2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Serena having fun, but still not satisfied

Serena Williams has already achieved her stated goal of winning a second French Open title this year but the top-ranked American is still not satisfied with her season despite having more fun than ever on tour.
Six other titles have been won this year by the 31-year-old but compatriot Sloane Stephens upset her in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and Sabine Lisicki stunned her in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
"You know I'm not there yet with the way my year has gone," Williams said at the Rogers Cup where she is the top seed.
"Everybody is like 'You've had a good year and I'm like, who?"
Williams said she is not satisfied unless she wins every big tournament that she enters, particularly the Slams which account for 15 of her 53 career titles - a significant percentage.
"That's me," she said. "I work really hard to do the best, especially in Grand Slams."
This season, however, her form at non-Grand Slam events has been dazzling, proof that she is as hungry as ever.
From 2005-2010, seven of Williams 12 titles came at the Grand Slams. Since the start of 2011 only three of her 16 crowns came at the Majors.
"It's more or less evening out, but I am okay just winning Grand Slams," she said. "What makes tennis beautiful is the small tournaments that make you as a player and make you win the Grand Slams."
"I was talking to (my ******) Venus the other day and I said I am never going to stop," she said.
"I just love this sport so much and we were just practicing. It's just so fun. I'm having more fun than I have ever had."
Williams said she was thrilled to see former number one Martina Hingis return to doubles play.
Hingis launched her comeback last week at the Carlsbad Open with her partner Daniela Hantuchova, reaching the second round.
She and Hantuchova will also play in this week's Rogers Cup.
Serena and Hingis - who were once bitter rivals - got to know each other better over the past year and half while Hingis was coaching at the academy owned by Williams' coach, France's Patrick Mouratoglou.
"It's great," Williams said. "She's so good and has great hands and sees the ball so well and she's fun.
"It's really kind of cool."
"I kind of am waiting for her singles comeback, but I'm not sure she will," added Williams, who will play either Italy's Francesca Schiavone or South Africa's Channelle Scheepers.

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic returns to court with easy win in Montreal

World number one Novak Djokovic powered to a comprehensive 6-2 6-1 win over Florian Mayer in his first match since Wimbledon while Canadian players upstaged Rafa Nadal with a string of surprise victories at the Rogers Cup.
A fit and fresh looking Djokovic, who was beaten by Andy Murray to the All England Club crown, showed little signs of rust from a lack of recent match practice as he took just 56 minutes to advance on a warm Montreal evening.
The Serbian, renowned for his sense of humour and reputation as an entertainer, then celebrated his victory with some impromptu dancing in the centre of the main arena, much to the delight of the fans who had stayed late to watch him.
"It's the first game (for me) since Wimbledon, I had four weeks off ... but it was a great performance," a smiling Djokovic said in a courtside interview once he had ended his crowd-pleasing antics.
The return of the two-time defending champion after a month off had followed Nadal's first competitive match since his shock first round exit at Wimbledon.
It proved to be a successful, yet tense, one for Nadal as he and his doubles partner Pablo Andujar saved two match points before they beat Spanish compatriots David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez 6-7(2) 6-1 12-10.
The second day's play, however, belonged to the understated locals, including three wildcard entries who stunned their more highly fancied opponents as they basked in the home support.
World number 71 Vasek Pospisil produced the biggest upset when he surged to an unlikely first round win over in-form American John Isner.
Pospisil came from a set and a break down to claim a 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(4) victory in bright and sunny conditions, thrilling a parochial home crowd who cheered his every winner.
Isner, who won the Atlanta title two weeks ago before being beaten by Juan Martin Del Potro in the Washington final last week, was left wondering how he had failed to get the job down.
"I should've won the match," Isner said. "I should've won the second set and I also should've won the third set but I didn't. This was a match I let slip away."
Frank Dancevic, another local wildcard, also rallied to beat Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun in three sets while Felip Peliwo became the fourth Canadian to reach the last 32 when Finland's Jarko Nieminen retired with a pulled hamstring trailing 3-1 in the deciding set.
Canada's top ranked player Milos Raonic then completed a memorable day for the hosts with a 6-3 4-6 7-5 triumph over Jeremy Chardy of France to become the fifth local into the second round.
"I'm really proud and happy for the (Canadian) guys who have been winning yesterday and today. It's really great to see," the world number 13 Raonic said.
Earlier world number 18 Jerzy Janowicz battled some internal demons before winning an error-strewn opening match on centre court against Frenchman Julien Benneteau.
Italian Fabio Fognini continued his impressive form with a three-set defeat of Marcos Baghdatis while 12th seed Gilles Simon and 14th seed Nicolas Almagro lost to former world number three Nikolay Davydenko and Czech Radek Stepanek respectively.

Montreal Masters results

Round 2

7-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-3 6-2

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-2 6-1

9-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Andreas Seppi (Italy) 4-6 7-5 6-1

Round 1

10-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat David Goffin (Belgium) 7-6(4) 6-3

11-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-3 4-6 7-5

Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat 14-Gilles Simon (France) 2-6 6-1 6-1

Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 7-6(0) 6-4

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-4

Vasek Pospisil (Canada) beat John Isner (U.S.) 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(4)

Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 5-7 7-6(6) 6-1

Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-4 7-6(3)

13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 1-6 6-1 6-1

15-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 3-6 6-3 7-5

Filip Peliwo (Canada) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 3-6 7-5 3-1 (Nieminen retired)

Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat 12-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3

Alex Bogomolov Jr (Russia) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-2 4-6 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Venus falls in first round in Toronto

Venus Williams got off to a flying start in her return from a two-month layoff but her game quickly fell apart as the seven-times Grand Slam champion slumped to a 0-6 6-4 6-2 loss to Kirsten Flipkens in the Rogers Cup first round.
Seeds Maria Kirilenko (11) Jelena Jankovic (15) and Ana Ivanovic (16) also had first round wins.
In the second round, Slovak Dominika Cibulkova upended eighth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-7(0) 6-2 7-5 and second seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland won 6-2 6-3 over Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer.
Williams, who has played sporadically this season due to a back injury and had not competed since losing in the first round of the French Open in late May, started in fine form on Tuesday but gradually fell apart as the contest wore on.
The five-times Wimbledon champion's serve was slower than usual, her ground strokes were erratic and she seemed slow to the ball as Wimbledon semi-finalist Flipkens consistently changed angles on her.
"I just really started serving a lot more in the last week, so I'm not really 100 per cent on the serve yet," the 33-year-old Williams said.
"So it was better not to take too many risks and just do something I felt more comfortable with. This week I will definitely be practicing my serve a lot more and getting more confident in it."
Williams has also been battling an auto-immune disease for the past few years and said she might have come back a week too early. But she feels she needs matches before the US Open, which begins in a little less than three weeks time.
"Coming back from injury, you have to build the confidence to just realise that you can come back and play without pain," she said. "So I feel like I'm in that threshold of building confidence.
"That's a lot of what happened to me at the French (Open), too. I played an intense and a really exciting match, but I hadn't played any matches. So it was a tough situation to be in. Do you play or you don't play? So I feel like in that situation now going into the US Open."
Cibulkova, who won the Stanford title late last month, needed nearly three hours to overcome German Kerber, fighting back from 1-4 down in the third set to seal victory.
"You have to go for it," Cibulkova said. "Then when you make some mistakes, then you get a little bit nervous. It was really long match because we had long rallies and I was the one who was making her run. I think it's normal that she became tired."
Top seed Serena Williams will play her opening match on Wednesday against Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

Toronto Cup results

Round 2

3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-2 6-3

Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat 8-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-7(0) 6-2 7-5

Round 1

12-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Julia Glushko (Israel) 5-7 6-2 6-3

Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) beat Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-3 6-1

Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Jamie Hampton (U.S.) 6-4 6-4

Sharon Fichman (Canada) beat Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 5-7 6-2 6-2

13-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Venus Williams (U.S.) 0-6 6-4 6-2

Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 2-6 6-3 6-3

Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) 6-4 6-3

15-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3

Lauren Davis (U.S.) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 3-6 7-5 7-5

Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Australia) 6-1 7-5

Alize Cornet (France) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-3 6-3

11-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Petra Martic (Croatia) 6-2 6-1

16-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-1 6-2

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic says Serbia players back ****** Troicki

****** Serbian tennis player Viktor Troicki was "innocent" of a doping ********* and the country's Davis Cup team supported him, world number one Novak Djokovic has said.
The 27-year-old Troicki was suspended for 18 months by the International Tennis Federation in July for not providing a ***** sample at the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
The ban, which runs until January 24, 2015, means he will miss Serbia's Davis Cup semi-final against Canada in Belgrade next month and the opportunity of a second Davis Cup title.
Troicki's defining career moment came when he clinched Serbia's first Davis Cup in an emotional fifth rubber in the 2010 final against France in Belgrade, after which he and Djokovic were lauded in the Balkan state.
"We're not sure what's going to happen with Viktor," Djokovic said after his opening win at the Rogers Cup in Montreal before adding he doubted Troicki would be eligible for the Davis Cup tie.
"We all give him big support because he's definitely innocent ... Hopefully he is going to be able to be on the court very soon."
Troicki has denied any wrongdoing and said because he was not feeling well the doping officer had told him he could skip the ***** test. Troicki had already given a ***** sample.
The ITF dismissed his reasons for failing to provide the sample as 'not compelling' and he said he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

 

[Smallville22]

Wimbledon champ Murray makes winning return in Montreal

World number two Andy Murray won his first match since triumphing at Wimbledon to get his Rogers Cup campaign underway in Montreal.
Murray, twice a winner at the Canadian tournament, survived a second-set lapse in concentration to beat Marcel Granollers 6-3 7-6(2).
The second seed had enjoyed a bye into the second round along with the rest of the top nine. He initially displayed few ill-effects of his month off the court in making a confident start to the match.
Murray broke in the third and fifth games of the opening set as he raced out to a 4-1 lead in next-to-no-time before Granollers got one of the breaks back after a double fault and a forehand error from Murray.
The Brit prevented Granollers from causing any more trouble in the opening stanza though, wrapping things up at the first attempt after 48 minutes when the Spaniard went wide with a cross-court backhand.
The early stages of the second set, however, were a completely different story.
This time it was Granollers who was the first to break, grabbing the lead in the fourth game when Murray completely mistimed a forehand and sent the ball far away from the court.
Granollers even enjoyed a set point to level the match in the ninth game, but could only net his forehand after some heavy hitting from Murray, and the Brit went on to break back with a forehand winner.
From there Murray quickly regained his concentration, easily ******* the tie-break before racing through seven straight points to win the breaker 7-2 with a huge forehand return that Granollers could only net in reply.
"It was tricky, it is extremely windy here," Murray said in a courtside interview. "I didn't feel that I had my timing and got pushed behind the baseline."
Next up for Murray will be a third-round clash against Ernests Gulbis, the Latvian coming through a tough three-setter 6-3 1-6 6-1 against in-form Italian Fabio Fognini.
Rafael Nadal was more impressive in his first singles match since a shock defeat at Wimbledon as he overcame Canadian Jesse Levine 6-2 6-0.
Canadian wildcard Vasek Pospisil proved his upset of world number 20 John Isner was no fluke as he stormed to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Czech Radek Stepanek.
Pospisil, ranked 71st in the world but playing well above that lowly standing, will now face sixth seed Tomas Berdych who wobbled at times in his match against Alexandr Dolgopolov but emerged a straight sets winner.
German Tommy Haas, however, lasted just 19 minutes before he retired trailing 5-0 to Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.
Frenchman Bernard Paire, who overcame Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, awaits Matosevic in the last 16.

Montreal Masters results

Round 2

Alex Bogomolov Jr (Russia) beat 3-David Ferrer (Spain) 6-2 6-4

Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-1 4-6 6-3

11-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4 6-4

15-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Frank Dancevic (Canada) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-4

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Filip Peliwo (Canada) 6-3 3-6 6-3

4-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Jesse Levine (Canada) 6-2 6-0

Marinko Matosevic (Australia) beat 10-Tommy Haas (Germany) 5-0 (Haas retired)

5-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-3 6-4

Benoit Paire (France) beat 8-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-2 7-6(2)

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-4 7-6(2)

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat 13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-3 1-6 6-1

Vasek Pospisil (Canada) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal records routine win in Montreal

Rafael Nadal returned to court with an emphatic 6-2 6-0 win over Canadian Jesse Levine to open his Rogers Cup campaign in Montreal.
The Spaniard, playing his first match since his shock second round loss to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon six weeks ago, had little trouble in brushing aside Levine in 72 minutes to reach the third round of the Masters tournament.
The match provided little information as to the fitness of Nadal, although he played with no taping on his troublesome knees.
Levine made a bright start to the match, fashioning break points in the very first game, but Nadal saved them both, the second with an ace, before going on to hold when the Canadian sent a forehand passing shot long.
But after that first game, Nadal looked entirely comfortable, breaking the Levine serve in the fourth game to extend his lead before wrapping up the set at the first attempt when his opponent hit a backhand error.
The second set was even more one-sided, Nadal breaking in the second and fourth games before completing victory with a ferocious forehand return that typified Nadal's dominant power - Levine completely unable to cope with the weight of shot from the Spaniard.
Next up for Nadal, who joined Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Wimbledon runner-up Novak Djokovic in making winning returns to action, will be either another Canadian wildcard Frank Dancevic or Polish 15th seed Jerzy Janowicz.
Earlier Andy Murray, twice a winner at the Canadian tournament, survived a second-set lapse in concentration to beat Marcel Granollers 6-3 7-6(2).
Canadian wildcard Vasek Pospisil proved his upset of world number 20 John Isner was no fluke as he stormed to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Czech Radek Stepanek.
Pospisil, ranked 71st in the world but playing well above that lowly standing, will now face sixth seed Tomas Berdych who wobbled at times in his match against Alexandr Dolgopolov but emerged a straight sets winner.
German Tommy Haas, however, lasted just 19 minutes before he retired trailing 5-0 to Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.
Frenchman Bernard Paire, who overcame Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, awaits Matosevic in the last 16.

Montreal Masters results

Round 2

Alex Bogomolov Jr (Russia) beat 3-David Ferrer (Spain) 6-2 6-4

Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-1 4-6 6-3

11-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4 6-4

15-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Frank Dancevic (Canada) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-4

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Filip Peliwo (Canada) 6-3 3-6 6-3

4-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Jesse Levine (Canada) 6-2 6-0

Marinko Matosevic (Australia) beat 10-Tommy Haas (Germany) 5-0 (Haas retired)

5-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-3 6-4

Benoit Paire (France) beat 8-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-2 7-6(2)

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-4 7-6(2)

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat 13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-3 1-6 6-1

Vasek Pospisil (Canada) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal adopts wait and see approach in Montreal

Rafael Nadal was cautious about predicting how his body would hold up in the run-in to the US Open but did reveal that he had not missed the grind of the tennis tour during his absence from the game.
The 12-times Grand Slam champion, who took a break after his shock defeat at Wimbledon, ended his seven week hiatus from singles competition with an impressive two-set win over Canadian wildcard Jesse Levine in the second round of the Rogers Cup.
But the ongoing battle with the debilitating tendonitis in his knees is an ever present in Nadal's life and a constant subject of inquisition for the Spaniard.
As he began a physically demanding north American hard court stretch - taking in Masters series events in Montreal and Cincinnati and culminating at the year's final Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows - Nadal was choosing to adopt a wait and see approach.
"I am fine. The knee is not bothering me much," Nadal said.
"The last couple of days, I was able to practise with no limitation. That is the most important thing.
"After seven weeks without playing tennis, you start a tournament on hard court, that is tougher for the body. You always feel a few things at the beginning.
"But hopefully that things will not limit my chances to play well."
Nadal's 6-2 6-1 win over Levine was his first singles match since being upset by Belgian Steve Darcis in the opening round at the All England Club in late June.
The subsequent break from competition after Wimbledon arrived at the end of an incredible run of results for the 27-year-old.
Nadal had won seven tournaments in just four months, including an eighth French Open crown, since he returned in February from a lengthy injury absence that had kept him out of the sport since the middle of 2012.
Following his defeat on the grass courts of southwest London, Nadal returned home to take advantage of the rare opportunity to relax away from the spotlight while his chief rivals slugged it out for the Wimbledon crown.
"I cannot say I was very anxious during this period of time," a smirking Nadal said.
"I enjoyed being with the ******, with the friends. It's the summer there too ... Mallorca is a good place to be in the summer."
Nadal faces Poland's Jerzy Janowicz in the third round of the Rogers Cup on Thursday.

 

[Smallville22]

Serena makes successful return to hard courts

Top ranked Serena Williams made a successful return to hard courts with a 6-3 6-2 thrashing of former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Williams was joined in the third round by three other high seeded players who were making their first appearances on the North American hardcourts after the season shifted from Europe.
Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli beat American Lauren Davis 6-0 6-3, fourth seed Li Na of China joined her following a 6-1 6-4 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia while fifth seeded Italian Sara Errani accounted for Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-2 7-6(2).
Williams played an aggressive and consistent match to beat Schiavone, whose attempts to serve and volley and mix up her ****** had little effect on the 16-times grand slam champion.
"Usually I have a lot of nerves going out there, but in the beginning, I was so relaxed," said Williams, who won a claycourt tournament in Sweden after Wimbledon.
"I always feel that way when I'm playing a grand slam champion. I just feel a little bit more relaxed and ready to play."
Williams will face Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium in the third round after the 13th seed beat Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 7-5 3-6 6-2.
Bartoli played as well as she did in winning Wimbledon with power hitting and never allowing Davis to grind her down.
"I never played against Lauren before," Bartoli said.
"I think overall I did pretty well considering the amount of pressure I was under, being the Wimbledon champion and have to step on the court in a tournament where I lost first round the last two times I played."
The Frenchwoman will face the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia.
Li, who spent five days after Wimbledon in Munich undergoing medical checks to ensure she was not carrying any significant injuries, did not always employ the high-risk ****** her coach Carlos Rodriguez is encouraging her to try out, still managed to out-hit Pavlyuchenkova.
"I was fighting a lot on the court," said Li, who will face 16th seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, a 6-4 6-4 winner over Flavia Pennetta.
"I tried to use more serve/volley but the serve didn't go in. I was feeling pretty good, because today I tried so many things like not only stay on baseline."
Sixth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic ended the hopes of Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 6-2, while ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki was upset 5-7 7-6(0) 6-4 in nearly three hours by Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
France's Alize Cornet also ended 11th seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko's tournament with a 7-5 7-5 victory.

Toronto Cup results

Round 2

Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat 9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 5-7 7-6(0) 6-4

12-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 1-6 6-2 6-3

6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 6-3 6-2

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-3 6-2

16-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-4 6-4

13-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 7-5 3-6 6-2

15-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Sharon Fichman (Canada) 6-4 7-6(6)

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-2 7-6(2)

10-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-0 6-4

Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 6-4 6-2

7-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-0 6-3

Alize Cornet (France) beat 11-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 7-5 7-5

14-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Mona Barthel (Germany) 6-3 4-6 6-3

4-Li Na (China) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-1 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Murray crashes out in Montreal

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray crashed out of the Rogers Cup in Montreal with a tame 6-4 6-3 loss to Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the third round.
Murray had played solidly on his return to the court after a month in his opening match against Marcel Granollers. But the Brit looked flat from the outset against Gulbis and was brushed aside in just one hour and 28 minutes.
The early signs of the match looked good for Murray as he produced more on his serve than against Granollers 24 hours before, opening in a confident fashion and even holding break points in the seventh game.
But the mecurial Gulbis also looked on form as he made an equally solid start to the match, pushing Murray to deuce in both the fourth and sixth games before defending those break points in the seventh with a couple of big serves.
Murray also found himself trailing in the 10th game, Gulbis racking up three set points with the rally of the match – absorbing everything Murray could hit at him before popping a neat forehand drop shot just over the net.
The Brit did manage to save the first with a big serve but Gulbis was not to be put off and took the set at a second attempt with a cross court forehand return of serve winner.
Gulbis then quickly extended his lead, breaking in the fourth game of the second set as the wheels came off for Murray. Another error from the Brit saw him gift Gulbis three break points and, although Murray saved the first with an ace, the Latvian did enough with a passing shot on the second to ***** the error from his opponent.
Murray immediately broke back, a poor game from Gulbis being capped by a spectacular point from the world number two, ending with a flicked backhand passing shot winner across court.
But that was to be the highlight for Murray as Gulbis re-established his break advantage three games later, Murray putting a tricky backhand smash into the bottom of the net before the Latvian secured the game with a cross court backhand winner.
That left Gulbis serving for the match, an opportunity the in-form Latvian was never going to waste. The world number 38 barely broke a sweat in the final game as he fired down an ace on his first match point to seal the win.
Next up for Gulbis will be a big-hitting clash against home hope Milos Raonic, seeded 11th at this year's tournament.
Murray, meanwhile, will head for next week's Cincinnati Masters hoping for a better run as he continues preparation for the defence of his US Open title at the end of the month.
"The goal is to try and peak at the US Open," Murray said. "But to do that you need to make sure you prepare yourself well and obviously I would have liked to have done better here."

 

[Smallville22]

Murray shrugs off shock defeat

Andy Murray felt he took a step forward in the build-up to his US Open title defence despite a surprise exit from the Rogers Cup at the hands of Latvia's mercurial Ernests Gulbis.
Briton Murray suffered his first defeat in his second match back from a long break following his Wimbledon triumph, falling 6-4 6-3 to the talented but inconsistent Gulbis in the third round.
Murray has only the Cincinnati Masters to tune up for Flushing Meadows in little over a fortnight but he was not panicking after being on the receiving end of an inspired display.
"You can't expect to play perfect straightaway. It takes time," Murray said.
"I was playing a very good player today, someone that gives you very little rhythm on the court ... but I actually thought I hit the ball better today than yesterday."
After resting up following Wimbledon, Murray had a training block in Miami en route to Montreal.
"I had a bit longer to prepare this year," Murray said as he reflected on his run to last year's US Open crown.
"But maybe I just need to make sure I get a few more matches in practice in the future."
While his singles campaign has ended, Murray and fellow Briton Colin Fleming combined in the doubles to beat the fourth seeds, Leander Paes of India and Czech Radek Stepanek, to advance to the quarter-finals.
Teaming up with Fleming was a late decision and while it may not have been part of his original plan, another match away from the main spotlight may prove a blessing in disguise.
"The goal is to try and peak at the US Open," Murray said.
"But to do that you need to make sure you prepare yourself well and obviously I would have liked to have done better here.
"All I can keep doing, is trying to keep improving every day. Hopefully by the time the US (Open) comes around, I'm playing my best tennis."

 

[Smallville22]

Kvitova stunned, Radwanska, Li, Serena through in Toronto

Defending champion Petra Kvitova suffered a shock exit when unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea beat the Czech 4-6 7-5 6-2 to move in the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup.
Cirstea was joined by top seed Serena Williams, who thumped Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1 6-1 and set up a semi-final clash with third seed Agnieszka Radwanska who overcame her own ineffective serving to beat Italy's Sara Errani 7-6(1) 7-5.
Fourth seed Li Na of China also advanced with a 7-6(1) 6-2 win over Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia and will meet Cirstea in the last four.
After playing respectably in the first set, 2011 Wimbledon champion Kvitova could not keep the ball in the court. She doubled faulted on break points in six different games and ended the game with just 12 winners and 55 unforced errors.
Kvitova said that after winning her third round match on Thursday that she could not get to ***** and therefore lacked energy. By the second set, she looked lackadaisical.
"The serve was really bad after this, and I didn't find energy from my legs," she said. "So that's why it looks that bad."
The sixth seeded Czech added that fatigue contributed to her 10 double faults overall with the problem with her serve initially physical before it became a mental one.
Williams, who has only lost 10 games in three matches this week overpowered Rybarikova with big serves and lethal returns.
"I'm definitely feeling pretty good, playing much better than I have in the past month," said Williams.
Radwanska and the fifth seeded Errani embarked on a marathon quarter-final reminiscent of their three-hour clash at the WTA Championships in Istanbul.
They played much the same style of match in Toronto, with both steady off the ground and neither able to dictate with their service game with 11 successive breaks of serve in the first set alone.
"For both of us the serves is never the key, that's why we are always playing long rallies and matches," Radwanska said.
The Pole decided to hit with more power towards the end of the first set, easily taking the tie-break 7-1 with some hard and deep shots.
The pair traded breaks to 5-5 in the second set, but then Radwanska broke Errani for the eighth time of the match to go ahead 6-5 then served out with four winners including an ace.
"I was trying to focus really hard in the last few points because I knew it could really turn around for her," said Radwanska.
"I was looking at the clock and saw two hours already and I said 'Enough I have to end this now'."
Li tossed away her strategy of playing a steady game against the hard hitting Cibulkova after the first set and began to go for her shots more.
"(At the) beginning of the match I was feeling more control the ball, but that was totally wrong because she's the hitter," said Li, who reached last year's final.
"(In the) second set just try to continue to hit the ball."

Toronto Cup results

Quarter-finals

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-1

Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat 6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 4-6 7-5 6-2

4-Li Na (China) beat Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 7-6(1) 6-2

3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 5-Sara Errani (Italy) 7-6(1) 7-5

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal sets up Djokovic showdown in Montreal

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal advanced to a mouthwatering semi-final showdown at the Rogers Cup in Montreal after they crushed their quarter-final opponents in ruthless fashion.
Djokovic, the world number one, was flawless in a 6-1 6-2 demolition of French seventh seed Richard Gasquet while Nadal was equally emphatic in a straight sets win over Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.
Serbia's Djokovic and Spaniard Nadal will face off for the 36th time after the 11th seed Milos Raonic and local wildcard Vasek Pospisil compete in an all-Canadian semi-final.
Djokovic was imperious against Gasquet as he produced his best performance since returning from a month off after losing the Wimbledon final.
Unleashing his full repertoire of big serves, crushing ground strokes and plenty of touch, Djokovic barely raised a sweat as Gasquet was emphatically dispatched in just 52 minutes.
The crowd then got more entertainment when Djokovic returned to the centre court for what has become his customary celebration dance as the stadium roared its approval.
"It's a great feeling when you're playing this well and you beat a quality player like Gasquet," Djokovic said.
"I'm going to try to memorise what I've done today and how I felt and hopefully take it on the court tomorrow ... same kind of feeling."
Nadal was always in control of his quarter-final against a fatigued Matosevic, who had come through two qualifying matches on top of his three main draw victories.
The 12-time grand slam champion never looked like being seriously challenged under the lights and he let rip with a procession of thundering forehand winners on the way to a 6-2 6-4 victory which booked his place in another Masters series semi-final against Djokovic.
"It is always exciting to play against Novak in a great tournament, a Masters 1000," Nadal said in a courtside interview. "It will be a great match and I'll try my best as I always do."
Local favourite Raonic held his nerve to beat Latvia's Ernests Gulbis in a thrilling quarter-final to join fellow Canadian Pospisil in the semi-finals.
Raonic, the world number 13, kept his cool in front of a parochial home crowd as he overcame Gulbis 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 in a two and a half hour showdown.
With the crowd willing him on and jeering Gulbis' every shot, Raonic claimed the first set tiebreak, before his opponent ****** a deciding third set through a brilliant display of shot making.
Gulbis kept swinging in the decider but Raonic's serve got him out of some difficult spots and when his opponent wobbled,
Raonic pounced to seal victory and set up a meeting with Pospisil.
"It's a great thing, it means a lot, not just to us but to Canadian tennis," Raonic said.
"But at the same time, it's another tennis match. That doesn't change."
Pospisil won through after Russia's former world number three Nikolay Davydenko, who had showed signs this week of a return to form, retired while trailling 3-0 in the first set of their quarter-final.
The 71st ranked Pospisil had already beaten American John Isner and Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych this week in three sets so was happy to finally have a lighter workout.
"Even in those three games, I was really trying to catch my breath," a tired Pospisil said.
"I felt like I had a bit of sore legs ... so it (quick win) came at a great time."
Andy Murray's singles campaign may have ended prematurely but the Wimbledon champion and partner Colin Fleming have won through to the doubles semi-finals.
They defeated the fifth seeded Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer to set up a match against the top ranked Mike and Bob Bryan.

Montreal Masters results

Quarter-finals

4-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Marinko Matosevic (Australia) 6-2 6-4

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 7-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-1 6-2

11-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4

Vasek Pospisil (Canada) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 3-0 (Davydenko retired)

 

[Smallville22]

'Perfect' Djokovic sends message ahead of US Open

Novak Djokovic laid down an early marker ahead of the US Open when he produced what he described "as close to perfection" as he could be in the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup.
The world number one was imperious in a 6-1 6-2 thumping of Frenchman Richard Gasquet as he blasted winners from all over the court in an eye-catching performance that should serve as a reminder to his rivals for the Flushing Meadows title.
"In every part of my game I was at my best," Djokovic said after taking just 52 minutes to humble the world number nine.
"From the start of the match I tried to dictate the play on the court and be in control of the rallies. I did it really well.
"As close to perfection as you can be really."
Djokovic will face his long time rival Rafa Nadal in the semi-finals after the Spaniard was equally as emphatic on the scoreboard and not far off in performance in a convincing straight sets win over Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.
Nadal beat Djokovic 9-7 in the fifth set of an epic French Open semi-final in two months ago but in this type of mood, even he may find the Serbian difficult to contain.
"Hard court is my most preferred surface. I feel that that's maybe the place where I have more chances against him (Nadal) than on clay definitely," Djokovic said.
"Of course it's going to be a huge challenge for both of us, but I'll be ready for it."
A Nadal-Djokovic match is a worthy final on any surface and the pair have plenty of history when it comes to battling for silverware.
Nadal leads their head-to-head 20-15 and before this year's French Open, their previous last 11 meetings had been in finals, four of which had been on hard courts all won by Djokovic.
"The conditions here are probably more favourable for him," Nadal acknowledged after his quarter-final.
"Yes, we are playing on hard, but especially the conditions here. It's one of the fastest courts of the hardcourt tournaments outdoors.
"Maybe that makes him a little bit more the favourite."

 

[Smallville22]

Raonic through to Montreal final

Milos Raonic recovered from a mid-match slump to win a third set tibreak against wildcard Vasek Pospisil and reach the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
Raonic, ranked 13th in the world, regained his composure to beat his fellow Canadian 6-4 1-6 7-6(4) and reach his first Masters series final.
His opponent in Sunday's title match will be Rafael Nadal, who overcame Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 7-6(2), the Serb producing a shockingly poor tie-break to decide the match
"I'm very happy at this moment," said Raonic, who will move into the world's top 10 for the first time after reaching the final.
"It's (top ten ranking) been a very important thing for me, a big objective."
Raonic needed all his superior experience to win through, as Pospisil, ranked 71st, fought from a set down to nearly pull off an upset.
Raonic made the more assured start in front of a large and vocal crowd, basking in the knowledge that a Canadian winner was assured.
A solitary break of serve was all that separated the two in the opening set as Pospisil adopted an aggressive approach that produced mixed results.
He capitalised on some sloppy play from Raonic to win the second set and ***** a decider that went the distance.
Both players traded winners from all parts of the court before Raonic sealed victory as he became the first Canadian in more than 50 years to reach the final.

 

[Smallville22]

Serena to meet Cirstea in Toronto final

Top seed Serena Williams shook off a spirited attempt by Agnieszka Radwanska to move into the final of the Rogers Cup with a 7-6(3) 6-4 victory and will meet Romania's Sorana Cirstea, whose surprising run continued when she beat China's Li Na 6-1 7-6(5).
The American held a 5-0 record against Radwanska coming into the match, but the Pole surprised the 16-times grand slam champion by being aggressive and not mixing up her shots.
"It was really close and I had my chances but wasn't really taking them," Radwanska told reporters. "It's always turning against me, especially when you play a top player.
"I was really trying to play aggressive and going forward, but she's really playing deep and strong balls. It's really hard to do anything."
Williams broke Radwanska at love to go ahead 5-4 in the first set with a heavy forehand crosscourt winner, but then was broken back at love herself when she double faulted.
Both women held to go to a tiebreak which Williams dictated and sealed it 7-3 with a forehand volley winner and big ace down the T.
Williams called the trainer in between sets for a stomach problem but said that it did not effect her play as Radwanska broke to take a 2-1 in the second set when she ****** the American into a backhand error.
Radwanksa, however, could not maintain her advantage, as Williams picked up the pace, breaking back to 3-3 with a booming overhead.
While the Polish world number four is faster than Williams, the American stayed in most of their long rallies and serving at 4-4, she fought off a break point with a forehand crosscourt winner and then held in a long point that ended with her ripping a forehand down the line.
Williams broke Radwanska to win the match with a backhand winner and another forehand blast.
"I really tried to be more aggressive towards the end," said Williams. "I don't think I played my best, and I always knew that, worst-case scenario, I could do a little better."
Williams will now face the unseeded Cirstea who has put together the best run of her career, beating two former top ranked players in Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic, and then two former grand slam champions in Petra Kvitova and Li.
"If I want to win this, I have to step it up," said Cirstea. "I had to win it on my terms."
The 23-year-old Cirstea was by no means perfect in the semi-final, but was resourceful and did not implode when the pressure was on.
"I think that's a big change for me," she said. "Before, I would get down on myself, while now I just try and focus every single point and I don't care so much what's just happened in the past."
Cirstea raced through the opening set in just 21 minutes as Li, last year's Rogers Cup finalist, was wild and inconsistent.
But the former French Open champion picked up her game in the second set, breaking Cirstea to lead 3-1 when the Romanian dumped a backhand into the net.
Li fought off three break points in the next game and appeared to have control of the set when Cirstea sought advice from her coach Darren Cahill.
Cirstea broke Li when she was trying to serve out the set at 5-4 then broke her again to snatch a 6-5 lead.
Although she failed to serve out the match herself, squandering two match points, then fell 4-1 behind in the tie-break, she regained her composure as Li started to falter, handing victory to Cirstea on a double-fault.
"She's got a lot of confidence now," Li said. "Sometimes I was feeling she couldn't hit a winner, but the ball came to you as a winner. It's very tough."

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal overcomes Djokovic to reach Montreal final

Spain's Rafael Nadal handed Novak Djokovic another semi-final defeat when he beat the world number one at the Rogers Cup on Saturday to set up a title decider against local favourite Milos Raonic.
Nadal held off a surging Djokovic to win 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) in a pulsating semi-final that resembled a heavyweight boxing showdown with the duo trading breathtaking winners.
The victory was Nadal's second successive over Djokovic at this stage of a tournament following his epic five-set triumph on clay at the French Open in June.
"To beat Novak on any surface is very important," Nadal said in a courtside interview. "His level is always high and you have to play well ... almost perfect to beat him."
Nadal made a flying start in front of a capacity crowd as Djokovic was unusually tentative and struggled on serve.
But the lull did not last long as the Serb, two time defending champion, stormed back into the contest, unleashing some crunching forehand winners as he drew level.
With the audience roaring their approval at every thrilling rally, Djokovic looked to have the momentum in the match as he continued to find success in going for his shots, keeping his opponent pinned on the baseline.
But all the while Nadal showed off some magic of his own and it became clear that this high-quality encounter, the 36th between the pair, would need a tiebreak to settle the issue.
Nadal went up another gear in racing a 6-0 lead in the breaker but even in defeat Djokovic went down swinging.
He saved two match points with winners before a forehand drifted long to hand the Spaniard a first hard court victory over his rival since 2010.
"It was a very close match," Djokovic said. "There were very few points that decided the winner.
"I had my chances. He had his chances. At the end he played better."
Raonic had earlier advanced to his first Masters series final when he recovered from a mid-match slump to win a third set tie-break 6-4 1-6 7-6(4) against wildcard and compatriot Vasek Pospisil.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray and Colin Fleming made it into the final of the men's doubles with a 6-3 6-0 victory over Daniel Nestor and Robert Lindstedt.
Murray and Fleming will face Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in the final after they defeated Mariusz Fystenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-2 7-6(3).

 

[Smallville22]

Raonic skips for joy into top 10

Canadian Milos Raonic wrote his name into the Rogers Cup history books on Saturday but it was his guaranteed elevation inside the worlds top ten that saw him skip for joy after he beat compatriot Vasek Pospisil in the semi-finals.
Raonic shrugged off a poor second set to record a 6-4 1-6 7-6(4) win and reach his first Masters series final where he will face Spain's Rafa Nadal.
Whatever happens in Sunday's title decider, 22-year-old Raonic will be ranked inside the top ten for the first time when the new rankings are released next week.
It capped a memorable day for the hosts who celebrated an all-Canadian semi-final at the tournament and its first finalist since 1958 when Robert Bedard won the title.
Raonic, however, could not help but feel elated at having finally achieved a status many predicted he would attain after he jumped nearly 100 places in just six weeks thanks largely to a fourth round appearance at the Australian Open in 2011.
"The top 10 ... it's a goal that I set out this year. To be able to do it here in Montreal is pretty amazing," Raonic said.
"It's a very special day to at least get to a goal ... which looked a little bit difficult after how I played recently."
Before Montreal, Raonic had failed to reach a quarter-final in his last seven tournaments.
In May, the towering 22-year-old replaced his coach Galo Blanco with former world number three, Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic.
The results did not immediately improve and Raonic doubted how far he would progress this week.
"With how I'd been playing, I was happy to get through that first match," Raonic said. "I didn't really think too much of this week.
"I just wanted to make sure I stayed aggressive and gave myself an opportunity to do well on my goals, as far as development goals, really than results.
"I've been saying since the start of this week, it's about developing and getting better.
"We prepared well physically and on court. For it to come together here is very amazing ... but this week's not over by any means."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic far from perfect against aggressive Nadal

Rafa Nadal inflicted more pain on world number one Novak Djokovic in the Rogers Cup semi-finals as the Serbian world number one went from being "close to perfection" to far from flawless on his favourite surface.
Nadal, a 12-time Grand Slam champion, won a thrilling contest under the lights 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) to set up a title showdown with local hope Milos Raonic.
It was Nadal's second successive victory over Djokovic at this stage of a tournament following their epic French Open meeting in June.
"Beating the best player in the world, here, is a big result for me," Nadal told reporters.
"I knew when I arrived after one month off, when you play in a Masters 1000, hard court, a fast surface, you can go out in the first round. But the real thing was completely different.
"I played a very high level ... I made the right decisions in the important moments."
Djokovic had taken an imposing recent hard-court record against Nadal into the match, having won their last four finals on the surface.
"I said yesterday the only chance to win against Novak, I have to play aggressive. If not, I cannot play very well on this kind of surface. And I did," Nadal added.
Djokovic had described his quarter-final win over Richard Gasquet on Friday "as close to perfection" as he could get.
The Serbian, however, could not rediscover that level of performance and was left scratching his head at the difference.
"I made a lot of unforced errors when I had chances, you know, in the rallies. A lot of easy forehands that I missed," a perplexed Djokovic said.
"You can't afford that when you're playing against Rafa. You know he doesn't give you many chances."
Djokovic and the defending champion Briton Andy Murray will be the favourites at the year's final Grand Slam, the US Open, which follows next week's Cincinnati Masters.
Nadal's battling performance on his return to North America after missing out at the same stage last year because of injury should have Djokovic at least contemplating another chance to lock horns on the sport's biggest stages.
"We push each other to the limit of our tennis," Nadal said.
"That makes possible these kind of matches when both of us, we are playing at a good level."

 

[Smallville22]

Serena destroys Cirstea to win women's Rogers Cup

Serena Williams crushed Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-0 in the final of the women's Rogers Cup to capture her 54th WTA singles title.
Williams completely overwhelmed her unseeded opponent to cruise to victory in less than an hour and claim the Rogers Cup for the third time.
It was the world number one's eighth title this year and put her outright fifth on the all-time list of tournament winners behind Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport.
Cirstea had defied the odds just to make her third WTA final. The 23-year-old beat two former world number ones and two grand slam champions to reach the decider but found Williams too much to overcome.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal cruises to Montreal Masters title

Rafael Nadal overpowered Canada's Milos Raonic 6-2 6-2 in the final of the Rogers Cup to boost his confidence ahead of the US Open, starting later this month.
Playing in his first tournament since his shock opening-round loss at Wimbledon, Nadal showed he was back to near his best, following up his semi-final win over Novak Djokovic on Saturday by easily beating the dangerous Raonic in just over an hour.
"I played a great final," Nadal said in a courtside interview.
"I love this tournament so much and I have unforgettable memories here...I'm very happy, this week has been a ***** week for me."
Sunday's victory provided Nadal with his third win at the Rogers Cup, his eighth ATP title this year and his 25th Masters crown.
The Spaniard will rise to three in the world rankings when they are issued on Monday while Raonic will move into the top 10 for the first time after becoming the first Canadian man in more than half a century to reach the Rogers Cup final.
Nadal was ruthless from the outset and never allowed Raonic to settle his nerves in front of a partisan capacity crowd in Montreal.
The Canadian's big first serve, normally one of his most reliable weapons, was nullified by Nadal's aggressive returns, with the Spanish left-hander twice breaking Raonic's serve in the opening set.
By contrast, Raonic was unable to make any inroads on Nadal's serve with the fourth seed giving up just point on serve in the entire first set, which lasted a mere 32 minutes. Raonic fared better in the second set and earned three breaks points.
But was unable to convert any of them while Nadal capitalised on the two opportunities to get the double break and secure the title after 68 minutes.