2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Nadal first to qualify for ATP Tour Finals

Rafael Nadal has booked his place at the World Tour finals after winning a record eighth French Open title.
Nadal has staged a spectacular comeback after being sidelined for seven months with a knee injury from June last year.
Since returning in February, he has reached the final in all of the nine events he has played, winning seven titles including Indian Wells and the Madrid and Rome Masters Series.
The 27-year-old is fifth in the world rankings, but is first in the Race standings that are based on the calendar year's results.
He has already guaranteed a top-eight finish and a place at the end-of-season showpiece event in London.
"Nadal has now qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals nine straight years," the ATP said.
The Spaniard, who has 12 Grand Slam titles to his name, has never won the Tour Finals, with his best performance being a final defeat to Roger Federer in 2010.
Nadal missed last year's event in London due to the knee injury that also forced him out of the London Olympics, the US Open and this year's Australian Open.
He thrashed fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday to become the first player to win the same Slam eight times.
The World Tour finals will take place in London from November 4-11.

 

[Smallville22]

Federer haul seems light-years away, says Nadal

Rafa Nadal believes he still has a very long way to go before he can match or overtake the record haul of 17 Grand Slam singles titles amassed by his great rival Roger Federer.
Spaniard Nadal won his eighth French Open crown on Sunday and having just turned 27, has 12 Grand Slam singles titles in total, including two Wimbledon crowns and triumphs at the US Open and Australian Open.
Swiss Federer, who will be 32 in August, won his last grand slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2012 but is still ranked third in the world and has every chance of adding at least one more before he calls time on his career.
"It (matching Federer) is something that right now seems light-years away, something that I am not even thinking about," Nadal said in an interview with Spanish sports daily Marca.
Nadal's French Open success was his seventh title since returning from a seven-month lay-off in February due to a knee injury.
He reached the final in the other two events he played, Monte Carlo and Vina del Mar, and will now take a brief rest as he prepares for the grass courts of Wimbledon starting in two weeks.
Asked what had helped him win his 12 Grand Slam titles, Nadal told Marca: "The normal. Nothing special.
"Luckily, I have always had a team with me which has helped me in the good and the bad times," he added. "I have had family and friends around me who have helped me.
"Travelling around Spain and the world and feeling loved is a personal satisfaction and gives you a lot of energy to be able to succeed."

 

[Smallville22]

Watson progresses in Birmingham

British number two Heather Watson won her first WTA Tour match since February at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
The 21-year-old, who returned to action at the French Open after two months out with glandular fever, beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-4 7-6.
A solitary break of serve was enough for the Guernsey player to take the first set against the world number 110 and after an exchange of breaks in the second, Watson took the tie-break to love.
Watson was one of three British players in singles action on day two at the Priory Club and Fed Cup team-mate Johanna Konta defeated Kurumi Nara 6-2 6-4 in 73 minutes.
Konta, who reached the semi-finals of last week’s Aegon Trophy in Nottingham, broke the Japanese qualifier on five occasions.
Tara Moore put in a battling performance before going down 5-7 7-6(5) 6-4 to French 12th seed Kristina Mladenovic.
British number one Laura Robson will begin her singles campaign on Wednesday when she takes on former Aegon Classic finalist Daniela Hantuchova who beat Australia’s Casey Dellacqua 6-1 7-6.

WTA Birmingham - Round 2

6-Mona Barthel (Germany) beat Vesna Dolonc (Serbia) 7-5 2-6 7-5

Alison Riske (U.S.) beat 4-Tamira Paszek (Austria) 2-6 6-2 6-3

Round 1

9-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 6-2 7-6(5)

12-Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Tara Moore (Britain) 5-7 7-6(5) 6-4

14-Heather Watson (Britain) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-4 7-6(0)

15-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) 2-6 6-3 7-6(3)

Johanna Konta (Britain) beat Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-2 6-4

Maria Sanchez (U.S.) beat Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) 6-3 6-2

Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) beat Olga Puchkova (Russia) 6-2 6-4

Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Casey Dellacqua (Australia) 6-1 7-6(1)

WTA Nuremberg - Round 1

3-Alize Cornet (France) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-3 6-4

4-Julia Goerges (Germany) beat Alexandra Cadantu (Romania) 6-4 7-5

5-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Sesil Karatantcheva (Kazakhstan) 6-2 7-6(9)

6-Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) beat Mariana Duque (Colombia) 7-5 6-3

8-Annika Beck (Germany) beat Nina Bratchikova (Russia) 6-2 6-2

Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) beat Teliana Pereira (Brazil) 4-6 6-4 6-4

Johanna Larsson (Sweden) beat Yuliya Beygelzimer (Ukraine) 6-3 6-7(3) 7-5

Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) beat Alexandra Panova (Russia) 6-2 6-2

Julia Cohen (U.S.) beat Tereza Smitkova (Czech Republic) 7-6(2) 6-3

Karin Knapp (Italy) beat Dinah Pfizenmaier (Germany) 2-6 7-6(0) 7-5

Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-3 6-2

Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) beat Jessica Pegula (U.S.) 7-5 4-6 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Keothavong crashes out in Birmingham

Anne Keothavong became the first British player to exit WTA Birmingham as she slumped to a 7-5 6-2 first-round defeat to American qualifier Alison Riske.
Keothavong, currently ranked at number 211 in the world, broke early in the opening set to take the initiative on the Ann Jones centre court, but she was quickly overrun by her opponent.
Riske, who reached the quarter-finals of WTA Nottingham last week, dominated on her serve after suffering the early break and capitalised on the inconsistency of the Brit’s delivery as she took the crucial break at 5-5 in the first set and proceeded to control the second.
Keothavong, coached by Jeremy Bates, could not respond after falling behind in the second set and was defeated by the world number 167 from Pittsburgh in an hour and 32 minutes of play.
It was also a bad day for defending champion Melanie Oudin, who lost in straight sets 6-3 6-1 in her first round to world number 155 Ajla Tomljanovic.
Tomljanovic said: "My serve was a big factor. I felt really comfortable returning and that meant I could go for more on my serve."

WTA Birmingham results

Jamie Hampton (U.S.) beat 10-Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-2 6-3

Alison Van Uytvanck (Belgium) beat 11-Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-4 6-0

13-Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) beat Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 5-7 6-3 6-2

16-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Melanie South (Britain) 6-4 6-2

Nadiya Kichenok (Ukraine) beat Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-3 6-4

Donna Vekic (Croatia) beat Camila Giorgi (Italy) 7-6(2) 6-3

Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 6-0 6-1

Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Coco Vandeweghe (U.S.) 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 7-5

Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) beat Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) 6-4 7-6(3)

Mathilde Johansson (France) beat Petra Cetkovska (Czech Republic) 7-5 6-2

Madison Keys (U.S.) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 3-6 6-3 7-6(3)

Alison Riske (U.S.) beat Anne Keothavong (Britain) 7-5 6-2

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia) beat Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-2

Vesna Dolonc (Serbia) beat Maria Joao Koehler (Portugal) 6-7(8) 6-0 6-3

Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-2 6-1

Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia) beat Melanie Oudin (U.S.) 6-3 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Ward loses in three sets, Evans wins at Queen's

Britain's James Ward squandered match points as he suffered a 6-7 7-6 7-6 first-round defeat to Croatia's Ivan Dodig at the Queen’s Club.
Ward, a wildcard for the grass-court tournament, wasted two match points at 5-3 up in the second set, having taken the first on a tie-break, and went on to lose the match in the decider.
The world number 215 had looked set to win the match in straight sets, but it will be Dodig who next takes on fifth seed and fellow Croat, Marin Cilic, in the second round at the West Kensington club after his resurgence.
It was another case of what might have been for Ward as he failed to close out the match in the second set at a tournament in which he has had success in the past, but the Croat’s clinical play in the second and third tie-breaks proved crucial.
Having cursed himself for not taking the match point chances in the second set, Ward failed to capitalise on three break points in the opening game of the third as he proceeded to lose the decider on a third breaker.
Cilic, the world number 12 who won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament back in 2012, will be the favourite as the big-server takes on compatriot Dodig in the second round.
There was better fortune for Britain’s Dan Evans earlier in the day, however, as he defeated Argentine Guido Pella 6-3 6-1 to progress through to the second round.
The 23-year-old world number 277, who reached the quarter-finals at Nottingham last week, will next take on either Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen or Ryan Harrison of the USA.

Queen’s Club results

9-Benoit Paire (France) beat Jamie Baker (Britain) 7-5 6-2

10-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 4-6 6-2 7-6(4)

Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) beat Guillaume Rufin (France) 6-7(1) 7-5 7-6(5)

Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) beat Edward Corrie (Britain) 6-4 7-6(1)

Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Michael Russell (U.S.) 4-6 6-1 6-3

Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) beat Tatsuma Ito (Japan) 6-3 7-5

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat James Ward (Britain) 6-7(8) 7-6(2) 7-6(2)

Daniel Evans (Britain) beat Guido Pella (Argentina) 6-3 6-1

Thiemo de Bakker (Netherlands) beat Ilija Bozoljac (Serbia) 6-2 7-6(5)

Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-4 5-7 6-4

Marinko Matosevic (Australia) beat Frederik Nielsen (Denmark) 7-5 6-2

Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) beat Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 7-6(5) 6-3

Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat Jesse Levine (Canada) 6-4 6-4

Denis Kudla (U.S.) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-0 6-3

ATP Halle results

8-Florian Mayer (Germany) beat Martin Fischer (Austria) 6-2 6-2

Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) 6-1 6-2

Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) beat Daniel Brands (Germany) 6-4 6-2

Mischa Zverev (Germany) beat David Goffin (Belgium) 1-6 6-4 7-5

 

[Smallville22]

Del Potro battles through at Queen's, could face Evans

Third seed Juan Martin Del Potro survived a scare to progress through to the third round of Queen's by scraping past Xavier Malisse 7-6(5) 1-6 7-5 on Tuesday.
The former US Open winner and world number eight took the opening set 7-5 on a tie-break, but had to break serve from 5-5 with the match finely poised after he lost the second in comprehensive fashion.
Del Potro saved a break point before going on to win the opening set, but the tables quickly turned as Malisse raced into a 5-0 lead in the second, eventually losing a single game as he levelled up the match.
The Belgian again broke Del Potro at the start of the deciding set, but the 24-year-old Argentine roared back as three breaks were forced in successive games to see him reassert his control of the match.
At 5-5, Malisse squandered three break points, and Del Potro punished his opponent ruthlessly as he broke to love in the next game and went on to secure victory in two hours and 10 minutes.
Del Potro will next face either Jarkko Nieminen or Britain’s Dan Evans in round three at the West Kensington grass-court club.
Meanwhile at ATP Halle, former world number seven Gael Monfils upset fifth seed Milos Raonic, beating the Canadian 6-4 6-2 in impressive fashion in their first-round match.
Monfils, who was coming off a third-round showing at Roland Garros where he dumped out world number six Tomas Berdych, won 74 per cent of the points on his own serve and broke his opponent three times.

ATP Queen’s - Round 2

3-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-6(5) 1-6 7-5

Denis Kudla (U.S.) beat 9-Benoit Paire (France) 6-3 6-4

6-Sam Querrey (U.S.) beat Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 7-6(11) 5-7 7-6(5)

Round 1

11-Julien Benneteau (France) beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 7-6(7) 6-3

12-Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) beat Samuel Groth (Australia) 6-7(7) 6-3 6-2

13-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Ryan Harrison (U.S.) 6-3 6-3

14-Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 7-6(2) 7-6(3)

Michael Llodra (France) beat 15-Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-3 6-1

16-Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) beat Kyle Edmund (Britain) 6-4 7-6(4)

Benjamin Becker (Germany) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(4)

Kenny De Schepper (France) beat Rajeev Ram (U.S.) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Rhyne Williams (U.S.) 6-3 6-2

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 3-6 6-3 6-4

ATP Halle – Round 1

Gael Monfils (France) beat 5-Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-4 6-2

6-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-3 6-1

Mirza Basic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) beat 7-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(5)

Jurgen Melzer (Austria) beat Riccardo Ghedin (Italy) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-4

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-4 3-6 6-3

Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) beat Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 7-6(4) 6-4

Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (Germany) beat Jimmy Wang (Taiwan) 6-2 6-4

Tobias Kamke (Germany) beat Lukasz Kubot (Poland) 6-4 6-0

 

[rivasky]

8-Annika Beck (Germany) beat Nina Bratchikova (Russia) 6-2 6-2

Annika is talented and cute. I really like her.
She showed up at the players party dressed as [NOBABE]Little Red[/NOBABE] Riding Hood :lovebunny:

 

[Smallville22]

Marathon man Mahut awarded wildcard

Frenchman Nicolas Mahut has been given a wildcard for Wimbledon, still reaping the fruits of his record 11-hour-five-minute match against American John Isner in 2010.
"Very grateful to receive the wildcard @Wimbledon," Mahut wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "A big thank you to the (All England) Club! Always feel special to play in such a prestigious place!"
Mahut, who will long be remembered for the first-round tussle he lost 70-68 in the fifth set, is ranked 224th and could not have entered the main draw without a wildcard.
The 31-year-old, who along with Michael Llodra lost the French Open doubles final to the Bryan brothers last weekend, will face world number two Andy Murray in the second round of the Queen's grasscourt event on Wednesday.

 

[Smallville22]

Monfils to skip Wimbledon for personal reasons

Gael Monfils has revealed his plan to miss Wimbledon after reaching the quarter-finals of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
Monfils, who had originally applied for a wildcard to SW19 this year, blamed personal reasons for his decision, although he did not elaborate.
"I've withdrawn my request for a wildcard because I've got a small personal problem to sort out during the coming week," he said.
"Something unexpected has come up in the first week of Wimbledon. It is serious enough for me to miss Wimbledon."
The Frenchman is a former world number seven but had dropped to a world ranking of 119 after a series of injuries, including a seven-month spell on the sidelines last year.
But a run at the French Open - including a first-round win over fifth seed Tomas Berdych - plus a runner-up spot in Nice had improved Monfils's ranking to 67.
Monfils was speaking after he swept aside Jan Hernrych 6-2 6-3 in Halle, having beaten 15th-ranked Milos Raonic in straight sets earlier in the grass-court tournament.

 

[Smallville22]

Federer wins Halle opener

Roger Federer moved into the quarter-finals of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle with a 6-3 6-3 win over Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Federer, who was granted a first-round bye, cruised to victory against the German wildcard in one hour and eight minutes to set up a quarter-final against Mischa Zverev.
Five-times Halle winner Federer has not triumphed at the tournament since 2008, and has twice been a beaten finalist since.
But he sealed his 40th career win at the German grass-court venue by breaking the world number 166 twice in each set.
"I was satisfied with my performance even if there were things I could have done better," Switzerland's world number three and 17-times Grand Slam winner said.
"I hope to get stronger with each match."
German wildcard Zverev beat Bosnian lucky loser Mirza Basic 7-6(5) 6-3.
There was a mini-upset as in-form fourth seed Kei Nishikori lost in three sets to Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny.
Youzhny cruised to the first set 6-1 but lost the second on a tie-breaker before closing out the win with a comfortable decider.
Gael Monfils also progressed with a 6-2 6-3 win over Jan Hernych, but the Frenchman’s victory was marred by the news he would not play at Wimbledon due to personal problems.

Second round results:

1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (Germany) 6-3 6-3

Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat 4-Kei Nishikori (Japan) 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3

Mischa Zverev (Germany) beat Mirza Basic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 7-6(5) 6-3

Gael Monfils (France) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Murray comeback stalled by rain at Queen's

Andy Murray’s comeback from a back injury was ruined by rain at Aegon Championships at Queen's Club with the Scot leading Nicolas Mahut 6-3 2-2, 15-0.
Murray was kept out of the French Open by the injury and was making his comeback in the second round of Queen’s against the man who knocked him out of the pre-Wimbledon warm-up tournament at the same stage last year.
The Scot, a two-times former champion at Queen’s and top seed, made an aggressive start to the match, clattering a running forehand into the body of Mahut up at the net on his way to setting up two break points.
The Frenchman saved them both, however, and Murray was forced to wait until the seventh game before finally making the breakthrough, sealing the lead with a cross-court forehand passing shot winner.
Murray served out the set with little trouble two games later before the rain started to wreak havoc on the match.
The players returned 52 minutes later only to manage a game and a half before again being forced off. A second return was only marginally more successful as two-and-a-half games were completed, all service holds, before the rain put a stop to the match for a third and final time.
Murray now faces the likelihood of having to play more than one match in a day if he is to repeat his feats of 2009 and 2011 when he lifted the trophy at the west London tournament.
Some matches were completed, however, with Leyton Hewitt reaching the last 16 with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Grigor Dimitrov.
The Australian, a four-time champion at the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event, marched into the last 16 at the expense of the Bulgarian world number 28.
The 32-year-old is well into the twilight of his career and a lowly 82 in the world rankings but broke his opponent, a decade younger, in the third game and went on to take the opening stanza.
Hewitt had not tasted victory since the first round of the Miami Masters in March before this week but the former Wimbledon champion was serving superbly, not facing a single break point, and broke in the opening game of the second set before wrapping up a 67 minute victory.
"I thought I played a really smart match," Hewitt said. "My first match here wasn't pretty, but I fought hard and got through it. That's what I needed to do. Then today it was a classy performance."
He will next face American 2010 champion Sam Querrey in the third round.
British wild card Dan Evans enjoyed a famous win over Finland's Jarkko Niemenen.
The world number 277 followed up his victory over world number 75 Guido Pella by beating the 13th seed 6-4 6-7 6-4.
Evans, who starred in Britain’s Davis Cup win over Russia in April, made an early break to win the opening set but was pegged back by the veteran - ranked 240 places higher - 8-6 in the second set tie-break.
But the 23-year-old, who recently won a Futures tournament in Sweden, hit back to make two crucial break in the decider and take victory in 108 minutes.
Second seed Tomas Berdych, playing his first match since a first-round defeat at the French Open, eased past Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-1 6-4 in a match interrupted by rain.

Round 2 results:

2-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Thiemo de Bakker (Netherlands) 6-1 6-4

5-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-3 6-4

7-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 6-3 4-6 6-4

Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat 10-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-3

Benjamin Becker (Germany) beat 12-Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 7-6(2) 7-5

Daniel Evans (Britain) beat 13-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-4 6-7(6) 6-4

16-Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) beat Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 7-5 6-4

Kenny De Schepper (France) beat Rohan Bopanna (India) 6-4 6-3

Marinko Matosevic (Australia) beat Michael Llodra (France) WO

 

[Smallville22]

Baltacha dumps out top seed Doi in Nottingham

Elena Baltacha set up an all-British showdown in Nottingham by beating top seed Misaki Doi at the Aegon Challenge.
The former British number one impressed by beating the Japanese, ranked 87 in the world, 6-4 6-4.
Next up for Baltacha is a British opponent after Emily Webley-Smith beat Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-2 2-6 6-3.
“It is a very exciting day for me - getting my first win on grass since my surgery in straight sets,” Baltacha said.
“This was a big challenge, the top seed, a top 100 a girl who can play on grass. I really prepared myself to deliver today and I’m delighted that I managed to do it."
Fellow Brit Samantha Murray downed Stephanie Vogt of Lichtenstein 6-0 7-6(2) to become the third home hope to progress.

 

[Smallville22]

Watson and Robson sent packing in Birmingham

Laura Robson and Heather Watson crashed out of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
British number two Watson got back to winning ways with a first round win over Melinda Czink on Tuesday but fell 6-4 6-3 to Alla Kudryavtseva, a player ranked 172nd in the world.
It was only Watson’s third competitive outing since recovering from a bout of glandular fever. The Guernsey player only returned from a four-month absence from the WTA Tour at Roland Garros two weeks ago.
But her Russian opponent clinched a solitary break in the opening set on the Ann Jones Centre Court before four further breaks in the second saw her complete victory in 71 minutes.
Robson faced an awkward second round match against former Aegon Classic finalist Daniela Hantuchova and lost 6-4 6-3.
The British number one, seeded seventh, had a bye in the first round but had no answer to the Slovak, struggling with a first serve percentage under 50 per cent and being broken twice in the first set and suffering the only break of the second,
Their Fed Cup team-mate Johanna Konta also lost, going down 6-4 6-1 to Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic.
There was another upset as second seed Ekaterina Makarova lost to New Zealander Marina Erakovic 7-6(6) 3-6 6-0.
Top seeded Belgian Kirsten Flipkens suffered a scare but eventually beat Croatian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-4 7-5 in the day's final match.

WTA Birmingham - Round 2 results

1-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia) 4-6 6-4 7-5

Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat 2-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 7-6(6) 3-6 6-0

3-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-4

5-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat 7-Laura Robson (Britain) 6-3 6-4

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia) beat 9-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-4 6-0

15-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Nadiya Kichenok (Ukraine) 7-6(4) 6-2

16-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Mathilde Johansson (France) 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4

12-Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Johanna Konta (Britain) 6-4 6-1

13-Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) beat Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-1 6-4

Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) beat 14-Heather Watson (Britain) 6-4 6-3

Maria Sanchez (U.S.) beat Alison Van Uytvanck (Belgium) 7-6(3) 6-3

WTA Nuremberg - Round 2 results

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-2 6-0

Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) beat 3-Alize Cornet (France) 2-6 6-3 6-3

5-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) 6-4 6-2

6-Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) beat Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) 6-1 6-4

7-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Estrella Cabeza Candela (Spain) 6-2 6-1

8-Annika Beck (Germany) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-4 6-2

Polona Hercog (Slovenia) beat Julia Cohen (U.S.) 6-3 6-3

Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat 4-Julia Goerges (Germany) 6-1 7-5

Round 1 results

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 6-4 6-2

Polona Hercog (Slovenia) beat 2-Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-3 4-6 6-1

7-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Grace Min (U.S.) 6-0 7-5

Estrella Cabeza Candela (Spain) beat Tereza Martincova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Riske reaches Edgbaston quarters again

Alison Riske reached her third career WTA quarter-final at Edgbaston with a convincing 6-1 6-2 win over Alla Kudryavtseva.
The American, whose two previous last-eight appearances were also at the Aegon Classic, needed just 54 minutes to oust the Russian, who had shocked British number two Heather Watson in the previous round.
Riske, who like Kudryavtseva is a qualifier for this tournament, lost just 14 points on serve and managed two breaks in each set.
Her fellow American Madison Keys also progressed with an impressive 6-3 6-2 win over sixth seed Mona Barthel of Germany.
"No match on grass is easy because things can change so quickly, but I was really happy I was able to get on and get off," Keys said.
"I think I was really solid off the baseline today, which really helped me play some good return games and break her. And I also served really well today."
Top seed Jelena Jankovic also went through with a 6-4 6-0 win over Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino.

WTA Edgbaston Round 3 results:

3-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat 13-Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-1 1-6 6-1

Madison Keys (U.S.) beat 6-Mona Barthel (Germany) 6-3 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat 12-Kristina Mladenovic (France) 3-6 7-6(6) 6-4

15-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 7-6(3) 6-3

Alison Riske (U.S.) beat Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 6-1 6-2

Donna Vekic (Croatia) beat Maria Sanchez (U.S.) 4-6 6-2 6-2

WTA Nuremberg quarter-final results:

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat 6-Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 6-4 6-0

Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat 8-Annika Beck (Germany) 4-6 6-3 7-5

5-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-4

7-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) 6-4 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Raonic, Ward and Edmund get Eastbourne wildcards

World number 15 Milos Raonic will top the men's seedings at the AEGON International in Eastbourne, joining Britain's James Ward and Kyle Edmund as wildcards into the main draw of the tournament which takes place at Devonshire Park from June 15-22.
The 22-year-old Raonic became just the third Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year.
He won his third straight San Jose title in February, becoming the first player since Tony Trabert (1953-55) to achieve that feat, facing just one break point in 39 service games over the week-long tournament.
In March he helped Canada reach the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time, winning his singles rubbers against Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi to help his team defeat Italy in the quarterfinals.
British number two Ward joins Raonic as a wildcard. Ward achieved a career-high world ranking of 137 in April 2012 and pushed world number 12 Mardy Fish to the wire in an epic five-setter in the second round at Wimbledon last year.
Ward represented Great Britain in Davis Cup for the seventh time in April this year, posting a heroic performance to defeat Dimitry Tursunov in another five-set thriller that levelled Great Britain's tie against Russia at two rubbers apiece.
This will be Ward's fifth appearance at Devonshire Park, the 26-year-old reaching the quarter-finals of the event in 2010.
“I'm really looking forward to returning to Eastbourne for the Aegon International,” said Ward.
“The courts are great and it's a tough field so it's the perfect opportunity to get in some matches ahead of Wimbledon.”
A US Open junior semi-finalist in 2011 and junior quarterfinalist at Australian Open 2012, 18-year-old Edmund began competing at senior level in 2012.
“This is only my second ATP World Tour event so I'm very excited to be playing against some of the world's top players at Eastbourne,” said Edmund, who became the youngest British player since Andy Murray to win a Futures event when he took the Birmingham, Alabama, title in October last year.
In April this year he was appointed hitting partner to the British team for their tie against Russia and in May he won his second Futures title at Vero Beach Florida without dropping a set, going on to extend his winning run to eight-consecutive matches by reaching the semi-finals at Orange Park, Florida, the following week.
Ranked 444th in the world, Edmund sits just two places off his career-high ranking of 442 achieved on May 20 this year.
A bumper crowd is expected at Devonshire Park this year with the tournament staging a Family Day on Saturday June 15, with free entry to the grounds and unreserved seating on Centre Court and Court One.
Legends Day on Sunday June 16 will feature a quartet of tennis greats competing in a Father’s Day tussle, former British number one Greg Rusedski facing off against Mark Philippoussis in singles before teaming up with former world number one Lindsay Davenport and two-time Wimbledon doubles champion Rennae Stubbs in a mixed doubles match.

 

[Smallville22]

Dominant Baltacha reaches Nottingham last eight

Elena Baltacha is the last remaining Brit in the Aegon Nottingham Challenge after bundling compatriot Emily Webley-Smith out in the second round 6-1 6-3.
Fellow Brits Lisa Whybourn and Samantha Murray both bowed out in straight sets after their matches were moved indoors on a rain-affected day at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Baltacha meets Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the quarter-finals on Friday after the Czech edged past Murray 7-5(6) 7-5.
The only thing that slowed Baltacha down in the all-British showdown on Thursday was the rain, having taken command of proceedings in the first set before heavy showers moved in.
It was five hours, and two false starts later, before the the Aegon Team GB Fed Cup star finished the job.
Baltacha was wary of more than just Webley-Smith’s serving power and tenacity during the match as she grappled with the on-again, off-again nature of play for the first time since returning from surgery.
“I had to stay strong in my head because we were on and off three times,” Baltacha said.
“That is where experience really counts, and I feel I've got a good art for dealing with it.
"It was pretty valuable situation to be in because I’ve not been put through that since I’ve come back. Now with Wimbledon approaching, where you know there is going to be rain, it proved to be good practice.”
It was the first time Baltacha has scored successive wins after eight months out of the game.
“It is a good feeling,” she said.
“Last week I couldn’t piece my game together at all and now to do it back-to-back like that is quite good and hopefully I can do it for a third day.”
Aegon Trophy champion and second seed Petra Martic set up a quarter-final date with seventh seed Tadeja Majeric of Slovenia after brushing Yurika Sema aside 6-3 6-0.
Meanwhile in the men’s draw, Ruben Bemelmans stormed into semi-final meeting with South Africa’s Rik De Voest on Friday after beating Dzmitry Zhyrmont 6-2 6-3 in less than an hour.
Earlier in the day, the Belgian picked up where the rain forced him to finish against newly crowned Aegon Trophy champion Matthew Ebden on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old had was already a set and 4-1 up in the second when play resumed at 11:50 BST, and it took only minutes for Bemelmans to seal victory 7-6(2) 6-3.
The world No. 141, who made it through to the quarter-finals of the Aegon Trophy in Nottingham last week, had to sit idle for more than six hours for his quarter-final to start, but it failed to disrupt his stunning run of form.
“The wait didn’t bother me - I didn’t get tired, lazy or have heavy legs. I was comfortable as soon as I stepped on court,” Bemelmans said.
“I’m playing really well at the moment, feeling the ball well. This week the courts are bit more worn out and quicker because of the weather, the rain, and I’d say that it is suiting my game a little better.”
In the other semi-final, Samdev Devvarman faces Steve Johnson after coming from a set behind to beat another American Donald Young in two hours and 20 minutes on Thursday night.
Young missed his chance to set up an all-American affair, serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Devvarman frustrated the former world No. 38, taking the set in a tiebreak before sealing his place in the last four.

Men’s singles – Second Round

R Bemelmans (BEL) d [7] M Ebden (AUS) 7-6(2) 6-3

[5] J Sock (USA) d S Devvarman (IND) 1-6 7-6(5) 6-3

Men’s Singles – Quarter-finals

R Bemelmans (BEL) d D Zhyrmont (BLR) 6-2 6-3

S Devvarman (IND) v Donald Young (USA) 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4

S Johnson (USA) d [6] I Marchenko 7-6(4) 6-0

R D Voest (RSA) [8] G Soeda (JPN) 3-6 6-1 6-3

Women’s singles – Second Round

E Baltacha (GBR) d [Q] E Webley-Smith (GBR) 6-1 6-3

[Q] M Miyamura (JPN) d [8] J Glushko (ISR) 6-4 6-3

[4] N Burnett (ITA) d AS Mestach (BEL) 7-6(2) 6-2

M Brengle (USA) d A Vrljic (CRO) 6-4 6-2

S Dubois (CAN) d [WC] L Whybourn (GBR) 6-2 6-1

[7] T Majeric (SLOV) d A Mitu (ROU) 6-4 6-4

[5] B Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d [WC] S Murray (GBR) 7-6(6) 7-5

[2] P Martic d Y Sema (JPN) 6-3 6-0

 

[Smallville22]

Gasquet, Haas, Kohlschreiber move into Halle quarters

Richard Gasquet, Tommy Haas and Phillip Kohlschreiber won their third-round matches at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
French second seed Gasquet trounced Austria’s Juergen Melzer 6-3 6-1 in an hour and five minutes and will face Germany’s Florian Mayer in the last eight.
"I can go far for sure," said Gasquet. "I can lose too. Every match is difficult.
“I lost to Florian last year at Wimbledon. He’s a tough opponent on grass. It will be difficult. But I’m here to win."
Mayer got through in similarly unfussy fashion, seeing off namesake Leonardo Mayer from Argentina 6-2 6-3.
Two more Germans went through as third seed, defending champion and two-times Halle winner Tommy Haas beat Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis 7-6(5) 6-4, while sixth seed and 2011 champ Philipp Kohlschreiber beat compatriot Tobias Kamke 6-4 6-3.
"I feel comfortable here," said Kohlschreiber. "The atmosphere is very special here. It’s a great grass court tournament. I play well, so it’s huge fun."
Kohlschreiber plays Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny next, while Haas is up against Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Favourite and five-times champion Roger Federer is up against Mischa Zverev of Germany in the quarters.

Round 2 results:

2-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-3 6-1

3-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-6(5) 6-4

6-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Tobias Kamke (Germany) 6-4 6-3

8-Florian Mayer (Germany) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-2 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Murray completes double victory at Queen's

Andy Murray emerged unscathed as he completed back-to-back wins at a blustery Aegon Championshipsin his first matches following a four-week break caused by a back injury.
Gusting winds and two awkward opponents could not blow Murray off course as he first completed a rain-delayed 6-3 7-6 (4) win over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut before returning 3-1/2 hours later to crush Australian Marinko Matosevic 6-2 6-2 for a place in the quarter-finals.
Playing two matches within a short space of time at a chilly and damp Queen's Club was probably not ideal for a man who had to pull out of the French Open with a lower-back injury but Murray made sure he did not have to hang around longer than necessary - even if he had American actor Kevin Spacey looking on.
After easing past Mahut in a match that had been suspended at 2-2 in the second set on Wednesday, Murray showed his class on grass as he outplayed Matosevic at the net and from the baseline with a flow of sizzling winners.
It was so windy at Queen's Club that the ballgirls had to work overtime to keep flying debris off the court but it was the winners flying off Murray's racket that drew nods of appreciation from coach Ivan Lendl.
"(Today) the back felt great especially with the conditions we have had. It is very cold and I'm sure, as anyone who has had a back problem knows, that's not good," Murray said in a courtside interview.
"But... it feels great and that is probably the most satisfying thing. I feel pretty good physically.
"I have been moving fairly well in the first couple of matches and hopefully that will get better."
This were not so good for Murray's fellow Britain Dan Evans, who went out to third seed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-0 6-3. Evans will be boosted by reaching this stage though - he is 277th in the world and could find himself shooting up around 30 places in the rankings.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was another player who had to work a double shift on Thursday as organisers tried to get the grasscourt event back on schedule following Wednesday's multiple rain delays.
He beat compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3 but then appeared rather grumpy during a 7-5 5-7 6-3 win over Dutchman Igor Sijsling.
Fourth seed Tsonga, who reached the French Open semi-finals last week, was left battered and bruised after being stretched into six sets on Thursday.
He recovered from a heavy fall towards the end of the second set against Sijsling and booked his place in the last eight when his opponent rolled a forehand into the net on match point.
"Of course I'm tired. The body is not feeling so good. I'm a bit sick of the court today because there was a lot of wind... so it wasn't an easy day," summed up Tsonga.
Former champion Lleyton Hewitt showed he can still do damage on the slick grass as he hustled past big-serving American sixth seed Sam Querrey 5-7 6-3 6-4 in a third-round encounter.
Second-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych also found his groove to record a 6-3 6-4 third-round win over Slovenia's Grega Zemlja.

Round 3 results

1-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Marinko Matosevic (Australia) 6-2 6-2

2-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 16-Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) 6-3 6-4

3-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Daniel Evans (Britain) 6-0 6-3

4-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 7-5 5-7 6-3

5-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 4-6 7-6(5) 7-5

Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat 6-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 5-7 6-3 6-4

Benjamin Becker (Germany) beat 7-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-6(5) 7-5

Denis Kudla (U.S.) beat Kenny De Schepper (France) 6-1 6-3

Round 2 results

1-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-3 7-6(4)

4-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat 11-Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6(5) 6-4

Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) beat 14-Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 7-6(4) 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Baltacha reaches Nottingham semi-finals

Former British number one Elena Baltacha will face Italian fourth seed Nastassja Burnett in the Aegon Nottingham Challenge semi-final on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Belgian Ruben Bemelmans faces big-hitting American Steve Johnson in the men’s singles final.
Baltacha battled her way past Czech fifth seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4 6-4 to advance to the last four of any competition for the first time since returning from foot surgery.
The Aegon Team GB Fed Cup star said the quarter-final win against the world number 127 was a significant step in her comeback, having struggled with the rigours of the game in recent weeks.
“I feel like I’m on cloud nine,” Baltacha said. “As the days are going on I’m feeling more and more confident, and I really felt in control, I felt I could slow everything down today.
“I knew what I was doing out there, what I had to do and that I could deliver.
“I’m not saying that I feel that I can do what I want - that I was brilliant and that I can take anyone out - but I do feel that I can deliver my game, the tactics I want to deliver and execute.
“This was a massive step for me. All these matches back-to-back have been a real test.
“At this point, the fourth match, in Saint Gaudens last month I was a bit tired mentally, whereas today I’m not at all fatigued. What that means is that I’m really making progress.”
Baltacha, a former Aegon Nottingham Challenge champion, was delighted to again subdue a tenacious opponent and overcome the elements after her second round meeting with compatriot Emily Webley-Smith was also badly affected by rain on Thursday.
Having returned to action after a four hour delay on Friday leading 2-1, Baltacha broke early and was serving for the set at 5-3 when she was broken back.
She, however, broke straight back to heap pressure on the Czech before going on a four game run to take command of the second set.
But Zahlavova Strycova clawed her way back, denying Baltacha victory as she twice served for the match.
But the Scot replied in devastating style, breaking the right-hander to advance to the semi-final.
“It was brilliant that I was able to fight back when I needed to, it is what I need right now,” Baltacha said.
“In the last few weeks a lot of things have happened - there are things that are thrown at you which you are not familiar with after being out for so long, but you need to bank again.
“That third and fourth day at Saint Gaudens, after my body hadn’t done that for nine months, was a struggle and I lost it because I was mentally fatigued after back-to-back wins.
“After I experienced that, I knew that if I faced the same situation, like I did today, I would react differently and I would be both mentally and physically ready for it.”
Elsewhere, Miki Miyamura says she has nothing to lose against seventh seed Tadeja Majeric in their women’s singles semi-final.
The Japanese qualifier swept through her first ITF Pro Circuit quarter-final at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, beating Canadian Stephanie Dubois 6-4 6-4.
Miyamura arrived in Nottingham for the Aegon Trophy last week solely focused on trying to edge her way into doubles qualifying for Wimbledon with playing partner Varatchaya Wongteanchai.
It all turned to disaster as they crashed out in the first round.
But this week has seen Miyamura shine in a remarkable run through qualifying, past France’s Julie Coin in the opening round of the main draw, over eighth seed Julia Glushko in the second round before powering past Dubios, who is ranked 263 places higher in the world.
“Maybe there are many people who cannot believe that I’m in the semis – I can’t believe it myself,” Miyamura said.
“I have no pressure on me now that I’m here - I think I have been very lucky."
In the men’s decider, Johnson is relishing his second ATP Challenger final appearance after winning his maiden title at Aptos, USA, last year. The 23-year-old beat Somdev Devvarman in straight sets to reach his first decider on grass.
“It is a good omen, I’m one from one so far in finals so hopefully I can keep the streak alive,” he said.
“Somdev is a great player, he’s fought back a few times to progress in this tournament – he makes good adjustments and I respect him a ton.”
Belgian Bemelmans came back to beat South Africa's Rik De Voest in three sets 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(5) in two hours 47 minutes to book his place in the final.

Aegon Nottingham Challenge results – Friday 14 June

Men’s singles – semi-finals

R Bemelmens (BEL) d R De Voest (RSA) 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(5)

S Johnson (USA) d S Devvarman (IND) 6-3 6-4

Women’s singles – Quarter-finals

E Baltacha (GBR) d [5] B Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-4 6-4

[7] T Majeric (SLO) d [2] P Martic (CRO) 1-6 6-0 7-5

[Q] M Miyamura (JPN) d S Dubois (CAN) 6-4 6-4

[4] N Burnett (ITA) d M Brengle (USA) 6-4 2-6 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Hewitt rolls back years to beat Del Potro

Something about the lawns of London bring out the best in Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt and he gave a glimpse of the grasscourt arts to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals of the Aegon Championships.
The 32-year-old mixed skidding slices, sharp volleys and accurate serving to keep powerful third seed Del Potro under wraps in a 6-2 2-6 6-2 victory on a sun-splashed centre court at Queen's Club, ending the match at a gallop.
The former Wimbledon champion and world number one and four-times Queen's Club winner will face Croatia's Marin Cilic in the last four after the defending champion beat second seed Tomas Berdych 7-5 7-6(4).
Hewitt, bidding to become the oldest player to win the traditional pre-Wimbledon warm-up tournament, dominated the first set but Argentine Del Potro found his range with some thumping groundstrokes to square the match.
Unseeded Hewitt never panicked though and took charge in the fourth game of the decider, breaking Del Potro to love and then holding to love to establish a 4-1 lead.
He finished the match with a classic approach shot and volleyed winner before punching the air.
"I was a bit scratchy in the first match and haven't really put a foot wrong since," said Hewitt, who is second only to Roger Federer for match wins on grass amongst active players. "The second set he played incredible tennis."
Hewitt has been plagued by hip, foot and ankle injuries in recent years, is 82nd in the world rankings but remains a class act, especially on grass.
"I love playing as many weeks on grass as possible," said the father of three.
"Yeah, that's why the Olympics and playing Newport last year was so special to me because I could play a bigger chunk of tournaments. I think it's a unique surface.
"There are certain players that play really well on it."

Queen's men's results

Quarter-finals

Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat 3-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-2 2-6 6-2

5-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat 2-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 7-5 7-6(4)