Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
MATCH STATS
Match statistics from SpaniardRafa Nadal's 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2 victory over Switzerland'sRoger Federer in the men's singles final at the Australian Openon Sunday.
Nadal Federer
1st serve percentage 64 52
Aces 4 11
Double faults 4 6
Winning % on 1st serve 74 of 112 - 66 66 of 90 - 73
Winning % on 2nd serve 30 of 63 - 48 37 of 82 - 45
Winners (including service) 50 71
Unforced errors 41 64
Break point conversions 7 of 16 - 44% 6 of 19 - 32%
Net approaches 15 of 26 - 58% 43 of 60 - 72%
Total points won 173 174
Match duration four hours 23 minutes
ALMOST
Fernando Verdasco was kicking himself after narrowly missing his chance to beat fellow Spaniard Rafa Nadal in an epic five-set semi-final at the Australian Open in the early hours of Saturday.
After around five hours of slugging it out with the world number one, Verdasco had a sniff of upsetting Nadal, who was down 15-30 while serving at 4-4 in the deciding set on Rod Laver Arena.
The ultra aggressive Verdasco, who used his booming forehand to help peel off an eye-watering 95 winners, lined up another to take two break points with the possibility of serving for the match.
Instead, his forehand found the net, Nadal held serve then broke Verdasco to win the longest match ever at the Australian Open and set up a final against Roger Federer on Sunday.
Nadal now has a career 7-0 record against Verdasco.
The energy-sapping five hour 14 minute match beat the previous record held by Boris Becker and Omar Camporese since 1991 by three minutes.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
VERDASCO: WHO IS HE?
By Bonnie D. Ford
ESPN.com
Some teenaged boys like action flicks. Some prefer Westerns or science fiction. Fernando Verdasco's favorite film was the 1995 Australian Open final, which he watched over and over, memorizing each point and momentum swing in Andre Agassi's four-set victory over Pete Sampras.
Verdasco idolized Agassi, who won four titles in Australia. Now, in one of those time-bending coincidences that crop up sometimes in tennis, the suave Spanish lefty is working with one of the architects of those championships, Agassi's dear friend and longtime strength and conditioning trainer Gil Reyes.
The 25-year-old Verdasco credits Reyes for giving him the incremental punch he needed to crash through the cinder block wall that has kept him one room away from tennis' inner sanctum. Reyes returns the favor, saying the 14th seeded Verdasco's run to the Australian Open semifinals is all about his willingness to be sentenced to hard labor.
"His learning curve has been unbelievable,'' Reyes said by telephone from his training center in Las Vegas. "He's a profound guy, and even though he's no kid, his hunger and readiness reminds me of a certain teenager that walked into my gym 20 years ago. He has the exact same look in his eye.''
Verdasco has been working with Reyes for about six months under the auspices of his apparel sponsor, adidas. The German sportswear giant has Reyes under contract to work with athletes who want to take advantage of his expertise, and players like up-and-coming American Sam Querrey have reaped the benefits.
Armed with a precise serve, whip-cracking groundstrokes and a tenacious baseline game, Verdasco has shown versatility on all surfaces. Last year, he was a finalist on grass at Nottingham, advanced to the round of 16 at both the French Open and Wimbledon and reached a career-high No. 11. He said he's always felt comfortable on hard courts, having grown up playing on them in Madrid, a city with an altitude that makes the ball fly a little faster.
The articulate, gracious Verdasco is the son of prominent restaurant owners in Spain's capital. One of their establishments, La Bola, is situated in the upscale Opera neighborhood and has been in the family since 1870; it's known for its deep red exterior walls and the traditional Madrid dish called cocido, a chickpea-and-pork stew simmered on an old-fashioned charcoal stove.
Some of Verdasco's female fans made reference to a different kind of dish during this tournament, holding up a banner that read, "You Put the Chorizo in My Paella.'' He famously posed nude for Cosmopolitan magazine last year in a spread intended to draw attention to men's cancer education, and his status as a world-class heartthrob was confirmed a few months ago when he and Serbia's Ana Ivanovic began dating. They broke up not long ago, an event he endearingly acknowledged by saying, "My romance is a little bit over now.''
Verdasco has the air of someone who knows how to enjoy life, but he's also grown increasingly dissatisfied with lurking on the edges of the top 10. Entering 2008, he found himself in mid-career with just one minor ATP title to his name. He added another on clay in Umag, Croatia, last summer, but had his first truly transformative experience in the Davis Cup finals in November.
Spain, playing without a gimpy and fatigued Rafael Nadal, was considered an underdog to Argentina, despite the host country's controversial decision to play on hard court rather than clay. Verdasco and his good buddy Feliciano Lopez won the pivotal doubles point, and Verdasco sealed his place in Spain's heart by prevailing over Jose Acasuso in the third singles match.
Verdasco didn't rest on those laurels. Two weeks later, he flew to Las Vegas to spend his Christmas holidays with Reyes, who immersed him in lower-body workouts. His stamina and returning ability were already exceptional, but Reyes wanted him to be able to "go those extra four, six, 10 shots,'' the trainer said.
"This generation has raised the bar, and the court coverage is unreal,'' Reyes said. "You're sprinting, slamming on the brakes, sprinting back, starting and stopping violently. Weak legs command and strong legs obey.''
The fortnight stint also gave Verdasco a chance for a two-hour, one-on-one conversation with Agassi, who gave him advice on everything from his tournament schedule to philosophy of life.
"After these two weeks, I realize much more how I can play and how I can be [a] harder player for the other players,'' Verdasco said.
What happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas. Reyes arranged for Verdasco to visit gyms with specialized equipment when he played his first event of the year in Brisbane -- where he reached the final -- and again in Melbourne when he played the tune-up exhibition in suburban Kooyong. "Then, I told him to pack it up and just play,'' Reyes said.
Verdasco blitzed through his first three matches here in straight sets, losing just 12 games in the process, and avenged his Brisbane loss to 22nd seed Radek Stepanek with a crushing 6-4, 6-0, 6-0 rout in the third round. The Spaniard wasn't given much of a shot against pre-tournament favorite Andy Murray in the round of 16 and looked overmatched when he went down two sets to one. He came back from that deficit in one of the most efficient yet fiery displays of the tournament, then knocked off 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets in the quarterfinals.
Commentator and two-time Australian Open champion Jim Courier noticed Verdasco's eyes welling with emotion during the on-court interview after the Tsonga match and cut his queries short. "I had at least two more questions I could have asked, but I knew he didn't need to be breaking down in front of 15,000 people,'' Courier said.
Verdasco's physical and psychological limits surely will be tested against No. 1 Nadal on Friday evening, but Courier said he thinks the gap between the two has narrowed in the last 10 days. "I do think it's hard for these guys to play a countryman in the semis, but Fernando is playing a different kind of tennis than we've ever seen from him,'' Courier said.
Nadal doesn't seem inclined to underestimate Verdasco despite their relative positions in the national pecking order. "Always is good to play against another Spanish player in semifinals of Grand Slam, no?'' Nadal told inquiring reporters. "Is very good news for us. One player [is] gonna be in the final. But, you know, Fernando is playing at his best level. I never played against him when he's playing at the level like right now … beating Tsonga, beating Murray.
"Sometimes in the past he had some mistakes in important moments and he lost a little bit of concentration. But right now he's changing these things.''
Reyes said Verdasco called him after the Tsonga match and told him he felt great. "I told him, 'Why not you? Why not now? Empty the holster,'" Reyes said. "Moments like this are special. Of course it's him on the other side, but it's you on this side.''
The trainer said he has been living on Australian time, 19 hours ahead of Las Vegas, following Verdasco's matches live in the middle of the night. Little did Verdasco know, all those years after he watched Agassi box his way through the draw in Melbourne, that he'd have the same man in his corner. It sounds like something that would happen only in the movies.
HOT TENNIS
There was no confusion about the Extreme Heat Policy at Melbourne Park on Thursday, the second day of what forecasters were tipping could be a once-in-a-century heat wave.
The retractable roof was closed over Rod Laver Arena long before the first match and all outdoor matches were postponed.
Elena Dementieva and Carla Suaraz Navarro sweated through a two-set match in 40C (104F) temperatures Wednesday before Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova played through 42C (107F) heat in the first set of their quarterfinal.
Then the tournament's Extreme Heat Policy came into effect and the roof was closed. Lucky, too. The temperature rose above 43C (109F).
Melbourne's heat wave continued on Day 11 of the Australian Open with the temperature topping 44C (111F) — making it Melbourne's hottest January day since 1939 — and more of the same forecast through Saturday.
The roof was reopened for the night semifinal between Roger Federer and American Andy Roddick as Melbourne's unpredictable weather saw the temperature drop 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in the evening. Federer won in straight sets.
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Roger Federer continued his total domination of Andy Roddick with a 6-2 7-5 7-5 masterclass in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Federer extended his head-to-head record to 16-2 against Roddick and will now be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles on Sunday.
Federer, who beat the American at the same stage in the 2007 tournament before going on to lift the title, will play either world number one Rafa Nadal or Fernando Verdasco in the final.
The Spanish pair play their semi-final on Friday.
Thursday's victory also meant Federer emulated Sampras by reaching 18 grand slam finals. The only person to beat Federer in a major final is Nadal, three at Roland Garros and once at Wimbledon.
REUTERS
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT,...
A once in a century heatwave caused havoc at the Australian Open on Wednesday, forcing tournament organisers to cancel matches and invoke their new Extreme Heat Policy for the first time.
The tournament match referee Wayne McKewen ordered the roof on the Rod Laver centre court be shut and all matches were suspended on the outside courts as the temperature soared past a stifling 43 degrees Celsius.
The players were left soaked in sweat and gasping for air in the sweltering heat while spectators abandoned the stands to watch matches on television sets in shaded bars at Melbourne Park.
The brutal conditions proved too much for the swarms of bogong moths that flutter around the stadium's bright lights, with dozens dropping dead on to the main court.
The Australian Open has always been played in severe conditions but organisers are on high alert this year after the Bureau of Meteorology forecast six consecutive days of 40 degrees temperatures in Melbourne.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
THE GHOST OF OPENS PAST
What can be said?
Fed overpowered Del Potro - 6-3, 6-0, 6-0.
Federer served at 70 per cent, and served 12 aces and no double faults.
Federer had just nine unforced errors; Del Potro had 24.
The Swiss won 32 of his 37 points when he landed his first serve.
Federer had 38 winners to Del Potro’s eight.
The No.2 seed won 21 of the 25 points when he came to the net.
The final set lasted just 19 minutes.
FITNESS WINS FOR RODDICK
Djokovic handled the expectations, public attention, challenging draw, and even ball crushing roddick, but the final element in this equation - stifling heat - sealed his fate.
He was two sets to one down against Andy Roddick in their quarterfinal, and with the score standing at 6-7(3) 6-4 6-2 2-1 in the American's favour, Djokovic ground to a halt.
He had managed to cope with the warm weather and Roddick in more or less that order for the first set, but when his rival tightened the screws at the start of the second set, Djokovic began to crumble.
It was bad enough that he had to play the new and streamlined Roddick [15 pounds lighter - mandated by his new coach Larry Stefanki ], but now he had to do it in the full heat of the day as the thermometer climbed into the mid-30s. It did not take long before Djokovic was gasping and calling for the trainer to have various bits of him iced down.
His previous match had been played at night, when Marcos Baghdatis had kept him on the court until 2.26 on Monday morning. So, in order to give himself a little more time to recover, Djokovic had asked for a night match on Tuesday, but the request was turned down. With little rest, a broiling sun and a rejuvenated Roddick crunching his forehand and walloping his serve, Djokovic was toast.
Monday, January 26, 2009
MURRAY OUT
Spain's Fernando Verdasco ended fourth seed Andy Murray's Australian Open campaign with a 2-6 6-1 1-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Monday to advance to his first grand slam quarter-final.
Verdasco became the first left hander other than world number one Rafa Nadal to beat Murray on the ATP Tour and also notched his first victory in six matches against the Briton.
The 21-year-old Scot, one of the pre-tournament favourites, produced flashes of brilliantly controlled tennis but also made several elementary errors and at one point in the fourth set screamed: "What the hell are you doing?".
The 25-year-old Verdasco will now next meet Jo Wilfried-Tsonga, who beat Blake in straights..
REUTERS
Sunday, January 25, 2009
FED SCRAPES BY BERDYCH
World number two Roger Federer fought back from two sets down to snatch a dramatic 4-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory against Tomas Berdych Sunday, retaining his hopes of winning a 14th grand slam title at the Australian Open.
Federer, who is seeking to equal Pete Sampras's record for grand slam titles, appeared listless from the beginning of his fourth round match with the Czech, before he found his form in the middle of the third set and never looked back.
The Swiss second seed had numerous opportunities to seal decisive games in each of the opening sets but the 20th-seeded Berdych managed to find a booming serve, blistering return or a winner to halt Federer's momentum.
However, after Berdych missed a smash while 3-4 down in the third, Federer seized the initiative and drastically raised his game to take the match in three hours, 29 minutes, setting up a quarter-final with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.
MONDAY ORDER OF PLAY [SUNDAY HERE]
Rod Laver Arena - play starts at 0000
12-Gael Monfils (France) v 6-Gilles Simon (France)
13-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) v 2-Serena Williams (U.S.)
1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) v 13-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)
From 0830
9-James Blake (U.S.) v 5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)
Paul Hanley (Australia)/ v 4-Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic)/
Jordan Kerr (Australia) Leander Paes (India)
- -
Hisense Arena - (0000)
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) v 21-Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain)
18-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) v 4-Elena Dementieva (Russia)
8-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) v 22-Zheng Jie (China)
4-Andy Murray (Britain) v 14-Fernando Verdasco (Spain)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
LOOKING AT THE SECOND WEEK
In the men's draw, play through the first the three rounds has validated the notion that the top four seeds could still be there for the semifinals. The "big four" of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray have been able to separate themselves from the rest of the players on the tour in recent months.
But the defending champion Djokovic has shown the same occasional lapses in concentration that contributed to his early exits in Brisbane and Sydney heading into the Aussie Open. Djokovic's tough four-set win over former NCAA champion Amer Delic should give Andy Roddick additional confidence that Roddick can knock out Djokovic should they meet in the quarterfinals. Delic controlled many of the significant baseline rallies with Djokovic, and Roddick's shot-making has been impressive so far in Australia.
Djokovic, though, will first have to take care of Marcos Baghdatis in the fourth round. The Cypriot was slowed by injuries for most of last year but has shown flashes of the brilliance that he displayed when he reached the final of the Australian Open in 2006. He remains a crowd favorite at Rod Laver Arena.
Roddick's new coach Larry Stefanki has been emphasizing Andy's return game, which could pay big dividends if he takes on Djokovic. Roddick has benefited from a manageable draw, dismantling a pair of qualifiers in his first two matches. It's never an easy assignment to take on Fabrice Santoro, but Roddick dicatated the terms in his third round victory over the 36-year-old magician.
Next up for the American is a fourth-round date with Tommy Robredo, who has never beaten Roddick in nine chances. Perhaps Roddick is poised to expand the elite circle of men's tennis to a "big five" this year if he can fight his way into the final four Down Under.
Heading into 2009, Roger Federer announced he was ready to reclaim his control over men's tennis. So far the former world No. 1 has been living up to those bold words. He rolled past Marat Safin in straight sets in the third round in what could have been Safin's final match in Melbourne.
While Federer's next opponent — Tomas Berdych — stunned the smooth Swiss in the 2004 Olympics, he hasn't beaten Federer since. That trend should continue when they meet in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, Federer would then play either Marin Cilic or Juan Martin del Potro. These rising stars both have big games but shouldn't be able to take down Federer on a very big stage.
Nadal and Murray have been just as impressive. The top seeded Spaniard destroyed Tommy Haas in straight sets and hasn't lost a set in his first three matches. While Fernando Gonzalez's power could give Nadal some trouble in the fourth round, the Chilean may be physically drained after rallying from two sets down to beat Richard Gasquet in an epic third-round match.
If Gael Monfils can upset Gilles Simon, Nadal will have a chance to avenge his loss earlier this year to Monfils in Qatar. Murray remains on a collision course to meet Nadal in the semifinals. If he's feeling any pressure to capture his first Grand Slam title, Murray hasn't shown it so far and was dominant in blowing Jurgen Melzer off the court in the third round.
Brian Webber, FOXSports.com
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