2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Tipsarevic edges out Dimitrov at Boodles

Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic and Sergiy Stakhovsky all enjoyed wins on the opening day of The Boodles Challenge exhibition event at Stoke Park.
There was little to choose between Tipsarevic and up-and-coming Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the opening match of the day.
Dimitrov took the first set 7-5 in a tie-break and that score was reversed in the second in Tipsarevic's favour.
The Serbian then sealed the win 10-4 in a super tie-breaker decider.
"This is only my second day on the grass. I was a little bit sick after the French Open so I took seven days off. In terms of ball hitting and serving and volleying, I’m feeling quite confident,” Tipsarevic told the crowd afterwards.
Cilic had a much easier time against Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene in the second match as the Croat, fresh from his run to the final at Queen's, enjoyed a 7-5 6-2 win.
In the day's final match Ukrainian Stakhovsky was victorious against Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in straight sets 6-4 7-6 (5).
The event is used by a number of top players as a curtain raiser for Wimbledon and world number Novak Djokovic is the star draw this year.
Among the other names competing this year are Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet and John Isner.

 

[Smallville22]

Quick visit to mum puts Li Na right

Who can a woman turn to when everything falls apart? Her ******, of course - even if, in Li Na's case, it necessitated a 12-hour flight from Paris to China after her early exit from the French Open.
Wimbledon might not be her most successful tournament but Li says she is feeling "totally relaxed" ahead of next week's grasscourt Grand Slam, thanks to the flying visit home.
"I had one week off, I was feeling in need of having time to myself to relax. I couldn't stress all the time, so I went back to China to see my mum and to see friends," the world number six told Reuters.
"I really inside myself was feeling I had to go back," added Li, who would not normally return to Wuhan until after Wimbledon. "I really wanted to go back to see my mum.
"When I unlocked the door my mum was like: 'What are you doing here?' So I said: 'Mum, I just wanted to see you, say hi, have dinner, blah blah..."
Li left Paris berating herself for losing in the second round to American Bethanie Mattek-Sands at a tournament where she became Asia's first Grand Slam champion in 2011.
The defeat included a seven-game losing streak, and Li departed Roland Garros vowing to "talk to myself and my team to see what happened".
So what did happen? The 31-year-old shrugged as she stood in Eastbourne's sunshine.
"I was giving her the chance to play well," she said, clearly having moved on from the Paris heartbreak.
Lying in bed until 1030 in the morning, enjoying home cooking and spending time with friends in coffee shops allowed her to recharge, and Li was all smiles in Eastbourne, where she was seeded second.
Tennis was not even a subject of discussion with her ******, she said. "She doesn't like to watch my matches because she says it make her nervous. I think she watches but she will never tell me.
"She was pretty happy (to see me), it doesn't matter to her if I am doing well or doing badly."
Twice an Australian Open finalist, Li has never done better than the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, in 2006 and 2010, and lost in the second round last year.
"Grass is a good challenge," she said. "And when the tournament starts, everyone is the same. I will really try as much as I can."
"Big ****** Na", as she is known at home, has long cut a lonely figure in Chinese tennis, with only Peng Shuai, ranked 24th, and Zheng Jie, 47th, also in the world's top 110 women players.
Things might, however, soon change, she said.
"I see a lot of very good junior players (at home)," she said. "But they still have lower rankings, they can't play higher level tournaments. You still have to give them time to let them grow up.
"I always believe that in future there will be great players from China."

 

[Smallville22]

Second seed Murray could face Nadal in last eight

Andy Murray has been seeded second for Wimbledon, meaning French Open champion Rafael Nadal may await in the quarter-finals.
Rafa Nadal could face world number one Novak Djokovic, defending champion Roger Federer or home favourite Murray as early as the Wimbledon quarter-finals after being announced as fifth seed for the tournament on Wednesday.
Djokovic was named number one, with Murray second and Federer third in seedings that followed the world rankings.
Spaniard Nadal, twice a winner at the All England Club and a 12-times Grand Slam champion, is working his way back up after a seven-month layoff due to a knee injury.
The Wimbledon seeding reflects Nadal's current ranking, with the Mallorcan behind fourth-ranked compatriot David Ferrer whom he beat to win an eighth French Open title this month.
John McEnroe, the retired three-times Wimbledon champion, said on Tuesday that it would be 'totally wrong' for Nadal to be seeded outside the top four for the tournament starting on Monday.
Wimbledon organisers can bump players up the seedings, higher than their rankings, to reflect their pedigree on grass.
However Ferrer reached the quarter-finals last year while Nadal lost in the second round.
"I know there will be a lot of interest in the draw this year as Rafael Nadal looks like being seeded fifth but as a player you can't get too obsessed about the draw," Murray had said in a column for the BBC website on Monday.
"I'd sign up to be in the quarter-finals against Rafa tomorrow if someone offered me that."
Serena Williams is the top seed in the women's draw, with Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova second and third in accordance with the rankings.
The draw takes place on Friday.
On the WTA side, Serena Williams is top seed as defending champion ahead of Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska.

Men's top 20 seeds

1 DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB)

2 MURRAY, Andy (GBR)

3 FEDERER, Roger (SUI)

4 FERRER, David (ESP)

5 NADAL, Rafael (ESP)

6 TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried (FRA)

7 BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE)

8 DEL POTRO, Juan Martin (ARG)

9 GASQUET, Richard (FRA)

10 CILIC, Marin (CRO)

11 WAWRINKA, Stanislas (SUI)

12 NISHIKORI, Kei (JPN)

13 HAAS, Tommy (GER)

14 TIPSAREVIC, Janko (SRB)

15 ALMAGRO, Nicolas (ESP)

16 KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp (GER)

17 RAONIC, Milos (CAN)

18 ISNER, John (USA)

19 SIMON, Gilles (FRA)

20 YOUZHNY, Mikhail (RUS)

Women's top 20 seeds

1 WILLIAMS, Serena (USA)

2 AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR)

3 SHARAPOVA, Maria (RUS)

4 RADWANSKA, Agnieszka (POL)

5 ERRANI, Sara (ITA)

6 LI, Na (CHN)

7 KERBER, Angelique (GER)

8 KVITOVA, Petra (CZE)

9 WOZNIACKI, Caroline (DEN)

10 KIRILENKO, Maria (RUS)

11 VINCI, Roberta (ITA)

12 IVANOVIC, Ana (SRB)

13 PETROVA, Nadia (RUS)

14 STOSUR, Samantha (AUS)

15 BARTOLI, Marion (FRA)

16 JANKOVIC, Jelena (SRB)

17 STEPHENS, Sloane (USA)

18 CIBULKOVA, Dominika (SVK)

19 SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla (ESP)

20 FLIPKENS, Kirsten (BEL)

 

[rivasky]

My darling Elena Vesnina reaches the semis at Eastbourne by adding another Top Ten scalp to her collection. :nanner: :kiss:


The cuteness award of the week goes once again to Hev Watson :drawheart:

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[Smallville22]

Top-seeded Raonic beaten at Eastbourne

Canadian top seed Milos Raonic has suffered a surprise second-round defeat to Ivan Dodig at Eastbourne.
World number 54 Dodig won comfortably in straight sets 6-2 7-6 (9-7) after a sloppy performance from the Canadian.
Raonic lost his first two service games allowing Dodig into a 5-2 advantage. Raonic had an opportunity to break back as Dodig served for the set but failed to convert.
The second set went with serve and Dodig held his nerve to prevail in the tie-break to wrap up the victory in 83 minutes.
“I couldn't have started in a worse way,” said Raonic, “I think I missed four backhands to start off the match.
"I had my chance in the tie-break. But I don't think I should let situations where I get two double faults from my opponent pass by and not win a tie-break. I can't play much worse, so it's only going to get better.”
Elsewhere, British youngster Kyle Edmund put in a great performance against second seed Gilles Simon but lost 7-6(5) 7-6(3) in a tight contest. The South African born teenager will now move on to make his Wimbledon debut where he has been handed a wild card.
Fourth seed Juan Monaco crashed out as he was defeated 6-4 6-4 by Feliciano Lopez of Spain but eight seed Fabio Fognini escaped against Martin Klizan 6-7(6) 6-2 6-2, while unpredictable but talented Australian Bernard Tomic beat Julien Benneteau 6-2 5-7 7-6(4). Seventh seed Andreas Seppi of Italy also enjoyed a victory over Ryan Harrison 3-6 7-5 6-3
In 's-Hertogenbosch, fifth seed Jeremy Chardy moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Romania's Marius Copil. The Frenchman is one of only two seeds - the other being second seed Stanislas Wawrinka - still left in the competition. Wawrinka also kept his hopes alive with a 6-3 7-6(8) win over Paolo Lorenzi.

ATP Eastbourne second round results

2-Gilles Simon (France) beat Kyle Edmund (Britain) 7-6(5) 7-6(3)

7-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Ryan Harrison (U.S.) 3-6 7-5 6-3

Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat 3-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 7-5 6-3

Bernard Tomic (Australia) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-2 5-7 7-6(4)

8-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 6-7(6) 6-2 6-2

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat 4-Juan Monaco (Argentina) 6-4 6-4

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat 1-Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-2 7-6(7)

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Albert Ramos (Spain) 6-4 6-0

ATP 's-Hertogenbosch second round results

Roberto Bautista (Spain) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-2 6-3

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) beat Daniel Brands (Germany) 7-6(7) 6-2

Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-7(5) 6-4 7-5

Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-4 7-5

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 6-2 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Forgotten man Bastl revelling in 'new career'

Scraping around the fringes of professional tennis, at tournaments in unglamorous locations, without umpires and ball boys and against players not old enough to remember his golden moment, George Bastl is determined for one last hurrah.
At 38, the tennis journeyman who beat seven-times Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in the second round in 2002 - still one of the greatest shocks of all time in grand slams - is not yet ready to bow out.
When Wimbledon starts next week, the American-born Swiss will be taking the latest steps on a comeback trail - far from the All England Club's manicured lush green lawns, ********* and strawberries and cream - that he hopes will lead him back to a tournament that made him famous for 15 minutes.
Due to a persistent knee injury that has robbed him of full fitness for the last three years, Bastl has fallen so far off the tennis radar that he now finds himself in the game's backwaters, where the costs of travel outweigh the prize money on offer.
The barren years have not dampened his spirit.
"Age is not an issue for me," a now healthy Bastl, without a ranking since 2011, told Reuters in an interview.
"Everyone has his own career path. I started later stage in my life. I turned pro at 24 after I did my studies in the U.S.
"It's important to be in good physical shape and have the passion for the game. It's very much there and stronger than before. I don't look at what careers other players had."
Bastl's "new career", as he puts it, is proving an eye-opener for a player who reached a career-high ranking of 71 in 2000.
"The tough times and injury made me also think differently about the game so I feel like a 16-year-old starting again," he said.
In seven Futures events, the third and lowest tier of professional tennis, this year in Turkey, Bastl has yet to win a singles match in the main draw.
"I was not expecting anything easy," he candidly admitted. "The competition is very eager and hungry."
For his efforts, including doubles matches, he has accrued the princely sum of $1057, small change for a player with career earnings of $1.2 million.
"It's a great challenge and an opportunity to still be able to play," he said. "Of course, I have to start from the very bottom but that doesn't scare me at all. It's the only way I can come back.
"My aim is to be able to play for one or two years and get back to my best ranking and I still feel I can make some results on the circuit."
Professional sport, be it tennis, boxing, or soccer, is littered with tales of ignominious and ill-fated comebacks by athletes long past their best.
After 10 years away from tennis, Bjorn Borg, one of the all-time greats, returned in 1991 using a wooden racket and failed to win a single match.
While their stories and talents differ, Bastl is aware that the odds are stacked against him.
"The bigger the challenge the bigger the satisfaction and personal reward. I'm aware of that and if it was something I didn't want to go through I wouldn't consider it," he said.
"It doesn't matter who is across the other side of the net, you have to find a way to win and this challenge and competitiveness that drives me is what I want to pursue."
For Bastl, his epic five-set win over the great Sampras came "in another life".
Only in the main Wimbledon draw as a lucky loser, few gave Bastl a sniff against Sampras on the now defunct Court Two, once the notorious graveyard of seeds.
Bastl won the first two sets 6-3 6-2 before Sampras fought back to ***** a decider, only for the Swiss to refocus and pull off a sensational victory.
"You have to be a tennis historian or someone who follows tennis closely to come up with that match - for me it was a long time ago," he said.
"I won one match - I didn't win the tournament."
Bastl bowed out tamely to Argentine David Nalbandian in the next round and three years later became Andy Murray's first grand slam main draw victim. The Briton, then 18, won in straight sets in the first round at Wimbledon.
That was to be Bastl's last appearance in the main draw of the grasscourt slam but he has not given up hope of returning.
"I always enjoyed coming to London during the months of June and July. Grass is my favourite surface. I'll do everything so I can participate next year..."
As for Murray, who won his first grand slam at the U.S. Open last year, Bastl believes Britain's long wait for a Wimbledon men's singles champion from these shores will soon be over.
"He's getting closer every year," he said. "I'm quite positive his time will come, definitely."

 

[Smallville22]

Russia's Kuznetsova pulls out of Wimbledon

Twice Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova pulled out of Wimbledon on Wednesday with an abdominal strain.
Officials said Czech Klara Zakopalova had been installed as 32nd seed following the Russian's withdrawal with the original seeds between 32 and 27 being moved up one place.
Kuznetsova, who was seeded 26th for the grasscourt Mwajor which begins on Monday, was the only player to take a set off eventual champion Serena Williams at this month's French Open.
The 27-year-old, who has never been past the quarter-finals in 10 previous visits to Wimbledon, was a first-round loser a year ago.

 

[Smallville22]

Robson, Baltacha and Watson all lose at Eastbourne

Laura Robson dropped out of the WTA Eastbourne event as she lost to fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-4 in the second round.
Robson showed patches of quality in the match against the former world number one but ultimately produced too many unforced errors to sustain her upset bid.
Wozniacki sealed the victory with a break of serve, but Robson will be cursing herself as she fired two double faults in that final game.
"I love it here. The crowd is always amazing. I love playing on grass and Eastbourne is such a home tournament," Wozniacki told the BBC.
"I think I've been here 10 years in a row. I love it here and I want to come back every year. Laura was serving very well today. She was putting the pressure on me when I was serving too."
It was the second big win for Wozniacki over Robson this month as she also beat the British number one at the French Open and she seemed to be boosted by having her famous boyfriend – golf star Rory McIlroy – watching her from the stands.
Maria Kirilenko ended Elena Baltacha's good run of victories with a three-set win.
Baltacha had won a challenger in Nottingham last week and her first round match at Eastbourne but was defeated by the sixth seeded Russian in a tight contest 4-6 6-4 6-3.
Baltacha, working her way back from a foot injury, will be pleased that she pushed the world number 10 all the way in the hot conditions in East Sussex ahead of Wimbledon next week where she has been awarded a wild card.
She even broke Kirilenko in the first game of the second set but the Russian struck right back before claiming the win.
"If I said to you maybe eight weeks ago that I was going to win Nottingham and come here and lose to Kirilenko, I wouldn't have grumbled. It's a great platform for me to move forward," Baltacha told the BBC.
"She had everything to lose and I knew I had everything to gain. I gave everything I could. I tried hard not to get pushed around, I gave it absolutely everything."
To cap a bad day for British players, Heather Watson was then beaten by Elena Vesnina as she ran out of steam losing 6-1 3-6 6-2 to the unseeded Russian.
Kirlenko will next face Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium who upset former Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Petra Kvitova 3-6 6-4 7-5.
Second seed Li Na also moved into the quarter-finals of the event although the Chinese star didn't even have to play as her opponent Marion Bartoli withdrew with illness. She will next face Vesnina.
In-form American Jamie Hampton is also in the last eight as she followed on her surprised win over top seed Agnieszka Radwanska with a 6-4 7-6(2) win over Hsieh Su-Wei. She will next face Lucie Safarova who beat former US Open champions Samantha Stosur 7-6(5) 6-3.

WTA Eastbourne second round results

Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) beat 3-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-3 6-4

Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat Heather Watson (Britain) 6-1 3-6 6-2

5-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Laura Robson (Britain) 6-4 6-4

Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat 4-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 3-6 6-4 7-5

6-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Elena Baltacha (Britain) 4-6 6-4 6-3

Jamie Hampton (U.S.) beat Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-4 7-6(2)

Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 7-6(5) 6-3

2-Li Na (China) beat Marion Bartoli (France)WO

WTA 's-Hertogenbosch second round results

Simona Halep (Romania) beat 1-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-0 6-1

2-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 2-6 6-4 6-3

4-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 7-6(6) 7-6(3)

Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-2 6-0

Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) beat Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 6-1 7-6(4)

 

[Smallville22]

Berdych finds form on grass at Boodles

World number six Tomas Berdych beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 4-6 6-2 7-6(8) in a tight match on day two at The Boodles exhibition.
The match was eventually decided in a champion’s tie-break after the Czech player roared back from a set down against the Ukrainian.
Berdych, who has been seeded seventh for Wimbledon, grabbed an early break of serve in the opening set, only for Dolgopolov to complete a stunning comeback, serving it out with two big aces.
In glorious weather at Stoke Park, Berdych put the world number 26 under a great deal of pressure in the second set, breaking twice to lose just two games in levelling up the match.
A champion’s tie-break was required to separate the two players and, despite levelling at 8-8 after having lost the opening six points, Dolgopolov could not repel Berdych when it really counted.

 

[Smallville22]

Brit duo fall in Wimbledon qualifying

The last two remaining British women in Wimbledon qualifying fell to second-round defeats at the Bank of England Sports Centre.
Naomi Broady lost 7-6(6) 7-6(3) in a tight encounter to Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia while Jade Windley dropped to a 6-4 6-1 loss to Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan.
Broady, 23, was pitted against a player who gave Maria Sharapova a scare at Roland Garros two years ago and is currently ranked just inside the top 100 in the women's game.
But the Stockport player gave a decent account of herself and even had two set points in the first tie-break.
Garcia though, seeded third in Roehampton, held her nerve to win the next four points and claim the opening set.
Broady also took the second stanza all the way, although this time it was slightly more comfortable for Garcia as she kept alive her hopes of claiming a coveted place at the All England Club.
"Two tie-breaks is always tight," said Garcia, who has also beaten Francesca Schiavone this season. "Naomi has a very big serve so it's always difficult, you have to be focused and take every opportunity. You have one (chance) in the game, you have to take it and that's the most difficult."
Meanhile, Windley, ranked 373rd in the world, proved no match for Karatantcheva, the 18th seed in qualifying.
Sofia-born Karatantcheva, a relative veteran of two previous Wimbledon championships, was pushed in the first set by 23-year-old Windley, but she eased through the second to book a date in the third round - the last 24 of the competition.
The Wimbledon championships start on Monday June 24.

 

[rivasky]

:iloveyou: :bowdown:

Elena conquers Eastbourne, easily beating Jamie Hampton in the final. If I've calculated correctly, she'll be back at her career high ranking of #22 next week.

Fucking lucky trophy! I'd gladly **** my firstborn for a kiss from Elena. :cussing:

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[Smallville22]

Serena Williams apologises for **** case remark

Serena Williams has apologised for comments she made in a forthcoming interview in which she appeared to assign blame to the 16-year-old victim in a **** case for being *****.
The comments were reported in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and stirred up US media attention on Wednesday.
"What happened in Steubenville (Ohio) was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened," the women's world number one said in a statement on her website.
"For someone to be *****, and at only 16, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved - that of the **** victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl's ****** to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article.
"What was written - what I supposedly said - is insensitive and hurtful. I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.
"I have fought all of my career for women's equality, women's equal rights, respect in their fields - anything I could do to support women I have done.
"My prayers and support always goes out to the **** victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent 16-year-old *****."
The victim accused two Ohio high school American football players of ****** her while she was ***** at a party and testified that she remembered little of what happened in the early hours of August 12, 2012, when she says she was assaulted.

 

[Smallville22]

Murray out to crash Big Three's Wimbledon party

There will be an unfamiliar whiff of British success in the air at Wimbledon this year when Andy Murray, and thousands of patriotic fans, will try to stop the party-pooping antics of champions Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal.
Tennis's so called 'Big Three' have lorded over Wimbledon ever since Federer won the first of his record-equalling seven titles in 2003, slamming the door shut on any pretender who threatened to gatecrash their invitation-only, VIP party.
Eleven months ago, however, Murray demonstrated that peering in from the outside year after year was no longer an option as he smashed the gilded cage the trio had built around themselves by winning an Olympic gold on the hallowed turf.
Murray's euphoric triumph at the All England Club, albeit at the London Games, offered a glimmer of hope that an end might finally be in sight for Britain's interminable wait for a home-grown men's champion at Wimbledon.
That hope intensified tenfold when Murray hoisted the US Open trophy weeks later with a heart-pumping, nerve-jangling, five-set win over Serbian Djokovic at Flushing Meadows.
That win means that for the first time in 77 years a reigning British male Grand-Slam champion will amble in to the manicured grounds in southwest London when the club throws open its immaculately-painted gates for the start of the 2013 championships on Monday.
The last time such an event occurred was when Fred Perry showed up in 1936 to complete his hat-trick of Wimbledon wins before turning professional.
Since Perry captured the last of his eight Grand-Slam titles at the 1936 US Championships, 286 Majors had come and gone without a British men's champion in sight.
Winners emerged from Egypt to Ecuador, from Romania to Mexico, from Croatia to South Africa, from Hungary to Argentina; 22 different nations ruled over all and sundry.
The country that hosts the most famous tennis tournament in the world, however, had effectively become a laughing stock for failing to produce a male champion for more than three-quarters of a century.
"What is it? Like, 150,000 years?," Swiss Federer quipped on the eve of beating Murray at the 2010 Melbourne Park final.
Murray finally laid those jokes to rest last September and while he is now a bona fide member of what has turned into the 'Big Four' of tennis, experts sounded a word of caution to those expecting a glorious British finale.
"Every year that he doesn't win it, there is more and more pressure on Andy Murray, so it depends on his nerves," former Wimbledon champion Chris Evert said during an ESPN conference call.
The famous four have now won 32 of the last 33 Grand Slams - it would have been all 33 if Federer had not blown a two-sets-to-one lead against Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 US Open final - and so far no-one has come close to ending that reign.
Evert's fellow American John McEnroe said that only the very brave would rule out the chances of world number one Djokovic, 17-times Grand Slam champion Federer and 2008 and 2010 winner Nadal.
At 31, Federer's silky grasscourt craft can still leave younger rivals huffing and puffing, as the luckless Mischa Zverev discovered during a 6-0 6-0 demolition in Halle last week.
Iron-man Djokovic, winner in 2011, relishes the challenge of leaving his opponents gasping while Nadal will be eager to show that last year's astonishing second-round humbling was just a blip in his glittering career.
"The three of them have been unbelievably dominant. They've been incredibly successful. If anything, it should be an incentive to the other guys to break in to the mix. If these guys are too good then more power to them," McEnroe said.
"I would pick Djokovic (as number) one (for the title) and Murray two because he will be a little hungrier having not played the French (Open, through injury).
"Then Roger, because he's still got such a great game for grass but it's so tough to win it back-to-back, especially at his age. Then Rafa as he can't impose his will as easily as he can on claycourts, so I would put him a close fourth."
McEnroe describes eight-times Roland Garros victor Nadal as the "ultimate nightmare on clay" but his presence at Wimbledon could also provide some sleepless nights for his main rivals.
The quartet have long become accustomed to meeting in the last four or in the final of tournaments but with Nadal seeded fifth this year, behind fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, a blockbuster clash could be in the offing as early as the quarter-finals.
Apart from the front runners, players such as Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Del Potro and Ferrer all possess the talent and the weapons that could have made them multiple Grand-Slam winners in any other era. In 2013, they have to be satisfied with being bit-part players in what McEnroe called "a golden era which we should enjoy for as long as we can".

 

[Smallville22]

Williams has mental edge over rest at Wimbledon

Serena Williams heads to Wimbledon to defend her title with seeds of doubt and defeatism already sown in the minds of her opponents.
The psychological scars of playing the younger Williams ****** run deep in the women's game and, now that the American has dusted off the red clay from her shoes, predictions of an upset on southwest London's luscious lawns are few and far between.
Having bludgeoned her way to a 16th Grand Slam and second title at Roland Garros, Williams can now tighten her grip still further on the sport she has come to dominate by claiming a fourth major in five attempts.
It is little wonder then that Williams's rivals for the Wimbledon title can realistically be counted on one hand.
Her opponent in the final at Roland Garros, Maria Sharapova, and Belarussian world number two Victoria Azarenka are the leading candidates to throw a spanner in the works.
Confidence, however, is hardly overflowing.
Sharapova was circumspect to say the least on entering the French Open final having lost 12 consecutive matches to Williams.
"I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me, obviously," the Russian said of a losing record stretching back to 2004.
Defeat in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January is the only smudge on a near-perfect year in which Williams has returned to the pinnacle of the rankings and re-conquered Paris, where the title had eluded her since 2002.
Back then she went on to complete the "Serena Slam", winning all four Majors consecutively and few would bet against her repeating the trick.
She is on a 31-match winning streak with a 75-4 win-loss record in the past 12 months and has the added comfort of knowing that her game is ideally suited to the All England Club where her huge serve and heavy hits skid through with a little extra fizz.
Petra Kvitova, 2011 Wimbledon champion, is not the first to suggest that Serena's biggest opponent is frequently herself.
"I think that the players have to play 100 percent and to play really, really well. Serena sometimes doesn't have a great day but she's still able to beat the other players," she told Reuters.
World number five Sara Errani, who was on the receiving end of one of Williams's most emphatic maulings in the semi-finals in Paris, losing 6-0 6-1, neatly summed up the sense of foreboding.
"You have to have one of your best days and try to think she can have one bad day," she said.
At 31, Williams is already the oldest woman to win a major since Martina Navratilova claimed a ninth Wimbledon singles title in 1990.
She needs two more to draw level with both Navratilova and Chris Evert who sit above her with 18 major titles on the all-time women's list headed by Margaret Court with 24.
While the ultra-competitive men's game holds few parallels with the Williams-dominated women's, the American needs one more Grand Slam to draw level with Roger Federer, often hailed as the greatest player to pick up a racket.
"She's playing the best tennis of her career, mentally she's in the best place I've ever seen her," three-times men's champion John McEnroe said during a conference call organised by ESPN.
"She is the best player that ever lived. She's a level above anyone - there's no doubt about it.
"Serena is one of the greatest athletes in the history of our sport, male or female. She has such an intimidation factor it will be difficult for anyone to beat her."
Older ****** Venus, who won the last of her five Wimbledon titles in 2008, has pulled out this year with a back injury, and among the rest the title credentials are flimsy.
Sharapova has reached only one Wimbledon final since winning it as 17-year-old in 2004 while Azarenka has fallen at the semi-final stage in the last two years and has enjoyed grand-slam success only in Australia.
Last year's surprise finalist Agnieszka Radwanska is playing down her hopes of going one better.
"There's always a bit of pressure when you are defending a final (appearance) but I'm just trying not to really think about it, just enjoying playing on grass, enjoying Wimbledon - it's my favourite Grand Slam."

 

[Smallville22]

Hewitt summoned to appear in court on sexual ***** charges

Former Wimbledon doubles champion Bob Hewitt has been served a summons to appear in a South African court following allegations he sexually ****** young girls.
The 73-year-old Australian, who won five men’s doubles titles at SW19 with Fred Stolle and Frew McMillan, has been ordered to appear at Boksburg Magistrate's Court near Johannesburg on August 16.
South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority would not say what the charges are against Hewitt but he has been at the centre of a long investigation into accusations he ****** and ***** girls as far back as the 1970s and through to the 1990s.
Hewitt, a winner of 15 Grand slam doubles titles, was indefinitely suspended from the International Tennis Hall of Fame last year because of the allegations.

 

[Smallville22]

Wozniacki survives at Eastbourne but Li Na out

Caroline Wozniacki came from a set down to beat Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but Li Na is out.
The fifth seed Wozniacki dropped the first set against the Russian 6-4 but won the next 6-0 despite having a long rules debate with the umpire and a line judge after being charged with a foot fault.
She took the final set 6-3 to set up a semi-final meeting with American surprise package Jamie Hampton.
Hampton, who had to qualify for the event, continued her superb run in East Sussex with a 3-6 7-6(1) 6-4 victory over Lucie Safarova.
Second seed Li Na suffered a surprise defeat though as she lost 7-6(4) 6-3 to Heather Watson's conqueror Elena Vesnina.
Vesnina will play Yanina Wickmayer in the last four after the Belgian upset sixth seed Maria Kirilenko 6-2 1-6 7-5.

WTA Eastbourne quarter-final results

Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat 6-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-2 1-6 7-5

5-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 4-6 6-0 6-3

Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat 2-Li Na (China) 7-6(4) 6-3

Jamie Hampton (U.S.) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 3-6 7-6(1) 6-4

WTA 's-Hertogenbosch quarter-final results

4-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat 7-Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-4 6-4

Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat 2-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 6-4 6-4

Simona Halep (Romania) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-3 6-1

3-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 2-6 6-4 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Murray and Djokovic win exhibition matches

Andy Murray continued his fine form on grass with a straight-sets victory over Kei Nishikori whilst Novak Djokovic won through against Grigor Dimitrov.
Olympic and US Open champion Murray, who claimed his third Aegon Championships trophy at the Queen’s Club on Sunday, defeated Japan’s Nishikori 6-2 7-6(5) in their exhibition match at the BNP Paribas Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club.
The Scot broke his opponent early on, racing into a 3-1 lead, and, despite losing his serve, went on to wrap up the first set comfortably.
World number 11 Nishikori battled throughout the duration of the second set – opening up a 3-0 advantage – but was unable to keep Murray at bay as the world number two took the set to a tie-break, clinching it 7-5.
World number one Novak Djokovic also enjoyed a victory, beating Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov at The Boodles event at Stoke Park.
The up-and-coming Dimitrov took it to the Serb from the off and clinched the first set 7-5, but Djokovic was able to fight back, winning 6-3 10-6.
"Everything is going according to plan and hopefully I can get in the best possible shape for the start of Wimbledon,” said Djokovic.
“I know what I need to do in order to adjust from the slowest to the fastest service in a very short period of time.
"There's no bigger motivation than playing in the most prestigious tournament in the world in our sport, the one that I always dreamed of winning. I won it two years ago and it's definitely been the highlight of my career. I love playing at Wimbledon.
"Grass is the most special surface we have in the sport; the oldest also. We play on it only a few weeks a year so we better use it wisely. I like playing on it and it makes me aggressive on the court. Hopefully I can raise the level of my game as the tournament goes on."

 

[Smallville22]

Simon beats Tomic to reach Eastbourne semis

Gilles Simon is on course to reach his first ever grass court final after beating Bernard Tomic at Eastbourne.
The Frenchman moved into the semi-finals with a 7-6 (8) 6-3 victory over the Australian.
Simon, seeded second at the event, had looked in danger of blowing the first set in the tie break as he let a 5-1 lead slip before finally taking it 10-8.
He was 4-1 up in the second set when the players had to leave the court after a shower, but he return to complete his victory.
He will next face Italy's Andreas Seppi in the semi-final. The seventh seed booked his last four place with a 6-4 6-2 win over Radek Stepanek.
The other semi-final will be an unseeded affair between Ivan Dodig and Feliciano Lopez.
In 's-Hertogenbosch, second seed Stanislas Wawrinka is the only seed left in the competition after he enjoyed a 6-4 7-6(2) win over fifth seed Jeremy Chardy

ATP Eastbourne quarter-finals

2-Gilles Simon (France) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 7-6(8) 6-3

7-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat 8-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-3 6-2

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-4 7-6(6)

ATP 's-Hertogenbosch quarter-finals

Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 6-4 6-4

Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-3 7-6(1)

2-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 5-Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-4 7-6(2)

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Murray to meet Becker while Nadal could face Federer in quarters

Home favourite Andy Murray will play Benjamin Becker in the opening round of Wimbledon and is in the same half of the draw as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who could meet in the quarter-finals.
The Scot will meet the German world number 95 at SW19 after beating him 6-4 7-6 in the quarter-finals of the Aegon Championship last week and faces a potential last eight clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man he beat in the semi-finals at Queen’s.
Spaniard Nadal, twice a winner at the All England Club and a 12-time Grand Slam champion, opens up against Steve Darcis but defending champion Federer awaits in a potentially mouthwatering last eight encounter.
Federer and Nadal played three finals in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The Wimbledon seeding reflects Nadal's current world ranking of fifth with the Mallorcan behind fourth-ranked David Ferrer after a seven-month layoff due to a knee injury despite beating his compatriot to win an eighth French Open title this month.
Federer will begin his quest for an eighth title against Victor Hanescu with Murray a potential semi-final opponent for either the Swiss star or Nadal.
Tradition dictates that defending champion Federer will open play on Centre Court on Monday, meaning both Murray and Nadal will also be in action on day one.
In the other half of the draw, world number one Novak Djokovic meets German Florian Mayer and has the softer side of the draw with 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych a potential quarter-final opponent.
Ferrer, who opens against Martin Alund, could meet 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the last eight.
British wild cards Kyle Edmund and James Ward face Polish 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz and Yen Hsun Lu respectively.
British number two Ward would play Murray in the last 64 if both men progress. Tommy Robredo and Janko Tipsarevic would be Murray's next two opponents if the seedings pan out.

 

[Smallville22]

Serena handed Minella test in opener

Serena Williams will face Mandy Minella in the opening round of Wimbledon.
The American top seed will begin her quest for a sixth title against the world number 92 from Luxembourg.
Zheng Jie, who nearly knocked her out in the third round last year, is a potential second round opponent while 2011 semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki is a possible tricky foe in the last 16.
She is in the same half as Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber with 2011 champion Petra Kvitova joining Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, seeded second and third in accordance with the rankings, in the other half.
Double Australian Open champion Azarenka is a possible last eight opponent for the Czech while French Open finalist Sara Errani could stand in the way of Sharapova in the quarters as she bids for a another title at the All England Club.
Sharapova opens up against Kristina Mladenovic while Kvitova faces Coco Vandeweghe and Azarenka meets Maria Joao Koehler.
The 10th seed Maria Kirilenko opens against British number one Laura Robson while Heather Watson faces Madison Keys and former world number one Jelena Jankovic meets Johanna Konta.
Of the other Brits, Tara Moore meets Kaia Kanepi, Samantha Murray faces Camila Giorgi, Garbine Muguruza clashes with Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha goes up against Flavia Panetta.