2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Nadal's comeback, so far, smooth amid some concern

One of the most charismatic players in the game for nearly a decade, Rafa Nadal has commanded much more attention than usual at the BNP Paribas Open, his first hardcourt tournament in almost a year.
Though the Spaniard has made a highly successful comeback on clay in recent weeks, the hard courts of Indian Wells were always going to provide his toughest test on a surface where his all-action, fist-pumping style has been most vulnerable.
Following a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon last year, Nadal was sidelined for seven months by a left knee injury and the tennis world has closely monitored his recovery and progress ever since.
At Indian Wells, the 26-year-old world number five has so far progressed smoothly enough, winning two matches with one walkover in between to reach the quarter-finals of the elite ATP Masters 1000 event he has won twice before.
Nadal has shown no visible sign of discomfort, with his knee taped up throughout his matches and given extensive ice and phsyio treatment afterwards, but his fans and some of his peers are certainly worried about the prognosis going forward.
"It does concern me, especially what we have heard about his knee injury and how long he has been off," Ross Smith, a diesel mechanic from Vancouver who has become a regular visitor to the Indian Wells event, told Reuters.
"You kind of think, 'How long can this guy last playing this kind of tennis?' I don't think he's going to be able to keep it up personally. He's 26 and it's just that impact on his knee with all his rigorous tennis.
"It's just insane for these athletes to continue performing at that top level during a long tennis season, and especially the way that Rafa plays."

PHYSICAL STYLE

Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, a long-time rival and good friend to Nadal, is well aware of the toll paid by the Spaniard because of his ultra-physical playing style.
"He really suffers on the hard courts," the Australian Open champion told Reuters. "I understand what he has to go through to play in such a style. He loves to slide.
"He loves to run around the court and do a lot of dynamic strong movements that eventually can hurt him, as they did in the last seven months.
"But being so long off the tour, I'm sure that he has taken his time and has been very patient. He has a smart team of people around him that advised him to take it easy, and now it has resulted with a great comeback."
It certainly made sense for Nadal to return to the circuit last month on his favourite clay surface and he flourished in South America, competing in three relatively ***** claycourt events and winning two of them after reaching all three finals.
Perhaps no player understands better than Juan Martin Del Potro what Nadal is going through, the towering Argentine having missed eight months in 2010 due to wrist surgery.
While Del Potro has been hugely impressed by the smooth nature of the Spaniard's ATP comeback so far, he believes the mental aspect of Nadal's recovery will be crucial.
"It's very important to be strong mentally," 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro told Reuters. "For me, in the end, I was completely recovered from my wrist injury but in my mind it was still there and I couldn't play because when I hit some balls my mind is saying to me, 'You are still injured.'
"And then I would get an MRI or see the doctor and be told that my injury is gone. I don't have anything more in my wrist.
"But I think Rafa is working very well mentally, he is so strong as he shows in every match, so I think he is going to be much better than me with his recovery for sure."

NO-RISK STRATEGY

Del Potro, who played just three tournaments in 2010 because of a lingering injury to his right wrist, said a no-risk strategy would be vital for Nadal to follow closely.
"He has really to be safe with his new problem, and on the hard courts here at Indian Wells that's a matter of how far he is going in this tournament," the 24-year-old from Tandil said.
"The big challenge for him is playing healthy, not feeling any pains and being ready to play tennis again.
"He has this tournament, maybe Miami and then the clay season comes again so he needs to be smart to play these tournaments, not put his knees at risk. If he is still feeling painful, it's going to be a tough moment for him for sure."
While Del Potro made a relatively quick comeback in terms of climbing back up the rankings, the 6ft-6in (1.98 metre) Argentine said it took him a year before he felt fully healthy.
"It took that long for me to be confident with my wrist and to get up every morning thinking about my tennis game and not about my wrist," he said. "It took all that whole year for me to be ready mentally again."
The crowd-pleasing Nadal, who has been given an electrifying welcome by vocal fans for his first two matches at Indian Wells, has relished the support but has repeatedly said that he does not expect too much too soon on the hardcourt surface.
"When you come back after seven months, you really understand how much you miss it, all of this," smiled the Spaniard, who missed last year's U.S. Open and January's Australian Open while on the sidelines.
"Two weeks ago I didn't know if I would be able to be here, so just being in the quarter-finals is a fantastic result for me. I need to keep doing. I need time and I need matches more on clay than hard."

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka and Stosur withdraw, Wozniacki and Kerber through

In a bizarre coincidence, top seed Victoria Azarenka and seventh-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur withdrew from their quarter-final matches at the BNP Paribas Open due to leg injuries.
Australian Open champion Azarenka of Belarus pulled out with an inflamed right ankle after Stosur had exited earlier in the day with a calf injury, handing walkovers for fourth seed Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki into the semi-finals.
Azarenka, who demolished Russian Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-3 in last year's final, had complained about her ankle earlier in the week and she limped as she made her way toward the players' dining area after her warm-up for the match.
The Belarusian's premature departure gifted eighth-seeded Dane Wozniacki, the 2011 champion here, a place in the last four for a third time at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
"I tested it out as much as possible," a visibly distressed Azarenka said. "I tried absolutely everything I could to do, but I have been advised by the doctor, by my own team, that it's just a very, very high risk already.
"There is a big inflammation which keeps bothering one part or another," said the Belarusian, who had an MRI scan on her ankle on Wednesday.
"It cannot get better with me playing on it, especially playing the last three matches on it. I'm still looking forward to next week (the WTA event in Miami) to see if I can recover and take it from there."
Azarenka was especially frustrated after making a fast start to the year, successfully defending her Australian Open crown in January before going on to win last month's Qatar Open by outclassing Serena Williams 7-6 2-6 6-3 in the final.
"I'm extremely disappointed because I feel I'm playing really well right now," said the 23-year-old who is unbeaten after 17 matches this season, though she also conceded a walkover to Williams in Brisbane.
"I was so excited to be playing here. I love this tournament. But I have to think a little bit in the long-term. I'm going to be back here next year to play, and I'll be as excited again."
Earlier in the day, Stosur pulled out after injuring her right calf on Tuesday while serving for the match during her 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory over Germany's Mona Barthel in the fourth round.
"I don't know if you can get any more unlucky than that," Stosur said. "I think we only played another four points in that match. I felt something go in my calf and it was hurting a fair bit.
"Yesterday I took the day off practice and only did treatment, probably iced it about 10 times. This morning I thought I would give it a shot and tried to go out and warm up.
"After about five minutes, I knew that there was no chance I could play unfortunately. I think this is only the second time I've ever pulled out of a match in my career."
Kerber, who won her first WTA singles title in Paris last year, said she would make the most of an extra rest day to prepare for semi-final match against Wozniacki.
"For sure it's better when you play and win the match and go to the semis," the 25-year-old German said. "My rhythm now it's a little bit different than after a match. But I have another day off to get ready and try to be fit tomorrow."
The other semi-final in the elite WTA event at Indian Wells will be contested between second-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova and her compatriot Maria Kirilenko.
Sharapova, the 2006 champion here, advanced with a 7-6 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Italian Sara Errani on Wednesday while Kirilenko booked her place in the last four by upsetting fifth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-4 6-3.

 

[Smallville22]

Del Potro eager to join party of four

No one knows better than Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro how difficult it is to win a Grand Slam title in the era of the "Big Four" of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray.
Between them, that elite quartet has scooped up 31 of the last 32 Grand Slam singles crowns, with Del Potro's breakthrough victory at the 2009 US Open the sole exception.
"It's really tough, those four guys are making history in every Grand Slam and every big tournament they play," Del Potro told Reuters at the BNP Paribas Open being played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden where he has reached the quarter-finals.
"Me, and a few others like (Tomas) Berdych, (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga and (David) Ferrer are trying to get into that big group but it's not easy. They are playing so well and you can see in almost every Grand Slam the top four are in the semi-finals.
"It's not easy beating them in a Grand Slam. You have to be 100 percent that day and then see if they don't serve like you, if they give to you a little opportunity to beat them. I made it in 2009, then I got the injury with my wrist."
Following his stunning five-set triumph over Federer in the 2009 US Open final, Del Potro had been expected to cement a place close to the pinnacle of the game but his burgeoning career was swiftly derailed.
In 2010, the towering Argentine played only three tournaments because of an injury to his right wrist which required surgery and he ended up being sidelined for eight frustrating months while recovering.
"It was tough," said Del Potro, who will face world number three Andy Murray in the last eight at Indian Wells on Friday.
"When I came back to play tennis I wasn't seeded in any tournament.
"I remember I came here and in the first round I played (Ivan) Ljubicic, after he made the final the previous year. Then in Memphis I played (John) Isner in the first round. Those were not good moments for me."
Del Potro said it took him an entire year after his return to the ATP circuit before he felt completely healthy.
"I needed all that time to be confident with my wrist and to get up every morning thinking about my tennis game and not about my wrist," he said. "It takes all the year to be ready mentally again."
Asked how much his 2009 US Open win had boosted his self-belief, Del Potro replied: "Well, I knew that I had done it and it meant a lot for me.
"I made my big ***** but now, for this year, I have a big challenge trying to do something similar like years before. Last year I was close at the French Open when I was two sets up against Federer in the quarter-finals but I lost.
"Then I make another quarter-final at the US Open but lost to Djokovic in a big match. I broke that run at the London Olympics when I got the bronze medal but it's not easy. We need to be 100 per cent for two weeks (to win a Grand Slam title)."
Last year, the 6ft-6in Del Potro triumphed four times on the ATP World Tour after reaching five finals and he has already added another title this season in Rotterdam.
"I always raise my goals and I am trying to do a good schedule for my game this year," said the 24-year-old from Tandil. "I already won in Rotterdam, a big tournament, and then I made the semis in Dubai.
"And now I am here at Indian Wells trying to go far, play at my best level and then see if I have the chance to win this tournament. I have been playing at a good level and I like this tournament.
"But I know that to be with the top guys, you need to do get good results in the 1000 Masters events and the Grand Slams."

 

[Smallville22]

****** Nadal destroys below-par Federer

Rafael Nadal looked close to his best in dismantling Roger Federer 6-4 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
The Spaniard, out from last summer until February with a debilitating knee injury, raised eyebrows when electing to return to the hard-court circuit for Indian Wells.
But he showed no sign of his absence in a scintillating display of power and mobility against a sluggish Federer, who was far from his best but would probably have struggled against Nadal anyway.
Nadal broke his opponent once in the first set, but in truth he missed some opportunities to bury the Swiss.
He continued his dominance with back-to-back breaks at the start of the second set, as the world number two Federer looked a shadow of the Spaniard who has slid down to fifth.
Federer did have a mid-set resurgence, breaking back at one point, but Nadal broke for a third time and held easily to close out the win.
Nadal has to play world number six Tomas Berdych for a place in the final on Sunday.
The result means Nadal improves his career record against the Swiss to 19-10; this was the first time they had met at the quarter-finals of a tournament, as the former world number one’s lower ranking starts to throw up some interesting draws.
"After seven months away, I am very happy to be in the semi-finals here," a beaming Nadal said courtside.
"I played great the first set. I played a fantastic first set, in my opinion. The second set I think Roger didn't fight as usual. Probably he had some problems and he didn't feel comfortable enough to keep fighting.
"The first set was a good match, in my opinion. Both of us tried to play our best. I played much better than yesterday.
"Always it is a very, very special match against Roger, the best player in history. I feel like it is a classic match whenever we play."
Asked what had pleased him most about his game, Nadal replied: "My movement tonight was much better than yesterday. I played longer than yesterday.
"I had a good feeling on my forehand, even if I had a few mistakes with my backhand in the second set.
"Sometimes today I am not able to play all the shots with my forehand that I used to be because I am not that fast yet to do it. That's why the backhand today is very important."
Federer - who came through a three-setter with fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round - has been feeling a twinge in his back recently, and it showed as he struggled to move freely, while missing a number of backhands he would ordinarily have buried.
When asked how much the problem affected him against Nadal, Federer replied: "Same as against Stan.
"I am happy to be out there and able to compete. It's always an issue and doesn't work against a guy like Rafa. But I don't want to undermine his performance here."
Soon enough Federer was broken as the resurgent Nadal’s power and accuracy, particularly on his forehand and off the high-bouncing hard-court, showed no sign of having been diminished by seven months out injured.
Federer’s defence was uncharacteristically weak and he was almost broken a second time as Nadal looked to claim the opening stanza, the Swiss saving a couple of break points; in the end the Spaniard had to settle for serving it out to 6-4.
Nadal was playing as superbly as Federer was toiling, his forehand as unyielding as the Swiss’s backhand was erratic.
Federer’s forehand was starting to suffer too, and he was broken to love at the start of the second.
The 17-times Grand Slam winner’s decision making was poor at times, coming to the net when he should sit, trying drop shots with Nadal well-placed. He struggled to get points on the board against serve and was broken a second time as he appeared on the brink of collapse.
But there was a resurgence, the Swiss finding something close to his peak form in retrieving one of those breaks, one point of baseline bullets, lobs and gets a joy to behold.
He went close to erasing Nadal’s double break, but the Spaniard held and with Federer fading badly, there was only one winner on a sweaty California evening.

 

[Smallville22]

Ailing Federer outmuscled by Nadal

Roger Federer's title defence at the BNP Paribas Open came to a surprisingly abrupt halt when he was hammered by his long-time rival Rafa Nadal 6-4 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
While Nadal's fitness on hard courts had been in some doubt on his return to the ATP circuit after seven months out with a knee injury, it was Federer's troublesome back that proved the most significant factor as he was totally outplayed.
The four-times Indian Wells champion continually struggled to hold serve, was broken four times and made a slew of backhand errors against an opponent who moved well and controlled most of the rallies with deeper and more accurate groundstrokes.
"I was hanging in there in the first set so you always believe that with a good return game and I dug myself out of a couple of tough service games, that I could do it, you know," Federer said after losing to Nadal for a 19th time.
"The longer the match went on, I realised I had to change up my game. I played differently than I was hoping to be able to. Obviously he got more comfortable as the match went on, as well.
"Things became difficult. Obviously once I was down a set I knew it was going to be difficult. It (the back niggle) is obviously a small issue, and that doesn't work against guys like Rafa."
Federer, who had beaten claycourt specialist Nadal 6-3 6-4 in last year's Indian Wells semi-final when they last met, said he had not been surprised by the Spaniard's fluent movement about the court on Thursday.
"He's not going to come back if he's not well," the 31-year-old Swiss said. "He's not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here, which he shows to be."
Spanish left-hander Nadal won two ATP titles after reaching three finals on the clay courts of South America on a highly impressive return to the circuit last month.
"No question, he's a bit careful at times, you know, his movement," added Federer. "That's totally normal. He hasn't played for some time on hard court. I don't know if it's careful or if it's just getting used to it again.
"But we're talking about slow clay courts. He can return from way back in the court. It's not like on a hard court where you have to react super fast. And even that would be no problem for him, otherwise he wouldn't have come back on tour."
Federer is still seeking his first ATP title of the year after producing contrasting form in his first four tournaments.
After reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, where he lost to Andy Murray, Federer was beaten by Julien Benneteau in the Rotterdam quarter-finals before squandering three match points in a semi-final defeat by Tomas Berdych in Dubai.
Following his quarter-final exit from Indian Wells, Federer plans to return to his native Switzerland to map out his playing schedule going forward.
"I'll go back for the next few days and weeks and sort of consider what's next," said the Swiss, who will skip next week's ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. "Normally I'd like to practise real hard and rest up and recover from this week.
"It's been a really difficult week for me, so I'm happy to have played a decent tournament. Overall under the circumstances I'm happy. I'll probably maintain my schedule, but you never know."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic pummels Tsonga in last eight

Novak Djokovic was barely tested as he demolished Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 6-1 in the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals to extend his unbeaten run to 22 matches.
The top-seeded Serb delivered a ruthless display against the eighth-seeded Frenchman at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, breaking his error-prone opponent twice in each set and not dropping a single point on his own serve in the second set.
"I definitely feel very happy about this performance today," Australian Open champion Djokovic said after improving his record for the season to 17-0.
"I thought Jo didn't play his best. He made a lot of unforced errors and his serve wasn't going well and that made my life a lot easier on the court.
"I really didn't care about how my opponent felt. I just tried to focus on the job I need to do, and my performance was really good."
Djokovic, who needed only 54 minutes to seal victory, will next meet Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, who beat British world number three Andy Murray later in the day.
The Serbian world number one will be looking to extend his stellar form, having not been beaten since last October when he was defeated by big-serving American Sam Querrey in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris.
The first two quarter-finals were completed on Thursday, Rafa Nadal continuing his impressive comeback by thumping long-time rival Roger Federer 6-4 6-2 and Czech Tomas Berdych sweeping past big-serving South African Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4.
Djokovic stormed through the opening set in half an hour after breaking Tsonga in the fifth game, when the Frenchman dumped a backhand volley into the net, and also in the ninth, when his opponent blasted a forehand wide.
Tsonga's troubles continued in the second game of the second set when he double-faulted to give Djokovic three break points at 0-40, saved two of them but then lost the game when he netted a forehand.
The Frenchman was also broken in the sixth after delivering his fourth double fault of the match and the Serb served out in style, consecutive aces putting him 40-0 up before Tsonga's fading challenge ended when he pushed a backhand long.
"I served really well and used the shots around the court well, and that's what matters for me," Djokovic told reporters after improving his overall record against Tsonga to 10-5.
"I was in the balance. I returned well when I needed to. He made a lot of unforced errors, which obviously helped me to get in front. When it was important, I didn't allow him to come back to the match.
"I didn't allow him to have an opportunity to believe that he can maybe have a break back and get back into the match," added the Serb, who won the Indian Wells title in 2008 and 2011.
Tsonga was a dejected figure after losing his eighth successive match to Djokovic.
"I did a lot of mistakes," the Frenchman said. "It was tough for me to keep the ball in the court, not because he put me under a lot of pressure.
"I don't know how to explain that, but it was a day for me without sensation. Everything I tried to do, I missed it."

 

[Smallville22]

Del Potro downs Murray in Indian Wells quarters

Erratic serving cost Andy Murray dearly as the world number three was knocked out of the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals 6-7 6-3 6-1 by Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro.
Though the US Open champion three edged a close first set 7-5 on the tiebreak, he lost serve once in the second and three times in the third to make a premature exit from the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Seventh-seeded Del Potro will next face world number one Novak Djokovic, who was barely tested as he demolished Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 6-1 earlier on Friday to extend his unbeaten run to 22 matches.
The first two quarter-finals were completed on Thursday, Rafa Nadal continuing his impressive comeback by thumping long-time rival Roger Federer 6-4 6-2 and Czech Tomas Berdych sweeping past big-serving South African Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4.
"It was a tough match, I didn't serve particularly well," Murray said after serving eight aces and eight double faults during a match lasting just over two-and-a-half hours.
"There were a lot of long rallies. Very warm conditions the first set or two, and sometimes on the serve if your legs are just a little bit tired you can miss serves.
"Timing might go a little bit off and you're not quite getting up to them. That's maybe what happened today."
Asked if he had played the game he wanted to play against the 6ft-6in Del Potro, Murray replied: "I could've served better and returned better, two pretty important parts of the game."
Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, was delighted to beat Murray for the first time in five meetings on hard courts.
"I was close to beating him in 2009 in Montreal finals, but I did today," smiled the 24-year-old from Tandil after improving his record this year to 15-3. "I played my best match of the tournament.
"I was positive all the time, even when I lost the first set, a tough first set. In the end, I play my game. I be aggressive all the time... trying to make winners when I had the chance with my forehands."
On a sweltering afternoon at Indian Wells, Murray saved two break points in the first game of the match but there were no further opportunities for either player as a closely contested opening set went into a tiebreak.
A big forehand winner by the Scotsman earned him a 5-2 lead but he double-faulted and then netted a forehand, screaming to himself in disgust, as he let Del Potro pull back to 5-4.
The Argentine then hit a backhand long for Murray to earn his first set point at 6-4 and, though he squandered that with a wayward backhand, he clinched the set at the next opportunity on a backhand error by his opponent.
However, the Scot failed to take advantage and was broken to love in the second game of the second set after double-faulting.
Del Potro served out to level the match, clinching the set with a leaping overhead smash.
Murray was again broken in the third game of the final set, after netting a forehand, and also in the fifth, after hitting a backhand long, to trail 1-4.
Unable to break the towering Argentine's serve, Murray's challenge faded quickly and the match ended when the Scotsman double-faulted for an eighth time.

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki to meet Sharapova in Indian Wells final

Former champion Caroline Wozniacki battled through a marathon encounter to upset fourth-seeded German Angelique Kerber 2-6 6-4 7-5 and reach her third BNP Paribas Open final in four years.
The eighth-seeded Dane, winner at Indian Wells in 2011 after being a losing finalist the previous year, held off a late fightback by Kerber to scrape through in a wildly fluctuating contest lasting two-and-a-half hours.
In a match littered with 14 service breaks, Wozniacki led 4-1 and then 5-3 in the third set but the German clawed her way back to 5-6 before being broken for a seventh and final time when she netted a forehand.
Wozniacki will next face 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who overcome fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4 6-3 in the second semi-final at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Sharapova, like Wozniacki a former world number one, will also be appearing in her third final here, having been demolished by Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the title match last year.
"I led 4-1 in the third and should have finished it off there but she's a great fighter," a jubilant Wozniacki said after ending a run of three consecutive losses to the German. "I played a bit short and she was all over it.
"It is very special," the 22-year-old Dane said of reaching her third final at Indian Wells. "I really enjoy this tournament. I think it shows. I have done great results here in the past, and this is another very good one."
Kerber who won her first WTA singles title in Paris last year, raced into a 4-1 lead before taking the opening set in 38 minutes after Wozniacki hit a backhand service return long.
The 25-year-old German appeared to be in cruise control when she broke her opponent's serve for a fourth time at the start of the second set, then holding to 2-0 up but the match effectively turned in the seventh game.
At 3-3, Wozniacki survived nine deuces and five break points before holding serve and going on to level the match when she broke Kerber in the 11th game after the German netted a forehand.
"We had some really good points in that game, and that was definitely very important in the match," Wozniacki said of that marathon game in the second set. "I managed to turn it around."
Kerber, who had not dropped a set in her three previous matches before gaining a walkover into the semi-finals when seventh-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur withdrew due to a calf injury, applauded Wozniacki's play.
"She was moving better and hit the ball a little bit higher," the German left-hander said. "It's not easy to lose a match like this, but well done to her. It was a tough match from the beginning.
"I started very well, but she found her game in the second set. And it was not easy for me, but I think it was a close and good match. At the end she won important points."
Four-times Grand Slam singles champion Sharapova broke her good friend Kirilenko in the third game of the match and went on to take a hard-fought first set in an hour.
The slender Russian then tightened her grip in the second set with much sharper serving, breaking her opponent twice more to seal victory on her first match point with a crunching forehand winner down the line.
"I've known Maria since we were little girls so there are no secrets out there on court," second seed Sharapova said courtside. "It's always tough to play against someone when you have played so many tournaments together.
"I started to serve better in the second set and that gave me a few free points. She gets so many balls back and likes to play those long points. My job was to be more aggressive than usual."

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal beats Berdych to reach Indian Wells final

Looking as though he had never been away, Rafael Nadal continued his impressive comeback with a high-quality 6-4 7-5 victory over Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.
The Spaniard, who returned to the ATP circuit only last month after seven months out with a left knee injury, broke the Czech once to take the opening set, then won a tense second set to improve his record this year to a career-best 16-1.
Nadal, who won the last four games to come from 3-5 down in that second set, will next meet Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro, who ended top seed Novak Djokovic's unbeaten run with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory in the second semi-final.
"For me this is totally unexpected to be in the final," a beaming Nadal said courtside after beating the sixth-seeded Czech for a 13th time in 16 meetings.
"But here we are today, and I'm very happy about all what happened the last month, especially the last three weeks.
"Is not easy coming back after an important injury after seven months without playing a tournament and be back and winning against three top 10s like David Ferrer, like today against Berdych, the other day against Roger (Federer)."
Nadal swept aside Spanish world number four Ferrer 6-0 6-2 in the final of the Mexican Open two weeks ago and crushed long-time rival Federer 6-4 6-2 in the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Thursday.
"So coming back is certainly something amazing for me," the Spaniard said. "I feel very comfortable in this tournament. I feel very happy when I am here."
Twice a champion at Indian Wells, Nadal looked every inch like his former self, hitting crisp and deep ground strokes to keep Berdych under continual pressure and occasionally unleashing his trademark inside-out forehand crosscourt winner.
On a sizzling hot afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the opening set went with serve until the seventh game when Berdych double faulted, hit a forehand long and dumped a forehand into the net to trail 0-40.
Though the Czech saved the first two break points on forehand errors by fifth seed Nadal, he lost the game on the third when he blasted a forehand wide as he hungrily eyed a winner down the line.
The Spaniard served out to take the set in 42 minutes, applying the finishing touch with a well-placed 119 mph service winner that Berdych was unable to return. It was the first set the Czech had lost during the tournament.
Both players held serve until the eighth game of the second set when Nadal, despite getting a favourable net cord bounce as he tried to save his first break point of the match, double-faulted to trail 3-5.
However, the Spanish left-hander immediately broke back, after Berdych hit a forehand long, before holding to level the score at 5-5.
"I play my best game of the match at 3-5, playing very aggressive, having two very, very good points with my forehand down the line," Nadal said. "That was very important, no?"
Nadal then broke the Czech for a third time in the 11th, squandering his first break point at 30-40 but taking advantage of the second when Berdych mistimed an overhead as he gazed up into the sun, the ball careening off his racket and bouncing well beyond the baseline.
The tension mounted as Nadal served for the match in the 12th game, the Spaniard coming back from 0-30 down and saving three break points before he sealed victory on his second match point when Berdych pushed a backhand wide.
Nadal leaped in delight with both arms raised in celebration as he advanced to the final at Indian Wells for a fourth time.
"Even if I had a lot of success the last weeks for example, today I was very nervous at the end of the match to close the match," Nadal said. "I was lucky that my serve worked amazing in the last game in important moments."
Asked if Nadal had looked like the Rafa of old with his movement about the court, Berdych replied: "I think so. He was moving quite well.
"Maybe he will say something different because it's him, his body, and he has a feeling for that, but I think he looks strong again."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic's unbeaten run ends against Del Potro

World number one Novak Djokovic's unbeaten run of 22 matches came to an end when he was upset 4-6 6-4 6-4 by Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro in the Indian Wells Masters semi-finals.
Australian Open champion Djokovic squandered a 3-0 lead in the final set as he was broken twice by the towering Argentine before losing a wildly fluctuating contest that lasted two hours and 49 minutes.
Serving for the match, the seventh-seeded Del Potro sealed victory with a 133 mph ace to claim only his third win over the Serb in 11 career meetings, and book a place in Sunday's final against Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard beat Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-5 in the earlier semi-final
The top-seeded Djokovic had not previously lost since his defeat last October to big-serving American Sam Querrey in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris.
"I didn't deserve to win today," Djokovic, 25, said after falling short in his bid to reach the final for a fourth time at Indian Wells, where he won the title in 2008 and 2011.
"You know, whenever I had chances, in the second and third sets, I throw them away with some unforced errors. My movement was poor, and I congratulate to my opponent."
Asked what had turned the tide when he led 3-0 in the final set, Djokovic replied: "His fighting spirit and my lack of concentration. He deserved to win because he was more composed in the important moments and he played the right shots.
"He stepped into the court, where, on the other side, me, I made a lot of unforced errors and was at back of the court too passive.
"I didn't use my backhand along the line as I usually do. It's one of my best shots. Today I just wasn't there. It's okay, you know. It happens. It's sport, and I just didn't make it this time."
Djokovic had been a perfect 17-0 for the season after winning his sixth grand slam title at the Australian Open in January and then the Dubai Championships before heading to Indian Wells.
On a stifling hot afternoon, Djokovic and former US Open champion Del Potro treated the near-capacity crowd to some absorbing tennis on the Stadium Court as their opening set went with serve until the 10th game.
Del Potro, who had saved four breakpoints in a marathon eighth game, staved off a set point at 30-40 with a backhand volley winner but failed to repeat the feat on the second as he mistimed a forehand after a protracted baseline rally.
A set up, Djokovic surprisingly failed to hold in the first game of the second after hitting a forehand wide, then hurled his racket to the ground in disgust.
Though the Serb immediately broke back, he was again broken in the third when Del Potro steered a two-fisted backhand winner down the line.
Djokovic looked increasingly irritated and also failed to hold in the seventh when the towering Argentine struck a rasping forehand winner down the line to go 5-2 up.
Del Potro, who clinched the 2009 US Open, failed to serve out in the eighth, denied a set point at 40-30 by a Djokovic forehand crosscourt winner before being broken when the Serb struck a backhand winner.
However, Del Potro finally levelled the match in the 10th, on his third set point, after his opponent netted a backhand.
Djokovic came storming back in the final set, breaking the Argentine in the second game to race into a 3-0 lead but he failed to hold in the fifth as Del Potro pegged him back to 3-2.
The Serb did well to hold in the seventh, after trailing 15-40, but he was broken for the final time in the ninth when he hit a backhand long for Del Potro to serve out for the match.

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova ready for Wozniacki variety in final

Plenty of lobs, subtle changes of pace, marathon baseline rallies - Maria Sharapova is preparing for all of that and more when she faces Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday's final at the BNP Paribas Open.
Denmark's Wozniacki, like Sharapova a former world number one and an ex-champion at Indian Wells, is known for her baseline grit and the variety she draws upon, ingredients which make her a tough opponent.
"She's a grinder," second-seeded Russian Sharapova told reporters about the 22-year-old Dane. "She makes you work really hard on the court and gets a lot of balls back and has a lot of different variety.
"I certainly don't want to give her that time or those opportunities, because she's a really good player. She's dangerous when she has the opportunities to open up court and she wants you running side to side."
Asked how much it could help having played several 'grinders' so far at this year's tournament, Sharapova replied: "I have had to work for all the points here, that's for sure.
"I also feel like, in a way, in a couple of those matches I made my life a little more difficult than I should have been. I was ******* a few of my errors."
Sharapova, champion here in 2006, booked her place in the final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko while eighth seed Wozniacki advanced with a battling 2-6 6-4 7-5 win over fourth-seeded German Angelique Kerber.

TURNED THE TIDE

Wozniacki effectively turned the tide against Kerber with a barrage of accurate lobs, or moonballs, on the slow-paced hardcourt surface at Indian Wells and Sharapova took note.
"I saw some of those points," the 25-year-old Russian smiled. "That was quite interesting.
"They looked like they were really high and they all kept going in. I was like, 'That's a really good effort.' I don't think I can do that."
Asked what adjustments were needed to cope with the "moonball strategy", Sharapova replied: "Usually when your opponent has time to hit higher balls or a little bit of spin, that means you're giving them a bit more time to do that."
Wozniacki, who won the 2011 Indian Wells title with a 6-1 2-6 6-3 victory over Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in the final, trails Sharapova 2-4 in career meetings and knows she will have to contend with the Russian's powerful ground strokes.
"She playing very aggressively, tries to take every ball on the rise and plays very flat," said the Dane, who hopes her comfort level at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, where she has reached her third final, will give her a boost on Sunday.
"I really enjoy this tournament. I think it shows. I have done great results here in the past, and this is another very good one. So, one more match to go.
"I feel like I have been running and grinding and playing really well this week. I have reached a lot of balls and felt comfortable. It's a great week so far."
Whatever happens in Sunday's final, world number three and four-times grand slam singles champion Sharapova will rise to two when the rankings are issued on Monday.
"Great. Yeah, it's nice. It's better than three, right?" she beamed.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal delivers another winning chapter in comeback

Looking as though he had never been away, Rafa Nadal gave the tennis world a stark reminder of what they had missed for seventh months last year with a superb display at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
In only his fourth match on hard courts since he returned to the ATP circuit last month after being sidelined with a left knee injury, the Spanish left-hander overcame sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-5 in the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
He broke the Czech once to take the opening set, then won a tense second set to improve his record this year to a career-best 16-1, having won two ATP titles on the clay of South America last month.
Nadal, who had thumped long-time rival Roger Federer 6-4 6-2 in the last eight, looked every inch like his former self, hitting crisp and deep ground strokes to keep Berdych under continual pressure and occasionally unleashing his trademark inside-out forehand crosscourt winner.
"When you are out for a long period of time, is difficult to come back and to understand how to win the points another time, how to manage the important situations," Nadal told reporters after sealing victory in one hour 43 minutes.
"Victories like today, like the other day, help you a lot for the confidence and to remember, you know, all the things that you have to do in every moment."
While 11-times grand slam champion Nadal may have played down his form on a sizzling hot afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden where temperatures climbed into the early nineties, Berdych was suitably impressed.
Asked if the Spaniard had looked like the Rafa of old with his movement about the court, Berdych replied: "I think so. He was moving quite well.
"Maybe he will say something different because it's him, his body, and he has a feeling for that, but I think he looks strong again.
"I guess he makes the right decision that once he decides to come back he's gonna be strong again to play. It just shows how great a player he is."

INTENTLY WATCHING

With a near-capacity crowd watching intently, the opening set went with serve until the seventh game when Berdych double faulted, hit a forehand long and dumped a forehand into the net to trail 0-40.
Though the Czech saved the first two break points on forehand errors by fifth seed Nadal, he lost the game on the third when he blasted a forehand wide as he hungrily eyed a winner down the line.
The Spaniard served out to take the set in 42 minutes, applying the finishing touch with a well-placed 119 mph service winner that Berdych was unable to return. It was the first set the Czech had lost during the tournament.
Both players held serve until the eighth game of the second set when Nadal, despite getting a favourable net cord bounce as he tried to save his first break point of the match, double-faulted to trail 3-5.
However, the Spaniard immediately broke back, after Berdych hit a forehand long, before holding to level the score at 5-5.
"I play my best game of the match at 3-5, playing very aggressive, having two very, very good points with my forehand down the line," Nadal said. "That was very important, no?"
Nadal then broke the Czech for a third time in the 11th, squandering his first break point at 30-40 but taking advantage of the second when Berdych mistimed an overhead as he gazed up into the sun, the ball careening off his racket and bouncing well beyond the baseline.
The tension mounted as Nadal served for the match in the 12th game, the Spaniard coming back from 0-30 down and saving three break points before he sealed victory on his second match point when Berdych pushed a backhand wide.
Nadal, who has his left knee taped up throughout the tournament, leaped in delight with both arms raised in celebration as he advanced to the final at Indian Wells for a fourth time.
"Even if I had a lot of success the last weeks for example, today I was very nervous at the end of the match to close the match," Nadal said. "I was lucky that my serve worked amazing in the last game in important moments."
The Spaniard will take on seventh-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in Sunday's final where he is widely expected to win, but again he played down his expectations.
"Any result will be a fantastic week for me, a fantastic tournament," Nadal smiled.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal pulls out of Miami Masters

World number five Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Miami Masters, without citing a reason, according to organisers.
The Spanish left-hander, who returned to the ATP circuit only last month after seven months out with a left knee injury, was playing in the Indian Wells Masters final in California on Sunday.
"We are disappointed to hear the news that Rafael Nadal will not be competing in Miami this year, especially given his strong results since his return to the Tour," Sony Open tournament director Adam Barrett said in a statement.
"He is a tremendous ambassador for the game and has thousands of adoring fans here in South Florida. We wish him well and hope to see him back in Miami next year."
Though Nadal has not yet given a reason for his withdrawal from the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the year, it is most likely he was not keen to play successive events on a hardcourt surface where his knee is more vulnerable.
The 11-times Grand Slam champion and claycourt specialist has made a career-best 16-1 start to this season, having won two ATP titles on the clay of South America last month.
His focus will now be fixed on the French Open, starting in late May, as the ATP circuit switches back to clay after Miami for the lead-up to the year's second Grand Slam.

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova hammers Wozniacki to win Indian Wells title

Second seed Maria Sharapova won her first title since last year's French Open with a 6-2 6-2 demolition of Caroline Wozniacki in the final in Indian Wells.
In a showdown between two former world number ones, the second-seeded Russian overpowered the Dane with a ruthless display, breaking her twice in each set to seal victory in one hour and 21 minutes.
Sharapova played aggressively throughout with an array of deep groundstrokes and superb serving to claim her second title at Indian Wells after winning for the first time in 2006.
The 25-year-old Russian ended the match in champion style with a 109 mph service winner before raising both arms skywards in celebration.
"What makes it so special is when you end up as the champion, that's why I am smiling," a beaming Sharapova said courtside after extending her run of at least one WTA title each year since 2003.
"I really appreciate these moments. This is what I do all the work for. When you have days like this ... it's a really nice feeling because everything has paid off."
Eighth seed and 2011 Indian Wells champion Wozniacki, who like Sharapova was competing in her third final here, applauded the Russian's high-quality performance.
"Maria played really well, better than me," the 22-year-old Dane said. "Get my revenge hopefully in Miami (next week's WTA event), maybe we will play in the final there as well."
Sharapova made a fast start on a sun-splashed afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, unleashing a barrage of fierce ground strokes and breaking Wozniacki in the first game of the match with a forehand winner down the line.
The Russian was also serving well, regularly firing down first serves above 100 mph, and she broke her opponent again in the seventh to lead 5-2 when a Wozniacki backhand sailed wide.
Maintaining an aggressive approach, Sharapova gave the Dane two break points at 15-40 in the eighth game after hitting a backhand long followed by a booming forehand that bounced beyond the baseline.
However the ice-cool Russian got back to deuce with successive backhand crosscourt winners, earned her first set point with a 104 mph ace and finished it off with another searing forehand winner.
Wozniacki failed to hold in the opening game of the second set after double faulting, and was also broken in a protracted seventh game, saving three break points before hitting a backhand wide to trail 2-5.
Sharapova ****** little time in serving out for the match, a crunching crosscourt forehand ******* an error from her opponent to put her 40-0 before she finished off with a service winner.
The Russian world number three, a four-times grand slam singles champion, will rise to two when the rankings are issued on Monday.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal wins record-breaking 22nd Masters title at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal added another triumphant chapter to his remarkable comeback when he came from a set and 0-2 down to beat Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Indian Wells Masters final.
The Spanish left-hander, who was sidelined for seven months last year with a left knee injury, overcame a gritty challenge from the hard-hitting Argentine to win a record 22nd ATP Masters title, and a third at Indian Wells.
Fifth seed Nadal broke Del Potro in the third game of the final set and, after his opponent had saved three match points in the ninth, served out to seal victory after an absorbing final that lasted two hours 29 minutes.
The match ended with a mistimed forehand from the seventh-seeded Del Potro which floated wide and the Spaniard immediately dropped to the ground, flat on his back, while shaking his fists in celebration.
"I started the match playing fantastic, then Del Potro started playing a little more aggressive," 11-times grand slam champion Nadal, who moved fluently during the match, said courtside after hugging his opponent at the net.
"In my opinion, I tried to change too early against his forehand. I was playing much too aggressive for my game. When I was able to calm myself, I began to play better. I started to play a little bit slower. My movement was unbelievable.
"Then I play a fantastic match," added the Spaniard, who had his left knee taped up throughout the tournament.
It was Nadal's 53rd ATP singles title, his third of the year after appearing in four successive finals, and his first on a hardcourt surface since Tokyo in 2010.
The Spaniard made an impressive start, holding serve after a marathon first game where he controlled a series of protracted baseline rallies, then breaking Del Potro in the second, though it took him four break points.
The Argentine was again in trouble on serve in the fourth, serving at 15-40 down, but he saved two break points before holding with a booming forehand winner down the line.
Nadal surprisingly failed to hold in the fifth after dictating almost every rally, losing the game when 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro blasted a backhand crosscourt winner with his service return.
Growing in confidence and continually attacking with his forehand, the towering Argentine again broke Nadal in the ninth when his opponent blasted a forehand long.
Del Potro then held serve to take the first set in 54 minutes, racing 40-0 up but squandering his first two set points before finishing off with a backhand volley winner at the net and pumping his right fist in delight.
An out-of-sorts Nadal failed to hold in the first game of the second set, trailing 30-40 after a blistering forehand pass by the Argentine and then netting a forehand to give Del Potro the break.
The next four games went with serve before Nadal, urged on by roars of "Rafa, Rafa, Rafa" that echoed around the Stadium Court, broke Del Potro in the sixth when the Argentine hit a forehand long.
Del Potro was also broken in the eighth, when Nadal blasted a forehand winner into an open court, and the Spaniard then held serve to level the match at one-set all with a 105 mph ace.
The Argentine survived three breaks points before holding serve in an energy-sapping first game in the final set but he failed to hold in the third as the Spaniard crunched a forehand winner down the line to lead 2-1.
There was no way back from there for Del Potro, who had upset world number three Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the last four.
He did well to save three match points after going 0-40 down on serve in the ninth before holding but Nadal served out for victory in the 10th, needing only one more match point to add a third Indian Wells title to his previous wins in 2007 and 2009.

 

[Smallville22]

Rafa deserved Indian Wells title, says Del Potro

It was a case of so near and yet so far for Juan Martin Del Potro after he was denied a first ATP Masters 1000 title in a 4-6 6-3 6-4 defeat by Rafa Nadal in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday.
The Argentine was a set and 2-0 up on Nadal before the Spaniard came storming back to win a pulsating match that lasted just under two-and-a-half hours and featured seven breaks of serve.
Del Potro had been bidding to beat Nadal for only the fourth time in 11 career meetings but fell short as the Spanish world number five played near-perfect tennis in the latter stages.
"Rafa deserves to win," Del Potro told reporters. "He plays unbelievable for like an hour there. The last hour of the match he didn't make errors. He played so solid and put me so far to the baseline and make winners from there.
"Rafa played really well today in the second and third sets. He broke me early in the third and playing against him when the score is down is tougher, you know."
Del Potro had upset world number three Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the last four to get to the final.
Asked whether he felt fatigued in the final after winning his two previous matches at Indian Wells in three sets, world number seven Del Potro replied: "Yeah, I played three sets against Murray then three sets Djokovic.
"But the finals are finals. They are special, and you get the energy from everywhere to play the finals. Rafa plays yesterday, also, so the conditions are the same for both players.
"I think my body was okay. Just he played better in the end and he deserved to win."
Despite his own disappointment in losing Sunday's final, Del Potro was happy for Nadal, who claimed his third title in his remarkable comeback from seven months on the sidelines due to a knee injury.
"Watching him in this level, he's playing really well. He's winning more than everyone after seven months (out)," said the 24-year-old from Tandil, who embraced Nadal at the end of the match.
Asked whether he felt Nadal was close to the form that earned him 11 grand slam singles titles, Del Potro replied: "Yeah, yeah. Like always, like in the past, he's playing so solid, so strong.
"He's very strong mentally. He has big talent, as well. He beat very good players here at Indian Wells. What I say the days before, he's gonna be fighting for the first position (in the rankings) very soon."
Del Potro, U.S. Open champion in 2009, knows exactly what he has to do to get back among the top four in the world.
"Beat Nadal, beat (Roger) Federer. Try to beat all of them," he said with a grin.

 

[Smallville22]

Comeback king Nadal sets sight on Roland Garros

The fist pump was back, along with the crunching forehand crosscourt winners, energetic movement and the never-say-say-die attitude.
Most significantly, the 'W' was there as Rafa Nadal on Sunday won his third title in just four events since making his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour after seven months out with an injured left knee.
The Spaniard's pulsating 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of the BNP Paribas Open served as a timely reminder that the claycourt specialist will once again be the player to beat at the French Open starting in late May.
"He's like always, like in the past, he's playing so solid, so strong," purred Argentine Del Potro who, while bitterly disappointed after his defeat at Indian Wells, felt Nadal was back to his very best.
"He's very strong mentally. He has big talent, as well. He beat very good players here at Indian Wells. He's gonna be fighting for the first position (in the rankings) very soon."
A few weeks ago, claycourt specialist Nadal was not even sure if he would be able to play on the punishing hard courts at Indian Wells, a surface where his all-action, counter-punching game has often been least effective.
However, the world number five decided to return to the California desert venue where he had previously clinched the BNP Paribas Open in 2007 and 2009, and he ended a week of steady progress by landing his 22nd ATP Masters title.
The Spanish left-hander may initially have had his doubts over how his knee would stand up to his most rigorous test since returning to the ATP circuit last month, but those soon abated as he ****** the test with flying colours.
"It's sort of expected, considering the success throughout his career that he had on all the surfaces," world number one Novak Djokovic said of Nadal's comeback form before the Serb was ousted by Del Potro in the semi-finals.
"Obviously he's building the confidence. He feels good, and he's very motivated, I'm sure, to perform his best. He's been playing great tennis."
Roger Federer, crushed by his long-time rival Nadal in the last eight, never doubted that the Spaniard would thrive and move fluently on his return to the ATP circuit.
"He's not going to come back if he's not well," the 31-year-old Swiss said. "He's not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here."
Nadal was euphoric after winning his third Indian Wells title, having dispatched second-ranked Federer and sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych along the way.
"That makes an emotional week for me," the 11-times grand slam singles champion smiled after beating 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro, the seventh seed, in a fluctuating match lasting two hours 29 minutes.
"It's a very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them. Seriously, it's impossible to have better comeback, no?"
Nadal, who had won two ATP titles on the clay of South America last month after reaching three finals in his first three comeback events, was delighted to erase memories of his low points while on the sidelines last year.
"In terms of competition, the worst (moment) was for the Olympics, when I had to take the position to not go to Olympics," said the Spaniard, who had to skip the London Games after his 2012 campaign came to an abrupt end last year following a defeat to Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon.
"In terms of the injury, the last couple of months were the worst because I worked a lot, I tried different treatments. And when you feel that you are doing everything and the results are not being very satisfactory, you go down a little bit, no?
"The doubt of when and where you will be able to be back on a tennis tournament is hard, no? And when you are there and you **** up every morning and test yourself and the test is negative, that's not nice."
All of that is now thankfully in the past for Nadal who will take a month off while he strengthens his left leg on the advice of his doctors.
He will then return to action on the clay of Monte Carlo, followed by Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, as he prepares to win his eighth French Open title in nine years.
"I'm going to go to Monte Carlo with the same expectations than ever, and I'm gonna try my best to arrive there healthy and in good shape, playing well," said Nadal. Ominous words as far as his rivals are concerned.

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova wants Grand Slams, not top spot

Maria Sharapova rose to number two in the rankings after her impressive title run at the BNP Paribas Open but says she is motivated much more by Grand Slam glory than the prospect of regaining the top spot.
"Number one is a great number," the elegant Russian laughed after demolishing eighth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-2 in Sunday's final of the elite WTA event at Indian Wells to land her 28th title on the circuit.
"The more consistent you are and the better results that you have and the more wins that you're able to get, the better chances you have of getting that spot.
"Is it something that all of us want? Absolutely. It's a 'no-brainer' question. But I think at this point in my career, titles and Grand Slams are just a bigger priority."
Four-times Grand Slam Sharapova is well accustomed to the allure of being viewed as the game's best player, having become the fifth youngest woman to reach the top of the world rankings, at the age of 18 in 2005.
For her to regain that top spot, however, she will have to overhaul American Serena Williams who, when fully fit and on her game, is virtually unbeatable in women's tennis.
"Serena was very dominant last year," Sharapova said of Williams, who won Wimbledon, Olympic gold and the US Open as she piled up seven titles in a dazzling 2012 campaign. "She played tremendous, confident tennis.
"She's also very strong and very athletic, so you need to be consistent with her. She's also a great frontrunner. You're down a little bit and she goes with it. She's a confidence player."
When it comes to head-to-heads between Sharapova and Williams, it is virtually no-contest. The Russian has won only twice in their 13 career meetings with her most recent victory dating back nine years to the Tour Championship in Los Angeles.
Sharapova has been beaten in straight sets by Williams in their last six matches.
In the eyes of many, the battle for top spot in the women's game could come down to a seemingly never-ending game of musical chairs between Williams, Sharapova and third-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion.
"Serena is the most dangerous and she is the favourite at this point when she goes into tournaments because she has the most weapons," former world number one Tracy Austin said.
"She's an extraordinary athlete and I think because she has had some time off in her career, for extended periods where she was either injured or just away from the game, she still has the hunger."
Asked whether anyone could get close to Williams when the American was in prime form, Austin replied: "Azarenka gave her a good show at the US Open last year, losing 6-2 2-6 7-5 in the final.
"Then we thought Serena was on her game at the Australian Open in January and she lost to Sloane Stephens (in the quarter-finals). So it's certainly possible."
Austin, who at 16 became the youngest US Open champion in 1979 before claiming a second US crown in 1981, regards Azarenka and Sharapova as the likeliest challengers to Williams for top spot.
"Victoria has really come through," said Austin. "She got mentally tougher, has more belief, got speedier about the court, got better movement and now she has the two Grand Slams.
"She is the most likely challenger right now. And then you have Maria. She is just a great story because she's already won so much and yet the motivation never seems to dissipate.
"She just seems to love the challenge of trying to improve as a tennis player and I just admire her so much for that because she clearly has won enough, she clearly has enough money."
Austin said she had been hugely impressed by the Russian's fighting spirit after having surgery on her right shoulder in October 2008 before dropping out of the top 100 in the rankings by May of the following year.
"After the surgery, I am sure she was concerned whether she was ever going to get that big weapon of a serve back again, as most of us were.
"But she just kept on fighting and working and believing in herself, won the French Open last year and got back to number one for a short time. It's a really spectacular story."

 

[Smallville22]

Del Potro: Murray can be world number one in 2013

Indian Wells runner-up Juan Martin del Potro believes Andy Murray can become world tennis number one this year.
The towering Argentine beat Murray in the quarter-finals last week on the California hard courts and is looking forward to locking horns with him on grass after confirming he will play at the Aegon Championships at London's Queen's Club two weeks before Wimbledon.
"Murray is a big champion, he already won a grand slam, he made the finals in Australia and he has everything he needs to be at the top in the future," Del Potro said in a statement.
"He will be fighting for the world number-one place this year and he can take a big opportunity in the grass season."
This year's Queen's Club field promises to be strong, with Wimbledon runner-up Murray joined by former U.S. Open champion del Potro and Tomas Berdych at the event starting on June 10.
Del Potro, who has taken a while to get used to playing on the low-bouncing grasscourts, was a bronze medallist at the Olympics staged at Wimbledon last year, and believes he could challenge for the Wimbledon title.
"I have a fantastic memory from last year when I won the bronze medal at the Olympics," he said.
"It was a magnificent experience for me. I had never played at an Olympics before so it was a big moment for me and my country. To win on grass at Wimbledon as well made it an even bigger moment.
"I think that if I play my best tennis I have a chance to win a grand slam on grass, but it will be very difficult."

 

[Smallville22]

'Burnt out' Watson to take break from tennis

Heather Watson will take a break from tennis after being dumped out of the opening round in Miami by Ayumi Morita of Japan.
The British number one, who also lost in the first round in Indian Wells last week, went down 1-6 7-5 6-4 to the world number 50.
Watson has not won a match since reaching a career-best ranking of 39 in the world.
"This year I've been going a bit too long so I'm a bit burnt out," she said.
"I've been thinking about it for a while now and I'm definitely going to take a break from tennis."
Watson, 20, had no problems in the first set against an opponent ranked 11 places below her, breaking her twice from seven opportunities.
Her service let her down in the second set, with Morita breaking her three times, the final time at 5-4 up, with Watson also breaking twice.
The decider was a close affair, with Morita converting her third match point to seal a match against 31st seed Yanina Wickmayer in the second round.
"I was looking at the stats and I actually won more points, but that can happen in tennis," Watson added.
"It really hurts, I think I just need to find myself, find my game again.
"I was playing really well, probably the best I've played this year, and I think I lost my concentration a bit, but that was enough for her to gain some confidence and step forward, and it kind of pushed me back and I started to play a lot worse.
"I still tried to fight but it just wasn't good enough, I wasn't aggressive enough."
Despite her rise up the rankings, Watson is yet to beat a player ranked higher than her this season.

WTA Miami results

Round 1

Andrea Petkovic (Germany) beat Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-3 6-1

Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) beat Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 6-2 6-0

Peng Shuai (China) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-3 6-2

Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) beat Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) 6-0 1-0 RET

Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-4 6-1

Irina Begu (Romania) beat Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-1 4-6 6-4

Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) 7-5 6-2

Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Heather Watson (Britain) 1-6 7-5 6-4

Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-4 7-6(15)

Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia) beat Ksenia Pervak (Kazakhstan) 6-2 6-2