Posts Tagged ‘Beijing’

Did Juan Martin del Potro represented Argentina in the Beijing Summer Olympics?

Or did he went to the 2008 Summer Olympics games?

Murray will begin again while Federer leaves

Andy Murray improved from a deprived beginning to lead Italy’s Fabio Fognini by a set when rain halted third round play at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. The Briton was leading 7-6 (13-11) 1-0 after improving from 5-0 down in the starting set on Court des Princes.

Murray will begin again at 0930 BST on Wednesday, with a potency quarter final to follow later on in the day. Roger Federer’s fights continued as he downed 6-4 7-5 to fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka on Thursday.

The world number two had received a wildcard into the occasion as he appears for a first title since October.

Federer said, “I was producing a little too many faults that sort of gave him the benefit. I just thought Stan played well. I’m pleased and contented for him that he has made progressed so much in the last couple years. He’s lastly building a push, acquiring close to top players and crushing top players like myself. I think it’s big for him.”

Federer downs Italian Andreas Seppi easily sufficient in his starting match but 13th seed Wawrinka, who achieved the Olympic doubles title with Federer in Beijing, proved far tougher. The beginning of play was late by over five hours and saw Murray’s match changed to the second show court, while Federer got centre stage on Court Central.

But it was Wawrinka who burst serve in the seventh game when he changed his sixth break point, while Federer had yet to manage one. The natural mistakes that have haunted Federer all year continued to run and, after the pair swapped breaks at the beginning of the second set, an untamed forehand put Wawrinka forward once more at 6-5.

Federer made two break points as Wawrinka served for the match but the fewer heralded Swiss held his courage and defended back to get his first match point, and claim a first win over his compatriot in three meetings.

Wawrinka said, “It was not such a trouble free match but of course I am pretty happy to have achieved it. I am a little bit uncomfortable to celebrate it.”

The world number 108 stormed into a twice smash lead but unsuccessful to serve out at the first chance and paid the price. Murray rose in confidence, spinning off five games in a row to draw level before Fognini gathered himself adequately to force a tie break.

And it demonstrated to be an amazing climax to the set as both players frequently took, and threw away, the initiative.

The couple had seen three set points apiece go begging before Murray lastly changed the fourth when the Italian missed a break, and the rain that followed gave Fognini a welcome opportunity to regroup before the match resumes on Friday.

The WTA Chief Executive Larry Scott resigning

The WTA chief Larry Scott threw a surprising effect and shocked into the women’s tennis on the eve of one of the major occasions on the calendar on Tuesday by declaring that he will give up and steps down to move to a university athletics job in the United States.

The resignation declaration prior to the Miami Masters came less than three months after ATP boss Etienne de Villiers was enforced out and interchanged with a lawyer, Adam Helfant, with little bit experience in the sport.

Scott, who worked hard with the men’s ATP before coming over to the women’s side and functioning for six years as chief executive of the WTA, will head the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) PAC-10 Conference, effective July 1.

Scott oversaw a huge addition in prize money and a prosperous partnership with tour global sponsor Sony Ericsson, which turned headline players like Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters into crossover celebrities with forays into fashion, music and show business and computer gaming.

Scott shortly prescribed “With women’s professional tennis more well-liked and admired than ever the Tour in the strongest business position in its history and a incredible senior management team in place, it is now the exact time for me to meet with the new challenge reliable with my family and personal destinations, and give up the room for the next generation of Tour leadership to take on new tasks”.

He will now work with the Tour Board on the selection procedure for his replacement.

The representative of Tournament Board and chairman of the Tournament Council Steve Simon said by expressing his opinion in the favour of Larry, “Under Larry’s leadership and guidance, both Tour and our sport have developed and grown up over the past six years beyond anyone’s extreme expectations,”

“As an association and sport, we are positioned for constant victory and success. We wish and hope Larry the very well in his new position, and are looking forward to start the process of electing a new one CEO for the organization to guide us into the future.”

The resignation will also let Scott to move a bullet in the continuing case of the Williams sisters’ boycott of the just-concluded Indian Wells Masters, a posture which for the first time in 2009 will result in sanctions for the millionaire sibling act.

The most recent Scott’s crisis and calamities came into being last month at Dubai when Israeli player Shahar Peer was deprived of a visa into the Arab emirate, sparking a war of words, a fine of $US300,000 ($A433,000) from the WTA and potential sanctions in opposition to the highlight event.

Scott also felt and analysis by seeing the global growth and development of the sport into new markets, including organization of the Tour’s first ever Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beijing.