said tennis was sending mixed messages by allowing betting company William Hill to become one of the Australian Open’s sponsor’s this year and advertise on the tournament’s three main show courts.

For the first time at Melbourne Park, electronic advertising boards at Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Hisense Arena display the name ‘William Hill’ during breaks in play.

“I’m not really pro that,” said Murray, a four-time finalist in Melbourne.

“I think it’s a little bit hypocritical, because I don’t believe the players are allowed to be sponsored by betting companies, but the tournaments are.

“I don’t really understand how it all works. I think it’s a bit strange.”

Djokovic has also called the decision to allow a betting company to sponsor the Australian Open “borderline”.

The BBC and BuzzFeed News obtained secret files that contained evidence of suspected match-fixing in tennis.

Those files indicate that, over the past decade, 16 players who have been ranked in the world’s top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches.

All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.

However, tennis officials have rejected suggestions they have been lax on the issue of match-fixing.

They also criticised the timing of the BBC and BuzzFeed News report, published just before the start of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Djokovic does not think match-fixing is prevalent at the top level of tennis and says there is “no real proof” of fixing among the elite.

“It’s just speculation,” said the 10-time Grand Slam champion.

Roger Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, said it was difficult to gauge if and to what level fixing went on, adding he wanted more information about who might be guilty.

“I would love to hear names,” said the former world number one. “Then at least it’s concrete stuff and you can actually debate about it.

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Raonic Races Through Aussie Opener

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Raonic Races Through Aussie Opener

Jan192016

No. 13 seed easily advances 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in first match with Moya aboard

Facing Lucas Pouille for the second time in as many weeks, No. 13 seed Milos Raonic scored his second straight win over the Frenchman 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes to move into the second round at the Australian Open.

Raonic, who had defeated Pouille 6-4, 6-4 en route to the title match in Brisbane, where he downed Roger Federer for only the second time in 11 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, wasted little time establishing his 6-foot-5 presence on Tuesday in Melbourne, securing an early break and a quick 3-0 advantage. The 14^th-ranked Canadian’s second break of the afternoon provided a 5-1 lead, and he would subsequently consolidate for the set.

The 25-year-old would open the second set with his third service break, before adding his fourth and final in the closing set to put the match out of reach. He finished with 12 aces and 39 winners to 20 unforced errors.

Last year, Raonic posted his career-best Australian Open result by reaching the quarter-finals, where he fell to eventual titlist Novak Djokovic. This is his first tournament with new coaching staff addition Carlos Moya, an Australian Open runner-up in 1997. He continues to work with Riccardo Piatti.

Pouille, coached by Emmanuel Planque, has now lost in the first round in seven of his eight Grand Slam appearances.

Fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert had more luck in his first-round match, defeating American Bjorn Fratangelo in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

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Konta shocks eighth seed Williams

Posted: Jan 19, 2016

Australian Open
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 18-31 January
Coverage: Listen to Tennis Breakfast on Radio 5 live sports extra and the BBC Sport website from 07:00 GMT every day.

Johanna Konta outclassed eighth seed Venus Williams 6-4 6-2 to reach the second round of the Australian Open.

Britain’s number one, 24, raced to victory in 79 minutes as seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams, her left thigh heavily strapped, struggled.

Konta denied that 35-year-old Williams’ age had anything to do with the American’s laboured display.

“It’s irrelevant how old she is because she’s such a champion with so much experience and knowledge,” said Konta.

“Even if she’s playing with one leg out there, you’ve got to really take care of things on your own because she’s an incredible player. I have all the respect for her in the world.”

Where the match was won
Konta hit five aces to Williams’ one and won 71% of her points on first serve compared to just 52 from Williams.

Konta leads British women’s challenge

Konta, who reached the last 16 at the 2015 US Open, is the only British woman left in the singles draw following Heather Watson’s defeat on Monday.

The world number 47, making her Australian Open debut, will now face China’s Zheng Saisai.

Andy Murray also won to join Konta in the second round but Dan Evans and Aljaz Bedene both went out.

Relive the action as Konta and Murray progress

Beating a legend ‘still very much a blur’

The Briton, who has described Williams as her idol, moved her opponent around the court and hit deep into the corners to take control of the match.

Konta broke serve twice in the first set and then eased to a 5-0 lead in the second before the American rallied briefly.

But Konta held her nerve to secure a famous victory over the former world number one.

“Right now it is still very much a blur,” added Konta, who lost in the first round at her two warm-up tournaments.

“When the draw came out and I saw who I was playing, I was just hoping to stay out there more than an hour.

“I played two previous tournaments and didn’t quite get the results I wanted but I have a very strong belief in the way I want to play and the way I want to be thinking.”

Analysis

BBC correspondent Russell Fuller

“When practising with Venus Williams at Wimbledon a few years ago, Konta felt as if she was 12 years old once again, and back in the time when only a TV screen offered her a glimpse into the life of the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

“Here, in the Rod Laver Arena, Konta played with a minimum of fuss as Williams struggled with both her movement and her mindset. She was broken back when serving for the match, but looked assured throughout and like a player who now feels at home when she takes on the biggest names on the biggest courts.”

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