Tag Archive | "Ferrer"

Ferrer Fends Off Haas to Get into Maiden Sony Open Final

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Ferrer Fends Off Haas to Get into Maiden Sony Open Final


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The first men’s semifinal at the Sony Open showcased a pair of thirtysomething. World number five David Ferrer outlasted a resurgent Tommy Haas 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach his fifth Masters 1000 series final.

At 35, Haas, a former world number two, discovered his fountain of youth. Ranked 18th, the German ousted 24 year old Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round then stunned world number one Novak Djokovic in the round of 16. This year’s semifinal showing was the furthest Haas’ had advance in Miami.

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Djokovic and Ferrer Advance to Fourth Round at Sony Open

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Djokovic and Ferrer Advance to Fourth Round at Sony Open


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Miami, FL Ricky Dimon
The men’s singles draw at the Sony Open Tennis event is befitting March Madness, with plenty of surprise entrants making impressive inroads, but Novak Djokovic is doing his best to restore order in the absences of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Two days after destroying Lukas Rosol 6-1, 6-0 in his opening match, Djokovic rolled over Somdev Devvarman 6-2, 6-4 during second-round action on Sunday afternoon.

Miami’s two-time defending champion took control right away with a break for a 1-0 advantage in the first set. Djokovic broke again for 5-2 and served out the opener one game later before a single break helped him through the second. Devvarman saw his only break chance in the final game at 5-4 in the second, but he could not convert.

“Conditions (were) not so great,” Djokovic assured when asked about the wind, which gusted all day long. “It was very difficult to get into the rhythm because because you couldn’t really serve at 100 percent and you had to go for more precision and you had to put twice as much effort in the step adjustments because of the windy conditions. All in all I’m just happy to get through the rough day.”

David Ferrer also handled the conditions in commendable fashion as he dismissed Fabio Fognini 6-1, 7-5. Ferrer, who was contesting his first match of the tournament due to a Dmitry Tursunov withdrawal in the previous round, gave back a break in the second set but recovered to served out the match at 6-5.

“It’s difficult for us, for me and for my opponent,” Ferrer said of the wind. “I am happy because it is not easy to play with Fognini. He played one match before. He was more comfortable in the court. But I am happy with my game.”

More dramatic encounters featured Jurgen Melzer against Tobias Kamke and Albert Ramos against James Blake.

Kamke had taken out Juan Martin Del Potro and he got off to a fast start in this one, but Melzer stormed back to prevail 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4. Ramos survived a hard-hitting night match in the Stadium, scoring a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Blake. They aren’t quite making Cinderella runs of Florida Gulf Coast proportions, but either Melzer or Ramos will advance to the quarterfinals when they go head-to-head on Tuesday.

Ricky Dimon is a contributor in Miami and writes for TennisTalk.com. You can follow him on Twitter under @RD_Tennistalk by clicking here.

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Number One Ranking at Stake for Djokovic, Nadal and Federer at Wimbledon

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Number One Ranking at Stake for Djokovic, Nadal and Federer at Wimbledon


The fight to be king of the mountain will be settled at the All England Club. After a brilliant 2011 season, defending champion Novak Djokovic is under menace from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer who are vying to strip away the Serb’s number one ranking. The Wimbledon draw has been released and for these three rivals, the path to the summit is a winding one.

For the second straight major, Djokovic and Federer are destined to clash in the semifinals. Djokovic has bested the Swiss six of the last seven times they’ve met. As such, Federer will need to conquer his mental demons if he hopes to get to the final.
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Djokovic and Murray Will Settle Sony Ericsson Open Champion on Sunday

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Djokovic and Murray Will Settle Sony Ericsson Open Champion on Sunday



This year’s Sony Ericsson Open final is a repeat of 2009 as world number one Novak Djokovic meets Andy Murray.

Djokovic, the defending champion, is striving for his third title on Sunday in Miami on Sunday. While Murray, the 2009 victor, is hoping for a similar result as the last time they met at this venue in order to bank his second.

Murray who has had two walkovers at this event one from Milos Raonic in the third round and the other from Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Despite looking vulnerable at moments, Djokovic has dispatched opponents such as Marcos Baghdatis, Richard Gasquet and David Ferrer in two sets.

Djokovic and Murray have spared in two semifinals already this season with Djokovic winning at the Australian Open while Murray prevailing in Dubai. Still, in their head to head, Djokovic leads Murray 7-5.

Here is Sunday’s order of play :

Sunday, April 1 , 2012

STADIUM Start 1:00 pm

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v [4] Andy Murray (GBR) ATP
[5] Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Nadia Petrova (RUS) v
[6] Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA) WTA

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Djokovic Sidesteps Ferrer to Advance to the Semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Open

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Djokovic Sidesteps Ferrer to Advance to the Semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Open



Initially, defending champion Novak Djokovic appeared on his way to a routine win over David Ferrer. However, against the never say die Spaniard, the proceedings got complicated in a hurry. Still, Djokovic vanquished Ferrer 6-2, 7-6 to clinch another semifinal appearance at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Despite Djokovic’s 7-5 record against his rival, the Serb is well aware that Ferrer is someone who never admits defeat until the hand shake at the net.

After securing a break in the opening set, Djokovic jumped to a 3-1 edge. On a double fault from Ferrer, a second break was gifted and swiftly Djokovic punctuated the set.
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Djokovic Battles for Semifinal Slot, Sharapova Seeks Another Final at Sony Ericsson Open

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Djokovic Battles for Semifinal Slot, Sharapova Seeks Another Final at Sony Ericsson Open



The first match on stadium court at the Sony Ericsson Open has world number two Maria Sharapova and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki fighting for a berth in the final.

After reaching her maiden semifinal in Miami, Wozniacki will attempt to advance to her initial final of the season. Subsequent to her enormous victory in the quarterfinals over Serena Williams, the 21 year old will not be deterred by the challenge.

A runner up three times including 2011, Sharapova has been to the final on every occasion that she’s progressed past the fourth round at this event. It’s the initial encounter between these two this year. Sharapova has a slim advantage in their head to head of 3-2.
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Federer, Djokovic, Serena and Sharapova Highlight at Sony Ericsson Open

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Federer, Djokovic, Serena and Sharapova Highlight at Sony Ericsson Open


The order of play for Saturday at the Sony Ericsson Open is stacked with marquee matches. Action gets under way with five-time Miami champion Serena Williams facing of with Roberta Vinci. Andy Roddick will also be in action taking on Gilles Muller. Roger Federer begins his campaign to add another Miami title to his resume when he takes on Ryan Harrison. Sharapova will round out the day matches on Stadium court in a match up with Sloane Stephens.

The Grandstand court will also feature premiere matches with the likes of David Ferrer, Kim Clijsters, Mardy Fish and Juan Martin Del Potro scheduled to play.

The night session is highlighted by 2011 Sony Ericsson Open champion Novak Djokovic. Djokovic will play his first match in Miami against Marcos Baghdatis. The night session concludes with Samantha Stosur versus Chanelle Scheepers.

Here is today’s complete order of play :

Saturday, March 24, 2012

STADIUM Start 11:00 am
[21] Roberta Vinci (ITA) v [10] Serena Williams (USA) WTA

Not Before 1:00 PM
Gilles Muller (LUX) v [31] Andy Roddick (USA) ATP
[3] Roger Federer (SUI) v [WC] Ryan Harrison (USA) ATP
[Q] Sloane Stephens (USA) v [2] Maria Sharapova (RUS) WTA

Starting at 8:00 PM

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) ATP
[6] Samantha Stosur (AUS) v Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) WTA

GRANDSTAND Start 11:00 am

Bernard Tomic (AUS) v [5] David Ferrer (ESP) ATP
[Q] Sergei Bubka (UKR) v [14] Gael Monfils (FRA) ATP
Kim Clijsters (BEL) v [23] Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) WTA
[Q] Frank Dancevic (CAN) v [8] Mardy Fish (USA) ATP

Not Before 5:00 PM
[11] Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) v Ivo Karlovic (CRO) ATP

COURT 1 Start 11:00 am

[17] Richard Gasquet (FRA) v Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) ATP
[8] Na Li (CHN) v Iveta Benesova (CZE) WTA
[28] Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Sam Querrey (USA) ATP
[12] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v [Q] David Goffin (BEL) ATP

Not Before 6:00 PM
[29] Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v [4] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) WTA

COURT 2 Start 11:00 am

[17] Shuai Peng (CHN) v [12] Sabine Lisicki (GER) WTA
[Q] Bjorn Phau (GER) v [20] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) ATP
Albert Ramos (ESP) v [15] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) ATP
[1] Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA)v
[WC] Paul Hanley (AUS)/Bernard Tomic (AUS) ATP

Not Before 5:00 PM
Kevin Anderson (RSA)/Milos Raonic (CAN) v
[3] Michael Llodra (FRA)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) ATP

COURT 3 Start 11:00 am

[21] Juan Monaco (ARG) v Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) ATP
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA) v
Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE)/Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) WTA
Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) v [23] Marin Cilic (CRO) ATP
Eric Butorac (USA)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v
[2] Max Mirnyi (BLR)/Daniel Nestor (CAN) ATP

COURT 6 Start 11:00 am

[5] Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL)/Marcin Matkowski (POL) v
Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) ATP
[6] Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v
Jurgen Melzer (AUT)/Jamie Murray (GBR) ATP
[Q] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v [27] Viktor Troicki (SRB) ATP
[8] Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)/Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
vVera Dushevina (RUS)/Shahar Peer (ISR) WTA

COURT 7 Start 11:00 am

[WC] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)/Jelena Jankovic (SRB) v
[7] Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)/Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) WTA
[30] Julien Benneteau (FRA) v Benjamin Becker (GER) ATP
Vania King (USA)/Monica Niculescu (ROU) v
Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)/Shuai Zhang (CHN) WTA
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)/Shuai Peng (CHN) v
[5] Maria Kirilenko (RUS)/Nadia Petrova (RUS) WTA

COURT 8 Start 11:00 am

Mona Barthel (GER) v Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) WTA
[3] Sania Mirza (IND)/Elena Vesnina (RUS) v
[WC] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)/Lucie Safarova (CZE) WTA
Tomas Berdych (CZE)/Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) v
Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)/Scott Lipsky (USA) ATP
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)/Jie Zheng (CHN) v
Natalie Grandin (RSA)/Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE) WTA

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No Easy Task for Djokovic to Repeat at 2012 Sony Ericsson Open

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No Easy Task for Djokovic to Repeat at 2012 Sony Ericsson Open



For fans hopeful of a rematch between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the Sony Ericsson Open final, neither man will have a comfortable trip in getting there.

Djokovic could contend with Marcos Baghdatis in his opening match, countryman Viktor Troicki in the third round or Richard Gasquet in the fourth round. Also, in the quarterfinals, Juan Martin Del Potro or the relentless David Ferrer may stump the world number one.

Moreover, besides Nikolay Davydenko who was unable to defend his 2008 title due to injury, since 2006 no prior year’s champion has advanced beyond the round of 16.

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Federer on Track for Seventh Title at Wimbledon

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Federer on Track for Seventh Title at Wimbledon


For the second year in a row, Roger Federer is on course to equalize Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles. Defending champion Rafael Nadal is also through to the second week as he goes for his third French Open-Wimbledon duo. While Novak Djokovic, the hottest player this season, is in great form through three matches.

The world’s top three players are still the ones to beat heading into the round of 16 while world number four and hometown pick Andy Murray is also alive with an outside chance. Here’s a review of the past few days and a look at the rest of the tournament.

Federer has looked superb through the first three rounds of play. The Swiss dominated his third round match against a less than 100% David Nalbandian who’s had his number previously.

In the fourth round, Federer takes on Mikhail Youzhny. Federer has won all ten of their prior meetings and the Russian has never been beyond the round of 16 at this event.

David Ferrer tied his best showing at the All England Club by reaching the round of 16 and will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was a quarterfinalist last year. The winner of that contest will probably battle Federer in the quarterfinals.

After straight sets triumphs his initial two matches, Djokovic had to bear down against Marcos Baghdatis to move on in four in the third round. On Monday, Djokovic meets Michael Llodra in the fourth round. Although Llodra is sensational on grass, he should be no match for Djokovic.

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Battle for Number One Set:  Men’s French Open Draw Disclosed

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Battle for Number One Set: Men’s French Open Draw Disclosed



With world number two Novak Djokovic prevailing over world number one Rafael Nadal at the last two Masters tournaments, the clay universe’s order of the past six seasons has been thrown into chaos. Djokovic could upstage Nadal on his home turf and yank away the number one ranking from the Spaniard.

The French Open draw has been released and by far, the top two players are the favorites. However, with seven rounds to be disputed prior to someone being awarded the trophy, any number of persons can trip Nadal or Djokovic. Here’s a more detailed look at the draw.

Although his performance has been patchy this year, Nikolay Davydenko has a 6-4 record against Nadal. With ten titles on clay including one recently in Munich, Davydenko, the twice semifinalist at Roland Garros, is a formidable potential challenger for Nadal in the round of 16.

Despite a downward slide the last two months, Robin Soderling can at any time regain the form which brought him three consecutive titles early this year. As such, the two time French Open finalist, the only person to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, could be a serious obstacle in the quarterfinals.

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