Tennis Frontier

Category: ATP Tour

Tennis Frontier News from the ATP Tour.

  • Roger Federer Arrives in Italy for the Rome Masters

    Roger Federer Arrives in Italy for the Rome Masters

    Roger Federer on red clay - 01

    Roger Federer has confirmed his arrival in Italy via Twitter to the delight of his fans.

    The 17-time Major winner had withdrawn from the Madrid Masters to spend time with his family following the birth of twin sons Lenny and Leo.

    His agent Tony Godsick previously said the former world No. 1 would make a last minute decision to play the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Following Federer’s arrival in Italy, this now looks almost certain. His scheduled opening match is a second round clash with Jeremy Chardy.

  • Nadal Takes Madrid Title as Nishikori Retires

    Nadal Takes Madrid Title as Nishikori Retires

    Rafael-Nadal

    In a stunning turn of events at the Mutua Madrid Open, Kei Nishikori went from dominating the defending champion Rafael Nadal, to struggling to serve or even walk, and finally throwing in the towel in the third set. Nadal was rather gifted over the title, 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 Ret.

    Nishikori, who will become the first Japanese man ever in the men’s Top 10 when the rankings come out tomorrow, had a game plan against the world No. 1, and he was executing it for a full set and a half. Nadal, for his part, was helping his opponent’s cause with a rash of uncharacteristic errors. After having won the first set, and up a break in the second, before serving at 4-2 up, Nishikori called for the trainer. He’d been seen by the trainer for his back in the long semifinal yesterday against Ferrer. After that, he clearly struggled on serve and was broken by Nadal to even the set at 4-4. Nadal won the second, but Nishikori was clearly not the player he had been, and in the third set, he could hardly move, and had to concede the match. The win is Nadal’s fourth in Madrid, and third since it has been contested on clay.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Federer Family Welcome New Additions

    Federer Family Welcome New Additions

    Roger Federer

    Roger and Mirka Federer are celebrating the birth of two new additions to the family.

    Twins, Leo and Lenny were born on the evening of the 6th May.

    “Mirka and I are so incredibly happy to share that Leo and Lenny were born this evening! Twins again.. miracle!” came the announcement from the former World No. 1.

    Federer pulled out of the Madrid Masters to spend time with his family.

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    Cover Photo: Kenneth Hong, (Creative Commons License)

  • Nishikori Takes Barcelona

    Nishikori Takes Barcelona

    Kei Nishikori

    Kei Nishikori of Japan has beaten Santiago Giraldo of Colombia to become the first non-Spaniard to win in Barcelona since Gaston Gaudio of Argentina won it in 2002. This was the first final at the Conde de Godó to have no Spaniard in the final since 1996.

    After dropping his first service game of the match Nishikori dominated Giraldo, thereafter, winning 6-2, 6-2, to take his fifth career title, and first ever on clay for the 24-year-old Japanese superstar. Giraldo, 26, was in his second ATP final, though he has yet to take a trophy.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Dimitrov Wins in Bucharest

    Dimitrov Wins in Bucharest

    Grigor Dimitrov

    Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria defeated Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 7-6(2), 6-1 to win the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy. This is Dimitrov’s second title of the year, and third of his career. Rosol was defending the trophy.  The men traded breaks in the first set, which was very competitive and decided in a tiebreak, that was less so.  Rosol won only two points. Dimitrov took over the match from there, running away with the second set. When the rankings come out tomorrow, the Bulgarian will regain his previous career-high mark at No. 14.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Nadal Bombs Out in Barcelona

    Nadal Bombs Out in Barcelona

    Nadal

    After ten straight defeats at the hands of Rafael Nadal, Nicolas Almagro found his game and his nerve to beat the World No. 1 on the clay at the Conde de Godó in Barcelona, while Nadal continues to struggle with his form and confidence. Nadal broke Almagro in the first game of the first set, but was broken straight back. However, Rafa broke twice more to take the first comfortably, 6-2.

    In the second set, Nadal seemed to be finding his form, but failed to convert several break chances. In the tiebreak, it was Almagro who prevailed to take only his third set off Nadal in the history of their head-to-head.

    Rafa started strong in the third, going up 3-1, before Almagro won three consecutive games. Nadal broke back in the eighth game, evening things up at 4-4. It seemed he had regained control of the match, however Almagro immediately broke back at love, going up 5-4. Serving for the match, he quickly went down 15-40, but Nadal failed to convert both break points. The situation got tricky when Nadal saved the first match point, but a determined Almagro won it on his second, closing out the match 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.

    It was the World No. 1’s second clay-court loss in a week, following his defeat to Ferrer in Monte Carlo. It was the first time he has lost in Barcelona since 2003. After losing in the quarterfinals in two consecutive tournaments which he has won eight times each, many questions now surround his ability to defend Roland Garros.

    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

  • Wawrinka Reigns in Monte Carlo

    Wawrinka Reigns in Monte Carlo

    AO ATP Winner - Stan 2

    Backing up his first Major title in Australia in January, Stanislas Wawrinka, of Switzerland, beat his countryman Roger Federer to win his first Masters 1000 title in Monaco today, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.

    As the two men are friends, Davis Cup teammates, and co-winners of the 2008 Olympic gold medal in doubles, the match started a little tentatively, and rather lacking in kill shots. Federer took the first set on the strength of one early break. In the second, Wawrinka drew the first break, but Federer broke back immediately, and so it was decided in a tiebreak, which Stan took hold of with the first mini-break and never relinquished control from there. He carried that aggressive attitude into the third set, going up two breaks immediately, for a 4-0 lead before Federer held serve. Wawrinka served it out at 5-2.

    With the win, Wawrinka retains the No. 3 slot in the world rankings, as well as his claim to the Swiss No. 1 spot.

  • Nadal Ousted in Monte Carlo

    Nadal Ousted in Monte Carlo

    AO ATP Winner - Nadal 1

    David Ferrer did what is one of the tougher tasks in tennis today by handing Rafael Nadal a loss in Monte Carlo. Only yesterday, Nadal marked his 50th win in the principality, as well as his 300th win overall on clay. Nadal lost to Guillermo Coria in 2003 when he was 16 years old, then went on to win the title here a record eight times consecutively, before having his streak snapped last year in the final by Novak Djokovic.

    Today the world No. 1 was uncharacteristically error-prone (27 in the first set, 44 total unforced errors), while his fellow Spaniard was focused and committed to attacking the Nadal backhand. The first set was long and hard-fought, with breaks of serve traded, but Nadal lost the tiebreak at 1, after an 85 minute first set. Ferrer was up by two service breaks in the second set before Rafa got one back, but couldn’t fight off Ferrer on his next attempt to serve out the match, which he did to win 7-6 (1), 6-4.  Ferrer next faces Stan Wawrinka and will be looking to win his second Masters 1000 title.

  • Djokovic Sweeps Past Nadal in Miami

    Djokovic Sweeps Past Nadal in Miami

    Novak Djokovic

    Playing at top form, Novak Djokovic took out Rafael Nadal in the Sony Open final, 6-3, 6-3.  Nadal had a break point in Djokovic’s first service game, but failed to convert, where Djokovic broke the world No. 1 in the sixth game of the first set, and again in the first game of the second. The Spaniard had a point to break back in the second, but Djokovic held on. He won the second set and the championship by breaking Nadal again at 3-5.

    The Serbian has now won the last four Masters Series 1000 titles; additionally, he and Nadal combine to currently hold all nine.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

     

  • Juan Martin Del Potro Sidelined for Rest of Season

    Juan Martin Del Potro Sidelined for Rest of Season

    Juan Martin Del Potro

    Juan Martin Del Potro has been sidelined for the rest of the season, due to surgery on his left wrist, according to a report from Tennis World Magazine.

    The Argentine, who is currently ranked No. 8 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, retired after losing the first set of his opening match in Dubai last month, and hasn’t played since. He withdrew first from the Indian Wells Masters 1000, and most recently cited a wrist injury as the reason for withdrawing from the Miami Masters 1000.

    According to the report, the surgery will require an 8-10 month recovery period, thus precluding him from playing for the rest of 2014.

    In 2010, the former US Open champion had surgery on his right wrist, which took him out of the game for a year. It wasn’t until the end of January, 2012, before he got back into the Top 10.

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    Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis