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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Rafael Nadal Claims the 12th Grand Slam, Beats Djokovic

Rafael Nadal mounted a serious threat for year-end world number one status after the Spaniard lifted his tenth title of the season with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Novak Djokovic to win a second US Open title on Monday.

The 2010 champion in New York, who only began his 2013 season in February after seven months of knee injury absence, claimed the 13th title of his career at a grand slam, moving to within four of all-time leader Roger Federer.

Spain’s emotional Nadal dropped to his knees and rolled on the cement of the Ashe stadium like it was his favourite clay after securing victory in just under three-and-a-half hours against his world number one Serbian rival.

“This is a very very emotional day for me,” said the teary-eyed winner. “My team knows how much this means for me today.

“Playing Novak always brings a very special feeling; no one brings my game to the limit like he does.

“He’s an amazing player and is having an amazing career. I’m sure he will finish as one of the best in the history of tennis.” Nadal has now won 10 titles this season, going unbeaten in 22 consecutive hard-court matches in 2013. The 26-year-old stands a solid 60-3 as the season of his life moved into the autumn phase.

Nadal won the opening set, dropped the second but came back to win the last two — the fourth lasted only 40 minutes against a fading Djokovic — to add the trophy to on her lifted at the event in 2010.

The Spaniard finished with 27 winners and just 20 unforced errors while Djokovic committed 53 mistakes, converting on just three of 11 break chances. Nadal broke seven times from his dozen opportunities, including twice in the fourth set.

Djokovic sent a forehand wide with most of the court available to him to yield two Nadal match points, with the Spaniard claiming the victory on his first from the Serb’s forehand into the net.

Djokovic, who won the January Australian Open, played finals in three of the four grand slams this season, He fell to 22—15 against Nadal, who has won six of their last seven matches dating to January, 2012.

“It’s disappointing to lose a match like this,” said Djokovic.“But it’s a huge privilege to be fighting for this trophy, one of the most valuable in our sport.

“Congratulations to Rafa, he was too good and deserved to win this match and this trophy.” Nadal was playing a final for the 12th time in his last 13 tournaments in 2013. He came to the title match having been broken only been broken once and lifted the trophy with the loss of just two sets over the fortnight. He now owns 60 career titles.

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- Unknown Updated at: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Monday, September 9, 2013

Serena Williams Nails The 17th Grand Slam, Matches Federer

It has been 14 years since Serena Williams won her first US Open but there was no hint of decline as the 31-year-old American outlasted Victoria Azarenka to claim her fifth US Open singles title on Sunday.

Initially frustrated by a swirling wind at Arthur Ashe Stadium and shaken by Azarenka's second set comeback from 4-1 down, Williams regained the momentum in the third set with her power and range of strokes propelling her to a 17th grand slam title.

Williams will be 32 later this month but she seems far from even contemplating life after tennis. "I feel great. I have never felt better. I feel really fit," she said.

"I can play a tournament like this, singles, doubles, with tough, tough schedules. For the most part, I felt really good. "I haven't felt like this in a number of years. I'm excited about the possibilities. I don't know what can happen. I just keep playing and do the best that I can."

Certainly Azarenka, who put up a brave fight throughout and looks easily the most likely to take over Williams' mantle whenever she does retire, had no doubts about the qualities of her opponent.

"She's a champion, and she knows how to repeat that. She knows what it takes to get there," said the Belarussian. "I think it's incredible what she's achieving. She's playing definitely her best tennis right now. It is just really exciting for me to be able to compete against that type of player who can be the greatest of all time."

The 17th slam victory puts Williams on a par with Roger Federer among contemporary players of both genders and brings her within one title of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, the fourth most successful women of all-time.

"It's an honor to be even with Roger," said Williams, "He's been such a great champion throughout the years, and he's just an unbelievable competitor and he's still playing, and he can probably still win more. ... "He's just been so incredibly consistent, so we have had really different careers," Williams said.

"Then to be compared with Chrissy and Martina - not yet, because I'm still not quite there yet. I can't necessarily compare myself to them, because, you know, numbers-wise they're still greater."

$50 MILLION

But while she is willing to contemplate history, she is less fond of thinking about what all her success has brought her. Williams picked up $3.6 million in prize money for her win combined with her bonus from securing the US Open Series of events, which took her past the $50 million mark in career prize money. "I don't play tennis for the money. I honestly love to play. I love grand slams," she said.

"When I grew up playing tennis in Compton, I just never thought about any of this. I didn't even know all this came with everything. "I think my dad got me into tennis because of the money, but me being naive and silly, I never thought about it." Winning was always the aim, she said. "I wanted to do what (sister) Venus does. I want to win and I want to do more and I want to do more," Williams said.

"To this day I have never ever picked up a check in my life. I remember back in the day before wiring they used to mail it because I just would forget it. "Someone told me today I passed 50 (million), but half of that goes to my Uncle Sam. I love him. I'm always giving him half my money," she said with a smile. What Williams does appreciate though is her ability to have been a winner at Arthur Ashe Stadium from the age of 17 to 31.

"I have won this tournament over three decades, '90s, the 2000s, and this one. You can only do that when you're younger and older, so I'm happy that I have had this opportunity."

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- Unknown Updated at: Monday, September 09, 2013

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Roger Federer Faced A Shocking Loss At US Open 2013

Roger Federer suffered a shock loss to Tommy Robredo at the US Open on Monday, ruining the prospect of meeting Rafa Nadal at the only grand slam where the two greats have never played each other.

In the biggest upset of the tournament, Robredo demolished a badly out-of-sorts Federer 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4 in the fourth round, marking the first time in a decade the Swiss master has fallen before the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.

"I kind of feel like I beat myself, without taking any credit away from Tommy," a dejected Federer said.

"I kind of self-destructed, which is very disappointing, especially on a quicker court.

"I just couldn't do it. It was a frustrating performance today."

As expected, Nadal safely made it through, recovering after losing a set for the first time in the tournament to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 6-1 at an electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium.

But his win was overshadowed by Federer's unforeseen loss against a player he had beaten in each of their 10 previous meetings, spoiling what was looming as the first meeting between the pair in the Big Apple.

"It's amazing," Robredo said. "For me, Roger, for the moment, is the best player of all time.

"And to beat him in a huge stadium like the U.S. Open and in a Grand Slam ... it's like a dream."

There was an omen even before the match began when officials moved it from the center court to the smaller Louis Armstrong Stadium following a five-hour rain delay.

A five-time U.S. Open champion between 2004 and 2008, the last time Federer played a U.S. Open match away from Arthur Ashe Stadium was in 2006 but refused to blame the court switch for his below-par performance which will raise fresh speculation whether he is capable of adding to his record 17 grand slams.

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