Nadal furious at being sent on court in rain

Live Tennis Staff - 8 Sep 2011
Rafael Nadal was livid with the tournament referee at being sent on for his US Open fourth round match against Gilles Muller while it was still raining.

There was still light drizzle in the air as Nadal and Muller were sent on to start their last sixteen clash before heavier rain forced them off after barely 20 minutes of action. Nadal blatantly did not want to be out there in the slippy conditions and some sharp form early on from Muller did not help his mood as the Luxembourg player shot off to a 3-0 lead.

"Grand Slams is about a lot of money. We're part of the show. They're just working for that, not for us. They know it's still raining and call us onto the court. That's not possible," Nadal ranted.

"I understand the fans want to see tennis but the health of the players is the most important and we do not feel protected. We want to feel good when we are playing a tournament and we cannot accept these things. We have to fight to change things, to have enough power that we don't have to go on court when it's raining. If I have to go on court, I'll go on court, but I don't think it's fair."

Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick immediately headed to the tournament office once play was suspended to voice their concerns.

The poor weather and generally bizarre scheduling in New York has led to a huge backlog of matches with play set to continue into next week.

Do not count on this being the last drama concerning the tournament's decisions before the 2011 US Open ends.

Novak Djokovic urges US Open to build show-court roofs

Live Tennis Staff - 8 Sep 2011
Novak Djokovic is hoping the US Open will finally see sense and construct roofs over the show courts after rain disrupted the schedules for the third year in succession.

The tournament has been postponed until a third Monday for the past two years and that seems almost a certainty this year thanks to the heavy showers which have wiped out play over the past couple of days.

Despite it's status as one of the top four events in tennis, the US Open's provisions for dealing with rain are archaic for the 21st century with no covers and officials having to wipe the cement surface dry with hand towels.

Djokovic has been left waiting until Thursday to play his quarter-final match with Janko Tipsarevic and the world number one is desperately hoping the tournament will follow suit with the rest of the majors in constructing a roof.

"It's been like this in New York for the last couple of years. It's been happening more often than we expect it to so maybe this tournament should consider a roof in the future,'' he told ESPN.

The two-time finalist will be pleased to hear that plans are currently being made to remodel both Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadium with retractable roofs. Arthur Ashe will be made much smaller to accommodate this as putting a roof on the current towering stadium presents an engineering and financial nightmare.

Murray admits he may face impossible US Open task

Live Tennis Staff - 8 Sep 2011
Andy Murray admitted he has been left with an uphill battle as rain continues to play havoc with the schedule on day ten of the US Open.

Murray is still waiting to complete his fourth round match against Donald Young and faces a possible four best of five sets matches in four days although the men's final will almost certainly get moved to a third Monday.

"It's incredibly difficult anyway with the guys who are at the top of the game but there's not a whole lot we can do," Murray said.

"The days are quite draining. Today, for example, we were told 4.30pm [to play] so we were warming for 4.30pm, then it was 4.45pm, and it's every 15 minutes until 5.30pm. So we're warming up, warming up and they're putting it back, putting it back, and then we get cancelled at 5.45pm. So that whole hour - getting in the right frame of mind, warming up, adrenaline going - it's tough."

Murray managed to play just three games against Young before rain hit Flushing Meadows again with the American leading 2-1 on serve. However the fourth seed was furious that they had even been asked to take to the courts with parts of the surface still very damp.

"It was still raining when we went out and you can't play on a hard court when it's raining because the lines are so slippy," he said. "They had towels along the back of the court, it was still soaking wet and the balls were going into puddles. The referee said it wasn't in play but if you chase down a lob or you're pushed back, it is in play. They [referees] stand on the court and say it looks alright, but if you try moving at the speed we're moving at and changing direction, it's completely different. It just didn't make sense."

Serena Williams v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova U.S Open

Live Tennis Staff - 6 Sep 2011
Serena Williams will continue her U.S Open title charge on Wednesday with a quarter-final showdown against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Serena Williams still hasn’t lost a set in this year’s U.S Open, raising questions about the decision to make her the 28th seed in the draw at Flushing Meadows. The former world No. 1 entered this competition in terrific form, showing plenty of slam-winning form, and winning two WTA titles in recent weeks.

She booked her place in the last eight by defeating another former rankings topper, Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic wasn’t completely outclassed by Williams in the fourth round, but she wasn’t able to do much to prevent her straight sets loss (6-3, 6-4). Eight double faults held the Serb back, and the fact that she hit more winners than Williams wasn’t enough to enable her to upset the odds.

Williams will now take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Wednesday in the quarter-finals. Pavlyuchenkova should be in good spirits after recording a superb 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 success against Francesca Schiavone in round four, but she’ll need to maintain this level of play to test Williams, who is arguably the tournament favourite. It will be fascinating to see how this contest pans out.

Novak Djokovic v Janko Tipsarevic - US Open 2011 live

Live Tennis Staff - 6 Sep 2011
There's a guaranteed Serbian semi-finalist at the US Open as Novak Djokovic takes on Janko Tipsarevic.

Djokovic missed six set points but he eventually got past Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 after a marathon opening set which went all the way to 16-14. It's the closest Djokovic has come to dropping a set at this tournament and now he has the admittedly strange experience of taking on close friend and Davis Cup team-mate Tipsarevic.

"We are professionals," Djokovic told the media. "Certainly we both want to win the match when we play against each other.  So you kind of forget about friendship.  You put that aside.  You know, we never played Grand Slam, though.  We never played best of five against each other, so it's going to be a first time experience for both of us.  I think it's his first quarter-finals ever in Grand Slam.  He's playing the best tennis of his life.  He's very confident.  But there is certainly this mentally strange feeling when you're playing somebody that is one of your best friends in the private life, as well.  So you got to handle that, as well."

Djokovic has won both their past matches but Tipsarevic has given him his fair share of problems, pushing him to three sets on the grass of Queens in 2008 and in Belgrade a year later. However that was two years ago and Djokovic is a vastly improved player now compared to then. He's had few problems when playing Viktor Troicki this year, handing out several one-sided beatings.

"We were supposed to play semis in Belgrade, but because of injury I didn't go on court," Tipsarevic said. "I remember that the longer the match was progressing that he was playing much better.  I'm not saying I'm gonna try and keep it short because it's obviously impossible, but, you know, I remember in both matches that I started really well and then I kind of backed  --  went back like for a few meters, and then it's just not the way.  You really need to go for your shots and use the opportunities that you have if you want to have a chance against this guy."

It's been one of the best tournaments of Tipsarevic's career. He's taken out Tomas Berdych and Juan Carlos Ferrero but even his most fanatical fans will have to admit he has fairly little chance in this one given how the top seed is playing.

Ana Ivanovic v Sloane Stephens U.S Open match

Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011
Ana Ivanovic will face the challenge of Sloane Stephens tonight in the third round of the U.S Open


Ana Ivanovic had been scheduled for a tough second round clash against Petra Cetkovska in the second round of this year’s U.S Open, but was handed a walkover victory before play could begin. The former world No. 1 will now continue her campaign in New York with a third round contest against young American Sloane Stephens.

As the sixteenth seed, Ivanovic has a good opportunity to work her way into the second week of this competition, and she may well be on course for her third career fourth round appearance here. She’s never gotten beyond round four though, despite having the ability to be a serious challenger in hard court slams.

Ivanovic can expect Stephens to give it her all tonight, and it doesn’t look like the Serb will necessarily enjoy an easy match against the world No. 106. Stephens has relished playing in front of a home crowd here, and she should be in an optimistic mood following her 6-1, 7-6(4) win against No. 23 seed Shahar Peer. If the American is at her best, this could be a fascinating clash.

Vera Zvonareva v Sabine Lisicki U.S Open match preview

Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011
Vera Zvonareva and Sabine Lisicki will meet on Sunday for a n eagerly awaited fourth round showdown at the U.S Open

Zvonareva has a 3-0 head to head record against Lisicki.(credit: Wikimedia)

Vera Zvonareva was involved in a third round dogfight in New York this week against Anabel Medina Garrigues, but pulled through in straight sets (6-4, 7-5) after two gruelling hours. Zvonareva made more unforced errors than the Spaniard, though her more aggressive approach ultimately paid off in the end.

The second seed will now take on Sabine Lisicki of Germany for a place in the quarter-finals. Lisicki is looking like a serious threat at the moment, and she only needed 52 minutes to complete her 6-0, 6-1 dismissal of Irina Falconi in round three. The German took all six of her opportunities to break Falconi’s serve, and she doesn’t seem to be fazed by the prestige of this tournament.

Zvonareva won all three of her previous meetings against Lisicki, though she’s had to work hard for every win. She’s edged past Lisicki twice this year in straight sets, and this doesn’t make her a clear favourite by any means. Lisicki should be very competitive on Sunday, and the world No. 2 is going to need to be in top form.

Monica Niculescu v Angelique Kerber U.S Open match preview

Niculescu has a 1-0 match record against Kerber.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011

Monica Niculescu and Angelique Kerber are both unseeded in this year’s U.S Open, and neither of them were expected to remain in the draw for week two. That said, both players have excelled in the opening three rounds, and one of them will be taking part in the quarter-finals here in Flushing Meadows.

Monica Niculesca and Angelique Kerber are scheduled to meet on Sunday for an unexpected fourth round clash at the U.S Open

Results have unfolded favourably for Niculescu and Kerber, though Kerber was forced into producing one of the upsets of the tournament to dismiss Agnieszka Radwanska in round two (6-3, 4-6, 6-3). Niculescu and Kerber both booked their place in round four with comfortable straight set victories, and form doesn’t seem to be an issue for either of them.

Following a sole success in 2008, Niculescu has a 1-0 head to head record against Kerber. Even so, this 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 result could easily have gone in Kerber’s favour, and the Romanian won’t be expecting an easy matchup here. These two underdogs will be eager to rise to the occasion, and the fans in New York should be in for a treat on Sunday.

Andy Murray v Feliciano Lopez - US Open 2011 live

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Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011

Murray knows he's extremely lucky to still be in the competition after finding himself two sets down on Friday against an inspired Robin Haase. Murray looked listless and he appeared lost for answers to Haase's hitting but the Dutchman's fitness failed him and the fourth seed was able to pull through 6-2, 6-0, 6-4.

Andy Murray has a tough task against Feliciano Lopez on day seven of the 2011 US Open.

He will need to raise his game to stay in the competition against the experienced Lopez who has been enjoying a superb season, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals and inspiring Spain to a thrilling Davis Cup win over the United States.

"I'm going to need to play better on Sunday or I'll be going home," Murray said. "You know, you can't come through four or five matches like that.  You know, I'm going to need to play better, for sure.  Physically I'm good.  I feel fine.  No pain or aches or anything.  So that's a huge positive."

The good news for Murray is that he loves playing left-handers largely because their favourite lines of attack lead right into his strength - the double-handed backhand. He has a great record against Lopez, winning all five of their career matches and 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 at Wimbledon earlier this year.    

"Well, I think I have to play aggressive, no?  If you want to beat one of these players on the top four, you have to be aggressive and you have to really go for it," Lopez said. "I mean, I'm not going to beat Andy playing from the baseline and waiting for him to miss.  I have to be really aggressive, to play my game, and to believe.  This is what I have to do, I think."

Shuai Peng v Flavia Pennetta U.S Open match preview

Pennetta has a 4-0 match record against Peng.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011

Shuai Peng isn’t amongst the immediate title contenders in this year’s U.S Open, but she might have an outside chance of clinching the title given the way that the tournament has unfolded so far. The thirteenth seed doesn’t have any easy matches ahead of her, but following the early exit of Maria Sharapova she stands out as one of the most capable players in

Shuai Peng faces a tough fourth round contest at the U.S Open on Sunday against Flavia Pennetta

her section of the draw.

Peng’s fourth round opponent will be No. 26 seed Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta was involved in a tense three-setter against Maria Sharapova in round three, and eventually caused a major upset by ousting the former world No. 1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Pennetta will surely be fatigued after this lengthy contest, but she should be feeling very confident about her ability to extend her stay here.

Pennetta has been engaged in some close fought battles against Peng in the past, but she currently holds a 4-0 head to head record against her. The last meeting between the pairing took place in 2008, and the last three of their matches went into three sets. We could be in for another thriller here in New York, and the margin of victory might be very small.

John Isner v Alex Bogomolov - US Open 2011 live

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Live Tennis Staff - 3 Sep 2011

Isner is in the form of his life after a superb summer season and he's dealt well with a couple of dangerous opponents so far. He had a real tough first round against Marcos Baghdatis, battling through in four before seeing off former semi-finalist Robby Ginepri 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday night.

John Isner is in third round action at the 2011 US Open against Alex Bogomolov Jnr

Bogomolov Junior was once rated as the next big thing for American tennis a decade ago but instead he's spent most of his career as a journeyman on the challenger circuit. Isner admitted in his press conference that it's so tough to break out from that level.  

"Fortunately for me I was able to when I first started my ranking shot up really high because of the D.C. tournament," he said. "You know, after six months of play, I was top 100 in the world. But, you know, at the beginning of 2008 I sort of regressed a little and I had to go back down to the challengers, because I ended 2008 ranked 140 something, thereabouts.  I knew I had to kinda go back to the drawing board, and I did.  I took my lumps in 2008 and I played some challengers, end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 and started winning a lot of matches."

"It's a very, very tough level to get out of.  You see guys all the time just essentially stuck there, and that's where they are, ranked 180 to 280 in the world or something.  It's not glamorous.  Fortunately for me, I'm glad I'm out of that stage.  I hope to never, you know, get back down there."

Bogomolov is enjoying an exceptional season by his standards but Isner has won all three of their past matches, beating him in straight sets in Miami and Newport this year.

Novak Djokovic looks formidable in US Open second round win

Live Tennis Staff - 2 Sep 2011
Novak Djokovic demolished Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq for the loss of just two games in a devastating performance at the US Open last night.

Berlocq was never expected to test the top seed but few predicted it to be that one-sided as Djokovic routed the Argentine 6-0, 6-0, 6-2.

It was all Berlocq could do to avoid becoming the first man in 24 years to be triple bagelled.

“We are professionals on the court," Djokovic said. "We need to do our job, obviously to win, regardless of who is across the net. I know Carlos off the court. He is a nice guy. Today on the court I had an answer for every shot. I played great.

"I felt a little bit for him in a certain stage of the match in the third set where he was trying really hard to get back into the match. I have to give him credit for fighting."

Djokovic’s opening two performances have put to bed any suggestions that his shoulder may still be causing him problems. He’s dropped a grand total of just three games so far and looks every inch a champion in-waiting.

"The first two sets were ideal," he said. "I could not play better. I was getting a lot of balls back, I was ending the points when I needed to. I was making a lot of winners. My serve was okay, and my return was great.”

David Ferrer v James Blake – US Open 2011 live

Live Tennis Staff - 2 Sep 2011
James Blake looks to roll back the years when he plays David Ferrer at the US Open tonight. 

Blake would love nothing more than one final run at the US Open in front of his many adoring fans as his career winds towards its close. This fortnight is one of the main reasons why he’s still playing and was prepared to drop down to the challengers to find form and confidence.

He was tested against big serving qualifier Jesse Huta-Galung in the opening round but came through in four and now he needs to find something special against the fifth seed.

Ferrer recovered from a dodgy first set to beat Igor Andreev 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 and it must mean he’s feeling healthy again which isn’t good news for American fans. Ferrer is also in the same section as Andy Roddick.

Blake‘s only chance today is to come in firing off all cylinders and try to catch Ferrer off balance in the opening two sets. He’s done it before, winning both their previous matches, the last one coming in Indian Wells last year which will give him belief.

The crowd may also play a big role in this one, it’s last match on Grandstand which means the arena should be packed to the rafters. However Ferrer has plenty of experience of dealing with that, he spearheaded Spain to a Davis Cup win on American soil in July and he’ll probably prove just a bit too solid today.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v Sergei Bubka – US Open 2011 live

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Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Crowd pleaser Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looks to continue his comfortable US Open progress against qualifier Sergei Bubka.

Tsonga looks likely to set up a third round clash with Fernando Verdasco barring any major surprises today.

For long-time sport lovers, the name of Sergei Bubka conjures up memories of Olympic pole vault competitions from the ‘80s but unfortunately for his son, he is unlikely to ever escape from the shadow of his famous father.

Bubka junior has spent years trying to carve out a respectable tennis career for himself but he’s never been able to get beyond a career high of 176. However he’s having a promising summer, reaching a challenger final in Kazakhstan and qualifying for the year’s final major. He took full advantage of a decent first round draw, beating Austrian journeyman Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

However he won’t stand a chance against Tsonga, the world number 11, who’s determined to get past the fourth round for the first time in New York. The Frenchman started strongly, beating Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and a good run over the next fortnight could see him back in the top ten.

Mardy Fish v Malek Jaziri – US Open 2011 live

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Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Home favourite Mardy Fish is on Louis Armstrong Court again against qualifier Malek Jaziri.

Fish is about as confident as he’s ever been going into the US Open and he crushed Germany’s Tobias Kamke 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 on Monday. The American is at the peak of his powers and knows he has one of the best all-round games in men’s tennis.

All eyes are on him as the top ranked American yet Fish is going into the unknown as he’s never really been seen as a serious contender before.

“Certainly different pressure than I’ve ever felt. But it’s a great feeling,” he told the media. “It’s hard to say I expect to see myself in the second Saturday of the US Open because I’ve never done that before,” he said. “I’ve been close once, but I’d like to get there now. I really feel like I belong there. I can get there. If I were to pick a tournament, a Grand Slam that I could [win], it would be this one.”

Fish’s first big test may come against the powerful South African Kevin Anderson in round three but Jaziri should not test him today.

The Tunisian qualifier is enjoying his own Indian summer, hitting a career best ranking of 181 and reaching the main draw of a slam for the first time. He knocked out an out of sorts Thiemo De Bakker earlier in the week and will be loving his shot at the big time on a stadium court. Can he get a set ?  Probably not.

Novak Djokovic v Carlos Berlocq – US Open 2011 live

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Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Novak Djokovic is unlikely to have too many problems tonight against Carlos Berlocq at the US Open.

Such is the form that Djokovic is in, most of his concerns so far at the US Open have come off-court. In between training sessions, he’s been shooting modeling campaigns for watchmaker Audemars Piquet and his beloved poodle Pierre has managed to make it through customs to join him at Flushing Meadows. Djokovic was crushed when UK officials refused to allow his dog to join him during Wimbledon.

Apart from that, Djokovic has been getting a little irritable about all the questions he’s copping over his reported use of the space-age style hyperbaric recovery chamber. Dubbed tennis’ version of the Orgasmatron, it has helped Djokovic keep in peak condition this season but he’s become strangely cagey on the subject and snapped that he ‘didn’t want any more questions about it’ after his first round win.    

He should face few problems on court tonight against Argentine Berlocq who has a poor 8-15 win-loss record in 2011. He’s never been past the second round in New York and it’ll be one of the biggest shocks in history if he makes it through tonight.

Djokovic will already have half an eye on a potential third round meeting with Nikolay Davydenko which will cause him much more concern.

Maria Sharapova v Flavia Pennetta U.S Open match preview

Sharapova defeated Anastasia Yakimova in round two.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Maria Sharapova will bid to continue her U.S Open run on Friday when she meets Flavia Pennetta in round three

Despite having struggled in her tournament opener against Heather Watson, Maria Sharapova was in blistering form on Wednesday against Anastasia Yakimova of Belarus. The former world No. 1 needed just an hour and ten minutes to earn her berth in round three, and the rest of the field here will be well aware that she’s in contention to win the title.

Sharapova’s attacking game was incisive enough to cut through a Yakimova defence that was more stubborn than the scoreline would suggest. The underdog hit just six unforced errors, and Sharapova could have ended up in trouble had she not managed to take her chances.

Next up for the Russian will be Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta stormed through to the third round with a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing of Romina Oprandi, and she’ll be aiming to continue playing with confidence. Whilst she won her last match against Sharapova (Los Angeles, 2009), it’s unlikely that Pennetta will be allowed to control the pace of this upcoming contest.

Sharapova will be the favourite here, and on current form she should have the edge on Friday. Pennetta is good enough to make this a very tough clash though, and it will be interesting to see who ends up earning a place in the fourth round.

Sabine Lisicki v Irina Falconi U.S Open match preview

Lisicki has handed a walkover in round two.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Sabine Lisicki will continue in New York with a third round clash against Irina Falconi

Sabine Lisicki had been scheduled to meet Venus Williams this week in the second round of the U.S Open, but she escaped the threat of the former world No. 1 as Venus was sadly forced to withdraw due to illness. The German will now be aiming to make the most of her opportunity to succeed here in Flushing Meadows, and there’s a good chance that she’ll feature in
week two.

Lisicki won the WTA Dallas title last week, and her displays throughout the season have been worthy of praise. She’s climbed the WTA rankings with little trouble, and demonstrated plenty of nerve in major competitions. The world No. 18 began here with an assured 6-3, 6-3 dismissal of Alona Bondarenko, and it will be fascinating to see just how far she can go.

The next matchup for Lisicki will be a third round showdown against Irina Falconi of America. Falconi is ranked just inside the top eighty, but might not be such an outsider with the backing of the home crowd on Friday. Even so, she’s got a mountain to climb here, and Lisicki should have enough firepower to leave the court as the victor.

Vera Zvonareva v Anabel Medina Garrigues U.S Open match preview

Zvonareva will be aiming for a more comfortable victory on Friday.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 1 Sep 2011
Vera Zvonareva faces a tricky third round clash at the U.S Open on Friday against Anabel Medina Garrigues

Vera Zvonareva didn’t have everything her own way on Wednesday against Kateryna Bondarenko, but managed to eventually prevail with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory. The second seed will be aiming to step up her game in a big way after this close contest, as she could do without another matchup that lasts for more than two hours.

The Russian should still be considered as a title contender though, and we may see much more of what she’s capable of in round three, where she’ll take on Anabel Medina Garrigues. Medina Garrigues was involved in a lengthy three-setter in round one, but she was on song in round two against Laura Robson. The Spaniard defeated Robson comfortably in straight sets (6-2, 6-3).

Zvonareva currently holds a 3-1 head to head record against Medina Garrigues, and all three of her wins were easily wrapped up in two sets. She had to retire in her most recent contest against Medina Garrigues, and was trailing 6-3, 3-0 when she left the court.

The pairing haven’t met competitively since 2008 though, so it’s not easy to assess how Friday’s matchup will pan out. Zvonareva is considered the favourite, but she may have to dig deep to achieve another win against the world No. 33 here in New York.

Rafael Nadal tested in opening round US Open encounter

Rafael Nadal was given quite a workout by Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev on Tuesday night to the surprise of onlookers.

Golubev has barely won a match all year but he rose to the challenge of taking on Nadal in the night session and gave the defending champion a few scares before he came through 6-3, 7-6, 7-5.

Nadal would have noted Golubev’s 18 match losing streak on the tour this year and probably thought he was in for a quick night’s work as he swept through the opener.

Golubev was not fazed though and he was the one with all the chances in set two, ultimately blowing a 5-2 lead and five set points. He continued to go for broke in the third and he looked destined to extend Nadal to a fourth set as he grabbed two quick breaks. The Spaniard fought back again but his rivals will have noted the chinks of vulnerability.

"For sure I was nervous,” Nadal said. “That's normal. It's normal to start the tournament like this with some nerves. And what happened today, he didn't help because he played very fast all the time. All the shots, he was trying to hit a winner on almost every shot. So it was difficult for me to find the rhythm. But it's a positive start winning in straight sets, even if it was unbelievable that I won in straight sets. But it is a victory in straight sets.”

Novak Djokovic enjoys simple start to US Open 2011

Novak Djokovic enjoyed the easiest of starts to the 2011 US Open after Conor Niland retired with food poisoning.

It was disastrous for the Irish player who had come through three qualifying rounds last week to earn him moment in the spotlight, Arthur Ashe stadium against the world number one but he was barely able to compete without throwing up and called it a day trailing 6-0, 5-1.  

The opening few rounds are all about conserving as much energy, even more so at the US Open, the most physically demanding of the slams so Djokovic will have been delighted to get off court so quickly.

“I don't think I'm lacking any time on the court or matches” Djokovic told the press. “This year has been a very long year.  So I really don't mind that I spend less time on the court. I think I've played well for these 45, 50 minutes that we had on the court.  It's unfortunate for my opponent, obviously.  He had food poisoning he told me after the match. But I felt great on the court, and that's something that's really important for the start of the tournament.”

“Im not really tired, you know, because I switched to the mode of Grand Slam focus.  Not really caring about what happens, it's just I'm trying to be in the present, trying to prepare well, and be 100% mentally and physically fit for the matches that are about to come here.”

Djokovic will be back in action on Thursday against Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq.

US Open 2011 live preview

Rafael Nadal prepares to defend his title at the US Open which begins on the 29th August.


History will be made yet again at Flushing Meadows as more than 700,000 fans pour through the gates to watch the finest players in the sport battle it out for the year's final Grand Slam.

The man to beat is without doubt Novak Djokovic. After seven months of the season Djokovic had lost just a single match, a barely believable feat in today's era of high intensity, high octane tennis which drains more from the athletes than ever before. Djokovic is a two-time finalist at Flushing Meadows, losing to Federer as a raw 20 year old back in 2007 and again to Nadal last year. But after five wins over the Spaniard on some of the biggest stages in Europe and the States, there is little doubt than Djokovic has worked his great rival out, for the time being.

Can Nadal respond ? It could be the start of a fantastic rivalry but he has some thinking to do after several fairly one-sided losses. Hard courts are also his weakest surface.

However it's more than just the Novak and Rafa show in New York. Juan Martin Del Potro won his first Grand Slam title here two years ago and now fully fit, there are hopes that the Argentine can make the Big Four, a Big Five. He tested Nadal at Wimbledon and should they meet here, it will be a contest to savour.

After a final in Australia and semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, it has been Andy Murray's best year so far on the tour but that elusive major win remains as far away as ever. Murray knows he's competing in the toughest era ever and he will need to find something special to beat the top three at the business end of a slam. However the US Open represents his best chance.

And we must not forget five time champion Roger Federer who utterly dominated this tournament between 2004 and 2008. Currently stuck on 16 Grand Slam titles, there are growing doubts on Federer's ability to add to his tally. At his best the Swiss would never have come close to losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon from two sets up but you write off Federer at your peril. As he showed against Djokovic in Paris, he is still capable of turning on the magic on the big occasions.

Headlines - Sunday August 27, 2011

Fish likes position as highest-ranked American

Mardy Fish says that coming into the U.S. Open as the highest seeded American for the first time is significantly different for him. The No. 7 seed will open play on Monday against German Tobias Kamke.

"This is probably one of the biggest events that I'll ever play, just being in this position right now and coming in playing extremely well," Fish told reporters. "Winning the U.S. Open Series and just coming in on a high and playing great the last two events [at Montreal and Cincinnati]. It's one of those where a lot of times you kinda want to work your way into the tournament. I want to play Monday. I want to get out there and start, because it's exciting for me…[There is a] slight bit more pressure. Certainly different pressure than I've ever felt. But a great feeling. It's just one of those experiences that not everybody can go through. I can understand just a little of what Andy [Roddick] has gone through and respect the job that he's done with it and how well he's handled the expectations with his play."

Murray: May not be my best chance to win Slam
Andy Murray does not agree with John McEnroe’s assessment that the U.S. Open is his best chance to win a major. The world No. 4 has reached three Grand Slam finals and was unable to win a set in any of them. Murray just coming off a title run in Cincinnati.

"It's a silly thing to say, because it's not one tournament," Murray told reporters. "It will be Federer is not playing well and Rafa is struggling and Djokovic's shoulder is sore. But I know come Monday they'll all be fine. I have a chance of winning for sure. Whether it's my best chance or not, no one has a clue like that. And someone like John who has played thousands of matches probably knows that one bad day and you can put yourself out of the tournament. And especially towards the latter stages when you're playing against three of maybe the three greatest players ever. You're going to have to play an incredible event to win. So I feel like I'm ready to do that. But to say it's my best chance, no one knows."

Wozniacki beats rain, Cetkovska for New Haven title
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP)—No one has ever beaten Caroline Wozniacki in New Haven, and Hurricane Irene couldn’t do it either.
The world’s top-ranked player stayed ahead of the storm Saturday and won her fourth consecutive New Haven title, defeating Czech qualifier Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 6-1 in the finals.
Wozniacki, the top seed at next week’s U.S. Open, improved to 17-0 at Yale.
“I just have a good momentum every time I play here,” she said. “The balls are good. The tournament is nice. You always play better when you like to be around a tournament. I’m really pleased to be in this situation—win four straight times in a row, it’s really unbelievable.”
Cetkovska, who is ranked 40th, had won seven consecutive matches since the start of qualifying. She beat fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, fourth-seeded Marion Bartoli and second-seeded Li Na. But she couldn’t stop Wozniacki, who also is the top seed at the U.S. Open.
“I’m really happy to be here, to go so long, so far in the tournament,” Cetkovska said. “Now when we are in the final, we want to always go further. So obviously I wanted to try to win, to do even better. But today it was just a little bit too much. Caroline, she’s just playing great.”
The match, moved to 1 p.m. from 5 p.m. to avoid Irene, was played outdoors at the Connecticut Tennis Center. It included a 1 hour, 40 minute rain delay in the first set.
After that band of rain moved through the area, officials said they believed they would have a window of about 1 1/2 hours for tennis, but had made contingency plans to move the match into the nearby Cullman-Heyman indoor tennis center, just in case.
The match lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes.
“I was like, ‘OK it looks like it’s going to start raining, let’s go indoors so we can go to New York,”’ Wozniacki said. “We got a window and were able to finish. It was nice to play outside, in front of the crowd.”
It began raining again just after the awards ceremony concluded.
Wozniacki’s four consecutive championships ties the New Haven record set by Venus Williams from 1999 to 2002. This year, the tournament changed its name from the Pilot Pen and became a WTA-only event.
Wozniacki broke Cetkovska six times, including in the final game of the first set, and three times in the second set. It was the Danish star’s sixth tournament title this year, but the first since winning in Copenhagen in June. The 26-year-old Cetkovska was playing in her first WTA final.
“It was important for me to start well in the second set, just to get a little bit of a lead,” Wozniacki said. “Then I just kept my focus, didn’t let her back in.”
Wozniacki’s boyfriend, Rory McIlroy, spent the week with her on the Yale campus and the U.S. Open golf champion watched the match from the player’s box.
“When you have that little bit of confidence, that little bit of belief in yourself, it can take you a long way,” he said after the match. “It looked like Caroline found that belief and confidence this week and it obviously is great prep going into the Open next week.
The Danish star played with her right thigh wrapped, after feeling a twinge during Friday’s semifinals. She said it would not affect her play at the Open, which is scheduled to start Monday.
Tournament officials prepared for high winds by brining in cranes overnight to remove the two-ton scoreboards from the top of the stadium and replaced them with two smaller scoreboards courtside.
Tournament director Anne Worcester said if play had been stopped one more time, they would have moved indoors.

Robin Haase v Julien Benneteau ATP Winston-Salem

Live Tennis Staff - 26 Aug 2011
Robin Haase is in semi-final action against Julien Benneteau in Friday's night session in Winston-Salem.

Haase is enjoying a superb month after winning the Kitzbuhel title a few weeks ago to reach a new career high of 42 in the rankings and that's continued this week. He took out third seed Alex Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-4 in the night session on Thursday 

While Haase is still yet to drop a set it's been a very long week for Benneteau who had to come through the qualifying rounds at the weekend so he's already played seven matches so far. The 29 year old saw off ninth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-2 in the quarters, saving two match points in the second set tiebreak.

Of course, the Frenchman has been ranked much higher in the past and he's only found himself as a qualifier in these events due to a wrist injury he sustained at last year's US Open which saw him topple down the rankings.

   

"I had a really bad injury last year in the US Open and it took me a long time to recover," he told the press. "Now I’m recovered 100 percent. It was a bad moment for me because I was playing maybe the best tennis of my career. But if I could do it last year, I can do it this year. Now I am fit and I don’t have any problems, so it’s just a matter of winning matches and getting back in the rankings to be able to play the 250 and 500 tournaments, to be maybe seeded in the 250, because it’s tough if you don’t."

Haase says he certainly won't be underestimating his opponent today. "I don’t see him as a qualifier," he said. "He has been 35 in the world or 40 in the world and he’s a really great player. That’s why I’m looking forward to it. He played some tough matches and I hope that’s a small advantage for me, but also he played a lot of matches on hard court and I have only three. So I hope I win but it will be a tough match."

Na Li v Petra Cetkovska WTA New Haven Open live stream preview

Cetkovska is searching for her first ever WTA title.(credit: Wikimedia)
Live Tennis Staff - 26 Aug 2011

A place in the final of the WTA New Haven Open will be up for grabs tonight when Na Li takes on Petra Cetkovska


You can watch & bet on the action from the WTA New Haven Open at bet365

Na Li produced a determined display on Thursday night at the WTA New Haven Open, and managed to overcome eighth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a crowd pleasing three-setter (6-4, 3-6, 6-2). The second seed had appeared to be in trouble at certain times, and she’ll be glad to have left the court with a victory having only won four more points throughout the match than her Russian opponent.

Li is now set to face Petra Cetkovska tonight for a place in the final. Cetkovska managed to extend her head to head lead over Marion Bartoli to 2-0 in the last eight, following a gutsy 7-5, 7-5 success. Cetkovska has racked up plenty of wins this season, and she’ll be eager to close in on what would be her first ever WTA title.

The only previous matchup between Li and Cetkovska took place in Monterrey in 2009, where Li claimed a fairly comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory. Li is expected to get the better of Cetkovska again tonight, but she’s by no means guaranteed to win. This could be a very close contest.

Nadia Petrova v Polona Hercog WTA New Haven

Nadia Petrova will face the challenge of Polona Herog in the first round of the WTA New Haven Open

Nadia Petrova is ranked outside of the top twenty, but her recent form marks her out as a potential challenger in this year’s WTA New Haven Open. The 29 year-old won a WTA title in Washington D.C recently, and she’ll be aiming to build upon this with a run of good results this week.

The world No. 27 will begin her campaign in  New Haven against Polona Hercog of Slovenia. Hercog won her first career WTA title earlier this year, but she’s not quite managed to make the most of this momentum just yet. Even so, Hercog should be considered as a very capable opponent. She has the ability to go far in this event.

Petrova is the favourite here, and she’s expected to pull through if she plays as well as she can. Despite this, Hercog has already demonstrated this season that she can cut it at the highest level. This should be one of the first round’s most exciting contests.

Caroline Wozniacki leads a strong field of players at the New Haven Open

Caroline Wozniacki leads a strong field of players at the New Haven Open, all seeking extra matches ahead of the US Open.

It's been a dire summer so far for Wozniacki who suffered straight sets defeats in her opening matches at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati. Even more embarrassingly for the world number one, she was outplayed in Cincinnati by a teenage wildcard, Christina McHale.  

She's seeking her fourth New Haven title but don't bank on the Dane even getting past the early stages this week. She could face the dangerous Nadia Petrova in round two.

French Open champion Na Li gave the organisers a boost by taking a wildcard and she's seeded second. The Chinese star may be poised to overtake Maria Sharapova as the world's highest earning sportswoman but she's struggled to deal with the on-court affairs since triumphing in Paris although there were some promising signs last week.

The eventual winner is much more likely to come from the remainder of the seeding list. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic has disappeared into the shadows over the past couple of seasons but the Serb re-emerged with aplomb in Cincinnati where she's competing in the final as we write.

Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska has also enjoyed a superb hard-court season, beating Vera Zvonareva to win the Carlsbad title earlier this month and making the semis in Toronto.

Marion Bartoli is also always a threat on hard courts. She looked poised to end Serena Williams' run in the Stanford final last month but lost her way. The Frenchwoman has been out of action with injury over the last few weeks and she's looking to regain her touch ahead of the important stuff to come in New York. 

No major food rules for hungry Nadal

While Novak Djokovic credits his gluten-free regime for at least part of his runaway success this ATP season, Rafael Nadal has no time in interest in diets and strict food rules.

In fact the Spaniard takes pleasure in the table, saying that when it comes to chowing down, he's all over it. "I eat normal  food, but not too much," said the second seed at Cincinnati, who needed some fast turnaround time and refuelling after playing a three-and-a-half-hour third-round match and then an early quarter-final a day later.

"I have nothing of diet. When I go to the menu, I will see something that I would like to eat, and that's what I going to eat."

Nadal allows himself this small pleasure amid a highly structured life which took him into the tennis elite. "It's not going to affect a match much. The important thing is have a good rest, do the right things, drink a lot, and rest.

"But for sure I don't eat, like crazy, because I have to go on court. I would have loved to play later, but that's what happens when you play doubles also (he lost with Marc Lopez in that
event)."

Federer shocked but fascinated by US politics

Roger Federer is watching the untidy upcoming US elections with the fascination of a man observing a slow-motion train wreck.

With the brawling, slash-and-burn US style well removed from any reality - especially Swiss reality - the US process makes for light entertainment for the 16-time Grand Slam winner.

With 15 months to go before presidential vote, the mud is already being slung in a country sinking into economic irrelevance. And Federer can't help but watch it as he puts in time at Masters events before the US Open.

"I somewhat couldn't believe the length of it and the brutality of it (campaigns)," said the Swiss. whose strong-currency safe-haven country is an economic anchor amid the fiscal crisis in the US and Eurozone. "Every president should be extremely tired (after being elected), this is actually when the job starts.

"So it's pretty fascinating to watch, I'm definitely going to follow it the next time around the same thing again."

Federer says he took an interest in the 2008 elections and will continue to do so. "Obviously I did follow the presidential race with Obama quite closely. I thought I was old enough and interested enough."

Novak Djokovic quits vs. Andy Murray

MASON, Ohio -- Novak Djokovic's remarkable winning streak ended with a grimace, one that puts a new spin on the U.S. Open.

The world's top-ranked player was forced to retire in the second set Sunday because of a sore right shoulder, giving Andy Murray the championship at the Western & Southern Open.

It was the Serb's first bad moment in his 57-2 season. Djokovic had won 16 consecutive matches since his only previous loss of the season in the semifinals against Roger Federer on June 3 at Roland Garros. The winning streak has taken a toll.

“I'm confident I can recover and be ready for the U.S. Open.”-- Novak Djokovic

Djokovic talked about feeling exhausted in Cincinnati, coming off his record fifth Masters series title in Montreal last week. He said his serving shoulder had bothered him for about the last 10 days, but he'd been able to manage the soreness and keep winning.

On Sunday, he couldn't go on.

"There is no good loss, that's for sure," Djokovic. "The good thing is there's a week, eight days to the start of the Open.

"I'm confident I can recover and be ready for the U.S. Open."

He was completely off his game against the fourth-seeded Murray, who won the first set 6-4 and was ahead 3-0 in the second when Djokovic decided just before the rain came that he couldn't continue. Djokovic got his shoulder treated after he lost the first set, grimacing at one point.

With his serve registering only in double-digits and his forehand limited by the pain, Djokovic realized he couldn't compete. He said he would have retired even if the rain had temporarily stopped the match.

Novak Djokovic was forced to retire in the second set due to a sore shoulder, dropping his 2011 record to 57-2.
"I could have maybe played another couple of games, but what for?" he said. "I cannot beat a player like Murray today with one stroke."

It was Murray's second title this season. The 24-year-old Scotsman also won at the Queen's Club. He lost his other final match to Djokovic at the Australian Open.

Djokovic felt worn-down heading into the final, the strain of all those recent matches catching up with him. He said his loathing for losing was pulling him through matches and took to Twitter to apologize for having to withdraw.

"Dear friends and fans,i want to apologise to all of you who expected a better and longer match today," Djokovic said. "Shoulder could not take it anymore,and it didn't make sense to continue. Congratulation to Andy Murray for successful week."

Djokovic was off his game at the outset, repeatedly hitting forehands, backhands and volleys everywhere but in the court. Murray broke his serve to open the match and won 10 of the first 12 points.

Could Djokovic win another one while running on fumes and playing with a bum shoulder?

By the end of the first set, he knew the answer.

"I was generally exhausted playing many matches, but the exhaustion is not the reason," Djokovic said. "The reason is shoulder pain. I just could not serve."

Murray was more rested, though not by choice. He lost in the opening round at Montreal a week ago, giving him unwanted time to relax and work on his game. The break seemed to help -- he didn't lose a set all week in Cincinnati.

"I had five or six days to get ready here," said Murray, who won his first Masters series championship in Cincinnati in 2008. "I've always played well on this court."

With the crowd behind him, Djokovic got back into the match by breaking Murray to tie the first set at 3. Murray broke him right back, ending a long baseline rally by coming to the net for a put-away volley. Djokovic walked around the court with a blank expression, his mouth open.

His demeanor said he was in trouble.

Djokovic made 20 unforced errors in the first set, which ended when he dumped a routine forehand into the net. Djokovic squatted in disappointment, then went to his chair and took a timeout to have a trainer stretch his right arm and shoulder.

When the trainer pushed on the side of his rotator cuff with his thumb, Djokovic grimaced.

Complete results
Need the scores from any match played in today's tournaments? Results

Murray broke him again to start the second set, an indication the shoulder wasn't going to get better. Djokovic started protecting the shoulder on his follow through.

When Murray left him with an easy volley into an open court, Djokovic couldn't get anything on his overhead return, smacking it weakly toward the net. That point gave Murray a 3-0 lead and forced Djokovic to accept that he wasn't going to get a chance to keep his winning streak going.

The health of his shoulder will become an overriding question heading into the U.S. Open, which starts on Aug. 29. Rafael Nadal is the defending champion, and he's also got some physical issues -- burned fingertips on his right hand that bothered him in Cincinnati.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Kvitova outplays Sharapova to win ladies' title

http://www.wimbledon.com
by Ron Atkin

Martina Navratilova, the greatest of Wimbledon's women's champions, had tipped her compatriot and fellow left-hander Petra Kvitova to cause an upset in the ladies' singles final at the 125th Championships, and the Czech duly and excitingly obliged, obliterating the ambitions of a second Wimbledon win for the hot favourite Maria Sharapova - and in straight sets, too. 

Kvitova won 6-3, 6-4 in one hour 25 minutes and though Sharapova's play fell well below her best levels, it was in no small part due to the big-hitting torrent directed at her by the 21-year-old whose first, but surely not last, Grand Slam victory this was. She has compared her own power tennis to that of the 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro and it seemed she certainly has a point.

Kvitova now finds herself £1.1m better off and becomes the youngest champion since Sharapova herself lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2004 at the age of 17.

In addition to Navratilova, there were eight other former ladies' singles champions in the Royal Box, gathered to watch what many in the capacity crowd considered would be a formality for the 24-year-old Sharapova. The Russian promptly reinforced those opinions by breaking in the opening game on a pair of Kvitova forehand errors and a rasping forehand rocket of her own.

But the Czech, wearing a plaster on her right thigh as she had done throughout the fortnight, responded bravely and aggressively - an attitude she was to keep up from start to finish - to break back and it was quickly apparent that Sharapova would need to dig very deep indeed if she was to weather the hard-hitting and bigger-serving Kvitova. 

To add to her woes, double faults began to creep into the Sharapova game but early on in the battle the Czech's tendency to over-hit was enough to keep Sharapova in with a good shout, or more accurately a shriek, of her second Wimbledon title. However, she was sometimes reduced to groans as she stretched for deep bullet returns that were giving Kvitova more confidence with every passing minute on Centre Court.

The second, and crucial, break of the Sharapova serve came in the sixth game, a self-inflicted disaster on the back of a brace of double faults. It meant that she spent longer than usual communing with the back stop in her trademark moments of meditation between points, even if that routine did not seem to help her come up with the winning game plan.

It was The Day of the Sluggers and Kvitova proved to be the champion at this. She held for 5-3 at a cost of one point, was denied a set point on the Sharapova serve by a Russian ace, but then served out confidently to love for the first set in 40 minutes. Sharapova's unforced error count already stood at nine.

The Czech momentum was maintained as she broke at the start of the second set with a stunning forehand which clipped the baseline. Kvitova the developed a touch of the jitters - two double faults creeping in at this make-or-break stage - but gathered her composure to put two first serves in and take a 2-0 lead.

The sight of her big day rapidly turning to ashes motivated a Sharapova counter-attack and she pulled level, a little fortunately, when Kvitova failed to put away the simplest of smashes and the Russian lobbed her on break point.

The jubilation among the Sharapova-ites was brief. Missing three game points for a 3-2 lead proved costly as Kvitova slammed away another forehand service return winner to break the Russian serve for a fourth time. Back came Sharapova with a service break of her own to level once more at 3-3 and the Centre Court fans readied themselves for a Sharapova surge. It never came, and was never likely to, as Kvitova's intelligent serving - taking full advantage of her southpaw style - directed the ball into her opponent's body, restricting her opportunities to generate pace of her own on the return.

Another Kvitova break, following Sharapova's sixth double fault, put her ahead once more and all she needed from there was to make sure she did not lose confidence in her service action. When the time came to serve for the title, her first Slam, there was no faltering. She won it to love with her first ace of the match, a rocket down the middle, and knelt in disbelief on the baseline before rising to acknowledge the acclaim. After Navratilova, and more recently Jana Novotna, the Czechs have another worthy ladies' singles champion at Wimbledon.

The 2011 Champions

http://www.wimbledon.com
by Ron Atkin

A memorable 125th Championships ended with two new names on the singles honours boards. The men's title went, for the first time, to a player from Serbia as Novak Djokovic halted Rafael Nadal's 20-match winning streak at Wimbledon - a run which included the 2008 and 2010 titles - with a merited 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory. It was the Serb's fifth victory over Nadal in a final this year and took his won-lost record for 2011 to an incredible 48-1. Nadal was playing with a pain-killing injection in a sore foot, suffered in the fourth round and was below his best form. Djokovic on the other hand swept all before him, and was justly congratulated by the loser for playing "very, very high level''.

In the ladies' singles Petra Kvitova upset the form book by outhitting the 2004 champion and hot favourite Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4. The 21-year-old lefty added further lustre to the tennis reputation of the Czech Republic as two of her compatriots and former Wimbledon champions, Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna, looked on from the Royal Box, alongside eight other ladies' champions of yesteryear. Navratilova, now an American citizen and winner of nine Wimbledons, had perceptively predicted that her fellow left-hander's serve and groundstrokes would prove too much for Sharapova to handle and she was proved correct. The tall blonde kept her nerve and emotions in check until she met Novotna and Navratilova afterwards, when the tears finally flowed.

For Sharapova, defeat came as a bitter blow as she gradually rediscovers the form which had won her three Grand Slams before undergoing a shoulder operation in 2008. She had reached the final without conceding a set but her service remains her weak point - the final saw her lose five of her eight service games and double-fault six times.

If the ladies' singles provided a sea change at The Championships, with the final contested by the sixth and eighth seeds, the men's always promised to be more predictable since the top four seeds looked a cut above the rest of the field from the start. So it proved, at least until the quarter-finals when Roger Federer, a six-time champion and third seed, was blasted to defeat by charismatic Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who overhauled a two-set deficit to demolish the ambitions of the Swiss who was pursuing his 17th Grand Slam title. It was unfortunate for Federer that he caught Tsonga on one of his irresistible days, as tournament statistics reveal. He finished up leading the men's ace count with 108, but was also top of the double-fault table with 27 and unforced errors (143).

Andy Roddick's hopes of another good Wimbledon to match his three runner-up years were ended as early as the third round by another left-handed Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, one of Nadal's closest friends. Roddick, famed for his serving power, was aced into oblivion by Lopez, who ended up only one short of matching Tsonga's tournament total. But Mardy Fish, who has replaced Roddick as the top-ranked American, did considerably better until running into Nadal at the quarter-final stage. Lopez was then involved in the longest match of the fortnight, needing five sets and four hours 18 minutes to subdue Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot.

This of course does not begin to approach the 2010 Wimbledon marathon (and world record) of 11 hours five minutes set by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who were by huge coincidence drawn to meet again in this year's first round. Isner won again, but this time nine hours faster, in two hours four minutes and straight sets.

The struggles of the fifth seed Robin Soderling merely served to underline how the Big Four have taken control. He had to come from two sets down to defeat the 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, but was eliminated - and in straight sets too - in the third round by another qualifier, Australian Bernard Tomic, whose reward for marching into the quarter-finals and taking a set off Djokovic was to replace Hewitt as his country's No.1.

The inability of Andy Murray to get past the semi-finals for the third year in succession was clearly a bitter blow to the player, his support team and the millions in Britain for whom he was, as ever, flying the flag alone. Hopes that he would become the first Brit to reach a Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938 were dashed by Nadal's perennial brilliance, however.

The sensation of the ladies' event was the early defeat of the defending champion, Serena Williams, and her sister Venus who between them had won nine of the last 11 Wimbledons. Thus was an era eclipsed and it did not come as a total surprise since Serena had not played (until a pre-Wimbledon event at Eastbourne) since lifting her fourth championship in 2010 because of injury and then severe illness, while Venus's last tournament had been the Australian Open in January. It was always certain that they would come to Wimbledon in view of what they had achieved in the new century, but almost as certain that, short of match practice, they would struggle. Both went out within hours of each other in the fourth round, Serena to France's hyper-active Marion Bartoli and Venus to Tsvetana Pironkova, who had also ousted her in last year's quarter-finals.

World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who has yet to win a Grand Slam, also failed to get past the fourth round, while Li Na, a heroine in China following her success at the French Open, lost in the second round to Sabine Lisicki, a wild card from Germany making a comeback after a serious ankle injury in 2010. Big-hitting Lisicki, who finally fell to Sharapova in the semi-finals, topped the ladies' ace count with 44. All eight ladies' quarter-finalists came from Europe, while only Fish and Tomic interrupted European domination of the men's last eight.

The men's doubles was annexed by the top-seeded American twins, Bob and Mike Bryan, who defeated the Swedish-Romanian pairing of Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. It was the Bryans' 11th Grand Slam and second Wimbledon triumph, an honour for which they had to fight hard through two earlier five-setters, including a 16-14 fifth-set win over Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley. The Czech-Slovak second seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik became ladies' doubles champions by defeating Lisicki and Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1. The mixed doubles title was won by Jurgen Melzer of Austria and another Czech lefty, Iveta Benesova, who beat Mahesh Bhupathi (India) and Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-3, 6-2.

There was a double triumph in the Junior singles for Australia. First Luke Saville outlasted Britain's Liam Broady 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Boys' event, then Ashleigh Barty captured the Girls' title with a 7-5, 7-6(3) victory over Russia's Irina Khromacheva. There was a guaranteed British winner in the Boys' doubles, where George Morgan teamed with Mate Pavic of Croatia to beat Oliver Golding and the Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely, while the Girls' doubles went to the North American combination of Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) and Grace Min (USA) who edged to a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Hao Chen Tang (China).

Take a look at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

http://www.wimbledon.com
by AELTC

Part of the All England Club's Centenary celebrations, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museumand the associated Kenneth Ritchie Library, was officially opened on 20 May 1977 by HRH The Duke of Kent, and over the years has become a major London tourist attraction in its own right.

Determined to cover all aspects of tennis from its origins, not just those associated with Wimbledon and The Championships, the Museum touches on every aspect of the historical and modern game and its evolution from a garden party pastime to the globally popular professional sport it is today.

Designed by Robin Wade, many of the initial exhibits in the Museum came from the private collection of Tom Todd who acted as historical advisor, and the canvassing efforts of Tony Cooper, the former Assistant Secretary of the Club and the Museum's first curator. The collection has grown over the years, thanks largely to the donations of equipment and outfits from former champions.

Current highlights include:

• The glittering Championship Trophies
• A 'ghost' of John McEnroe which appears in the very changing room he once used! Watch as he speaks about the game and his legendary opponents
• 200° Cinema with special effects capturing the science of tennis
• Film and video footage which take visitors right into the action of some of the most memorable and exciting tournament matches
• An extensive, unsurpassed collection of tennis memorabilia dating back to 1555
• Museum gallery with fascinating displays drawn from our vast collection
• CentreCourt360 - the new viewing experience of Centre Court, located right by the grass, with touch screen interpretation and two fun interactive galleries

Visitors to the Museum are also able to go on a tour of the grounds, taking in all of SW19's most important areas.

The museum's latest exhibit features the history of the queue, one of Wimbledon's most unique and interesting characteristics. The special display conjures the queue 'experience' so vividly that visitors who have turned the long, slow shuffle to the turnstiles into an annual party will feel, 'Yes! This is exactly what it's like.'

"I have always wanted to do an exhibition on the queue and it seemed a tremendous 'popular' subject for the Club's 125th anniversary," said museum curator Honor Godfrey. For the last 10 years, Honor has made a concerted effort to document all aspects of queue life. Her collection aims to examine the 'British' phenomenon of orderly queueing and to celebrate the ever-evolving range of Wimbledon queue paraphernalia - from tennis ball spectacles to hats, witty signage to wristbands, quirky fliers to stickers, snack packets and badges.

If anything sums up the extraordinary appeal of Wimbledon it is the fact that tennis fans come from all over the world, often tucking up for the night in tents, often returning year after year, often meeting friends made the year before, and spend the day happily inching towards the holy grail of the ticket office.

To find out more about the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, or to book onto a tour, visit the Wimbledon year-round site