Tennis Frontier News from the ATP Tour.
Yahoo Sports is reporting that Rafael Nadal has signed up to play Roger Federer’s hometown tournament, The Basel Open.
It will be the first time in nine years that the Spaniard has played the event, where Juan Martin del Potro is the defending champion.
Read more on Yahoo Sports: “Nadal to play at Federer’s hometown Swiss Indoors”
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Rafael Nadal was crowned the Barcelona Open champion, for the eighth time in nine years as he beat fellow spaniard Nicolas Almagro in straight sets 6-4 6-3.
In heavy conditions and constant drizzle, Almagro started quickly, breaking Nadal early in the first set twice and racing out to a 0-3 lead. This prompted the Mallorcan to up his own game and he fought back, breaking Almagro in 3 of his next 4 service games to take command of the match. He served out the first set and broke early in the second.
Almagro had never beaten Nadal in 9 previous matches and the final followed the same pattern. Nadal closed out the second set to improve his record in the tournament to 40-1.
Nadal has made all six finals of the tournaments he has participated in since returning from a lengthy layoff, winning four of them. The next stop is Madrid.
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Lukas Rosol, who shot to instant fame by defeating Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon last year, has won his first ATP tour title with a straight sets (6-3 6-2) victory over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Bucharest, Hungary.
In the nine months since defeating Nadal, Rosol has now won an ATP tour title, broken into the Top 40 and been a key Davis Cup player.
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It’s been reported that Ivo Karlovic has been admitted to a hospital suffering from viral meningitis. Initially, the illness was reported to have been a mild stroke, but the Karlovic family have since made an announcement to state the true illness.
The 34 year old Croat, notable on the Tour for his huge serve is currently recuperating at a medical facility in Miami, Florida.
We wish him a speedy recovery.
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Rafael Nadal moved into the final of the Barcelona Open after a comfortable straight sets win including a second set bagel over the promising Canadian Milos Raonic.
“I think it was my best match of the whole week,” stated Nadal after wrapping up the clash 6-4 6-0.
Almagro defeated Phillip Kohlschreiber in only 51 minutes to book his slot in the final, but has never beaten Nadal in nine attempts.
The Mallorcan is bidding to win the Barcelona title for the eighth time in nine years after his streak at Monte Carlo was ended by Novak Djokovic. He will be a very heavy favourite to secure the silverware.
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Watched by the royalty of Monaco, Novak Djokovic ended Rafael Nadal’s amazing 8 year winning streak at Monte Carlo with a dominant display.
Nadal suffered his first loss since a 2003 defeat at the hands of Gaston Gaudio. 10 years and 46 matches later, he fell to World #1 Djokovic in straight sets 6-2 7-6 in just under two hours.
“It’s such a great pleasure to win here, it’s very special,” said Djokovic, a native of Serbia but primarily based in the principality.
Djokovic, 25, wasted no time in setting out his intentions – racing out to take the first set 6-2 in 46 minutes.
The second set was a more competitive affair, with Nadal breaking the Djokovic serve and giving himself a chance to level up the match at 5-4. However, Djokovic broke straight back, forcing a tie-break, which he won at a canter – 7-1.
Nadal moves onto Barcelona next, with the next opportunity of a clash between the two titans coming at Madrid.
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Novak Djokovic booked his place in the Monte Carlo Masters final comfortabley overcoming an overmatched Fabio Fognini in straight sets 6-2 6-1 .
Fognini was subject to medical treatment as the Serb raced through a first set dominating every aspect of the match.
This was followed by a straightforward second set where the Serbian Slayer proved far too hot to handle and Fognini capitualated, drawing a close to the match in less than an hour.
Standing in Djokovic’s way of a first Monte Carlo title, is eight time champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal took his 46th consecutive win at Monte Carlo defeating the mercurial frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in straight sets.
Tsonga had opportunities but could not capitalise and made too many unforced errors at crucial moments in the match. Nadal took a first set littered with errors from the frenchman. The second set appeared to be a foregone conclusion as the Mallorcan stretched out to a 5-1 lead.
Not one to go quietly, Tsonga broke Nadal twice as he fought back valiantly to take the set to a tiebreak. Errors crept back in Tsonga’s game at critical moments and Nadal took over the tiebreak at 3-3 to clinch the match and another final slot.
It is ten years since Nadal lost a match at Monte Carlo (Gaston Gaudio, way back in 2003) but Djokovic will provide by far his sternest test since coming back from a seven month layoff.
As follows are the Friday results for the Men’s Singles at Monte Carlo…
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-4 6-3
Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat 7-Richard Gasquet (France) 7-6(0) 6-2
3-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-2 2-6 6-4
6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat 13-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 2-6 6-3 6-4
Stanislas Wawrinka inflicated a straight sets 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Masters, Monte Carlo.
Going into the match with an 8-4 Head to Head advantage, Murray had a poor service day and was severely punished by the Swiss Number 2.
Murray’s game was uncharacteristically littered with unforced errors. In all, twenty four and he highlighted this during the post match press conference as the main reason for the manner in which he capitulated.
Wawrinka, who showcased his talent during a tough loss to World #1 Novak Djokovic in Australia, again showed that when at his best, he is more than capable. After a tough opening service game, where was forced to save a break point, he went on to dominate the match convincingly, breaking Murray on three consecutive occasions during a one sided opening stanza.
Murray was better in the second set, but not good enough to check a range of winners from all around the court as Wawrinka refused to take the foot of the gas. A miserable performance was brought to an end by the scot netting for Wawrinka to take the match 6-1, 6-2.
Stan now takes on JW Tsonga in Round 4, while Murray flies to Madrid to prepare for the next masters event in the European clay swing.
As follows are the Thursday results for the Men’s Singles at Monte Carlo, including one or two surprises:
Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat 5-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-4 4-6 7-6(4)
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 14-Juan Monaco (Argentina) 4-6 6-2 6-2
7-Richard Gasquet (France) beat 9-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 7-5 6-4
13-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 2-Andy Murray (Britain) 6-1 6-2
Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-2 6-4
3-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat 16-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-2 6-4
Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat 4-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2
6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-3 6-0