Posts Tagged ‘move’

US Open- Nadal and Federer Win and Move to Third Round

Rafael Nadal answered questions about his knees on Wednesday when he easily won his first match in the US Open. The Spaniard had left tennis for two months this summer, trying to recover from tendonitis in both of his knees; since his return, rumors and speculation have surrounded the state of his legs. His absence had caused him to drop from top seeded in rankings to 3rd seed. Although he admitted several weeks ago that he was not in the best of shape, he has since then reached the semifinals and finals in several tournaments. Now, at the US Open, he finished his first round saying, “I played well, no?” Rafa defeated Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Gasquet had returned from a two-and-a-half month suspension himself for testing positive for cocaine. The player managed to shorten his lengthy suspension by arguing that a kiss at a nightclub had allowed the drug to infiltrate his system. Wednesday’s match was the Nadal’s first at a major tournament since the French Open, where he was upset by Robin Soderling in the fourth round. Nadal thereafter decided not to defend his title at Wimbledon, pleading a need for rest to let his injuries heal. He expressed surprise at the speculation that surrounded his injuries; people, he said, acted as if he had been absent for two years. “It was two months,” he said. He added that, for the first time at the US Open, he felt fresh and was hoping to win his first US title. “I am very happy to be here another time, and I am enjoying much more practicing with a better attitude than when I was playing in clay season with pain in the knees every day. I went on court without pressure,” he said. “Just thinking I feel I’m a very lucky guy to be here playing and enjoying this sport.” The next match for Rafa will be in the second round against the German Nicolas Kiefer. Roger Federer, the Swiss player who rose to no. 1 in the world during Nadal’s absence, had a great night on Wednesday after defeating the German player Simon Gruel 6-3, 7-5, 7-5. In a close match, Federer again demonstrated the skills that earn him the top spot in male tennis. Although he won the first set with no major difficulties, Federer began to struggle in the second, as Gruel upped the ante. Federer fell behind 4-1 but managed a resurgence at the end of the match, winning 7-5. Federer, who is looking for his sixth US Open title in a row, stated after the match that he had seen Gruel playing before and that the German player did a great job and brought a difficult battle. The match was full of intensity, Federer said, and Gruel proved his skills as a player. Federer’s next rival will be Lleyton Hewitt, who won the US Open in 2001. Hewitt defeated Juan Ignacio Chela from Argentina in the second round. Federer has won 13 matches against Hewitt, but still approaches his opponent warily.

Roddick, Verdasco move on

Roddick, Verdasco move on
Second-seeded American Andy Roddick and third-seed Fernando Verdasco were second-round winners on Tuesday at the $1.402 million Legg Mason Tennis Classic, a hardcourt U.S. Open Series event.

Read more on Slam! Sports

Nadal, Djokovic move into Monte Carlo Masters semis

Nadal, Djokovic move into Monte Carlo Masters semis
MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) Rafael Nadal moved into the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-4, 6-2 victory on Friday over Juan Carlos Ferrero, extending his winning streak in the event to 30 matches. Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over David Nalbandian.

Read more on The Japan Times

Australian Open- Djokovic, Federer and the Williams Sisters move to the Third Round

Novak Djokovic had a difficult match against the Swiss Marco Chiudinelli; the match was taken to four sets, with the Serb committing 9 double-faults and 52 unforced errors before he was finally able to take victory 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Djokovic said after the match that he was impressed by Chiudinelli’s skill against him. It was the Swiss player’s first Australian Open. “I was well aware of his quality, and he played extremely well, especially in the first set and the start of the second,” Djokovic said. “I was very lucky to get two sets to one up.” The win was also an especially sweet one. Said Djokovic: “This court is most special because I won my only Grand Slam here.” Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Roger Federer in the semifinals and winning the title at the end. His preparation for this year’s tournament has been very intense indeed. Roger Federer, world No. 1, also defeated his opponent, Victor Hanescu from Romania, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 , in a match that didn’t seem a challenge for the top player. He was able to break Hanescu’s serve several times and took advantage of the Romanian’s errors to win in straight sets, in a match very different from the one he had on Tuesday against Andreev. At the end of the match Roger discovered that Prince William of England had attended the match, sitting in the VIP area. “Your Royal Highness, welcome to the world of tennis. Thanks for coming,” Federer said. The last time that Federer played in the Rod Laver Arena was last year in the final, when he left with tears in his eyes after being defeated by Rafael Nadal. Roger has won the Australian Open on three occasions and has a 49-7 record at Melbourne Park. For the female tennis stars, the Williams sisters advanced to the third round. Both won their respective matches: Serena, who is the defending champion of the tournament, beat Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-1; Venus defeated the Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-2, 7-5. Venus first played on a very warm day at Melbourne; she played for an hour and a half against a left-hander, the second she has faced in the tournament. She said she was unused to playing against a left-hander, but welcomed – and rose to – the challenge. Serena played her second match of the tournament and finished in less than an hour. She appeared to be in very good shape and complete 4 of 11 break point chances. She has been winning every odd-numbered year since 2003, when she beat her sister Venus in the finals; since then, Venus hasn’t been able to advance from the fourth round to take the Australian Open. Venus has, however, won seven Grand Slam titles in her career. This year there is no chance of seeing a Williams final, although the sisters, in the same group, will have to face each other before then if both continue forward. The showdown may occur in the quarterfinals, after which only the best continue for the title.